South Asia
Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi criticised Pakistan and China for vowing to deepen cooperation via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying the project passes through Indian territory and will change the status quo in the region. He further rejected the “unwarranted references” to Jammu and Kashmir. A statement released following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week said the two countries would “advance CPEC with greater efficiency” and make it an “exemplar of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.” The release also called for the peaceful resolution of the India-Pakistan Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Charter and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. [Hindustan Times]
Bangladesh reported nine dengue deaths on Wednesday, the highest number of single-day fatalities in 2022. The total number of deaths at the hands of the mosquito-borne illness this year has risen to 161. [BSS News]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Five miners died and four were injured in an explosion at a coal mine in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region on Thursday. According to initial reports, a methane gas leak in the mine caused the explosion. [RFE/RL]
On Thursday, the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement to jointly manage the Andijan/Kempir-Abad water reservoir near their border. The deal states that Kyrgyzstan will transfer the reservoir’s territory to Uzbekistan in exchange for Uzbek territory. The reservoir, built in 1983 and located in the fertile Fergana Valley, has been a constant source of dispute between the two neighbours regarding its usage. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
Inflation in the Philippines spiked to 7.7% in October, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Friday, a 14-year high and up from 6.9% in September. [Manila Times]
A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that climate cooperation between China and the United States (US) “cannot be separated from the broad climate of bilateral ties.” He noted that US House Speaker Nancy Mrs Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was a “serious breach of Chinese sovereignty” and had forced China to suspend talks. He called on Washington to “take responsibility for this.” [Reuters]
Europe
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Russia for conducting mass deportations of Ukrainians from Kherson to Russia-annexed Crimea, calling it a “gross” violation of international law. It revealed that such relocations are also being carried out by Russia in Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk. “All persons in the Russian Federation who are currently committing crimes against the Ukrainian people will inevitably be punished,” it asserted. [Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman visited the Manston immigration centre amid widespread criticism surrounding her department’s response to the subpar conditions at the facility. Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick also confirmed that he has received an “initial contact” about a judicial review on the Manston centre’s conditions. [Independent]
The Bank of England increased interest rates to 3% on Thursday, the highest since 1989. The bank said the British economy is not expected to grow for the coming two years, marking the largest economic slump since the 2008 financial crisis. [Euronews]
Latin America and the Caribbean
At least 53 people have been arrested in the coastal Ecuadorian cities of Guayaquil, Durán, and Esmeraldas since President Guillermo Lasso announced a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas and Esemereldas over rising gang violence. Lasso said, “Fifty-three criminals have been captured and we will bring them to justice so that they pay for their misdeeds. Let the drug criminals know that our hand will not tremble.” He alleged that the assailants had attacked patrol cars, police posts, gas stations, and a healthcare centre, killing at least six people, five of whom were police officers. [MercoPress]
A United States (US) government report has found that over $66 million worth of military equipment donations to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras from 2017 to 2021 have gone ‘unchecked,’ meaning that it does not have a proper record of alleged ‘misuse’ of this equipment. [Al Jazeera]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday said the United Kingdom has no plans to relocate the British embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, weeks after his predecessor Liz Truss announced that the UK could move its embassy to Jerusalem. Such a move is bound to be controversial. It risks sparking tensions in the Palestinian territories as Palestine says any such move should only be considered after a comprehensive settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict. [The Guardian]
The United Nations said on Thursday that inter-communal clashes in Sudan since July have killed at least 359 people, injured 469, and displaced more than 97,000. “The clashes between the ethnic communities are rooted in long-standing issues over land ownership and ethnic representation,” UN special advisor for the prevention of genocide Wairimu Nderitu said. She warned that there is a risk of further escalation as ethnic groups continue to spread hatred through social media and ethnic gatherings. [UN News]
North America
On Wednesday, the United States (US) Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned six individuals, 17 entities, and blocked 11 ships of an international oil smuggling network that facilitated oil trades and generated revenue for Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). “The individuals running this illicit network use a web of shell companies and fraudulent tactics including document falsification to obfuscate the origins of Iranian oil, sell it on the international market, and evade sanctions,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson noted. [US Department of Treasury, US Department of State]
During a meeting on Wednesday, United States (US) Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl and Canadian Deputy Minister of National Defence Bill Matthews agreed on the “importance of our nations’ investment in modern, ready, and capable forces and steps to advance North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernisation.” The pair also talked about their “steadfast support” for Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the release of the US’ 2022 National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review, and Missile Defense Review. [US Department of Defense]
Oceania
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) said in its latest annual cyber threat report released on Friday that cyberattacks against the country from criminals and state-sponsored groups jumped last financial year to 76,000, up 13% from the previous period. [South China Morning Post]
Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) Director-General Paul Symon said that “there should be no automatic assumption that Australia would join the United States in any war with China over Taiwan.” He added such a decision would be made “in light of Australia’s national interest.” [ABC News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in power for 43 years, on Thursday put his name forward for a sixth term in office. The 80-year-old leader rose to power via a coup in 1979 and is the world's longest-ruling head of state with the exclusion of monarchs. There are severe doubts about the legitimacy of his power, given that each of his re-elections has come with at least 93% of the votes. His Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) also holds 99 of the 100 seats in the lower house of parliament and every one of the Senate seats. Multi-party politics was only introduced in 1991. During a rally yesterday, he declared, “I am the symbol of peace that reigns in Equatorial Guinea.” Equatorial Guinea closed its borders with Cameroon and Gabon this week to counteract “infiltration” groups who are “destabilising” the country ahead of the election on 20 November. [AFP]
United States (US) President Joe Biden revealed that he will exclude Burkina Faso from the trade deal with African countries because the “government of Burkina Faso has not established, or made continued progress toward establishing, respect for the rule of law and political pluralism.” The African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) gives African exports access to reduced taxes and wider market access. Burkina Faso, however, has seen two military coups this year, with the most recent one coming at the end of September. [Africanews]