South Asia
The Pakistani military claimed that India launched a “high-speed flying object,” which it determined to be a supersonic surface-to-surface missile, that entered Pakistani territory and violated its airspace. It further alleged that the projectile landed in Mian Channu and damaged civilian property. [The Hindu]
Afghanistan and Pakistan signed an agreement to allow the free trans-border movement of trucks starting March 21. According to Afghan traders, this would result in a drop in the price of commodities as goods coming in from Karachi would no longer be fined. [News 18]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday to discuss the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the prospect of normalising Turkey-Armenia ties. Aliyev praised Turkey’s efforts to mediate the Ukraine crisis and vowed to further strengthen bilateral security, trade, and economic ties. [Azer News]
The European Parliament on Thursday voted to adopt a resolution condemning Azerbaijan’s “destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.” The Parliament also called on UNESCO to send an independent fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh to “see what happened on the ground.” Lawmakers called on the European Commission to “use all available levers to prevent acts of vandalism, destruction or alteration of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.” [Public Radio of Armenia]
East and Southeast Asia
Japan and Canada held their Fifth “2+2” Foreign and Defence Vice Ministerial Meeting on Thursday, wherein exchanged their views on the situation in Ukraine as well as other regional affairs of importance, including China and North Korea. They also discussed maintenance of the international maritime order, measures to curb illicit ship-to-ship transfers, the realisation of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, and responses to COVID-19. [MOFA.JP]
With 1,100 active infections, China’s daily COVID-19 cases have exceeded 1,000 for the first time in two years due to the highly infectious Omicron variant. Despite strict zero-COVID protocols, the caseload has risen from a little over 300 to more than 1,000 in less than a week. [The Straits Times]
Europe
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss raised concern that Russia could use chemical weapons against Ukraine, as such weapons have been deployed by Russia in the past. She warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that such a move would further compound the “grave mistakes” he has already made in the ongoing conflict. [Reuters]
On Thursday, Polish President Andrzej Duda welcomed his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau in Warsaw to discuss the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. After the meeting, Duda urged the international community, particularly the United States (US) and Canada, to extend support for Ukraine’s eventual post-war reconstruction efforts. Trudeau committed $117 million in immigration support to Ukrainian refugees, the majority of whom entered Poland. [The First News]
On Thursday, the Swedish government said it would increase its annual defence spending from 1.3% to 2% of its gross domestic product amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Europe’s deteriorating security landscape. Additionally, Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said the country would also boost security cooperation with international partners, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United States, Finland, and the United Kingdom. [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
On Thursday, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei confirmed that he will veto a bill that seeks to increase the punishment for abortion to up to 25 years, ban same-sex marriage, and outlaw teaching about gender identity. The bill was introduced by the conservative Viva Party and was passed by lawmakers from across the aisle. The bill now requires two-thirds approval in Congress for it to reach the president’s desk. [Reuters]
United States President Joe Biden on Thursday designated Colombia as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally following his counterpart Iván Duque’s condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden’s decision comes just days after White House officials travelled to longtime Russian ally Venezuela to discuss the possible relaxation of sanctions in exchange for a change in stance on Russia, which Biden hopes will provide the US and indeed the West with an alternative oil supplier. [NPR]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
A Lebanese Tribunal on Thursday charged two men with close ties to militant group Hezbollah with “terrorism” and “murder” charges for their role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Hezbollah is believed to have killed Hariri using a suicide truck bomb in Beirut. [Reuters]
On Thursday, the Arab Parliament, the legislative body of the 22-member Arab League, condemned Yemen’s Houthi rebels for launching a bomb-laden drone towards Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province. The attack damaged civilian infrastructure but no casualties were reported. The intergovernmental Parliament called the attack “a war crime and a crime against humanity,” and urged the international community to take “immediate and decisive” steps to stop the Houthis from carrying out “terrorist attacks.” [Saudi Press Agency]
North America
Lawmakers from the upper chamber of the United States (US) Congress on Thursday, passed a roughly $14 billion assistance package for Ukraine that includes humanitarian, defence, and economic provisions. The bill received overwhelming support from senators across the aisle. At the same time, lawmakers avoided a government shutdown by passing a $1.5 trillion spending package that secures funding for important federal agencies. [The Washington Post]
On Thursday, a United States (US) Department of Defence investigation held the Pentagon’s leadership failures and security lapses responsible for the death of three American soldiers during an Al-Shabaab militant attack in Kenya in January 2020. The report, which is the second of its kind, revealed a “culture of complacency” among the US forces that led to the destruction of six aircraft at the Manda Bay airbase in Camp Simba. [Voice of America]
Oceania
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is scheduled to visit Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on March 21 ahead of the decision to ascertain whether the reef’s status as a World Heritage Site should be downgraded due to damage caused by climate change. Last June, UNESCO listed the Reef as an “in danger” Site and presented a draft resolution to downgrade its status. [Brisbane Times]
On Thursday, New Zealand’s Finance Minister, Grant Robertson, held a call with his counterparts from Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The ministers condemned Russia’s “unprovoked, unjustified and illegal” invasion of Ukraine and reviewed their sanctions against the Putin regime. [Government of New Zealand]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Qatar is set to host talks between the Chadian transitional military council and rebel groups on March 13 in Doha. Interim President Mahamat Idriss Déby took control of the country via a coup after his father, President Idriss Déby, was killed along the frontlines of a war against rebel fighters last April. [Africa Intelligence]
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed that due to South Africa’s ties with Russia and the fact that it is a member of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), it has “been approached to play a mediation role” in the Russia-Ukraine war. This follows a telephonic conversation he held with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, wherein the Russian leader reportedly “appreciated [Ramaphosa’s] balanced approach.” [Eyewitness News]