India and Cameroon held the third round of Foreign Office Consultations on 7 August in Yaounde. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations covering political, economic, and defence domains and discussed ways to strengthen their ties further. Both delegations also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and agreed to enhance their cooperation in multilateral fora.
Pakistan has temporarily shelved a significant gas pipeline project to import cost-effective energy from Iran. The decision comes amid alleged pressure from the US, which has imposed sanctions on Iran. Pakistan issued a “Force Majeure and Excusing Event” notice to Iran to formally suspend the multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project citing external factors beyond Islamabad’s control.
US President Joe Biden announced at an event on Tuesday that he would be travelling to Vietnam “shortly” because the Asian country wanted to elevate its relationship with the US and become a major partner.
Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse — the second-eldest son of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn — visited a childcare centre for underprivileged families on Tuesday as part of a surprise visit to the kingdom. This is the first time the 42-year-old royal has returned to his homeland in 27 years.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that two unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down as they approached Moscow, with no casualties recorded. Sobyanin posted on his Telegram channel that air defence systems shot down both combat drones, one near Domodedovo and the other near Minskoye Highway.
Italy suspended the Golden Visa programme, which granted Russian and Belarusian nationals residency visas in exchange for large investments in the country. The Investor Visa for Italy programme was launched in December 2017 to attract essential foreign investments. The programme allows non-EU nationals to get a two-year residence visa in return for large investments in Italy’s critical assets, including government securities.