June 2021 International Affairs

Sakshi Education

Switzerland voters reject key climate change measures
In Switzerland, voters rejected key climate change measures in a popular vote. The climate proposal was one of several measures that Swiss voters cast their ballots nationwide yesterday. The voters also rejected proposals that would have made Switzerland the first European country to ban synthetic pesticides following a bitterly fought campaign.

A referendum saw voters narrowly reject the government’s plans for a car fuel levy and a tax on air tickets. The measures were designed to help Switzerland meet targets under the Paris Agreement on climate change. The vote, under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, went 51% against, 49% in favour.

Among other issues on the nationwide ballot was a referendum on the government’s COVID-19 law, which was accepted. It will generate a surge in state spending.

Another initiative to improve the quality of drinking water in Switzerland was rejected – it would have made it harder for farmers to get state subsidies if they use some types of pesticides and antibiotics.
G7 leaders launch Build Back Better World (B3W) to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative
G7 leaders have launched a new global infrastructure initiative Build Back Better World (B3W) to help developing nations, countering China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In a statement at their summit in the English county of Cornwall, the G7 leaders said they will offer a values-driven, high-standard and transparent partnership.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting the three-day gathering at the seaside resort of Carbis Bay.

US President Joe Biden said he wants the US-backed B3W plan to be a higher-quality alternative to a similar Chinese programme.

The G7, the world’s seven wealthiest democracies, have also committed to a new plan to stop future pandemics. The measures include cutting the time needed to develop and license vaccines and treatments for Covid-19 to under 100 days.
US, South Korea reaffirm commitment to work closely towards denuclearization of Korean Peninsula
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong have reaffirmed a commitment between their countries and Japan to work closely towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The statement, issued after the two met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit, referred, without naming North Korea, to efforts that have made little or no progress toward getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arsenal.

It added that Blinken and Chung also stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation to address other regional issues including the return to the path to democracy for the people of Burma, referring to the military coup in Myanmar earlier this year.
USAID to grant 115 million dollars to El Salvador to slow migration from the Central American country
The United States will grant 115 million dollars in cooperation aid to El Salvador to slow migration from the Central American country.

They can work with local partners in Central America to expand opportunities for youth and help them get away from violence.

The money will include 50 million dollars for security, 35 millions for programmes to counter violence against women and 30 millions in job training

USAID said, it will also contribute 12 million dollars for small and medium-sized businesses in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador that were affected by Corona virus-related lockdowns.

The Biden Administration has pledged to invest 4 billion dollars to address the root causes of migration from Central America.
NATO leaders declare China a constant security challenge
NATO leaders have declared China a constant security challenge and said the Chinese are working to undermine global order. In a summit statement in Brussels, NATO leaders said that China’s goals and assertive behavior present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security. They called on Beijing to uphold its international commitments and to act responsibly in the international system.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned China is coming closer to NATO in military and technological terms. But he stressed the alliance does not want a new Cold War with China.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance of European and North American countries formed after World War II as a bulwark against Russian aggression.
Trial of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi gets underway, 4 months after military coup removed elected govt from office
The trial of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has got underway, four months after a military coup removed the elected government from office. She is charged with owning unlicensed walkie-talkies and violating COVID restrictions. Later trials will focus on allegations of corruption and breaking the official secrets act. Human rights groups have condemned the trial, describing it as an attempt to stop her running in future elections.

Suu Kyi aged 75, has been held under house arrest since the 1st February coup in Myanmar and little has been seen or heard of her apart from her brief court appearances.

Ms Suu Kyi’s lawyers, who have met her only twice since she was detained, will cross-examine witnesses over the claims today.

Another trial will begin on 15th June over sedition charges. If convicted of that charge alone, she faces up to 14 years in prison.

Last week, she was handed additional corruption charges over allegations that she illegally accepted USD 600,000 in cash and around 11 kilos of gold.
NATO leaders include attacks in space in their mutual defence clause
NATO leaders have expanded the use of their all for one, one for all, mutual defense clause to include a collective response to attacks in space. Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty states that an attack on any one of the 30 allies will be considered an attack on them all. Until now, it’s only applied to more traditional military attacks on land, sea, or in the air, and more recently in cyberspace. In a summit statement on Monday, the leaders said they “consider that attacks to, from, or within space” could be a challenge to NATO that threatens national and Euro-Atlantic prosperity, security, and stability, and could be as harmful to modern societies as a conventional attack.

Around 2,000 satellites orbit the earth, over half are operated by NATO countries.

In December 2019, NATO leaders declared space to be the alliance’s “fifth domain” of operations, after land, sea, air and cyberspace. Around 80 countries have satellites, and private companies are moving in, too.
China sends its first crew to new space station
China launched a spacecraft on Thursday carrying three astronauts to part of a space station still under construction for the longest stay in low Earth orbit by any Chinese national.

Thursday’s launch begins the first crewed space mission in five years for an increasingly ambitious space program. China has sent 11 astronauts into space since becoming the third country to so on its own in 2003, and has sent orbiters and rovers to the moon and Mars.

The astronauts will be traveling in the Shenzhou-12 spaceship launched by a Long March-2F Y12 rocket set to blast off at 9:22 a.m. (0122 GMT) from the Jiuquan launch center in north-western China.

Beijing doesn’t participate in the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over the Chinese space program’s secrecy and its military connections.

The mission is the third of 11 planned through next year to add the additional sections to the station and send up crews and supplies. The main living section of the station was launched in April while the other two modules will be primarily for scientific work.
China seeking to control bodies like WHO and Interpol: UK parliament panel
A report published by the UK House of Commons foreign affairs committee has claimed that autocratic nations like China are seeking to manipulate, undermine, or even break up multilateral organisations, such as the WHO and Interpol.

The committee comprising of 11 MPs warned that if the UK and its allies do not respond to the corrosive influence of states including China, there is a very real risk that democratic states will lose multilateral organisations to authoritarian states.

The report said that countries like China have done little to demonstrate that they wish to uphold the values that these organisations represent. Notably, multilateral organisations like the World Trade Organisation, Interpol, the United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe were set up to establish an international system based on shared values of peace, prosperity and freedom.

The UK committee report found that China has been increasingly using aggressive methods including bilateral economic leverage, to coerce states in multilateral organisations to back its position.
Presidents Biden and Putin agree to take steps on cyber security, arms control
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to begin cyber security and arms control talks at a summit that highlighted their discord on those issues, human rights and Ukraine.

Putin said after the summit meeting Wednesday that there was “no hostility” during the talks that wrapped up more quickly than expected.

The two sides had said they expected to meet for four to five hours but spent less than three hours together, including an opening meeting with just the two presidents and each one’s top foreign aide.

The Russian president said there was an agreement between the leaders to return their ambassadors to their respective postings. Both countries had pulled back their top envoys to Washington and Moscow as relations chilled in recent months.

Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, was recalled from Washington about three months ago after Biden called Putin a killer; US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan left Moscow almost two months ago, after Russia suggested he return to Washington for consultations. Putin said that the ambassadors were expected to return their posts in the coming days.

Putin also said the two sides agreed in principle to begin consultations on cyber security issues, though he continued to deny US allegations that Russian government was responsible for a spate of recent high-profile hacks against business and government agencies in the United States and around the globe.

Biden and Putin plunged into the face-to-face talks Wednesday at a lush lakeside Swiss mansion, a highly anticipated summit at a time when both leaders say relations between their countries are at a low point.
Global Peace Index 2021; Check India’s Position
Bangladesh improved its position by 7 notches in the Global Peace Index 2021 compiled by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) based in Sydney, Australia.

In its 15th edition ranking 163 countries according to their level of peacefulness.

India has moved up two notches from its previous year’s ranking to become the 135th most peaceful country in the world and the 5th in the region.

Bangladesh has scored an overall score of 2.68 making it the third most peaceful country in South Asia placed behind Bhutan and Nepal.

Afghanistan has been ranked as the least peaceful country in the South Asian region.

Globally, Iceland was on the top of the peace index followed by New Zealand, Denmark and Portugal. Out of the 10 most peaceful countries in the world, 8 are from Europe.

Only three out of nine regions in the world improved in the peace index. The largest improvement occurred in the Middle East and North Africa.

The economic impact of violence to the global economy in 2020 was $14.96 trillion in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms which is equivalent to 11.6 percent of the world’s economic activity.

The report points out that the average level of global peacefulness declined by 0.07 percent marking the 9th deterioration in the last thirteen years.

The IEP covers 99.7 percent of the world’s population using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure the state of peace across three parameters of societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation.

US displaces France as top country in NewsOnAir Radio Global Rankings
More than 240 Radio Services of All India Radio are live-streamed on NewsOnAir App, Prasar Bharati’s official App. These All India Radio Streams on NewsOnAir App have a large number of listeners not just in India, but globally, in more than 85 countries and 8000 cities across the globe.

Here’s a glimpse at the top countries, apart from India, where NewsOnAir is most popular; top All India Radio streams on NewsOnAir Appin rest of the world.You can also find the country-wise breakup of the same. These rankings are based on fortnightly data, from June 1 – June 15, 2021.This data doesn’t include India.

In a major development in these new rankings, United States has displaced France as the top country in the world, on the basis of popularity of NewsOnAir App in these countries. France stands now at number 2. Japan is the new entrant in the top 10 countries category.

NewsOnAir Top Countries (Rest of world)

Rank	Country
1	United States
2	France
3	Australia
4	United Kingdom
5	Fiji
6	Canada
7	United Arab Emirates
8	Singapore
9	Japan
10	New Zealand

India calls for strong, aligned international cooperation to combat challenge of Fugitive Economic Offenders & Assets
Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Dr Jitendra Singh has called for a strong and aligned international cooperation to combat the challenge of Fugitive Economic Offenders and Assets. He said, India has made it clear that the world is presently combating another serious emerging challenge of Fugitive Economic Offenders and Assets which flee across national jurisdictions.

India’s appreciation to all the countries who are taking this fight ahead in the right direction by intensifying efforts, sustaining political commitment and decisive action, at all levels, against preventing and combating corruption by way of endorsing the United Nations Political declaration.

India has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and the motto of the Government is minimum government, maximum governance with emphasis on transparency and citizen centricity.
DGDA of Bangladesh approves 2nd Chinese COVID 19 vaccine ‘CoronaVac’
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) of Bangladesh has approved the second Chinese COVID 19 vaccine ‘CoronaVac’ manufactured by the Sinovac company.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already approved the Sinovac corona vaccine on June Earlier, emergency use authorisation was granted to another Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, Russian Sputnik V, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.
India also gifted close to 3 million doses of the vaccine to Bangladesh.
Global terror funding watchdog FATF retains Pakistan on "enhanced follow-up" list
Asia Pacific Group (APG) of global terror funding watchdog - FATF has retained Pakistan on "enhanced follow-up" list. According to media reports, Islamabad will continue to report back to Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering on the country's progress to strengthen its implementation of anti-money laundering and combating financing terror measures.
Pakistan was put on the grey list by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in June 2018 and the country has been struggling to come out of it. The Asia Pacific Group (APG) is a regional affiliate of the FATF.
The second Follow-Up Report on Mutual Evaluation of Pakistan released by the APG also downgraded the country on one criteria.

Pakistan is now compliant or largely compliant with 31 out of 40 FATF recommendations.
World Bank approves USD 500 million program to help boost India’s MSME sector
The World Bank has approved a USD 500 million program to help boost India’s MSME sector. The programme targets improvements in the performance of five lakh 50 thousand MSMEs. Out of some 58 million MSMEs in the country, more than 40 per cent lack access to formal sources of finance.
The MSME sector is the backbone of the country’s economy, contributing 30 percent of India’s GDP and 40 percent of exports.
The USD 500 million Raising and Accelerating Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Performance (RAMP) Program is the World Bank’s second intervention in this sector. The first being the Rs 750 million MSME Emergency Response Program, approved in July last year. World Bank Country Director Junaid Ahmad said, the MSME sector, a critical backbone of India’s economy, has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The RAMP program will provide better access to finance and working capital for MSMEs by strengthening the receivable financing markets. It will also scale up online dispute resolution mechanisms to address the problem of delayed payments.
Who has been elected as President of 76th Session of UN General Assembly?
Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was yesterday elected as the President of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly. In the 193-member General Assembly, 143 votes were polled in his favour out of the total 191 ballots cast. Mr. Shahid will preside over the 76th Session of the UN body that will commence in September. Former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Dr Zalmai Rassoul was the other contestant.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has congratulated Mr Shahid on his election. Dr Jaishankar said, this is a testimony as much to his own stature as to the standing of Maldives. Dr Jaishankar said, India looks forward to working with him to strengthen multilateralism and its much needed reforms. India's Permanent Mission to the UN congratulated the Maldives Foreign Minister for the robust victory.
The President of the General Assembly is elected every year by a secret ballot and requires a simple majority vote of the General Assembly. According to the established rules of regional rotation, the President of the 76th Session of the General Assembly was to be elected from the Group of Asia-Pacific States. Mr Shahid will succeed Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir.
Pakistan's National Assembly approves bill allowing Kulbhushan Jadhav to appeal his conviction in high courts
Pakistan's National Assembly has approved a bill allowing Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav to appeal his conviction in the high courts of the country.
The bill seeks to provide further right of review and reconsideration in giving effect to the judgment of the International Court of Justice.
The bill was adopted by the National Assembly yesterday after approval from the 21-member standing committee.
It has been named 'International Court of Justice (Review and Re-consideration) Act.
The Pakistan government had brought an ordinance in the National Assembly earlier in view of the ICJ's ruling in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case.
The Act will extend to the whole of Pakistan and shall "come into force at once".

According to the bill, the High Court has the power to review and reconsider where the ICJ in relation to a foreign national passes an order in respect of rights under the Vienna Convention of Consular Relations or a foreign national is aggrieved in respect of the rights available under the same.

Such a foreign national, either himself, through his authorized representative or through a consular officer of a mission of his country, may file a petition before a High Court for review and reconsideration, in terms of Section 3, in regard to an order of conviction or sentence of a Military Court operating under the Pakistan Army, 1952.
Myanmar's military charges Suu Kyi with corruption
Myanmar's military authorities have charged deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi with corruption, the most serious charge laid against her till now.
She is accused of accepting cash and gold in bribes, and faces up to 15 years in jail if found guilty.
She faces six other charges relating to alleged illegal imports of walkie-talkies and inciting public unrest.
The former state counsellor was arrested on 1st February when the military seized power in a coup.
She has since been held under house arrest, and little has been seen or heard of her apart from brief court appearances.
Country's military seized power alleging voter fraud in general elections held last year.
France to scale down West Africa counter-terrorism operations
France is to scale down counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel region of West Africa after eight years.
This was informed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
He announced, the existing 5,100-strong task force will be incorporated into a broader international mission.
French forces have been operating in Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina Faso to fight militants.
Last week, France paused operations in Mali following a military coup.
Militants linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group have strengthened their grip on the region, which has become a front line in the war against Islamist extremism.
It is also a major transit route for illegal drugs, weapons and jihadists.
When is World Day Against Child Labour observed?
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12th June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.
The theme of this year’s World Day Against Child Labour is: ‘Act now: end child labour.’ Ahead of World Day Against Child Labour a report by UNICEF and International Labour Organization (ILO) said, the number of children in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide – an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed millions on the brink of poverty and child labour is directly linked to it.
Largest reservoir in US ‘Lake Mead’ dips to record low
The largest reservoir in the US has dipped to its lowest ever level, officials say, as an extreme drought continues in the region.
The surface elevation of Lake Mead along the Arizona-Nevada border fell to 1,071.56ft above sea level on Thursday.
It has sunk about 140ft since 2000 – which is almost the height of New York City’s Statue of Liberty. The reservoir is a major water supply source for more than 20 million people. Among them are residents of such big cities as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Patti Aaron, a spokeswoman for the US Bureau of Reclamation, told media that the people are certainly concerned. Lake Mead was created by the Hoover Dam in the 1930s.
China allows couples to have three children after relaxation in its one-child policy failed to bear result
The change was approved during a politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping on Monday, the official news agency Xinhua reported.
The decision in 2016 to relax China’s one-child policy and allow people to have a second child had failed to reverse the country’s falling birth rate as the high cost of raising children in Chinese cities deterred many couples from starting families.
The policy change will come with “supportive measures, which will be conducive to improving our country’s population structure, fulfilling the country’s strategy of actively coping with an ageing population and maintaining the advantage, endowment of human resources”, state news agency said. It did not specify the support measures.
China’s once-a-decade census, released earlier this month, showed that 12 million babies were born in the past year, the lowest since 1961, during the Great Famine.
The census showed China’s 2020 fertility rate was 1.3 children per woman – below the replacement level of 2.1 needed for a stable population putting it on a par with ageing societies like Japan and Italy. This had raised concerns for almost all the walks of life including fear of a drop in economic demand, dwindling work force and difficulties in managing recruitments for Chinese Army which is world’s largest.
World leaders call for more action and inclusion of all countries for cleaner, greener planet
World leaders called for more action and inclusion of all countries in the global drive towards a cleaner and greener planet at a climate summit hosted virtually by South Korea.
The two-day summit ended yesterday is the second of its kind following the inaugural meeting held in Copenhagen in 2018, and is focused on public-private partnerships, especially in developing countries.
South Korea, which recently announced plans to cut finance for international coal projects, is seeking a bigger role in the global initiative to go green.
Advanced nations have laid out ambitious emissions-cutting goals in recent months, as well as plans to ultimately go carbon neutral by 2050.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the countries to phase out their dependence on fossil fuels, warning that the climate crisis is threatening people’s lives and the economy as much as the Covid-19 pandemic.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said countries must now deliver on their green pledges.
World leaders committed under the 2015 Paris accord to keep the global temperature increase to under two degrees Celsius – and ideally closer to 1.5°C – by 2050.
When is World Milk Day observed?
World Milk Day is observed every year on June 1st to raise awareness regarding the importance of milk as a highly nutritious global food item and to celebrate the dairy sector. Each year, the day actively promotes the benefits of milk and dairy products around the world, including how dairy supports the livelihoods of one billion people. World Milk Day 2021 will be celebrated through social media campaigns and programs due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

World Milk Day 2021 Theme
The World Milk Day 2021 theme focuses on sustainability in the dairy sector with messages around the environment, nutrition and socio-economics.

Objective
The World Milk Day 2021 aims to re-introduce dairy farming to the world and help create a positive stream of conversation.
The organisers of the World Milk Day 2021 invited videos from farmers and others who are embracing technology to help create a low-carbon future for dairy.
China reports world’s first case of a human infected with H10N3 avian influenza
China has reported the world’s first case of a human infected with H10N3 avian influenza in its eastern province of Jiangsu. China’s National Health Commission (NHC) confirmed this in a statement on 1 June, 2021.
The case, detected in a male aged 41 and living in Zhenjiang, a city in the eastern part of the province, was an occasional poultry-to-human transmission, the NHC statement said. It said that the risk of spreading on a large scale was very low, adding that there hasn’t been any case of human infection of H10N3 reported in the world before.
The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a genome sequence on a blood sample from the patient last week and confirmed that it was the H10N3 strain. Local authorities have traced the patient’s contacts and have kept them under medical observation. The NHC statement added that experts assessed that the full genetic analysis of the virus showed that the H10N3 virus was of avian origin.

NHC has advised that people in the region should avoid contact with sick or dead poultry and try to avoid direct contact with live birds. They should pay attention to food hygiene, wear masks, improve self-protection awareness, and check for fever and respiratory symptoms.
Britain to host Health Ministers from G7 countries in Oxford for two-day summit
Britain will host the Health Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries in Oxford today for a two-day summit.
A G7 report on progress in efforts to improve health in developing countries will also be published. Equitable access to Corona virus vaccines will be at the top of the agenda during the meeting.
Many organizations have been stressing that Britain should support a temporary waiver on intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical firms. Anna Marriott, Oxfam’s Health Policy Manager said that the G7 may be getting the vaccines they need but too much of the world is not and people are paying for patent protection with their lives.
US President Joe Biden has backed calls from many developing countries for the waiver, but Britain and some European countries have expressed reservations.
African Union suspends Mali after military coup & threatens sanctions
The African Union suspended Mali’s membership in response to last week’s military coup and threatened sanctions if a civilian-led government is not restored. West African regional bloc ECOWAS had suspended Mali on Sunday.
The organisation called for an unimpeded, transparent and swift return to the civilian-led transition, failing which, the Council will not hesitate to impose targeted sanctions.
The military arrested Interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane last week and pressured them to resign, derailing a transition to democratic elections after another military coup last August ousted the previous administration.
Former Vice President Assimi Goita, a Colonel who led the August coup and last week’s revolt, was declared President on Friday.
WHO approves China’s SINOVAC Covid vaccine for Emergency Use Listing
The World Health Organization approved China’s SINOVAC Covid vaccine for Emergency Use Listing, EUL. Making the announcement the WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, the SINOVAC vaccine has been found to be safe, effective and quality assured following two doses of the inactivated vaccine. This makes SINOVAC the 8th vaccine to receive EUL from the WHO.
It opens the door for the jab to be used in the Covax programme, which aims to ensure fair access to vaccines. The vaccine is produced by the Beijing-based pharmaceutical company Sinovac. The WHO’s independent panel of experts said in a statement it recommended Sinovac’s vaccine for adults over 18.
Mali’s constitutional court declares coup leader Goita as interim President
Mali’s constitutional court has declared Assimi Goita, the colonel who led a military coup this week while serving as vice president, to be the new interim president. Goita became interim vice president after leading the coup last August that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. He ordered the arrests of President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. Both resigned on Wednesday while still in detention. They were later released.
EU clears Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for use in children as young as 12
The European Commission authorized Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12.
The move has paved the way for a broader roll-out in the bloc after similar clearances in the United States and Canada. The decision came after European Medicines Agency, EMA, backed the use of the vaccine in 12- to 15-year old.
The vaccine is already being used in the European Union for those aged 16 and above.
Congo faces third wave of coronavirus, says Health Minister
Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a third wave of Coronavirus infections, with its epicentre in the capital, Kinshasa, one of Africa’s most-populous cities.
Like many other African countries, Congo has officially reported relatively few cases and deaths, but health authorities are concerned about a recent spike in infections that saw 243 new cases recorded on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since March.
When is World Environment Day observed?
World Environment Day 2021, which counts with Pakistan as the host country this year for its official celebrations, calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems.
From forests to peatlands to coasts, we all depend on healthy ecosystems for our survival. Ecosystems are defined as the interaction between living organisms - plants, animals, people - with their surroundings. This includes nature, but also human-made systems such as cities or farms.
Ecosystem restoration is a global undertaking at massive scale. It means repairing billions of hectares of land – an area greater than China or the USA – so that people have access to food, clean water and jobs.
US reaffirms commitment to Israel’s security
Senior United States officials met visiting Israeli Defence Minister Benjamin Gantz in Washington yesterday, reaffirming US commitment to Israel’s security.
The US-Israel partnership and US ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, according to a readout issued by the State Department.
The importance of promoting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike and support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
Mr Gantz’s visit came as Israel’s opposition reached a deal to form a coalition government that would end the 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The White House noted that US policy would not change given a different leadership in Israel.
USA set to ban Americans from investing in dozens of Chinese tech and Defence firms with alleged military ties
US President Joe Biden is set to ban Americans from investing in dozens of Chinese tech and defence firms with alleged military ties. The new executive order will come into effect on 2nd August. It will hit 59 firms including communications giant Huawei. The list of firms will be updated on a rolling basis. The move expands an order previously issued by former President Donald Trump.
Under the new order, US investors will be banned from buying or selling publicly-traded securities for other companies including the China General Nuclear Power Corporation, China Mobile Limited and Costar Group.
The China-US relationship is crucial to both sides and the wider world, with Beijing repeatedly calling on the new administration in Washington to improve relations which deteriorated under predecessor Donald Trump.
France halts joint military operations with Mali over coup
France is halting joint military operations with Mali over last week’s coup in the West African country. France said the suspension would continue until it received guarantees about a return to civilian rule in Mali. French forces have been supporting troops from Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina Faso to fight militants in the Sahel region.

On 25th May Mali’s military strongman, Col Assimi Goïta, ousted the country’s civilian President and Prime Minister. This week the West African grouping Ecowas and the African Union suspended Mali from their bodies.