More than one million people have now died of COVID-19, according to reported data, a figure UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called “mind-numbing” (UN). The United States has recorded more than one-fifth of total deaths, followed by Brazil and India. Still, officials believe the true death toll is higher (Guardian) due to likely underreporting, including in Iran and Syria.
 
The pandemic shows no signs of relenting as caseloads continue to rise (Al Jazeera), even in countries previously thought to be containing the coronavirus. As the world scrambles to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, the World Health Organization announced that a global partnership will provide 120 million inexpensive and rapid coronavirus tests to low- and middle-income countries.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced he will host foreign ministers (Bloomberg) from Australia, India, and the United States on October 6. The forum will be Japan’s first ministerial-level international gathering (AFP) under new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
 
East Asia: Up to thirty-eight million people will remain or become impoverished (FT) in East Asia this year, the region’s first increase in poverty in twenty years, the World Bank said. Pandemic-related factors could lower the region’s economic growth by 1 percent per year in the next decade, it said.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said India’s government froze its bank accounts (BBC), forcing it to pause operations in the country. The group attributed the move to its criticism of India’s human rights record. Indian authorities have previously scrutinized (Hindustan Times) it for alleged financial crimes.
 
Pakistan: The country’s Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal (RFE/RL) after a lower court acquitted a man accused of the 2002 murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl. A hearing will begin next week.

Turkish state media reported that Turkish prosecutors indicted (Al Jazeera) six more Saudis for the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate. A group to promote democracy in Arab states, Khashoggi’s brainchild, launches today (NYT).
 
Iraq: Two women and three children were killed and another two children were wounded when a rocket targeting Baghdad’s airport, where U.S. troops are stationed, struck their home instead (National). No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The United States has reportedly threatened to close its Baghdad embassy unless Iraq stems attacks on U.S. interests.

Africa loses an estimated $89 billion per year through illegal and corrupt financial flows, a report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said. This loss exceeds development aid to Africa and hamstrings development, according to UNCTAD.
 
Togo: President Faure Gnassingbe appointed Victoire Tomegah Dogbe, a longtime civil servant, as prime minister, making her the first woman to hold the title (Togo First). The government of Togo’s previous prime minister resigned last week (Reuters).

The UN Security Council will hold emergency talks (Guardian) today about Armenia and Azerbaijan’s clashes over the long-disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Nearly one hundred people, including civilians, have been killed (DW) since violence erupted Sunday.
 
For CFR’s Strength Through Peace blog, Carey Cavanaugh explains the renewed conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
 
European Union: Hungary and Poland will create an institute (Politico) to evaluate rule of law in the European Union, alleging that the bloc has unfairly targeted them over the issue. Meanwhile, EU countries disagreed over proposals (FT) to link funding to rule of law.

An Iran-flagged fuel tanker entered Venezuelan waters (Reuters) yesterday, and two others are expected to arrive in early October. The shipments will help ease Venezuela’s worsening fuel crisis (LAHT).
 
CFR’s Paul J. Angelo looks at the humanitarian crisis troubling Venezuela and outlines potential international responses in this Council Special Report.
 
Bolivia: Three government ministers stepped down (AFP), with one claiming he would have otherwise been fired for opposing a government plan to privatize some shares of a nationalized electricity company. The news comes weeks before Bolivia’s general election.

The Census Bureau tweeted that Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has set October 5 (AP) as a target date to end the decennial count of U.S. residents. Last week, a federal judge preliminarily suspended the bureau’s previous September 30 deadline and allowed the count to continue until October 31 over concerns about accuracy.
 
This CFR Backgrounder explains the controversies surrounding the 2020 census.