South Asia
Bangladesh announced that all banks will have the same exchange rate against the American dollar, thereby barring banks from collecting foreign remittances at a higher rate. The decision was made to reduce the volatility of the foreign exchange market amid a looming threat of a foreign reserve crisis. The rate will be updated on a daily basis. [Dhaka Tribune]
Bhutanese Finance Minister Loknath Sharma reported a domestic shortage in food commodities amid rising fuel and grain costs. Hence, India’s decision to restrict the export of wheat has raised concern about a steep surge in local food prices, as Bhutan largely depends on India for wheat and rice imports to meet its food demands. [Straits Times]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Montenegran President Milo Đukanović in Yerevan on Thursday to discuss giving a “new impetus” to political, economic, trade, and security ties. The pair talked about the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, with Đukanović welcoming the recent normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. [Armen Press]
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Thursday that his country is waiting for a “wise, far-sighted, politically justified and, most importantly, fair” decision by the European Union (EU) on granting it membership. “Our country is a reliable and loyal ally of the EU,” he stressed. Tbilisi has been urging Brussels to accelerate its integration into the bloc following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his newly-appointed French counterpart Catherine Colonna, wherein he called for greater “strategic coordination.” He also urged France to leverage its current presidency of the European Union to improve China’s relations with the bloc. [Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
The Japanese military announced yesterday that its air forces held a joint drill with their American counterparts on Wednesday, wherein four United States F-16 fighter jets and four Japanese F-15s flew over the Sea of Japan. The announcement followed Russia and China’s announcing that they had flown a joint sortie close to Japanese territory during the Quad Leaders’ Summit on Tuesday. [Associated Press]
Europe
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new appointments for the envoys to Canada, South Korea, and Turkey in a bid to boost bilateral trade. The three countries account for $68 billion in bilateral trade with the United Kingdom. [UK Government]
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin travelled to Kyiv on Thursday at the invitation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Marin met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and the chairman of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk. She condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and highlighted the need to increase support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. She also reiterated Finland’s support for Ukraine’s European Union membership and signed a cooperation agreement in the education sector. [Prime Minister’s Office, Finland]
In a call with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that Russia is willing to make a “significant contribution” to avert the imminent food crisis if the West lifts its “politically motivated” sanctions. A statement from the Italian government said the call was an effort “to find a common solution to the ongoing food crisis” that has had severe consequences for the poorest countries in the world. The sanctions and war have blocked the supplies of fertilizer and wheat; Russia and Ukraine are responsible for 30% of global wheat supply. [The Moscow Times]
Latin America and the Caribbean
On Thursday, 1,300 Latin American migrants protested at the Mexican border with Guatemala to urge the United States (US) officials to regularise their migratory status and facilitate a safe transit into the country. The demonstrators have vowed to gather another 2,000 people from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Haiti if their demands go unanswered. [Telesur]
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed on Thursday that he has received an invitation to the 9th Americas Summit in Los Angeles. He said he would confirm whether or not he plans to attend by the end of Friday. He had earlier threatened to boycott the Summit unless every country in the region was invited. United States officials had hinted at a possible exclusion of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela owing to their non-democratic nature. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The United States (US) has seized more than 600,000 barrels of smuggled Iranian crude oil from a tanker off the coast of Greece. The oil was pumped into another vessel and is currently being transferred to the US. The tanker, Pegas, was targeted under dual sanctions because it is Russian owned and was carrying Iranian crude oil. [Arab News]
The Islamic State’s new leader was captured in a joint anti-terror raid in Istanbul on Thursday by Turkish police and intelligence. Turkish media has identified him as Abu al-Hassan al-Qurayshi; authorities believe that he has led the group since its previous leader was killed by American forces in a raid in Syria in February. [Bloomberg]
North America
Two days after a mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two adults, thousands of students across the United States performed a walk-out in protest against lawmakers’ inaction on gun violence. Students were seen chanting, “Enough is enough,” and carrying placards saying, “Thoughts and prayers are not enough” and “How many more kids?” [Huffington Post]
On Wednesday, United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen expressed ‘disappointment’ that the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau did not increase its defence spending as much as expected during the spring budget. Cohen said Prime Minister Trudeau had promised to markedly increase defence spending in light of the Ukraine war. “It’s fair to say that although $8 billion is more money, it was a little disappointing as matched against the rhetoric that we heard leading into the release of the budget,” he argued. However, Cohen maintained that Ottawa remains a very important and close ally for Washington despite the concerns about Canada’s defence expenditure. [National Post]
Oceania
In her keynote speech at the Pacific Islands Forum, newly-appointed Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said that the Albanese government would prioritise cooperation and partnership with the Pacific Island nations, particularly on climate change. She also slammed the previous Scott Morrison government for “neglecting its responsibility” to the Pacific. Wong’s trip coincides with the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s trip to the Pacific to gather support for a region-wide policing and security deal. [9 News]
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern will meet with United States (US) President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris next Tuesday. Ardern is currently on an official visit to the US but had not been able to confirm her meeting with Biden and Harris due to a recent surge in COVID-19. Ardern is likely to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, increasing tensions between the US and China in the Indo-Pacific, and free trade. [The New Daily]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Senegalese President Macky Sall has decreed three days of national mourning after 11 newborn babies perished in a fire that broke out at the Mame Abdou Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital in Tivaouane on Wednesday night. Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr has informed the grieving families that the blaze was a result of a short circuit. Three babies in the affected neonatal unit were saved. [Africa News]
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s eastern region witnessed heavy fighting between the army and the M23 rebels on Thursday as both attempted to reclaim control over territories. Emmanuel de Merode, the director of the Virunga National Park, said the army had managed to recapture its base in Rumangabo but that the rebels have retained control of the surrounding areas. Offensives also ensued in the town of Kibumba, which fell to M23 forces on Wednesday. The Tutsi insurgents claim they are fighting back against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which they claim is made up of Hutus who fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. [Reuters]