Week 140 (07-13/02/2022)

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The Solomon Islands are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases, with all but three provinces reported a widespread transmission. | Picture: Taupongi/Agence France-Presse

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

As global COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, new measures regarding pilgrimage will be enforced in Saudi Arabia (07/02). The new rules said that foreign pilgrims should provide a negative test result of COVID-19 upon arrival. The test should be taken no more than 48 hours before departure regardless the pilgrims’ vaccination status.

Iran nuclear talks are set to resume in Vienna, Austria, where the headquarter of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is located (08/02). The talks will be attended by the United Kingdom (UK), China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, and indirectly the United States (US). In an interview, a Russian negotiator indicated that an agreement is in sight.

The United Nations (UN)’s World Food Programme (WFP) reported that almost 13 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are facing hunger due to severe drought (08/02). The drought has ruined harvest and killed livestock. The condition is predicted to persist in the coming months.

People who seek to visit the UK from Nigeria will have to wait at least six weeks for their visa to be processed (09/02). The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) explained the COVID-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions have made the agency faces an unpredictable demand across all its visa centers. However, the visa might be processed faster if there is an urgency such as medical emergencies.

ASIA

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen apologized for its “unintentional” mistake of announcing the release of Australian economist Sean Turnell in Myanmar on Monday (07/02). The Myanmar military junta denied the release and sources from the Australian foreign ministry said that Myanmar authorities told them Turnell remained in detention. Previously, Turnell, who is adviser to Suu Kyi for economic affairs as well as director of the Institute for the Development of Myanmar since 2017, was arrested on charges of violating the Official Secrets Acts, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Reported in CNA (11/02), international bookings for flights to Southeast Asia rose sharply in January as countries in the region are relaxing tight pandemic-related border controls. International visits to Southeast Asia were down 93 per cent from pre-pandemic levels last year, thus the rise is a positive sign for the region’s hard-hit airlines. Previously, the airlines heavily relied on freight for revenue.

The United Nations (UN) experts lamented (11/02) the persistence of appalling and pervasive culture of impunity in Bangladesh. The deep concern was expressed on Friday with regard to the fact that there has been no one charged in the brutal killings of a journalist couple in Dhaka exactly 10 years ago. “When crimes against journalists go unpunished, they embolden the perpetrators and encourage more attacks, threats and killings with the intention of intimidating the media into silence. We see those deeply worrying signs in Bangladesh,” the experts said. At least 15 journalists had been killed in Bangladesh in the past decade and the incidents appear to be rarely investigated or prosecuted.

Reported in Aljazeera (11/02), two international journalists while on assignment with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as Afghan nationals working with them, have been released by Afghanistan’s Taliban government. There was no indication of what prompted the detentions. Meanwhile, one of the journalists is Andrew North, a British former BBC correspondent who has covered Afghanistan for about 20 years and regularly travelled to the war-ravaged country to report on its deteriorating humanitarian crisis.

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

The Solomon Islands are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases, with all but three provinces reported a widespread transmission, said Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (07/02). Most of the local lockdowns have been lifted, but a curfew from 6pm to 6am are still put in place. People are also not allowed to go out from the capital Honiara. The prime minister added that the outbreak would “get worse before it gets better”.

After completing a mandatory quarantine in Tongatapu, the first shipment of aid from New Zealand to Tonga has been unloaded (08/02). The shipment contains 51 containers and requires 80-100 volunteers to unpack it manually. Secretary Pakilau Manase Lua said he had requested four forklifts from New Zealand to speed up the unpacking.

Vanuatu and French territory New Caledonia have been hit by tropical cyclone Dovi, which caused flooding and power cuts (11/02). New Caledonian authorities have issued a regional warning and are assessing the damage. Meanwhile in Vanuatu, cyclone Dovi turned the roads into rivers and forced dozens of families in the capital to evacuate. Journalist Dan McGarry reported the weather had been “extremely bad” and that the current focus is to clean up and recover.

On Friday (11/02), Samoa lowered its COVID-19 alert level from level 2 to level 1. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said after two weeks of strict regulations such as wearing masks, closing schools, and restricting public gatherings, now the archipelagic state has recovered. Local travel by sea or air has resumed, but international travels are subject to cabinet support.

EUROPE

Following a meeting with France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to compromise with the West on Ukraine issue (08/02). During the meeting, Macron presented several proposals, which include the two sides refraining from taking any new military action and reviving the peace process in Ukraine’s conflict with Russian-backed separatists. Meanwhile, in response to the Russian troops build-up, the United Kingdom (UK) will send 350 more soldiers to Poland’s border. Germany will also send an additional 350 troops to Lithuania.

After the UK, Australia, and the United States (US) voiced their support in a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against China’s alleged trade sanctions on Lithuania, China suspended its beef imports from the Baltic country (10/02). The rift between China and Lithuania started after the latter allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in Vilnius. Taiwan condemned China’s action, calling it “bullying”, and expressed its support for Lithuania.

Forty fighters in Burkina Faso have been killed in a French air raids (13/02). France claimed that the fighters were responsible for an attack in Benin that killed nine, including a Frenchman. Fighters from al-Qaeda and ISIS have long threatened Sahel countries, including Benin.

As the US warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could come within days, the UK and Norway urged their citizens to leave Ukraine (12/02). Other countries such as Montenegro and Israel advised their nationals to avoid travelling to Ukraine. At the same time, Russia continues to deny planning an invasion. It also referred its joint military exercises with Belarus as “defensive”.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 

Brazil defended its decision to allow British military aircraft to land in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Porto Alegre. This decision was previously protested by Argentina because the aircraft was allegedly linked to a sovereignty dispute in the Falkland Islands. On Tuesday (8/02), Brazil said the aircraft was on a routine flight unrelated to the sovereignty dispute. 

Latin American unicorns lead the regional technological labor market. As reported on Thursday (10/02), the growth of hiring rate positions like software engineer has increased by 286 percent in the second semester of 2021. The growth mostly can be seen in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. 

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday (10/02) that it was finalizing a loan for Argentina. The loan was given to prevent Argentina from high inflation. The focus of this loan is pragmatic, realistic, and credible efforts to address macroeconomic problems. 

A journalist was shot dead in Oaxaca, Mexico, on Friday (11/02). Heber Lopez, director of Noticias Web, was killed while leaving the recording studio. Police have reportedly detained two suspects.

THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 

The United States (US) urged Canada on Thursday (10/02) to immediately end the Freedom Convoy, or truckers’ protest, which have impacted trade between the two countries. The protests led to the closure of the border in the region linking Windsor and Ontario. The protests most impacted auto industries, such as Toyota, Chrysler, and General Motors. 

Canada will announce COVID-19 policy changes next week, the health minister said on Friday (11/2). The government is reportedly close to removing mandatory testing for Canadians who are fully vaccinated and who travel outside of Canada. This change is in response to the pandemic management in Canada. 

The US Department of Homeland Security warned states to prepare for truckers’ protests starting this Saturday (12/2). Just like in Canada, truckers in the US are against the vaccine mandate. This protest is predicted to last for months and could disrupt various events, such as the Superbowl and the State of The Union. 

The US issued an evacuation order at its embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, on Saturday (12/2). The order was issued as tensions escalated with Russia in eastern Ukraine. Several diplomatic officers will be relocated to Poland to ensure the US maintains a diplomatic presence in the region.