GAZA - ISRAEL - UN
According to Palestinian sources, negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar on a new ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages are on the verge of collapse. Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded at least 798 killings in the last six weeks at aid distribution points run by the US- and Israeli-backed Ghf Humanitarian Foundation. The NGO operates by circumventing the UN, which calls the model “intrinsically dangerous” and a violation of humanitarian impartiality standards. Finally, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli settlers during an attack in the West Bank yesterday, and 10 other people were injured.
INDIA
A preliminary report describes the “confusion” in the cockpit shortly before Air India's Boeing 787 from Ahmedabad to London crashed on 12 June shortly after take-off, killing 260 people. The engines did not fail, but were deliberately shut down by “someone inside the cockpit”, although the perpetrator is not yet known.
RUSSIA - NORTH KOREA
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived yesterday in North Korea, the latest visit by a senior Moscow official to the regime amid growing ties and cooperation. It is also the latest in a series of high-level meetings between the two countries following the strengthening of strategic cooperation, which includes Pyongyang's support in the war in Ukraine and a mutual defence pact. Lavrov arrived in Wonsan, a coastal city in the east, home to a recently opened resort known for its missile and naval facilities, which is seeing the arrival of its first Russian tourists.
JAPAN - CHINA
Beijing has completed a key step towards resuming imports of Japanese beef after a 24-year ban. Deputy Prime Minister He Lifeng, a close aide to President Xi Jinping, announced this to Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, validating a pact signed in 2019, a prerequisite for the resumption of shipments.
PAKISTAN - EU
Islamabad and Brussels have signed a €20 million funding agreement for an initiative aimed at strengthening governance and improving the business environment, as part of efforts to support the Pakistani economy. The agreement aims to improve the competitiveness of the private sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), by developing relevant legislative frameworks, supporting the green transformation of export companies and improving public-private dialogue.
INDONESIA
Indonesian authorities have searched the headquarters of GoTo Gojek Tokopedia in a $610 million corruption case. The case concerns the supply of Chromebooks to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology from 2019 to 2022. A source said that the items seized include documents and electronic evidence in the form of flash drives.
UAE - ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN
The first meeting without mediators and outside an international summit between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pašinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev has begun in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Of particular note is the absence of Russian representatives.
The talks focus on the opening of the Zangezur Corridor and the prospect of the Peace Crossroads according to Armenia.
SOUTH KOREA - TAJIKISTAN
The Seoul Ministry of Labour has announced a new recruitment programme in South Korea for Tajik citizens: interesting areas include construction, industrial production, agriculture and others, for workers aged between 18 and 39, provided they have a working knowledge of Korean, as demonstrated by a specific exam, specialised certificates, no criminal record and good health.
