MORNING NEWS BRIEF [June 17, 2021]

HOT NEWS

1. The EU will place additional sanctions on Belarus by targeting at least seven Belarusian individuals over last month’s forced landing in Mink to arrest a dissident journalist. Source: Deutsche Welle
2. Nikki Haley met with nearly 70 GOP lawmakers to call for a diplomatic boycott of China’s 2022 Winter Olympic, in response to human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region. Source: Sputnik
3. Russia and China revealed a roadmap to launch six missions with preparatory stages in building the international scientific exploration base on the moon for the year 2021 to 2025. Source: TASS

WORLD

1. The U.S. and Russia agreed to hold talks on arms control and cybersecurity as well as to reinstate their respective ambassadors after growing tension between these great powers. Source: Al Jazeera
2. France and its allies seek to raise USD10M as the emergency aid to Lebanonese army to keep them from collapsing as the country is crippling with political and economic crisis. Source: US News
3. The UN’s Chief strongly condemned the CAR’s and allies security forces after the new situation report showed hostility toward UN peacekeepers and human rights abuses. Source: The Washington Post

REGIONS

1. Washington’s new special envoy to DPRK will visit ROK for possible trilateral talks with ROK and Japan and to reach a deal between President Moon and President Biden. Source: CGTN
2. Malaysian PM’s plan to hold a parliament meeting in October was moved after the King called for federal legislative talks on emergency laws and plans for COVID-19. Source: The Straits Times
3. China will launch the first astronauts to a new space station for the country’s longest crewed mission to date, marking a milestone for Beijing to become a major space power. Source: CNA

CAMBODIA

1. Cambodia and France praised the bilateral trade and investment cooperation as the two countries’ two-way trade reached USD157 million in the first four months of 2021. Source: AKP
2. Cambodia and Sweden convened talks to discuss and exchange views on promoting the multilateral trade system as Cambodia called for more investors from Swedish investors. Source: The Phnom Penh Post
3. More than 100 private educational institutions requested a meeting with the government to reopen schools as they are currently facing bankruptcy and close to shutting down. Source: The Phnom Penh Post