South Asia
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that despite the peace deal signed between the Taliban and the Afghan government, the continuation of violence in the region has led to the death of over 1,280 civilians since January 2020. [Reuters]
India imposed a ban on 47 China-owned apps. This is in addition to the 59 Chinese apps, which authorities considered to be detrimental to the sovereignty and national security of the country, that were prohibited by India earlier this month, [Times of India]
China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, held a virtual press conference with the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Nepal, along with Pakistan’s Economic Affairs Minister on Monday and put forward a “four-point plan” to tackle the repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak. He further discussed restarting the work on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). [NDTV]
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Armenian and Azerbaijani ambassadors in Moscow have called upon their countrymen to avoid confrontations and provocations as reports of fighting between ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis over the ongoing tensions between the two countries are coming in from the capital and other Russian cities in recent days. [RFERL]
East and Southeast Asia
The Hong Kong Economic Times (HKET) has reported that the territory’s government is considering postponing the upcoming legislative elections, as the city grapples with surging coronavirus cases. [The Straits Times]
The Japanese government is pushing ahead with the distribution of its washable gauze masks which have been criticized as ill-fitting, rife with quality issues, and as a waste of public money. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga defended the government’s actions saying that the masks were relatively low cost and helped curb demand. [Reuters]
Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak has been found guilty of all 7 charges in his first corruption trial linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that stretched to the Gulf states and Hollywood. The charges include abuse of power, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust. [Channel News Asia]
Europe
An unidentified Swiss pharmaceutical company concluded its first transaction with Iran in furtherance of the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA) channel, under which Swiss medicines and food supplies are sent to Iran. While the exact valuation of the goods was not disclosed, Swiss authorities said that the shipment included provision of drugs necessary for the recovery of cancer patients. [Al Jazeera]
Protests in the Russian city of Khabarovsk have gone on for more than two weeks now, with around 50,000 people taking to the streets this weekend after regional Governor Sergei Furgal was fired and charged for organized murder. President Vladimir Putin appointed a replacement but even he has failed to contain the crowds. [RFERL]
Latin America and the Caribbean
Venezuela’s armed forces conducted a raid on drug camps along its border with Colombia, seizing 9,173 kilograms of cocaine. The US government has previously accused Venezuela of turning a blind eye to or being complicit in drug trafficking within its borders. [Telesur]
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
On Monday, the UN World Food Programme said that its iconic grain store in Yemen has been emptied and completely distributed to the war-torn country's starving population. The Red Sea Mills facility had become a crucial point in the frozen conflict at Hodeidah and was initially set up as an operation to feed 13 million people each month. [National Post]
Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya said that Monday talks in Ankara had helped in reducing tensions between the European Union and Turkish leadership over the latter’s energy exploration efforts in the Mediterranean. She said that a “point of inflexion” was reached and that a one-month drilling pause was possible. [Ekathimerini]
North America
The Trump administration is formally moving forward with its plan to regulate social media, and has asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop regulations for oversight that could apply to Facebook, Twitter, and other online platforms. The FCC has said that it will carefully review the petition. [CNN]
US Senate Republicans have introduced a plan that involves spending an additional $1 trillion to address the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal allocates $100 billion for schools, and aims to issue stimulus payments of up to $1,200 to citizens. Democrats have called the plan completely “inadequate”. [BBC]
Oceania
Following in the footsteps of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, New Zealand, too, announced the suspension of its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, saying that it no longer believes that the city-state is an autonomous region. In response, the Chinese Embassy in Wellington referred to the decision by the PM Jacinda Ardern administration as a “serious violation of international law” and a “gross interference in China’s internal affairs”. [Stuff]
Sub-Saharan Africa
Amid growing militancy in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado, the United States and France have increased their patrolling along the coast to target drug trafficking, which they say has a direct influence on fueling extremism in the area. [All Africa]
World News Monitor: 28 July, 2020
A quick look at events from around the globe.
July 28, 2020
