Armenia and Azerbaijan sign peace agreement

Today's headlines: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to meet in Alaska next week; Pakistan cuts internet connections in Baluchistan to combat terrorism; A Thai art gallery removes works depicting Chinese repression at Beijing's request; ASEAN wants to visit Myanmar next month to clarify the situation ahead of elections.

ARMENIA – AZERBAIJAN

Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump. Both leaders praised Trump for helping to end the conflict and said they would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. The agreement includes exclusive US development rights to a strategic corridor through the South Caucasus that, according to the White House, would facilitate greater exports of energy and other resources.

RUSSIA – US

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska next Friday to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine. The announcement of the meeting came just hours after Trump signalled that Ukraine, about 20% of whose territory is occupied by Russia, may have to cede territory to end the war. It is not yet clear whether Ukraine and its European allies would accept such a deal.

PAKISTAN

The Pakistani government has suspended internet services in the province of Balochistan for three weeks. The province has long been the scene of terrorist attacks by separatist groups, which have intensified their attacks in recent weeks. ‘The service has been suspended because militants use it for coordination and information sharing,’ explained the provincial government spokesman.

CHINA – THAILAND

The Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre, one of Thailand's most important art galleries, has removed, at China's request, material on Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities and the city of Hong Kong as part of an exhibition on authoritarian governments. Three days after the exhibition opened on 24 July, Chinese embassy staff, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, ‘entered the exhibition and demanded its closure,’ the exhibition's co-curator, Sai, a Burmese artist who uses only one name, told Reuters.

PHILIPPINES

The defence lawyer for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Nicholas Kaufman, a British and Israeli national, has filed a complaint against the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, claiming that the latter, having previously represented victims of Duterte's war on drugs, is not fit to judge any crimes against humanity committed by Duterte. Khan is currently on leave pending an internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

MALAYSIA – MYANMAR

Next month, Malaysia will lead a delegation to Myanmar, where the military regime has lifted the state of emergency in preparation for elections. The announcement was made yesterday by Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, who added that the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines will also take part in the trip in order to present a clear picture of the situation in Myanmar to ASEAN. Meanwhile, representatives of the military junta have visited Wa State, which is controlled by a militia allied with China, promising support for development and preparations for elections.

INDONESIA

The pirate flag from the anime series One Piece has become a symbol of youth discontent with President Prabowo Subianto's government after being used for the first time in demonstrations in late July. In recent days, various government and security force officials have threatened to crack down on the movement, described by the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives as “a coordinated attempt to divide the nation”, and have encouraged the use of the national flag ahead of Independence Day on 17 August.

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