MORNING NEWS BRIEF [June 02, 2021]

HOT NEWS

1. The Israeli army reportedly destroyed the Syrian observation post built on the side of Israel’s buffer zone in Golan Heights, claiming that it was to protect its own sovereignty. Source: The Times of Israel
2. Sudan will review the naval base agreement with Russia in a bid to determine Sudan’s national interests in a bid to seek for advantages in implementing the deal. Source: TASS
3. The WHO has approved China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, stating that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing. Source: BBC

WORLD

1. NATO pledged to continue providing advisory  and infrastructure support to Afghanistan’s security forces despite the plan to withdraw 9,600 of the alliance’s troops this year. Source: The National
2. Iran reassured that the Vienna talks that aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal did not reach a deadlock but it is in a stage where a meticulous decision has to be made. Source: China.org.cn
3. UNSC said it is impossible to produce a joint statement on the forced landing of a Ryanair aircraft in Minsk, Belarus as a bomb threat was found to be a false alarm. Source: Sputnik

REGIONS

1. Malaysian FM will summon Chinese envoy for a clarification on the intrusion by 16 PLAAF planes into their EEZ after the authorities detected suspicious activities in the SCS. Source: CNN
2. The Laotian government announced the creation of a task force to monitor and detect the use of social media to eliminate fake news and criticisms against the government. Source: RFA
3. A Pakistani journalist was beaten by several men and summoned by the authorities to clarify on the allegation of defaming the Pakistani national defense institution. Source: CNA

CAMBODIA

1. PM Hun Sen convened a meeting with the US Deputy Secretary of State as both sides discussed a range of domains, including anti-terrorism and humanitarian cooperation. Source: AKP
2. France promised to increase the amount of annual cooperation, financing up to 200 million euro in the form of a concession loan for the development of Cambodia. Source: AKP
3. Cambodia exported 233,031 tones of milled rice to the international market in the first five months of 2021, a year-on-year drop of 34.56 percent due to the pandemic. Source: Khmer Times