South Asia
During its review on Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund recommended that Sri Lanka reform its government-owned organisations and establish cost-recovery pricing for energy. The review was the first conducted by the organization since 2018 and aimed to assist Sri Lanka tackle its spiralling economic crisis. [Reuters]
A bomb explosion in Balochistan, Pakistan resulted in the death of three and left 24 others injured. The incident comes amid a rise in attacks on security forces by separatist groups in the region. [Deccan Herald]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian lawmakers elected 62-year-old Vahagn Khachaturyan, the former mayor of Yerevan, as the country’s new President on Thursday, over two months since Armen Sarkissian resigned from the post, citing a lack of power to decide policy. [RFE/RL]
Georgian President Irakli Garibashvili officially signed an application for European Union (EU) membership on Thursday, a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. “Georgia is a European state. Our country has always belonged to European culture and civilised space throughout its long history, and continues to make a valuable contribution to its protection and development,” Garibashvili said. [Agenda.ge]
East and Southeast Asia
In the shadow of the pandemic, South Korea began early voting for its presidential election on Friday. Those infected with COVID-19 have been allocated an hour at the end of the second day of early voting and an hour and a half on the final day on Wednesday. [Channel News Asia]
As part of a coordinated release led by the International Energy Agency, Japan will release 7.5 million barrels of oil from its private reserves, industry minister Koichi Hagiuda announced on Friday. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election in a letter sent on Thursday morning. Asking for public support, Macron said, “I am a candidate to invent, with you, a unique French and European response to the challenges of the century. I am a candidate to defend our values, which are threatened by the world’s upheavals. I am a candidate to continue to prepare the future of our children and grandchildren.” Macron is the last candidate to declare his candidacy, with the first round of voting only 38 days away. [Euronews]
On Thursday, Polish President Andrzej Duda met Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă to address Poland and Romania’s response to Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s full-scale invasion. The two leaders discussed the delivery of aid to Kyiv and also talked about fast-tracking Ukraine’s application to join the European Union. Both Warsaw and Bucharest are also members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. [The First News]
The United Kingdom and Bangladesh participated in their first bilateral defence dialogue to identify the areas of cooperation. The discussions aimed to further “peace and security”, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. [UK Government]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Tanis Philomé, a former police officer on the security team of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, who was assassinated in July last year, was arrested in the Dominican Republic and handed over to Haitian authorities. Haitian police claim that the assassination was carried out by a group of foreign mercenaries (26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans), and have alleged that the attack could not have taken place without the complicity of the president’s security detail. [BBC]
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was in office from 2003 to 2010 and was cleared of all corruption charges last year, has vowed to forge closer ties with Mexico if he is elected into power later this year. Lula is the frontrunner in the October election, when he will face off against incumbent leader Jair Bolsonaro. [Reuters]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Thursday that Ukrainian citizens are eligible for visas on arrival as thousands continue to flee Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion. The announcement came just days after Abu Dhabi temporarily suspended visa waivers for Ukrainians, a move that was condemned by the West. [Reuters]
Turkey’s annual inflation rate rose to 54% in February, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute on Thursday. The jump in price levels is the biggest since 2002. [Associated Press]
North America
The House Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection asserted that it has evidence proving former United States President Donald Trump and his associates engaged in “criminal conspiracy.” In a court filing, the committee also accused Trump of attempting to “manipulate” election results by trying to convince then-Vice President Mike Pence to obstruct official proceedings, despite having the knowledge that he had legitimately lost. The accusations are the harshest the committee has made so far. [The Voice of America]
On Thursday, the United States (US) Navy confirmed the recovery of a $100 million F-35 jet that crashed in the South China Sea last month amid “routine flight operations.” US Navy service members salvaged the wreckage in 37 days from 12,400 feet below in the ocean floor. [CNN]
Oceania
As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its second week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne warned China against following in Russia’s footsteps, perhaps alluding to a possible invasion of Taiwan. [News.com.au]
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Australia’s Resource Minister, Keith Pitt, said, “The Australian government is facilitating access to Australian thermal coal producers to interested parties as they seek alternative supplies from Russia.” Countries traditionally reliant on Russia for gas and energy, such as Poland, are seeking alternatives to reduce their exposure. [Reuters]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Following its decision to withdraw its troops from Mali last month, France has now withdrawn aid workers from the nation. It will now deliver aid through NGOs or directly to recipients. Bilateral ties have deteriorated since the coups in August 2020 and May 2021 as well as the military junta’s refusal to hold elections at the end of an internationally agreed-upon 18-month transition period. [AllAfrica]
On Thursday, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi dismissed Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario along with six other cabinet ministers as part of a reshuffle necessitated by a $2 billion corruption scandal. Former President Armando Guebuza recently accused Nyusi of overseeing and hiding a rise in the national debt to $2 billion and of buying a number of ships that remain docked. [Africanews]