The European Union congratulates President-elect Edgar Chagwa Lungu and looks forward to deepening its partnership with the Republic of Zambia.

Several towns in Thailand have been targeted in a series of bomb attacks, killing and wounding Thai and foreign citizens.

On 12 August, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with the new Head of the Palestinian mission in Finland, Ambassador Taissir Al Adjouri. In the meeting, the Head of the Palestinian mission presented his letters of credence, accrediting him to Lithuania, to the Foreign Minister of Lithuania. Adjouri is the first Head of the Palestinian mission to Lithuania.

Lithuania contributes to international efforts of ensuring global security not only by deploying its troops to the European Union operation in Mali, but also to that of the United Nations. On August 10 a staff officer serving with the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf was deployed to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). For one year he will be assigned to operational control centre of MINUSMA HQ in Bamako as operational planner, including command and control. Two more Lithuanian officers are planned to be deployed by October.

Portugal has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help stop the spread of forest fires in several parts of the country.

On 10 August, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with Ambassador of Turkey to Lithuania Aydan Yamancan to discuss the situation in Turkey after an attempted coup d’état of 15 July.

On 7 August, the Election Commission reported that, in a national referendum, a large majority of the people of Thailand have voted in favour of the proposed constitution. During the campaign period, however, there were serious limitations to fundamental freedoms, including restrictions on debate and campaigning.

In response to an invitation by the Jordanian authorities, the European Union (EU) will deploy an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Jordan to observe the Parliamentary elections which are scheduled for 20 September 2016. This will be the second time that the European Union observes elections in Jordan – the previous mission took place in 2013 – and which reflects the EU's sustained commitment to supporting credible, transparent and inclusive elections in the country.

Chair of the European Parliament’s Human Rights committee MEP Elena Valenciano (S&D,ES) expressed on Monday her concern and solidarity with Cuban human rights activist and Sakharov Prize Laureate 2010 Guillermo Fariñas and other Cuban human rights activists on hunger strike. Mr Fariñas is on a hunger and thirst strike to protest against the torture and mistreatment of political prisoners by the Cuban Government.

The EU has experienced an unprecedented influx of migrants over the last few years. 74% of Europeans want the EU to do more to manage the situation, according to the latest Eurobarometer poll commissioned by the European Parliament. In addition two thirds of respondents said EU action on migration was insufficient. Read on to discover what measures the European Parliament is working on.