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September
Kyrgyz leader urges calm after deadly conflict with Tajikistan
Written by Nur Yasmin
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov urged his country on Monday to have trust in its army and strategic partners, and said there was no need for volunteer forces at the border with Tajikistan after deadly clashes there last week.
At least 100 people were killed between Sept. 14 and 16 in fighting involving the use of tanks, aviation and rocket artillery on a disputed section of the border in Kyrgyzstan's Batken province.
"We continue our efforts to resolve the Kyrgyz-Tajik border issues in a purely peaceful way," Japarov said in a televised address on a national day of mourning.
"Another point I would like to mention: I urge calm among the men and youths who are willing to go to Batken ... We have courageous warriors and enough forces to repel those who violate our borders."
Japarov also asked Kyrgyz not to trust "provocateurs who slander our strategic partners, friendly nations and peoples who share our position".
Separately, Kyrgyz authorities said they had negotiated on Monday for the release of four border guards who had been captured by Tajik troops during the conflict.
Tajikistan's foreign ministry said on Monday the key to resolving the conflict lay in negotiations, and it reiterated its position that Kyrgyzstan had instigated the fighting.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sodik Emomi told a briefing that ethnic Tajiks who were not Tajik citizens were being detained in Kyrgyzstan and that Kyrgyz drones had been spotted flying into Tajik territory overnight.
Central Asian border issues largely stem from the Soviet era, when Moscow tried to divide the region between groups whose settlements were often located amid those of other ethnicities.
Emomi said there have been more than 230 border incidents between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan over the last 20 years, and that the focus of the latest conflict was an area covering 2,000 square kilometres (772 square miles).
Former Soviet republics Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are both allied to Moscow and host Russian military bases. Russia has avoided taking sides in the conflict and urged the sides to resolve it peacefully. (Reuters)
September
Saudi Arabia confirms one-year extension of $3 billion deposit, Pakistan central bank says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan's central bank on Sunday said the Saudi Fund for Development has confirmed it will extend for one-year a $3 billion deposit currently placed in the bank's accounts since 2021.
The deposit was to mature on Dec. 5, but that has now been extended to next year, the State Bank of Pakistan said on Twitter. (Reuters)
September
New Zealand central bank governor says they are working with other banks to understand climate change
Written by Nur Yasmin
New Zealand's central bank governor Adrian Orr said on Monday that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand was working with more than 110 central banks around the world to better understand and integrate climate considerations into their work.
"As the climate continues to change, wellbeing and prosperity are harmed. To deliver on the Reserve Bank's purpose, it's important that we understand this context," Orr said in a speech at a conference on climate change and business.
Orr added that financial stability is best maintained when all relevant risks are identified, priced, and allocated to those best able to manage them.
"Climate impacts are here now, and the risks of further impacts are here to stay. But there is still much within our control," Orr said. (Reuters)
September
In a first, European Union moves to cut Hungary funding over damaging democracy
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Union executive recommended on Sunday suspending some 7.5 billion euros in funding for Hungary over corruption, the first such case in the 27-nation bloc under a new sanction meant to better protect the rule of law.
The EU introduced the new financial sanction two years ago precisely in response to what it says amounts to the undermining of democracy in Poland and Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban subdued courts, media, NGOs and academia, as well as restricting the rights of migrants, gays and women during more than a decade in power.
"It's about breaches of the rule of law compromising the use and management of EU funds," said EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn. "We cannot conclude that the EU budget is sufficiently protected."
He highlighted systemic irregularities in Hungary's public procurement laws, insufficient safeguards against conflicts of interest, weaknesses in effective prosecution and shortcomings in other anti-graft measures.
Hahn said the Commission was recommending the suspension of about a third of cohesion funds envisaged for Hungary from the bloc's shared budget for 2021-27 worth a total of 1.1 trillion euros.
The 7.5 billion euros in question amounts to 5% of the country's estimated 2022 GDP. EU countries now have up to three months to decide on the proposal.
Hahn said Hungary's latest promise to address EU criticisms was a significant step in the right direction but must still be translated into new laws and practical actions before the bloc would be reassured.
Development Minister Tibor Navracsics, in charge of negotiations with the EU, said Hungary would meet all 17 of its commitments made to the European Commission to stave off the loss of any EU funding.
"Hungary did not make commitments to befuddle the Commission," Navracsics told a news conference. "We have made commitments that we know can be implemented ... therefore, we will not be facing a loss of funds."
CORRUPTION
Orban's government proposed creating a new anti-graft agency in recent weeks as Budapest came under pressure to secure money for the ailing economy and forint, the worst-performing currency in the EU's east.
Orban, who calls himself a "freedom fighter" against the world view of the liberal West, denies that Hungary - an ex-communist country of some 10 million people - is any more corrupt than others in the EU.
Navracsics said Orban's government would submit laws to parliament on Friday to establish a new independent anti-graft authority to monitor the public procurement of EU funds, with the body to be launched by the second half of November.
Hungary has also pledged to implement several other anti-corruption safeguards, including tighter rules on conflicts of interest, extending the scope of financial statements and broadening the power of judges to pursue suspected corruption.
Navracsics expressed hope that the Commission would be reassured by the implementation of the reforms and withdraw its proposed sanctions against Hungary by Nov. 19.
The Commission is already blocking some 6 billion euros in funds envisaged for Hungary in a separate COVID economic recovery stimulus over the same corruption concerns.
Reuters documented in 2018 how Orban channels EU development funds to his friends and family, a practice human rights organisations say has immensely enriched his inner circle and allowed the 59-year-old to entrench himself in power.
Hungary had irregularities in nearly 4% of EU funds spending in 2015-2019, according to the bloc's anti-fraud body OLAF, by far the worst result among the 27 EU countries.
Orban has also rubbed many in the bloc up the wrong way by cultivating continued close ties with President Vladimir Putin and threatening to deny EU unity needed to impose and preserve sanctions on Russia for waging war against Ukraine. (Reuters)
September
Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan ceasefire holds up after border fighting
Written by Nur Yasmin
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan reported no major combat incidents on Saturday, indicating that a ceasefire they agreed after intense fighting on Friday remained in effect despite accusations of sporadic shelling by both sides.
The two former Soviet republics clashed over a border dispute this week, accusing each other of using tanks, mortars, rocket artillery and assault drones to attack outposts and nearby settlements, leaving at least 54 dead.
Central Asian border issues largely stem from the Soviet era when Moscow tried to divide the region between groups whose settlements were often located amidst those of other ethnicities.
Kyrgyzstan, which said 24 of its citizens had been killed and about 137,000 evacuated from the conflict area, accused Tajik forces of shelling its border outposts on several occasions on Saturday.
Tajikistan has not given any official casualty numbers, but security sources said 30 people have been killed this week, including 15 who were in a mosque that Tajikistan says was struck by a Kyrgyz drone.
The administration of Tajikistan's northern Sughd province - where the clashes erupted - said tensions were easing in the border area.
"As a result of meetings between Tajik and Kyrgyz delegations the situation on the border is stabilising, people are returning to normal life," it said in a statement.
Both countries host Russian military bases and are members of several Russia-led military and economic blocs.
Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov were attending a meeting of a Russia- and China-led regional body this week when the border violence erupted.
On Saturday, Japarov said in an address to the nation that Kyrgyzstan would not give up any land in the disputed area.
"We will not stop even for a minute our efforts to settle the Kyrgyz-Tajik dispute as quickly as possible," he said. (Reuters)
September
Strong earthquake hits southeastern Taiwan, building collapses
Written by Nur Yasmin
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the sparsely populated southeastern part of Taiwan on Sunday, the island's weather bureau said, derailing train carriages, causing a convenience store to collapse and trapping hundreds on mountain roads.
The weather bureau said the epicentre was in Taitung county, and followed a 6.4 magnitude temblor on Saturday evening in the same area, which caused no casualties.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured Sunday's quake at a magnitude 7.2 and at a depth of 10 km (six miles).
Taiwan's fire department said all four people were rescued from a building housing a convenience store that collapsed in Yuli, while three people whose vehicle fell off a damaged bridge were rescued and taken to hospital.
The Taiwan Railways Administration said six carriages came off the rails at Dongli station in eastern Taiwan after part of the platform canopy collapsed, but the fire department said there were no injuries.
More than 600 people are trapped on the scenic Chike and Liushishi mountain areas by blocked roads, though there were no injuries and rescuers were working to reopen the roads, the department said.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Taiwan after the tremor but later lifted the alert. Japan's weather agency lifted a tsunami warning for part of Okinawa prefecture.
The quake could be felt across Taiwan, the weather bureau said. Buildings shook briefly in the capital Taipei, and aftershocks have continued to jolt the island.
Science parks in the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, home to major semiconductor factories, said there was no impact on operations.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) (2330.TW), , the world's largest contract chipmaker, said there was "no known significant impact for now".
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.
More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999. (Reuters)
September
Saudi Arabia confirms one-year extension of $3 billion deposit, Pakistan central bank says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan's central bank on Sunday said the Saudi Fund for Development has confirmed it will extend for one-year a $3 billion deposit currently placed in the bank's accounts since 2021.
The deposit was to mature on Dec. 5, but that has now been extended to next year, the State Bank of Pakistan said on Twitter. (Reuters)
September
Putin calls on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to de-escalate
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russian President Vladimir Putin held telephone talks with the leaders of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan following clashes on the border of the Central Asian republics, the Kremlin said on Sunday.
"Vladimir Putin urged the sides to prevent further escalation and to take measures to resolve the situation exclusively by peaceful, political and diplomatic means as soon as possible, and confirmed Russia's readiness to provide the necessary assistance to ensure stability in the Kyrgyz-Tajik border region." (reuters)
September
Fury grows in Iran over woman who died after hijab arrest
Written by Nur Yasmin
Protests persisted on Sunday and #MahsaAmini became one of the top hashtags ever on Persian-language Twitter as Iranians fumed over the death of a young woman in the custody of morality police enforcing strict hijab rules.
Amini, 22, died on Friday after falling into a coma following her arrest in Tehran earlier in the week. The case has put a spotlight on women's rights in Iran.
Police rejected suspicions aired on social media that she was beaten, saying she fell ill as she waited with other detained women.
"Authorities have said my daughter suffered from chronic medical conditions. I personally deny such claims as my daughter was fit and had no health problems," Amini's father told pro-reform Emtedad news website on Sunday.
Hundreds of protesters gathered on Sunday around the University of Tehran, shouting "Woman, Life, Freedom", according to online videos.
Reuters could not verify the footage.
Under Iran's sharia, or Islamic law, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes. Offenders face public rebuke, fines or arrest. But in recent months activists have urged women to remove veils despite the hardline rulers' crackdown on "immoral behaviour".
SURGING HASHTAG
By Sunday afternoon the Persian hashtag #MahsaAmini had reached 1.63 million mentions on Twitter.
Amini was from the country's Kurdistan region, where there were also protests on Saturday, including at the funeral in her hometown Saqez.
Between 8 to 10 million Kurds live in Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have put down unrest in the country’s Kurdish areas for decades, and the hardline judiciary has sentenced many activists to long jail terms or death.
Police repressed the demonstrations in Saqez. According to videos posted online at least one man had a head injury. Reuters could not authenticate the videos.
Behzad Rahimi, a member of parliament for Saqez, told the semi-official ILNA news agency that a few people were wounded at the funeral. "One of them was hospitalised in the Saqez Hospital after being hit in the intestines by ballbearings," he said.
Kurdish rights group Hengaw said, however, that 33 people were injured in Saqez. Reuters could not independently confirm the number. (Reuters)
September
Canada's Trudeau says Ukraine mass graves part of Russian war crimes
Written by Nur Yasmin
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday that mass graves found in Ukraine were evidence of Russia's war crimes and that full accountability for its actions was needed.
Trudeau, in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, told reporters that he had met with British Prime Minister Liz Truss and that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was at the top of their agenda.
"Obviously the UK and Canada have been two of the strongest countries in standing up in support of Ukraine and pushing back against Russia's illegal actions," Trudeau said.
Those actions "increasingly, clearly include war crimes, include absolutely unacceptable crimes, whether we think of what we found in Bucha or the discovery of mass graves in the reclaimed territories by Ukraine," he said.
Ukrainian officials said last week that they had found 440 bodies in the woodlands near Izium in northeastern Ukraine, a town recaptured by Ukrainian forces. They said most of the dead were civilians and the causes of death had not been established. The Kremlin has not commented on the discovery of the graves, but Moscow had repeatedly denied deliberately attacking civilians or committing atrocities.
"There needs to be a proper investigation and transparency and Vladimir Putin, his supporters and the Russian military need to be held to account for the atrocities they have and are continuing to commit in Ukraine," Trudeau said.
Trudeau, who was due to meet Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Sunday evening, said Canada strongly supported Ukraine and would continue to provide aid.
Trudeau said his talks with Truss also touched on trade relations between their countries.
They discussed a Canada-UK trade deal that is being negotiated and advancing "well," Trudeau said, as well as Canada's support for Britain to potentially join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). (Reuters)