Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that Tokyo will be placed under a state of emergency (Kyodo) for the duration of the Olympics due to an increase in COVID-19 infections. The move could lead to a complete ban on spectators at the games and comes amid a rise in COVID-19 cases (Guardian) throughout Asia.

Tokyo reported 920 new cases yesterday, its highest daily total since mid-May, and a top health official said the virus’s Delta variant now accounts for 30 percent (Reuters) of new cases in the city. Many countries in the Asia-Pacific region successfully contained the virus early in the pandemic, but the spread of the Delta variant has prompted new lockdowns in recent weeks. Indonesia’s daily COVID-19 death toll doubled (WSJ) between Monday and Wednesday. Today, the Australian state of New South Wales recorded its largest day-to-day jump (Reuters) in locally acquired infections in 2021.

The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysia’s largest political party, said it is withdrawing its support (Al Jazeera) for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin due to poor pandemic management and called for him to resign. Malaysian politics have been in flux since the governing coalition collapsed last year.

At the first intra-Afghan talks in months in Tehran, delegations for the Afghan government and the Taliban signed a joint declaration (TOLOnews) committing to seek peace, condemning civilian casualties during combat, and pledging to continue talks. But as the meeting took place, fighting surged (AP) in Afghanistan’s western Badghis Province.
 
In Foreign Affairs, Carter Malkasian writes that the Taliban is ready to exploit the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
 
India: Forty-three new cabinet ministers were sworn in (Hindustan Times) during a reshuffle that incorporates more women and people from disadvantaged communities. The shift was aimed at priming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for state elections next year, including by adding ministers from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

A series of rocket and drone attacks have targeted facilities (Reuters) housing U.S. diplomats and troops in Iraq and Syria since Monday, with one attack wounding two U.S. service members. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which come amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran-backed militias.
 
This In Brief looks at the network of Iran-backed militant groups.
 
Egypt: The Ever Given, the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March, left the waterway (NYT) after Egyptian authorities reached a compensation agreement with the ship’s owners.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma allowed authorities to take him to prison (Mail & Guardian) minutes before a deadline for his arrest. He is set to serve a fifteen-month sentence for contempt of court.
 
For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR’s John Campbell writes that Zuma’s arrest is good news for the rule of law in South Africa.
 
Ethiopia: Medical aid group Doctors Without Borders announced it is suspending operations (AFP) in part of Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region after three of its staff members were killed last month.

Lithuania announced it will build a barrier (BBC) to stem illegal crossings of its border with Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in May that he would no longer prevent (RFE/RL) migrants from crossing the border into the European Union, and Lithuania accused Belarus of flying migrants in from abroad to make the crossing.
 
Sweden: Stefan Lofven was reinstated as prime minister (FT) after resigning two weeks ago on the heels of a no-confidence vote. In a parliamentary vote yesterday, the opposition failed to get enough votes to prevent his return.

Haiti’s national police chief said four people were killed (NYT) and three were arrested during efforts to apprehend the killers of President Jovenel Moise, who was shot dead in his home yesterday.

Colombia: A new report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights accused Colombian authorities of using “excessive and disproportionate” force (Al Jazeera) during anti-government protests this year and called on Colombia to make structural changes to its police force.

Two weeks after the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Florida, authorities officially ended the search (NPR) for survivors. The official death toll from the tragedy is fifty-four, with almost ninety people still missing.