South Asia
The New York Times reported that the United States is considering deploying warplanes to Afghanistan in case of an “extraordinary crisis,” such as the Taliban taking over major cities. This comes as American troops continue to withdraw from Afghanistan to meet their September 11 deadline for a complete departure from Afghanistan. [Al Jazeera]
According to government sources, India is close to achieving a deal with Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson and grant them indemnity against civil suits. This comes as India continues to struggle with its vaccination drive after facing a severe shortage of vaccines. [Reuters]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces engaged in a shootout along the disputed border region of the Gegharkunik Province in Armenia on Thursday. Yerevan blamed Baku for provoking an incident by trying to carry out “engineering works” in the region. [Armen Press]
France is set to offer Georgia a €483 million loan as part of the new partnership agreement for 2021-2023. The money is expected to be used for “water resources management, irrigation, agriculture, urban development and connectivity, energy, social welfare and health sectors of the Georgian economy.” [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
On Thursday, the Chinese government welcomed the United States’ decision to withdraw its executive order aimed at banning apps such as TikTok and WeChat as a “positive step”. “We hope that the US will treat Chinese companies fairly and avoid politicising economic and trade issues,” Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng said at a press briefing. [The Straits Times]
Myanmar authorities have opened a new corruption case against former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing her of abusing authority and accepting bribes. The new case is related to the former leader’s alleged misuse of land for the charitable Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, which she chaired, and illegally accepting $600,000 and 11.4kg of gold. This is her most serious charge yet and can lead up to 15 years of imprisonment. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
Polish prosecutors have charged a Polish citizen for spying on several countries and the European Parliament for Russia. The prosecutors said that he had “tried to make contact with Polish and foreign politicians, including those working at the European Parliament. [Politico]
Russia respectively imposed fines of $236,000 and $139,000 on Facebook and Telegram for their failure to remove banned content. However, the nature of banned content remains unclear. This is Russia’s latest step in curbing political dissent on online platforms [Nasdaq]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Argentine President Alberto Fernández has apologised for a comment he made during a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, wherein he made the offhand remark that “Mexicans came from the Indians, Brazilians came from the jungle, but we Argentines came from the ships, and they were ships that came from Europe, and that's how we built our society.” His comments drew condemnation from Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who described the Argentine leader’s comments as “racist against the Indigenous and African peoples that formed Brazil.” [Merco Press]
Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas met with Franck Riester, the French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, and Emmanuel Moulin, the Director-General of the Treasury and President of the Paris Club, in Paris. They reportedly discussed Cuba's request for a deferment on the repayment of its $2.5 billion of debt. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The Saudi-led coalition said it has halted its attacks in Yemen in order to pave the way for a peaceful settlement to the brutal years-long civil war. The announcement was made after an attack was reported on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Sana’a. [Reuters]
Two Iraqi military bases—Baghdad airport camp and Balad airbase—hosting United States (US) troops and foreign contractors came under multiple drone and missile attacks on Thursday. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, it is believed that they were conducted by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. No casualties were reported. [Al Jazeera]
North America
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price condemned the decision of the Nigerian government to ban Twitter in the country after the social media giant deleted a post by President Muhammadu Buhari. Price’s statement noted that the ban has been followed by “threats to arrest and prosecute Nigerians who use Twitter” and that the National Broadcasting Commission has “ordered all television and radio broadcasters to cease using Twitter.” To this end, Price said, “Unduly restricting the ability of Nigerians to report, gather, and disseminate opinions and information has no place in a democracy. Freedom of expression and access to information both online and offline are foundational to prosperous and secure democratic societies.” [US State Department]
On Wednesday, Canadian Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng spoke with the Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Ramón López. The pair discussed ongoing negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also talked about how to “strengthen global supply chains and facilitate the flow of essential goods and services” through the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the World Trade Organization. They also pledged to establish a joint economic commission to expand bilateral trade. [Government of Canada]
Oceania
New Zealand’s Opposition leader Judith Collins has sought Australia’s help in brokering a free trade agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom. Collins argues that this would advance New Zealand’s aim of reducing its dependence on China by expanding the market for its products. [Shepparton News]
On Friday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison travelled to Singapore and met with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. He visited the country prior to his trip to Cornwall, where he will participate in the G7 Plus Summit. In a joint press conference with the Singaporean leader, Morrison celebrated the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership and praised Singapore’s leadership in the ASEAN grouping. [Prime Minister of Australia]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that it will only approve Tanzania's request for a $574 million emergency loan on the precondition that it publishes data on COVID-19 cases, which it stopped releasing under former president John Magufuli last May, when he baselessly declared the country coronavirus-free. Under the new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania has taken a more scientific approach, with her administration establishing expert committees to tackle the spread of the virus and even expressing its willingness to administer vaccines. [Africa Feeds]
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Nairobi on Saturday as part of a two-day visit and forms part of India’s efforts to expand its footprint in the continent. During his visit, Jaishankar will co-chair a meeting of the India-Kenya Joint Commission with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo. His trip comes ahead of the India-Africa Summit later this year. [The East African]