South Asia
An Indian government source said the country does not have plans to provide Sri Lanka with any more aid to help it recover from its ongoing economic crisis. India has already provided $4 billion in currency swaps, lines of credit, food and diesel deliveries, and debt moratoriums since the start of the year. [Colombo Page]
Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi blamed Pakistan for a border clash on Tuesday that resulted in the death of at least three Pakistani soldiers. Karimi said the Pakistani forces instigated the skirmish by attempting to set up a security post near the border. [Al Jazeera]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
An Armenian official announced that Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a truce on Thursday to end the ongoing clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh. Fighting erupted on Monday after the two countries accused each other of violating the ceasefire reached following the 2020 war. Over 150 people have been killed since the violence started. [Reuters]
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a document upgrading their relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” during a meeting in Samarkand on Thursday. “This important document will undoubtedly bring relations between Russia and Uzbekistan to a qualitatively new level,” Putin said. [Fergana News]
East and Southeast Asia
Shin Kak-soo, who served as South Korea’s ambassador to Japan from 2011 to 2013, said at a session organised by the East Asia Foundation on Thursday that Seoul should “freeze” the liquidation of Japanese firms accused of using forced labour during World War II. He added that South Korea should also “legislate any final settlement made over the issue… to put an end to the dispute once and for all.” [The Korea Herald]
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday hailed Taiwan’s ties with Guatemala and Honduras during a celebration commemorating the 201st anniversary of Central American Independence. Praising Central America for resisting oppression and fighting for freedom, Tsai said that the Taiwanese people “very much identify with this, and profoundly appreciate and cherish our hard-won freedom and democracy,” having fought for democracy themselves. [Taiwan News]
Europe
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the United Kingdom’s decision to not invite Russian officials to Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral due to the Ukraine war as a “deeply immoral” attempt to “settle scores.” Zakharova said it “especially dishonours the memory” of the late Queen, whom she described as a “very strong unifying force and did not interfere in politics during her reign as a matter of principle.” [Russian Foreign Ministry]
The European Commission on Thursday proposed the Cyber Resilience Act to introduce cybersecurity protections on all devices connected to the internet. The law aims to protect the bloc’s cyberspace and internal market and would apply to all devices, including those produced outside the European Union. [Politico]
The United Kingdom informed the European Union (EU) that it will maintain its unilateral policy of suspending checks on farm produce and other goods being transported from England to Northern Ireland. The notification came in response to seven lawsuits introduced by the EU over the UK’s failure to adhere to the terms of the Brexit Agreement. [The Guardian]
Latin America and the Caribbean
On Thursday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro hailed the meeting between his Russian and Chinese counterparts—Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping—along the lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit for “ratifying the century of integration, of the multipolar world, of the pluricentric world,” stressing that unilateral blockades by the United States have failed. This was seconded by Putin, who opined that “attempts to create a unipolar world have recently been deformed and are absolutely unacceptable.” [TeleSUR]
The Dominican Republic on Thursday ordered the closure of its embassy in Haiti as the country continues to battle gang violence and crime, rising poverty and shortages, increasing inflation, and persistent violent nationwide protests. United Nations estimates reveal that more than 540 people were kidnapped and over 780 were killed in Haiti between January and May. [Dominican Today]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Sudanese officials announced on Thursday that intense flooding across the country has killed at least 20 people since last week, raising the death toll to 134 since May. Officials also reported that 120 people were injured from last week’s flooding alone. The deluges began in May with the start of the rainy season and have affected over 280,000 Sudanese. [Associated Press]
Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem on Thursday to discuss expanding ties, two years after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) normalised relations with Israel. Lapid called the UAE a “strategic partner” and vowed to improve security ties. He also underscored the importance of cooperating in regional and international fora like the Negev Forum—which also includes the United States (US), Bahrain, Egypt, and Morocco—and the I2U2 initiative with the US and India. [Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
North America
During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commended Ukraine’s “recent military gains, and reiterated Canada’s strong ongoing support for Ukraine, including military assistance.” The pair also “strongly condemned Russia’s increasingly persistent, indiscriminate, and horrific attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.” [Prime Minister of Canada]
On Thursday, the United States announced new sanctions against 22 proxy Russian officials in Ukraine, including five responsible for overseeing the seizure or theft of tonnes of Ukrainian grain, “exacerbating food insecurity” worldwide. It also sanctioned 31 defence, technology, and electronics entities, a Russian military intelligence agency, and 22 individuals connected to human rights abuses in the Ukraine war and within Russia, including deporting thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. [US Department of State]
Oceania
New Zealand Prime Minister (PM) Jacinda Ardern will hold audiences with King Charles III and Prince William in London ahead of Monday’s state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. She will also meet with the United Kingdom’s new PM, Liz Truss. [NZ Herald]
Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese, who is in the United Kingdom to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, said that he was honoured to be part of the “extraordinary occasion.” “I think it is a good thing that such a thoughtful process was gone through and I regard it as a great privilege of my life to be attending the funeral of her Majesty as Australia’s Prime Minister,” he said. He added that although “it will be a sad occasion,” it would also be “a celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s contribution to Australia and the Commonwealth.” [6pr]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The Tanzanian health ministry on Thursday declared a measles outbreak, with 38 infections reported so far in the Bukoba, Handeni, Kilindi, Mkuranga, Kigamboni, Temeke, and Ilala districts. Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said that the government is dispatching teams of experts to affected areas to monitor the disease spread and raise awareness. [The Citizen]
On Thursday, Angolan President João Lourenço was formally sworn in for a second term in Luanda following his victory last month. In his inaugural address, Lourenço pledged to “guarantee peace, stability and economic and social development,” promising greater privatisation and job creation. The main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), boycotted the ceremony. [Reuters]