PORTAL:CURRENT EVENTS 2020 JUNE 30

June 30, 2020 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Rohingya conflict
- Three military officers are found guilty of atrocities against the Rohingya by a court-martial in Myanmar. No details were provided on the perpetrators, their crimes, or their sentences. (Al Jazeera)
Afghan peace process
- Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen says on Twitter that there was a videoconference on Monday between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Taliban official Mullah Baradar to discuss the peace process. The group reiterated its commitments to not attack American personnel, to engage in intra-Afghan talks and "not let anyone to use its soil to attack other countries". The meeting was confirmed by the U.S. State Department. (Reuters)
Mali War
- The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously to extend the mandate of MINUSMA, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Mali, until June 30, 2021. (Xinhuanet)

Arts and culture

Disasters and accidents

A large explosion at a medical clinic in Tehran, Iran, kills at least 19 people, mostly women, according to Iranian authorities. A gas leak is suspected as being the cause. (BBC News)

Health and environment

International relations

India–Pakistan relations; 2020 Pakistan Stock Exchange attack
- Prime Minister Imran Khan says "There is no doubt that India is behind the attack" on the Pakistan Stock Exchange yesterday. India rebuffs the accusation and says it had nothing to do with the assault. (Reuters)
Belgium–Democratic Republic of the Congo relations
- In a letter to President Felix Tshisekedi, King Philippe of Belgium addresses the atrocities in the Congo Free State under the rule of King Leopold II: "I would like to express my deepest regrets for the wounds of the past, the pain of today, which is rekindled by the discrimination all too present in our society." (The Guardian)
Latvia–Russia relations
- Latvia bans seven channels belonging to Russian state-run news network RT, claiming it was trying to present the country as a failed state. Dmitry Kiselyov, head of the separate Russian state-run news agency Rossiya Segodnya, dismisses the claim and accuses the Latvian government of Russophobia in its ruling. (AP News)

Law and crime

2017–2018 Iranian protests
- A court in Iran sentences former journalist and activist Ruhollah Zam to death for fueling anti- government unrest in late 2017 on social media. He was convicted of being corrupt on Earth. (Reuters)
2020 boogaloo killings
- Facebook bans groups affiliated with the boogaloo movement, which was linked to a pair of attacks in California, US, that left two dead and three injured earlier this month and late last month. (AP via WEYI-TV)
Police in Vatican City raid the department in charge of the maintenance and restoration of St. Peter's Basilica. The raid came due to suspicion of corruption in the awarding of building contracts. (Al Jazeera)
Vietnam's civil aviation authority grounds all Pakistani pilots flying for Vietnamese airlines, as global aviation regulators respond to revelations by Pakistani authorities that more than 250 pilots obtaining licences fraudulently. (Al Jazeera)

Politics and elections

Hong Kong national security law
- China passes the controversial Hong Kong national security law. (The New York Times)
- The political party Demosistō of social activist Joshua Wong is disbanded following the passing of the law. Wong urges the international community to keep "speaking up for Hong Kong people". (Reuters)
Demonstrations break out in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following the shooting death of protest singer Hachalu Hundessa. (BBC News)
German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer orders the "partial dissolution" of the country's elite Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) special forces command over its suspected ties to the far-right. The KSK also has a "toxic leadership culture", according to the Defence Minister. (BBC News)
Mississippi governor Tate Reeves signs a bill into legislation abandoning the state's flag. (The Washington Post)

Sports

Reactions to the George Floyd protests
- The Premier League reaffirms its support of the Black Lives Matter movement, saying it was not political but moral support and that it was "aware of the risk posed by groups that seek to hijack popular causes and campaigns". It comes after one group, UKBLM, received widespread criticism for calling for the dismantling of capitalism, and tweeted "Free Palestine". (Reuters)
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports
- Minor League Baseball cancels its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (CNN)

Videos