South Asia
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister GL Peiris confirmed that India will be providing Sri Lanka with an additional $500 million in financial assistance to help procure fuel. He said that the funds will be necessary to secure essentials, as the IMF loan will only be released in tranches over a six month period. [Reuters]
Indian Ministry of Home Affairs banned seven additional Pakistani terrorist group leaders for their involvement in terror funding and strikes in Jammu and Kashmir. In total, 38 Pakistani terrorists have been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. [Hindustan Times]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has said that Russia will be in complete control of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol by Thursday as Russian forces plan to launch an offensive against the Azovstal steel plant, Mariupol’s last remaining Ukrainian stronghold. The Russian Air Force has been relentlessly bombing Mariupol over the last few weeks in a bid to take control of the city, which would link Donbas to Crimea. [Al Arabiya]
The Kazakh parliament’s lower chamber—the Majlis—approved a bill on Wednesday that will allow authorities to shut down social media and messaging platforms to protect users from cyberbullying. Critics, however, say that the government could use the new legislation to silence activists and opposition groups. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
When asked about Israel’s “incessant attacks” on Palestinians at the Al Aqsa mosque, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing is “deeply concerned about the escalating violence” and “opposes any unilateral attempt to alter the historical status quo of Jerusalem.” He added that the “injustice” faced by the Palestinian people must “not continue” and that the two sides must work towards a two-state solution, adding that “China will not cease its support for the just cause of the Palestinian people until the Palestine question is resolved.” [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China]
On Wednesday, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi held a 20-minute phone call with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohamed Al-Sabah. The pair hailed their countries’ historic cooperation during events such as the Gulf War and the Great East Japan Earthquake. While the Japanese official said that the Ukraine war is a “unilateral attempt [by Russia] to change the status quo by force,” Al-Sabah said he “condemns acts that breach international law” and the UN charter without naming Russia. Japan also called on Kuwait to play a key role in stabilising the highly volatile oil market, given that the Gulf nation is a member of OPEC and OPEC+. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan]
Europe
During the French presidential debate on Wednesday, incumbent President Emmanuel Macron accused far-right candidate Marine Le Pen of being “in Russia’s grip,” referring to an unpaid loan from a Russian bank. Macron said that Le Pen is “dependent on Vladimir Putin” and would thus be incapable of defending French interests. The second and final round of the election will take place on Sunday. [Politico]
On Wednesday, the governments of Germany, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania released a joint statement expressing their collective condemnation of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, which have resulted in thousands of casualties. The statement also criticised Moscow’s move to imprison dissidents and human rights activists across Russia. [Ministry of Foreign Affairs Latvia]
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “manifest lack of good faith” is responsible for the failure of Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Johnson asserted that it is clear that Russia is merely seeking to “engulf and capture” as much Ukrainian territory as possible so that it can negotiate from a “position of strength.” [Reuters]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Nicaragua’s parliament shut down the operations of 25 non-governmental organisations that are perceived to be critical of President Daniel Ortega. Lawmakers asserted that the organisations had not disclosed their finances. Ortega has cracked down on dozens of critics, activists, and opposition figures since last year, when he was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term after jailing a number of would-be opponents. [Al Jazeera]
Peruvian Prime Minister Anibal Torres will declare a state of emergency near the Southern Copper Corp’s Cuajone mine in order to continue copper production in the face of protests that have reduced copper output by 20%. Protesters argue that the wealth generated from the mines has not benefitted nearby communities and have thus demanded financial compensation and a portion of future profits. Torres, however, said that the protesters are “demanding something irrational, $5 billion.” [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday that the number of women dying from pregnancy-related issues in Lebanon has tripled over the last three years, and the rate of child mortality has “increased dramatically” since 2020. UNICEF blamed the increase on a lack of availability of medical facilities and supplies due to the country’s ongoing economic crisis. [Reuters]
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Thursday that he will visit Israel on May 24 in an effort to normalise ties. Relations soured in 2018 after Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel following the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. [Jerusalem Post]
North America
Donald Trump walked out of an interview with Piers Morgan after the British journalist questioned the legitimacy of the former United States president’s electoral fraud claims. Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich, however, claimed that the interview ended on amicable terms. The news surfaced after Morgan released a 30-second, highly edited, advertisement of his interview with Trump. [The Washington Post]
On Wednesday, the United States (US) Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin talked to his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe, as a follow up to a recent call between their presidents. According to the Pentagon, during the 45-minute-long call, the two officials discussed Washington-Beijing security relations, regional security issues, and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The US has repeatedly demanded that China take a stronger stance against Russia and even warned of sanctions if it fails to do so. [The Voice of America]
Oceania
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hit back at criticism by opposition leader Anthony Albanese of his government’s inability to stop China from signing a wide-ranging security pact with the Solomon Islands. He insisted that he had known about China’s plans “for some time” and said his administration has been “doing the heavy lifting” to ensure that China does not expand its influence in the region. [Sydney Morning Herald]
New Zealand’s Ministry of Health on Thursday confirmed 10,294 cases of COVID-19 and a further 18 deaths; 524 people are hospitalised while 14 are in intensive care. Just a day earlier, the country confirmed 11,217 new community cases and 13 deaths. Of those in hospital, 19% are unvaccinated, 2% are partially vaccinated, 27% are fully vaccinated, and 48% have received boosters. However, this figure could be misconstrued, given that 96% of the population has received two doses, which means that vaccinated people are bound to make the majority of hospitalisations. [Stuff]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The United Nations said that its investigators have been prevented from accessing the Malian town of Moura, where it is believed that up to 300 civilians were killed as part of a counterterrorism raid late last month by the Malian military along with Russian paramilitaries. The town is reportedly inhabited by several Islamist fighters but the Malian forces allegedly attacked dozens if not hundreds of unarmed civilians. [Reuters]
A Rwandan court has jailed a Chinese citizen for whipping and beating one of his employees while they were tied to a tree. The incident took place in August 2021 and came to light after a video documenting it went viral. The Chinese embassy in Kigali, for its part, has condemned the “unlawful acts” committed by Sun Shujun. [Africa Feeds]