Ukraine could default in August, NATO worries if President Biden withdraws from race, Russia becomes President of UN Security Council

Ukraine's Defense Minister is about to visit the US, Japan launches an Earth observation satellite, Houthi attacks ships in the Red Sea with "special weapons", the US may transfer Patriot missile systems from Israel to Ukraine, North Korea uses Russian satellites to broadcast television... are some of the outstanding international events in the past 24 hours.

China's Shandong aircraft carrier. (Source: CGTN)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Asia-Pacific

*China steps up counterintelligence on electronics: On July 1, China implemented new regulations under its tough counterintelligence law, allowing authorities to inspect smartphones, personal computers and other electronic devices.

The new regulations will come into effect a year after a revised counterintelligence law expanded the definition of espionage, giving Chinese state security agencies the power to inspect data, including emails, photos and videos stored on electronic devices. Such inspections can be conducted without a warrant in an emergency. Under the regulations, if police are unable to inspect electronic devices on the spot, they are allowed to take them to a designated location. (Yonhap)

*Thai Constitutional Court to issue ruling on Prime Minister Srettha: President of the Thai Constitutional Court Nakharin Mektrairat said on July 1 that the ruling on lawsuits related to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the March Forward Party (MFP) will be issued before September.

Previously, the Thai Constitutional Court said on June 18 that it would consider a lawsuit against Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin regarding the appointment of politician Pichit Chuenban as Minister of the Prime Minister's Office on July 10, 2023.

Meanwhile, the court will also consider a petition to dissolve the MFP - Thailand's main opposition party - over the MFP's proposed amendment to Article 112 of the Penal Code, known as the lese majeste law, on July 3. These incidents have added to the political instability in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy in recent times. (Bangkok Post)

*North Korea uses Russian satellites for TV broadcasts: North Korea has switched its state TV broadcasts from Chinese satellites to Russian satellites, South Korea's Unification Ministry said on July 1, making monitoring North Korean broadcasts a challenge for South Korean government and media agencies.

A South Korean satellite service provider said the signal from the Korean Central Television Station has been transmitted by Russia's Express 103 satellite since June 29, instead of China's ChinaSat 12 satellite.

The satellite change follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea in June, during which the two sides signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership pact to enhance cooperation in a range of areas, including a commitment to mutual defense. (Reuters)

*Japan launches Earth observation satellite: Japan launched its new flagship H3 rocket carrying an Earth observation satellite on July 1, following a failed launch attempt last year.

The domestically produced H3 No. 3 rocket was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. The H3 rocket was developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and engineering and electronics company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

The liquid-fueled rocket serves as Japan's next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle, following the H2A rocket. (Kyodo)

*China's Shandong aircraft carrier spotted near Philippines: China's Shandong aircraft carrier was recently spotted moving near the Philippines.

Media commented that at a time when tensions continue between China and the Philippines over islands and reefs in the South China Sea, the deployment of China's first aircraft carrier to waters near the Philippines is aimed at deterrence.

Earlier, media reported that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy had dispatched large surface warships, including Type 055 destroyers and Type 052D destroyers, as well as major landing ships such as Type 075 amphibious assault ships and Type 071 landing ships to the South China Sea. (Globaltimes)

Europe

*France announces results of first round of parliamentary elections: The French Interior Ministry announced that the far-right National Rally (RN) party and its allies won the first round of parliamentary elections with 33% of the vote.

According to the results announced by the French Interior Ministry, the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) party came in second with 28% of the vote. President Emmanuel Macron's centrist "Together for the Republic" bloc came in third with 20% support.

Earlier on June 30, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal called on voters not to give the far-right "a single vote" in the second round of parliamentary elections, after exit polls predicted Marine Le Pen's RN party to lead in the first round. (Reuters)

*Ukrainian Defense Minister to visit the US: Politico reported on July 1 that a group of senior Ukrainian officials including Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Energy Minister German Galushchenko and Chief of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak will travel to Washington DC on July 2 to meet with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

The meeting between a group of senior Ukrainian officials and adviser Sullivan will focus on measures to protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure before winter sets in. (Sputniknews)

*Russia is ready to dialogue with Ukraine if its goals are achieved: On July 1, when referring to the possibility of dialogue with Ukraine with the participation of mediators, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Moscow is ready to conduct any dialogue to achieve its goals.

Earlier, in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer on June 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he saw a possible negotiation model with Moscow in the form of a trilateral agreement similar to the grain deal, when the process involved intermediaries such as the United Nations and Turkey.

Asked whether the Kremlin was ready to support such talks, Peskov said: "President Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia is ready for any contacts, any dialogue aimed at achieving the goals we have set for ourselves. (Sputniknews)

*Russia begins its term as President of the UN Security Council in July with three main topics: Russia becomes President of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for one month from July 1, the main topics of discussion will be the Middle East solution, the new global "security equation" and the UN's cooperation with regional organizations such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

In an interview, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said Russia has planned three important events during its presidency of the Security Council. One of them is an open debate on multilateral cooperation to build a more just, democratic and sustainable world order.

An open debate on the topic of resolving the situation in the Middle East is scheduled for July 17. On July 19, a debate at the Security Council on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, in particular the CSTO, CIS and SCO, is scheduled. (Sputnik)

*Ukraine could default in August: The British newspaper The Economist published an article on July 1 stating that Ukraine could default as early as August if the government fails to reach an agreement with creditors to restructure its debt, although such an agreement seems unlikely.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that the Ukrainian government failed to reach an agreement with creditors in the first round of negotiations on restructuring $20 billion in debt.

In addition, the British newspaper noted that the private sector, which is lending to Ukraine, fears that such a debt restructuring would be the first attempt by Kiev's allies to shift "the financial burden of war and reconstruction costs from the government" to the private sector. (Sputnik)

*Russia has acquired the guidance system of the ATACMS missile : A weapons expert said that Russian experts are researching the target guidance system and flight path adjustment for the US long-range ATACMS operational-tactical missile. Specifically, they have in hand the laser gyroscope (gyroscope sensor) and a GPS positioning module of this type of missile.

In April, the Pentagon confirmed the transfer of ATACMS to Ukraine for use “in the sovereign territory of Ukraine” under specified conditions. ATACMS is an operational-tactical ballistic missile developed by Lockheed Martin. It can be launched from a variety of launchers, including the M142 HIMARS. (Reuters/Sputnik)

Middle East-Africa

*New round of talks on Afghanistan begins in Doha: United Nations (UN) sources revealed that the delegation of the Taliban government in Afghanistan began discussions with UN officials on June 30, in the context of the Taliban attending the first round of talks in Doha (Qatar) with special envoys in this Central Asian country.

This is the third round of talks to take place in the Middle Eastern country in just over a year, but the first to include the Taliban government, which has been in power in Afghanistan since 2021.

During the two-day talks, UN officials and more than 20 envoys, including the US special representative for Afghanistan, are expected to meet with a Taliban government delegation led by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. The Doha talks are expected to discuss increased cooperation with Afghanistan and a more coordinated response to the country, including economic issues and counter-narcotics efforts. (Al Jazeera)

*Iraq neutralizes 6 bombs placed in mosque: On June 30, Iraqi explosives experts neutralized 6 bombs believed to have been planted by Islamic State (IS) members many years ago in the historic al-Nuri mosque in Mosul city.

The al-Nuri Mosque is now ready to resume restoration work carried out by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

IS bombed the al-Nuri mosque and its iconic leaning minaret on June 21, 2017.

UNESCO has been overseeing efforts to restore the al-Nuri mosque and other heritage sites in Mosul after IS was driven out of the area. (Arab News)

*Houthi attacks cargo ship in Red Sea with “special weapon”: On June 30, Houthi released images of the domestically produced unmanned boat that the force used to attack the Greek cargo ship Transworld Navigator in the Red Sea.

According to the source, this type of boat can carry a warhead weighing between 1,000 and 1,500 kg and has a speed of up to 45 knots (83.34 km/h). The Houthis claim that this unmanned boat “has high destructive power and can operate in all maritime conditions.”

Since November last year, the Houthis have carried out numerous drone and missile attacks on ships traveling in the vital Red Sea shipping lane to pressure Israel in its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In response to the Houthis' moves, a naval coalition led by the US and the UK was formed to carry out airstrikes and strikes against Houthi targets from January 2024. (Al Jazeera)

*Southern Israel unexpectedly receives a series of rockets from the Gaza Strip: The Israeli military (IDF) announced on July 1 that another soldier was killed in the Gaza Strip during a clash that morning. At the same time, a series of at least 20 rockets were fired from Gaza into several Israeli localities near the border in what is considered the largest attack in months.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group claimed responsibility for a series of rockets fired into Israeli territory on the same day.

Under pressure from Israel, the Hamas movement and other forces in the Gaza Strip have been weakened in their ability to fight back. Since the beginning of 2024, there have only been a few rocket and missile attacks across the border into Israeli territory. (Arab News)

America-Latin America

*Democratic voters concerned about President Biden's health: CBS News on June 30 released a poll showing that many Democratic voters are very concerned about whether US President Joe Biden is mentally fit to be president, after the "disappointing" debate on June 27.

According to the poll, 72% of registered voters believe Mr. Biden is not mentally and cognitively fit to be president – ​​a sharp increase from 65% in a previous CBS News poll.

Amid growing concerns, representatives of President Biden's campaign appeared en masse on political television shows on the morning of June 30 to defend the 46th owner of the White House.

Meanwhile, Republicans continued to attack President Biden's performance, saying it showed why choosing Trump was the right choice. (CBS News)

*The US may transfer Patriot missile systems from Israel to Ukraine: US media reported on July 1 that on the sidelines of the Dubrovnik Forum held in Croatia from June 28-29, US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia James O'Brien met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss the NATO Summit to be held in Washington DC from July 9-11 and the provision of additional military equipment and ammunition to Kiev, especially the possibility of the US transferring a number of Patriot missile defense systems from Israel to Ukraine.

In a related development, the Russian Defense Ministry website posted a statement on June 28 saying that US military drones had “significantly increased the frequency of operations” in the Black Sea to gather intelligence and locate Russian facilities, thereby supporting Ukraine’s attacks. (AFP)

*NATO concerned about the possibility of Mr. Biden withdrawing from the US presidential race: According to CNN on July 1, Washington's NATO allies are concerned that the Democratic Party replacing Mr. Joe Biden with another candidate in the race for the White House will undermine stability in Western countries.

A New York Times editorial on June 28 suggested that Mr. Biden should suspend his presidential campaign after his “poor” performance in the first debate, making way for a new Democratic candidate. Meanwhile, Mr. Biden and his campaign acknowledged that the incumbent President had a less-than-expected performance in the first debate, but they assured the public that they would not end their re-election effort.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden are scheduled to take part in the second debate on September 10. (CNN)

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