South Asia
Taliban’s spokesperson Zabihulla Mujahid expressed dismay over United States President Joe Biden’s decision to downgrade Afghanistan’s designation as a major non-NATO ally. However, he said that while the Taliban administration is “dependable,” the designation has never benefitted Afghanistan anyway. [Khaama News Press Agency]
Addressing media reports on India hosting G20 meetings in Jammu and Kashmir during its upcoming presidency of the grouping, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the dates and locations of the meetings had not been finalised. However, he confirmed that events will be held across the nation. [MEA Press Release]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Thursday called for diversifying the country’s oil supply routes, a day after Russia suspended operations on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline for a month. The suspension closely followed Tokayev’s promise to help the European Union stabilise global energy markets. Tokayev also ordered a study about the possibility of building a pipeline that bypasses Russia under the Caspian Sea. [RFE/RL]
Armenia and Iran have agreed to expand security ties to “ensure regional stability and security,” during a meeting between Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan and Iranian National Security Council chief Ali Shamkhani in Yerevan on Thursday. “Iran considers any attempt to change the geopolitical situation in the region unacceptable,” Shamkhani said, referring to the volatile situation at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. He added that Tehran “supports the process of unblocking infrastructure within the framework of preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.” [Public Radio of Armenia]
East and Southeast Asia
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been taken to the hospital after he collapsed while delivering an election campaign speech in the city of Nara. A sound similar to a gunshot was heard during the speech, following which Abe collapsed. A male suspect has been detained in relation to the incident. Local news station NHK reported that “Abe appears to be in a state of cardio-respiratory arrest,” In Japan, the term is often used before death can be confirmed by a doctor. [South China Morning Post]
South Korea has launched an investigation into two former directors of the country’s intelligence agency, Park Jie-won and Suh Hoon, who have been accused of abuse of power in relation to conduct with North Korea during the administration of former President Moon Jae-in. The National Intelligence Service has accused Park of destroying intelligence records related to North Korea’s killing of a South Korean fisheries official in September 2020. Meanwhile, Suh is accused of prematurely terminating an inquiry into two North Korean fishermen who wished to defect to South Korea but were forcibly repatriated in November 2019. [The Korea Herald]
Europe
The United Kingdom said the Royal Navy seized an Iranian vessel with “sophisticated weapons,” including surface-to-air missiles and engines, earlier this year. The shipment indicated that Iran was actively providing arms to the Houthi rebels in Yemen in their fight against the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition. [Al Jazeera]
Finland passed an amendment a strengthen security along its border with Russia, which is the longest land border between Moscow and a European Union member. The law comes as Finland continues the process to finalise its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. [Euronews]
On Thursday, thousands of Albanians peacefully protested in Tirana over rising prices, especially fuel hikes, lack of jobs and opportunities, crime, corruption, and poverty. The protest was called by former Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha. [Albanian Daily News]
Latin America and the Caribbean
On Thursday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reiterated that migration will be an important topic in his meeting next week with the United States (US) President Joe Biden. He added that “an unfair policy against undocumented workers has been in place for a long time,” and called for an agreement that organises migratory flows and legalises the hiring of workers by granting work visas. He noted that there are around 38 million Mexicans living in the US and urged that such an agreement must not remain “disjointed,” and instead of involving smugglers, traffickers, and unscrupulous employers, it must be a matter of cooperation between the two governments. [Prensa Latina]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski on Wednesday in a “special message” appealed to his Paraguayan counterpart Mario Abdo Benítez, who holds the pro tempore presidency of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), to rally regional leaders to support Ukraine at its upcoming summit on July 21. He also thanked Benítez for being a “friend” of Ukraine and for his support at international fora such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States in the aftermath of the Russian invasion. [Merco Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Israel on Thursday filed charges against a Bedouin soldier for spying for Hamas’ military wing—Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Shada Abu Aleikhian, 25, was arrested in May following suspicions raised by Israel’s internal security service. He admitted that he was spying against Israel and stole weapons from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as he was seeking revenge against the demolition of his family home in 2019 by the IDF. [Haaretz]
British ambassador to Iran Simon Shercliff said on Thursday that reports claiming the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had arrested a British diplomat for spying are false because the official ended his term and left the country in December. [Times of Israel]
North America
Following former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation on Thursday, United States President Joe Biden said that he looked “forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom.” “The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and Allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring,” he remarked. [Reuters]
In his upcoming visit to Ottawa next month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to press for liquified natural gas terminals on Canada’s east coast. German Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser revealed that Scholz would also resolve the dispute concerning a gas turbine being stuck in Montreal due to Canadian sanctions on Russia, which has led Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom to cut 60% of its gas supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. [The Globe and Mail]
Oceania
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern slammed the United Nations (UN) on Thursday over its “failure” to adequately respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Arden accused Moscow of taking a “morally bankrupt position” in the UN Security Council in the “wake of a morally bankrupt and illegal war.” “We must reform the United Nations so that we don’t have to rely on individual countries imposing their own autonomous sanctions,” she said. [The Independent]
In a meeting that is being described as a “reset” of their relationship, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern discussed how they can collaborate on combating climate change, align their foreign policies, and deal with labour shortages. Albanese said he will take advice from a parliamentary committee on whether New Zealanders living and working in Australia can be legally allowed to vote. He also added that Canberra would “continue to deport people when appropriate.” [ABC News]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Former Burkinabé President Blaise Compaoré returned to Ouagadougou on Thursday after being in exile since October 2014 to attend a summit to “accelerate national reconciliation” in the face of growing jihadist violence in the country. He was invited by junta leader Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. Compaoréwas ousted in 2014 following 27 years in power. [Africanews]
On Thursday, a deadly clash ensued in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese military in Kanyabusoro, after the latter allegedly attacked the militia’s camp. This comes a day after President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met in the Angolan capital Luanda and agreed to an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of M23 fighters from Congolese soil. M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma, however, has described this plan as “an illusion,” stating that “only the M23 can sign the ceasefire with the government.” [Al Jazeera]