The United States said Thursday that it opposed its ally Israel's strikes in Syria, a day after Washington helped broker a deal to end violence. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters that "The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes". She reiterated that "they are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states".

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Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Thursday met with South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile in Beijing.

Han said this opened a new chapter in building a high-level community with a shared future between the two countries. Noting that the bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and other fields have made strong progress, Mashatile said they are ready to further implement the consensus reached to contribute to the development of relations between South Africa and China as well as those between Africa and China.

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The United States and Bahrain signed a civilian nuclear energy accord Wednesday as US President Donald Trump met with the Gulf nation's crown prince.

At a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the accord showed the United States is willing to work with any country that wants a civil nuclear energy program "not geared toward weaponization or threatening the security of their neighbors." Under these agreements Bahrein, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan established formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

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India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with a Presidential Delegation of Special Envoys from the Republic of Korea on Thursday in New Delhi. The Minister stated that discussions covered economic, technological, defense and maritime cooperation, along with efforts to expand people-to-people ties. He added that India will actively engage with South Korea’s new administration to further strengthen the Special Strategic Partnership.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday held a meeting in Downing Street during Merz's first official visit to London. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Merz signed the first ever "friendship treaty" between their countries at London's Victoria and Albert Museum before heading for talks at the Downing Street office.

The two leaders were also expected to unveil a deal to jointly produce military goods such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon jets, which could lead to "billions of pounds of additional defence exports," Downing Street said.

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On Thursday, The Cyprus meeting continues under the auspices of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. In addition to TRNC President Ersin Tatar and Greek Cypriot Administration leader Nikos Christodoulides, the meeting is attended by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan representing Türkiye, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, and UK Minister of State Stephen Doughty, as representatives of the guarantor countries.

Among the key issues highlighted as prerequisites for resuming negotiations between the parties in Cyprus are direct flights, direct contact, and direct trade with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

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The Australian Prime Minister is visiting the Chinese city of Chengdu on the final day of his trip to the country. The Prime Minister visited a breeding center for giant pandas, and on top of his list was visiting Fu Ni – a panda who spent many years at Adelaide Zoo as a beloved fixture. 

The Prime Minister then headed into central Chengdu for a lunch, focused on medical technology and commerce. Australia is enjoying quite a bit of business success in Chengdu, particularly with companies like Cochlear who are using this as a base to export to China’s middle classes. 

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in Tianjin on Wednesday. Wang, said that the two heads of state held a cordial, friendly meeting during the second China-Central Asia Summit and made strategic plans for the development of China-Uzbekistan relations.

China is a trustworthy and reliable partner for Uzbekistan, and has always regarded Uzbekistan as one of the priorities in its neighborhood diplomacy, Wang said, adding that China supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, security and development interests.

Saidov expressed his deep admiration for the historic accomplishments of China’s development, as well as his willingness to learn from China’s development experience. He said that the two heads of state have elevated bilateral relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, with fruitful practical cooperation seen in various fields.

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On July 6, President Jennifer Geerlings‑Simons was elected by Suriname’s National Assembly as the country’s first woman president, winning by acclamation as the sole candidate following a coalition of parties that secured the required two-thirds majority.

She was officially sworn in at a state ceremony on July 16, at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo, taking over from outgoing President Chan Santokhi. Her ascent marks not only a historic moment for gender equality in Suriname but also sets a pivotal tone for how the country will navigate its oil-era economic transformation.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with an official ceremony on Wednesday at the Presidential complex in Ankara. Following the ceremony, the two leaders held a one-on-one meeting, where they discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.

As part of Al Nahyan’s visit, Türkiye and the UAE held the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. Speaking at the meeting, Erdoğan highlighted that the UAE is Türkiye’s most important trade partner in the Middle East.

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