Bulgaria
(Human Rights Watch) The Bulgarian government between 2018 and 2023 licensed exports of surveillance equipment to countries that were likely to use it for internal repression or to commit serious human rights violations, Human Rights Watch said. Human Rights Watch previously reviewed data that shows that European Union governments often seem to issue such licenses. Human Rights Watch urged EU institutions to tighten enforcement of laws intended to restrict the export of surveillance technology to places where there is a credible risk it would be used in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. “All EU governments should be clamping down on exports of tools that can be used for repression, not rubber-stamping them,” said Zach Campbell, senior surveillance researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The European Commission has evidence that EU governments have been issuing licenses seemingly without conducting serious human rights due diligence, and yet appears to have taken no action despite having the legal framework to control this.” – Bulgaria Licensed Surveillance Exports to Rights Violators | Human Rights Watch
Crimea
(Chris Lunday – Politico) Crimea’s Kremlin-installed leadership moved Sunday to cut off civilian access to fuel, a sign that Ukraine’s campaign against Russian logistics is putting pressure on the occupied peninsula far beyond the front line. Sergey Aksyonov, Moscow’s top official in Crimea, said in a Telegram post that from 9 a.m. local time, gas stations across the peninsula would stop selling fuel to individuals and businesses — whether by cash, card or fuel coupons. Fuel would be reserved, he said, only for state services responsible for maintaining “life support and security” in Crimea. The move follows a wave of reported Ukrainian attacks on energy and transport infrastructure in and around Crimea, including strikes near Kerch, the eastern Crimean port city that anchors a key supply corridor to Russia. – Russian-occupied Crimea cuts off civilian fuel sales after Ukrainian strikes – POLITICO
Democratic Republic of Congo
(Amnesy International) Six million people around the world are being asked to sign a petition launched by Amnesty International today, to demand justice for the victims and survivors of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has spanned more than 30 years and claimed an estimated 6 million lives. The human rights organization’s “6 million Voices for Justice for Congo” campaign is calling for the establishment of an international judicial mechanism to investigate crimes under international law committed by Congolese and foreign security forces, armed groups and other actors between 1993 and 2003. – DRC: Amnesty International launches “6 million Voices for Justice for Congo” campaign, in renewed push for accountability for crimes under international law. – Amnesty International
Israel – Lebanon
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) There was and is no restriction on Israeli soldiers to act to eliminate threats in Lebanon, with troops remaining in positions in the security zone, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Sunday. – There is no restriction on Israeli soldiers in Lebanon in face of threats, Katz says
Israel – Palestine
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) The Israeli military said on Sunday that they “eliminated” Hussein Qadra and Mohammed Farra, operatives in the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. – Israel says ‘eliminated’ Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives tied to major funding network
Russia/Ukraine
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Four people were killed and 28 wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian-controlled peninsula of Crimea, the Russian-installed governor said. Separately, local authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil transport facility, confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, killed one person on a passenger ferry and set an oil terminal ablaze. The Russian Defense Ministry said 239 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight. – Ukraine attack kills five as Crimea halts public fuel sales
Syria
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) ISIS claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack near the city of Manbij in Syria’s northeastern Aleppo province that the Syrian Defense Ministry said killed two soldiers. The militant group made the claim in a statement on its Telegram channel. Reuters could not independently verify the claim. – ISIS claims responsibility for northeastern Aleppo attack that killed two Syrian soldiers
UK
(Anna Bacciarelli – Human Rights Watch) The UK Home Office is pushing ahead with plans to use AI technology to guess the age of young people arriving at UK borders to seek asylum, starting in 2027. Yet the Home Office’s own tests found the technology performed worse on certain groups of people, notably Africans. The plans severely endanger the human rights of children seeking asylum and should be scrapped. Facial age estimation technology (FAE) is a nascent technology used to estimate a person’s age, which would contribute towards determining their asylum status. Described with much fanfare by the Home Office as a “cutting-edge AI tech,” FAE is currently used in UK shops and bars on customers seeking to buy age-restricted items. To use this for life-changing decisions in refugee processing centers is to introduce an unreliable, untested technology into an already flawed process. – The UK’s Discriminatory AI Experiment on Child Refugees | Human Rights Watch
UK – US
(Chris Lunday – Politico) U.S. President Donald Trump said Keir Starmer “will resign” as British prime minister, jumping into the U.K.’s political crisis as Labour MPs brace for a possible change at the top of government as soon as Monday. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said Starmer had “failed badly” on two issues: immigration and energy, before adding: “I wish him well!”. Trump singled out North Sea oil — a frequent dividing line between Trump and European center-left leaders — and wrote that Britain should “OPEN NORTH SEA OIL.” – Trump piles on Starmer as UK prime minister appears near the exit – POLITICO
US
(Brittany Gibson – Axios) The closer you look at Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s declaration that the border wall will be finished by this time next year, the harder it is to make the numbers work. DHS has only completed 10% of its planned primary wall. It will have to navigate construction lawsuits, negotiate with (or sue) private citizens for land access and finalize contracts and designs — all while minimizing the delays that slow big construction projects. There are about 698 miles of primary border wall left to build, according to a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, along with public agency data that tracks wall construction from CBP and the Department of War. The pace would need to increase to more than 13 miles a week to finish on Mullin’s self-declared timeline. – The clock is ticking on Trump’s border wall
US – Iran
(Aaron Pellish – Politico) Vice President JD Vance laid out lofty ambitions ahead of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war, suggesting that the talks could “transform the Middle East” even as fighting in Lebanon threatens to undermine the perilous U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Vance told reporters in Switzerland on Sunday that President Donald Trump’s hope for the region is that it’s “much different 10 years from now than it was 10 years ago,” while pointing to Iran as the catalyst for volatility in the Middle East. – Vance says US hopes to ‘transform’ Middle East as Iran talks begin – POLITICO
(Al Arabiya) Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt pushed for swift progress in US-Iran talks at a meeting in Cairo on Sunday, as negotiations between the two foes began in Switzerland. The Swiss talks are the first since the United States and Iran signed a preliminary agreement last week to end their war and are expected to open a 60-day negotiation period to address long-running disputes, including Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions. – Regional envoys push for swift progress in US-Iran talks
(Al Arabiya) No transit or service fees will be imposed on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the current 60-day period, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told Al Arabiya on Sunday. There will be no fees, whether “transit” or “services” in the Strait of Hormuz, Dar said, referring to arrangements in place as negotiations between the United States and Iran continue. – No transit fees in Strait of Hormuz during 60-day period, Pakistan FM tells Al Arabiya
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Israelis overwhelmingly believe that Iran emerged stronger from the Middle East war and its subsequent deal with the United States, a poll released on Sunday found. The poll of 3,644 respondents, conducted between June 17 and 20 by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in collaboration with the Agam Institute, paints a stark picture of public sentiment following the US-Iran deal. – Poll finds Israelis believe Iran won Mideast war
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, reported on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened as long as a ceasefire in Lebanon was not respected. The source said the waterway would also remain closed until waivers allowing the sale of Iranian oil were issued. – Hormuz will not reopen until Lebanon ceasefire holds, oil waivers issued, Tasnim reports
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated on Sunday that Tehran was willing to provide assurances that the country was not seeking a nuclear weapon, while insisting that Iran would not relinquish its right to enrich uranium. – Iran says not seeking nuclear weapon or relinquishing enrichment rights
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Iran said on Sunday that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and militant group Hezbollah will top the agenda in talks with the United States in Switzerland, as well as issues such as frozen Iranian funds and the sale of the country’s oil. – Iran says Lebanon conflict ‘main topic’ in US talks
