South Asia
Nepal entered into an agreement with Chinese vaccine-producer Vero Ceil, procuring four million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. Sources speaking to ANI said that the deal was made under a non-disclosure agreement between China and Nepal. [Times of India]
Authorities in Srinagar banned the sale, possession, and use of unmanned aerial vehicles, calling upon residents to deposit their devices like drone cameras at local police stations. This comes shortly after an Indian Air Force station was attacked by a drone with explosives. [Times of India]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Azerbaijan has released 15 captured Armenian prisoners of war in exchange for landmine maps. According to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, Russia mediated the deal for Armenia to provide maps showing the location of around 92,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in the Fizuli and Zangilan regions. [RFE/RL]
Uzbekistan has restricted access to several social media websites for violating personal data laws. While the country’s communications regulator has not mentioned the sites that are being restricted, internet users in Uzbekistan have reported disruptions to Twitter, TikTok, VKontakte, and Skype. [RFE/RL]
East and Southeast Asia
All 96 passengers of the Philippine Air Force plane that crashed on Sunday—killing 47 and injuring 49 personnel—have all been accounted for, military chief Cirilito Sobejana said today. [The Straits Times]
In further protest of Myanmar’s military coup, the United States on Friday imposed fresh sanctions on 22 individuals, including four government ministers. [Al Jazeera]
Europe
Speaking to the BBC, British Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said that COVID-19 data was “in the right place,” hinting at an upcoming announcement loosening COVID-19 restrictions. This comes as the spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus has resulted in a surge in active cases in the past weeks. [BBC]
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has accused Germany, the United States, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland of trying to destabilise his government. On Friday, he said terrorist sleeper cells were exposed following an attack on a Russian military installation. The President also closed the border with Ukraine, citing weapons smuggling. [Euro News]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has once again hinted that he may not concede defeat if he loses in next year’s presidential election. He is expected to face off against former President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, who recently had all corruption charges against him annulled. Bolsonaro said about Lula: “They took a thief out of jail, made the thief eligible, in my opinion, to be president through fraud, because in votes he doesn’t win. So I won’t accept a fraudulent system.” [MercoPress]
Cuba evacuated 180,000 people on Sunday near its southern coast as Tropic Storm Elsa approached after killing at least three people on other Caribbean islands. The government opened shelters and launched protective measures for sugarcane and cocoa crops. [Associated Press]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Syrian government artillery fire and airstrikes on the last rebel-held province of Idlib killed at least eight civilians, including children, on Saturday. Ted Chaiban, the regional director of the United Nations Children’s Fund, called the incident the worst violence since last year’s ceasefire, and urged all warring parties to ensure “the protection of all children.” [Associated Press]
A Moroccan air force plane landed in Israel’s Hatzor Air Base on Sunday to take part in a multinational Israeli air force exercise later this month. The landing of the C-130 military cargo plane in Israel was spotted by amateur radar watchers in Israel through public flight tracking software. The Israel Defence Forces have not yet confirmed the visit of the plane. [Times of Israel]
North America
Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Garneau completed his trip to Israel on Sunday. During his visit, he met with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Yair Lapid, Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, and President-elect Isaac Herzog. According to a statement released by Global Affairs Canada, Garneau "reaffirmed Canada’s support for Israel’s right to live in peace with its neighbours within secure boundaries, and expressed full support for Israel’s right to defend itself, consistent with international law.” The statement added that Garneau also “restated Canada’s long-standing position and concerns that the continued expansion of settlements, demolitions and evictions constitute a serious obstacle to achieving peace and called on Israel to cease such activities.” [Government of Canada]
Starting on Monday, fully vaccinated Canadians and permanent residents will no longer be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon their entry to the country. [CBC News]
Oceania
Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja will be conducting bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Papua New Guinea and the Philippines from July 4 to July 7. The ministers are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation in health security and infrastructure along with challenges in the Indo-Pacific. [Government of Australia]
New Zealand Member of Parliament Louisa Wall has accused China of harvesting organs from Uyghur and Falun Gong political prisoners. The Minister, who is part of a global monitoring network, has asked the Ardern government to counter the fight back against labour trade in China. [Otago Daily Times]
Sub-Saharan Africa
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has deployed a fact-finding team to Eswatini to investigate reports of arbitrary and excessive use of force against pro-democracy protesters. The government has also restricted access to the internet and social media platforms. [Radio France Internationale]
Thousands of people are protesting in Burkina Faso over a rise in Islamist violence. This follows an attack last month that led to the death of over 130 people. Since 2015, Burkina Faso has become overrun by groups linked with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. [Africa News]
World News Monitor: 5 July, 2021
A quick look at events from around the globe.
July 5, 2021
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro SOURCE: EVARISTO SA / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES