South Asia
According to rights group Article 19, 118 journalists were attacked from January to May in Bangladesh. The group raised alarm about the brutal death of three media workers in the past three months. [The Daily Star]
Nagaland Police charged 30 Army personnel for killing six civilians in the Mon district last year. The criminal charges were made based on conclusions by the Special Investigation Team set up to investigate the incident, which reported that security personnel had used “indiscriminate and disproportionate” force against civilians “without ensuring positive identification.” [Indian Express]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
United States (US) Assistant Secretary for Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried is scheduled to visit Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from June 14 to 19 to emphasise Washington’s commitment to “peace, democracy, and prosperity in the South Caucasus.” Her tour signals the US’ readiness to “support the development of political, economic, and people-to-people connections across the entire region,” the State Department said. [US Department of State]
Tajik authorities said on Sunday that special forces killed two “criminal leaders” in an operation in the restive Gorno-Badakhshan region; security raids in the region have become increasingly frequent since last month over anti-government protests. On Saturday, security forces arrested three people for criminal activities, including murder and weapons smuggling. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
Malaysian Prime Minister Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob abolished the mandatory death penalty in drug trafficking, murder, and terrorism cases and instead given judges discretionary powers to determine the appropriate level of punishment. While Yaakob said that “everyone deserves a second chance,” he underscored that anyone who is found to have caused harm to hundreds or thousands of people “can be sentenced to death and allowed to be sent to the gallows.” [Channel News Asia]
South Korea’s customs agency revealed on Monday that exports for the first ten days of this month are 12.7% lower than during the same period last year. Imports, on the other hand, increased by 17.5%, which has sent the trade deficit to $6 billion. In particular, exports to China, the United States, and the European Union respectively fell by 16.2%, 9.7%, and 23.3% compared to this time last year. [Reuters]
Europe
Norwegian oil companies have reached an agreement with their workers for a new wage deal, thereby averting a strike in nine fields. 845 out of 7,500 workers in offshore oil fields had announced a strike on June 12 to push for annual pay negotiations with oil firms. [Reuters]
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg admitted that Turkey has “legitimate concerns” in opposing Sweden and Finland’s membership applications. He stressed that Turkey’s concerns are centred around weapons exports and terrorism, as it is the biggest victim of terrorist attacks among all the NATO allies. [Politico]
Northern Ireland’s ruling Sinn Féin declared that the British government’s refusal to negotiate with the European Commission and its decision to unilaterally introduce amendments to the Northern Ireland protocol “breach international law.” The party also accused the United Kingdom of opting for a “destructive path” and stressed that the European Union is willing to engage. [Reuters]
In a press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister (PM) Kiril Petkov on Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Petkov to revoke his veto on North Macedonia’s European Union (EU) accession discussions. Petkov, however, reiterated that Skopje needs to fulfil its three conditions before the membership process could begin: a Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia’s Constitution, a framework position, and a good-neighbourliness agreement. In this regard, North Macedonian PM Dimitar Kovačevski stressed that Skopje is ready for a “solution.” [Sofia Globe]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Former Bolivian President Jeanine Áñez was found guilty of making “decisions contrary to the constitution” and sentenced to 10 years in prison by the First Anti-Corruption Sentencing Court of La Paz on Friday. She is accused of fabricating a military coup to oust her predecessor Evo Morales back in November 2019 and was detained in March 2021. Áñez has denounced the ruling as a political vendetta and said will appeal to international organisations. [BBC]
20 Latin American countries—including Mexico, Salvador, Haiti, and Panama—signed the United States (US)-led Declaration of Los Angeles on Migration and Protection on the last day of the 9th Americas Summit on Friday. US President Joe Biden expressed concern over the high levels of illegal and irregular regional migration, while stating that “no nation should assume this responsibility alone.” He remarked that “illegal migration is not acceptable” and that measures should be put in place to “secure borders.” The signatories have pledged to restrict the arrival of undocumented immigrants at the US’ southern border. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso emphasised that there is an urgent need to “promote development opportunities in countries of origin” and to simultaneously “dismantle the international mafias that control irregular migration.” Spain, an observer state at the Summit, has also committed to “double” the number of legal avenues for Honduran workers entering the country. [Newsroom Panama]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
The United Nations has urged Saudi Arabia to immediately release the family of former spy chief Saad al-Jabri, who lives in exile in Canada. In 2020, a court in the Kingdom arrested al-Jabri’s two children and son-in-law on money laundering charges. Al-Jabri used to work as an advisor to ex-Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, who was removed from the line of succession by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017 and subsequently placed under house arrest. He fled the Gulf country following the coup. [Reuters]
Iran’s currency crashed to an all-time low of 332,000 against the United States Dollar (USD) on Sunday amid a deadlock in talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and continuing US sanctions. Hundreds of citizens have taken to the streets in Tehran and other Iranian cities recently to protest the rapidly deteriorating economic situation. [Associated Press]
North America
Last week, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced the formation of the Indo-Pacific Advisory Committee, which will give independent perspectives and recommendations on Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy. “Our intention is clear: Canada is committed to strengthening our presence and deepening our partnerships throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” Joly said. The committee will include representatives from the private sector, civil society and the government. [Global Affairs Canada]
On Sunday, a bipartisan group of senators announced a potential gun control deal to address the rampant gun violence in the United States, following the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 children and two adults last month. The new agreement includes increasing mental health assistance, enhanced background checks for people under 21, “red flag” laws, and school security measures. However, it does not include bans on assault weapons, raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles to 21, safe storage rules at homes, or mandatory background checks on internet sales and at gun shows. “Obviously, it does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. [Huffington Post]
Oceania
During his visit to Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue this weekend, New Zealand Minister of Defence Peeni Henare participated in a session on “Climate Security and Green Defence” with his counterpart from the Maldives as well as representatives from Germany and the United Kingdom. He noted that climate change has increased the need for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations as well as stability operations and search and rescue missions. In this regard, he asserted that climate change poses “one of the greatest security challenges” to regional defence forces. [New Zealand Government]
At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this past weekend, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles described his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe as a “critical first step” in improving bilateral rites that have been highly strained since the onset of the pandemic. He also stressed that Australia “doesn’t support Taiwanese independence” and adheres to the ‘one-China’ policy. [Al Jazeera]
Sub-Saharan Africa
On Friday night, the Malian junta, led by Colonel Assimi Goïta created a body tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution within the next two months. Goïta will appoint its members, comprising experts who will hold consultations with political parties, civil society, traditional authorities, and religious associations. The move follows the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)’ refusal to offer sanctions relief after the junta announced a 24-month transition timeline for a return to civilian rule. [Africa News]
London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Friday ruled in favour of the United Kingdom (UK) government’s “Rwanda Plan,” permitting the resettlement of asylum seekers beginning with its first deportation flight next week, stating that there exists a “material public interest” in granting the deal a go ahead. Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the Court’s ruling and said that his government expects a lot of legal opposition but remains determined to “deal with the Leftie lawyers” and “dig in for the fight.” [CNN]