Taiwan begins largest military exercises ever

Today's news: South Korea repatriates six North Koreans: The Taliban rejects International Criminal Court warrant for its leaders; Indian media report an Indian nurse sentenced to death in Yemen could be executed in the coming days; Tajikistan discusses the possibility of joining the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with Beijing.

TAIWAN

The island of Taiwan has kicked off its largest military exercises ever, launching simulated attacks on its command systems and infrastructure in preparation for a Chinese invasion. ‘We are learning from the situation in Ukraine in recent years and thinking realistically about what Taiwan might face in actual combat,’ said a senior defence official. The exercises will involve 22,000 reservists and the use of Himars missile systems.

KOREAN PENINSULA

This morning, South Korea repatriated six North Koreans across the maritime border in the East Sea. The boat headed on its own towards two North Korean ships, including a patrol boat, waiting on the other side of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), which marks the border between the two countries' waters. Seoul had rescued the North Koreans in May when they ended up adrift and all expressed their desire to return to North Korea.

AFGHANISTAN

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Hibatullah Akhunzada, and the president of the supreme court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, two prominent Taliban leaders considered responsible for the oppression of women and girls since they returned to power in 2021. The group rejected the decision, saying it did not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

BANGLADESH

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had authorised the use of indiscriminate force against protesters during last year's anti-government protests that led to the leader's flight. In the audio, released online in March and analysed by the BBC, Hasina says she gave security forces the green light to ‘use lethal force’ against protesters and that ‘wherever they find them, they will shoot.’ About 1,400 people died in the clashes.

INDIA - YEMEN

Nurse Nimisha Priya, originally from Kerala and sentenced to death in Yemen, will be executed on 16 July, according to local Indian media. The woman was arrested in 2020 for the alleged murder of a Yemeni citizen, Talal Abdo Mehdi. The Indian government is working to have the death sentence overturned. ‘The options are still open,’ Samuel Jerome Baskaran, a social worker involved in negotiations with the Yemeni government and Mehdi's family to pay blood money, a sum in compensation for the death, said yesterday. ‘The Indian government can intervene in the matter to save her life.’

USA - GAZA - ISRAEL

US President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for the second time in 24 hours to discuss a possible ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Yesterday's talks lasted just over an hour, with no media access, but the two leaders also met for dinner on Monday evening. Before Tuesday's talks, Trump said he would talk to Netanyahu “almost exclusively” about Gaza.

USA - RUSSIA

The United States has cancelled sanctions related to the construction of the Pakš-2 nuclear power plant in Hungary, planned since 2014 by the Russian company Rosatom, as announced by Budapest's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. Gazprombank, which is also under sanctions along with other major Russian banks, is involved in the project, which accounts for 40% of the country's electricity production.

TAJIKISTAN - CHINA

Tajikistan's Transport Minister Azim Ibrokhim discussed at an interministerial meeting in Tianjin with his Chinese counterpart Lu Wem the possibility of also connecting Tashkent to the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project, which would in turn link up with Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey and ultimately connect with Europe.

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