Weekly Recap: Aug 22 to Aug 28

North America:

• A United States judge recommended on Friday (Aug 26) that Afghan funds held abroad should not be used to compensate 9/11 victims, instead be channelled to support local citizens and the Afghan economy. The funds, totalling US$1 billion (S$1.39 billion), were frozen and held abroad in response to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn said the seizure of funds would conversely acknowledge Taliban rule and that  the Afghan central bank’s funds were beyond the authority of US courts. Her decision will be reviewed by US District Judge George Daniels. The decision would be a setback for US creditors seeking compensation from the US$7 billion (S$ 9.75 billion) held in the US for approximately 150 families affected by the 9/11 attacks. US President Joe Biden previously ordered US$3.5 billion (S$5.88) of the sum to be set aside “for the benefit of the Afghan people” in February.

• Moderna sued vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech on Friday (Aug 26), over alleged infringements on its patents on mRNA technology. The move reverses the company’s previous stance two years ago, which stated it would not enforce its 2015 and 2016 patents related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pfizer and BioNTech said they would “vigorously defend” themselves against the litigation, as Germany’s BioNTech had already been working on mRNA technology when it joined its US counterpart. While such litigations are not unusual, the three companies are already facing existing lawsuits from other pharmaceutical companies.

• The US Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) stated on Friday (Aug 26) that they expect to find evidence of “obstruction of justice” along with “fruits of crimes or other items illegally possessed”, among the documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. The FBI raid on the residence on August 8th was justified in response to the 15 boxes of classified documents taken from the White House to Trump’s personal residence on the day of his departure from office in 2021. The FBI released a 38-page affidavit to justify the raid, which, although heavily redacted, added to the current criminal investigations into Trump and his associates for actions during his presidency.

• The United States is planning to appoint an ambassador to the Arctic, amid concerns regarding Russian and Chinese activity in the region. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday (Aug 26) that Russia’s increased military activity in the North Pole region, including the re-opening of “Soviet-era military sites” and its use as a “testbed” for advanced weaponry posed challenges for the alliance. Concerns were also raised regarding Chinese resource research operations in the region. The ambassador would engage with the seven other Arctic nations including Canada, Sweden, and Russia. The United States is currently the only Arctic nation without a representative for the region at an ambassador level. 

• Three Dutch soldiers were wounded in a shooting outside a hotel in Indianapolis, in the US state of Indiana, on Saturday (Aug 27). At least one of the soldiers was reported to be in critical condition. Authorities said they believe an altercation between the soldiers and an altercation with an external person or persons led to the shooting. The Dutch soldiers were in the US state for training in the Muscatatuck Urban Training Centre, used by the US Department of Defence and “other allies”. No arrest had yet been made. 

• Thousands took to the streets across Haiti last Monday (Aug 22), protesting high crime and inflation rates. According to the central bank, inflation has hit a 10-year high. Meanwhile, gang violence and kidnappings have been on the rise, as the nation continues to reel from political instability, exacerbated by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Due to difficulties in obtaining dollars from the central bank, fuel importers have been left straggled and unable to pay for fuel subsidies, which has subsequently left Haitians struggling to find fuel and work. Protestors are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry and for a better quality of life. 

South America: 

• Columbia’s Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez announced a suspension of aerial bombings targeting armed groups last Thursday (Aug 27), in an effort to minimise the deaths of civilians and children forcibly recruited into the organisations. Velasquez stated that this was a symbol of the government’s wish to engage in talks with the armed groups. Colombian President Gustavo Petro also expressed intent to negotiate with the rebels, in an effort to end the conflict. 

• The Argentinean police clashed with thousands of Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner supporters in the country’s capital, Buenos Aires, on Saturday (Aug 27). The clashes came amidst a 12-year prison sentence sought against her by prosecutors, who maintain she syphoned state funds by awarding public contracts to a family friend. Fernandez de Kircher eventually asked supporters to halt protests after seven police officers were injured, and two protesters were arrested. 

• The President of the Central Bank of Brazil cautioned policymakers on Friday (Aug 26) not to “let their guard down”, despite Brazilian consumer prices falling, and inflation decelerating. He also emphasised the need for the central bank to remain “vigilant”, and acknowledged the inflationary slowdown of this year stemmed from governments such as tax cuts on key consumables like energy and fuel. 

• Former Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam, who oversaw Mexico’s investigation into the disappearance of 43 students from a radical teachers’ college in 2014, will stand trial on charges of forced disappearances, official misconduct and not reporting torture, a judge ruled last Wednesday (Aug 24). Independent investigations and the current Attorney General’s Offices discounted his version of events, asserting the involvement of various levels of authorities, which ultimately led to gang members walking free. 

• A 9 per cent increase from the Peruvian government’s 2022 budget plan was presented for next year’s budget plan to Congress on Friday (Aug 26). Minister of economy and finance Kurt Burneo said measures were being planned to revive private spending, increase public investment and rebuild investors’ confidence in the country. A public borrowing strategy was also sent to Congress and the government expressed intent to carry out debt management operations, as well. 

• A clash between police and protesters in Peru last Thursday (Aug 25) that left at least one dead and more than a dozen injured, prompted hundreds of Peruvian miners to block a section of Peru’s Interoceanic Highway near the border with Brazil on Friday (Aug 26). The protest occurred in response to alleged abuse from police officers during an operation against illegal mining. The clash came as the country faced an uptick in social conflict in the mining sector, which has already incapacitated several important operations this year. 

Asia Pacific: 

• The death toll from monsoon floods in Pakistan crossed 1,000 on Sunday (Aug 28), with 119 deaths reported in the previous 24 hours. At least 347 people were killed in the southern Sindh region alone. While monsoon flooding is a regular occurrence in Pakistan, precipitation levels were reportedly up by 600% in certain regions. At least 33 million people are reported to be affected by the floods, which have destroyed nearly a million homes and two million acres of crops. The Pakistani government declared a state of emergency on Friday (Aug 26). Several countries including Qatar and Iran pledged relief support for Pakistan, while France said they were “ready to provide help”.

• Two US warships sailed through the Taiwan State on Sunday (Aug 28), in an exercise to demonstrate the United States’ “freedom of navigation” in the Indo-Pacific region. The exercise came as tensions between China, Taiwan and the US flared following the visit of US representative Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which China responded to with increased military drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese military said on Sunday (Aug 28) that it was monitoring the two vessels and was maintaining high alert. Taiwan’s defence ministry since reported that 23 Chinese aircraft and eight Chinese ships were detected around the nation.

• UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet admitted last Thursday (Aug 25) that her office was under “tremendous pressure” to “publish or not to publish” the long-delayed report on the human rights violations and detaining of Uighur people in China’s Xinjiang region, following the UN’s visit to the Xinjiang region earlier this year. The trip was described by Human Rights Watch Executive Director Ken Roth as “an utter failure” due to its inability to secure access to necessary areas of investigation. Bachelet has promised to publish the report before her term ends on August 31st. 47 countries signed a statement requesting “more detailed observations” following the visit. Letters were also continually sent by officials and campaigners for and against publication. Bachelet stated she received “substantial input” from China, as well as received signed letters from North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba for its non-publication.

• Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev announced on Friday (Aug 26) that his country’s troops took the Azerbaijani town of Lachin over from Russian peacekeepers. The move was in line with the Russian-brokered peace deal signed with Armenia in 2020, following clashes between the two nations that year. The deal saw the return of Azerbaijani territory back to the nation except for the Armenian-occupied region of Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Tensions between the two nations flared in the territory earlier this month. 

• Demonstrations were held across India on Saturday (Aug 27) to protest the release of the 11 men behind the gang raping of a Muslim woman, Bilkis Bano in 2007. Fourteen of her family members were also killed in religious riots in Gujarat, India, five years prior. Demonstrators called for the government to reverse the decision, while more than 100 retired civil servants wrote to the chief justice of India, stating that the release would have an impact on the safety of all women in the country. 

Europe: 

• French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced a “new, irreversible dynamic of progress” following the conclusion of Macron’s three-day visit on Saturday (Aug 27). The visit came soon after Algeria marked the 60th anniversary of independence from French rule, which lasted more than a century. The two nations had numerous incidents of strained ties, including that of last year, where Macron’s question of  Algeria’s national existence before the French occupation and accusation of fomenting “hatred towards France”. The visit also came as European countries search for alternatives to Russian energy imports, including from Algeria, Africa’s largest exporter of natural gas.

• Heavy artillery targeted the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and nearby town areas in Ukraine on Sunday (Aug 28), elevating concerns over a possible nuclear disaster. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged blame over the fire. Ukrainian authorities reported Russian shelling twice in 24 hours on Sunday (Aug 28), while Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the complex three times in the same time span, with four shells hitting the building storing “168 assemblies of US Westinghouse nuclear fuel”. Radiation levels remained normal following the shelling, however, Ukraine’s state energy operator said there is a risk of radioactive leakage. Authorities distributed iodine tablets to residents in nearby areas on Friday (Aug 26), in the event of a radiation leak.

• UK Prime Minister’s possible successor Liz Truss said she ruled out direct support for everyone to cover surging energy bills amid the power supply crisis sparked by the Russia-Ukraine war. Reports on Sunday (Aug 28) stated that Truss confirmed cuts on National Insurance and green levies on bills, but will also consider options such as further tax cuts and welfare support, which may prove unpopular with Conservative Party members. Conversely, her opponent Rishi Sunak maintained the government needs to continue with efforts such as the  £400 payment to all households later this year. The UK government is facing sustained pressure to address the energy crisis, as energy regulator, Ofgem increased price caps on household bills by 80% on Friday (Aug 26). 

• Russia blocked the final draft of the United Nations’ nuclear disarmament treaty on Friday (Aug 26), during a meeting to conclude a month-long convention at the UN headquarters in New York. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which aims to limit the spread of nuclear weapons, is reviewed every five years. Negotiations were continually stalled over the past month due to Russia’s objection to criticism over its actions in Ukraine. The latest draft of the treaty expressed “grave concern” over military activities around Ukrainian power plants, including Zaporizhzhia, and Ukraine’s subsequent loss of control over nuclear sites, causing safety concerns. 

• The number of migrants crossing the English Channel from northern France to the UK hit a record high last Monday (Aug 22). The UK defence ministry reported that 1,295  people were recorded to have arrived on UK shores, while more than 22,670 crossings were recorded this year—a figure that is almost twice the number reported this time last year. The increase in migrants has added tension between the UK and French governments. The United Kingdom’s controversial plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was also obstructed due to legal challenges earlier this year.

Middle East: 

• Egypt’s central bank eased restrictions on cash withdrawals and removed restrictions on cash deposits last Thursday (Aug 25). The restrictions were originally imposed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, restricting withdrawals to 50,000 Egyptian pounds (US$2,600). The restriction had since been eased by the bank’s newly appointed governor Hassan Abdalla.

• At the Japan-Africa summit in Tunisia on Saturday (Aug 27), Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged US$30 billion (S$41.80 billion) in aid for development in Africa, stating intentions to work closely with the continent as the rule-based international order has come under threat following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The summit had given Tunisian President Kais Saied his biggest international platform since the 2019 election. The summit has also ignited tension between Tunisia and Morocco, who have both recalled their ambassadors back for consultation. 

• Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund aims to invest US$3 billion (S$4.18 billion) in various Pakistan commercial and investment sectors, according to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last Wednesday (Aug 24). The announcement came in lieu of a meeting between Sharif and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Pakistan is currently plighted with serious economic turmoil and faces a balance of payments crisis. A senior Pakistani minister present in the meeting confirmed the Qatari government’s “intention of investing in Pakistan”, as did the Qatari ruler’s office in a statement on its website.

• Afghans in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held protests last Wednesday (Aug 24), demanding their resettlement process be sped up. Demonstrators housed in an Abu Dhabi facility carried banners, wore blindfolds and bound their wrists, depicting the prison-like conditions in the facility. There are an estimated 12,000 Afghans housed and the facility and another site nearby. This bottleneck for relation efforts follows the agreement between the US and Taliban, which withdrew foreign troops from Afghanistan. 

• Yemen President Rashad al-Alimi ordered United Arab Emirates-backed separatists to cease military operations in the country’s south last Tuesday (Aug 23). Citing a power-sharing agreement from 2019, he stopped military operations until a troop redeployment in the region is implemented. The notice was issued to the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a fellow Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) member. This instability complicates a permanent UN ceasefire, aimed to pave the way for political negotiation to end the war in Yemen.

• Efforts to restore the Iran Nuclear Deal remain ongoing, as Iran announced its review of the United States’ response to a European-Union drafted text last Sunday (Aug 28). As the work week ends on Friday in Iran, a response before next Friday (Sep 2) remains unlikely. Iran’s own response to the European text was sent earlier in the month, with the US submitting their own feedback more than a week after the Iranian response. 

Africa: 

• The Angolan election concluded last Friday (Aug 26) with the governing party, the Marxist People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), claiming victory after a win of 51 per cent of the votes. This has given President Joao Lourenco a second five-year term. However, the main opposition, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), disputed this win, citing a low voter turnout and discrepancies in the vote count. 

• A five-month ceasefire was broken last Wednesday (Aug 24), in the northern regions of Tigray in Ethiopia. Fighting erupted between the government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels. In response, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire, the resumption of peace talks, and the re-establishment of humanitarian access and public services in Tigray. The crucial humanitarian aid that flowed into the country earlier this year had been disrupted, aggravating the already high malnutrition that impacts 29 per cent of Tigrayan children.

• Mozambique is poised to improve its transport infrastructure in its capital, Maputo, after the World Bank approved a US$300 million (S$417.90 million) fund last Thursday (Aug 25). The country will be embarking on its first bus rapid transport system and other infrastructure projects, contributing to efforts to increase accessibility to poor neighbourhoods, strengthening economic growth, and supporting the country’s recovery from the pandemic. This comes as population growth is increasing rapidly within the capital, with a projected population of almost 4 million by 2035. 

• An immediate ceasefire was called in Libya on Sunday (Aug 28), after a deadly clash between government forces and a militia loyal to political rivals left 23 dead and dozens wounded. Small-arm fire and explosions were reported from several areas of the capital, Tripoli, alongside emergency services finding several hospitals caught in the crossfire. The rise in tensions came after a two-year period of calm in the country. 

• South Africans took to the streets in protest against worsening economic conditions last Wednesday (Aug 24), as inflation hit a 13-year high. The protests were led by the trade union group Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), a rare occurrence for the country’s largest union to lead a national protest. Surging costs of living and the struggles of the working class remain salient issues for the unions, and are underscored by the rising costs for necessities including food, electricity, fuel and medication. Last month, the central bank hiked interest rates to a 20-year high in order to curb the rising inflation. 

• Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga was appointed the interim prime minister of Mali last Monday (Aug 22), replacing veteran civilian politician Choguel Kokalla Maiga who was admitted to hospital. The colonel’s induction into government means that both of Mali’s most senior government positions are currently held by military officials.