A United Nations court on Wednesday convicted two wartime Serbian State Security officials for aiding and abetting war crimes committed by Serbian paramilitaries during Bosnia and Herzegovina's 1992–95 war, AP reports.
Why it matters: This is the final UN trial at The Hague for crimes committed during the breakup of Yugoslavia. It's the first time that high-ranking wartime Serbian government officials have been convicted for crimes committed in Bosnia, per the New York Times.
The Biden administration needs to put more pressure on the Palestinian Authority over its human rights abuses and anti-democratic steps, prominent Palestinian human rights activist Issa Amro told me in an interview.
What he's saying: “Palestinian Authority officials say internally that they are protected by the U.S. so they can do whatever they want. They feel nobody will try to hold them accountable and nobody will demand them to take steps toward reform and democracy," Amro told me.
Israel Foreign Ministry officials have been lobbying the State Department to hold off on reopening the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem to avoid creating difficulties for the new government, Israeli officials tell me.
Why it matters: Israel's new government contains an unstable mix of parties with opposing views, and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing the consulate issue to portray the government as weak and unable to stand up to the Biden administration.
Myanmar's government on Wednesday will begin releasing thousands of prisoners, including activists who participated in the protests against the country's military, AP reports.
The state of play: Officials confirmed that more than 720 prisoners had been released from the Insein Prison, "which for decades has been the main facility for political prisoners," AP writes. Approximately 2,300 prisoners from across the country will be released.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared that China has eradicated malaria after more than 70 years of fighting the disease.
Why it matters: China is the first country in the WHO Western Pacific Region to receive a malaria-free certification in more than 30 years. It follows Australia (1981), Singapore (1982) and Brunei (1987).
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed told me in an exclusive interview on Tuesday he is convinced that relations with Israel will continue to move forward regardless of the change of government in Jerusalem.
Why it matters: This was the first interview bin Zayed has given to an Israeli journalist. The interview took place on the sidelines of Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's visit here, the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the UAE since the signing of the peace treaty between the countries in September.
The Pacific Northwest heat wave has been linked to dozens of deaths in Canada — where Lytton reached 121°F Tuesday. It's the third consecutive day the British Columbia town had smashed the country's all-time high temperature record.
What's happening: From Friday, when the heat wave began, to Monday officials in the West coast province had recorded at least 233 deaths — roughly 100 more reports than they would typically receive over a four-day period, the B.C. Coroners Service said in a statement on the fallout from the extreme heat.
The Biden administration will shut four emergency shelters housing record numbers of unaccompanied migrant children, as more minors arrive at the southern border, an official during a court hearing Tuesday, per AP.
What's happening: The Department of Health and Human Services plans to close two shelters in Texas and stop housing the children at two California convention centers in California by early August, Aurora Miranda-Maese, juvenile coordinator for the agency’s office of refugee resettlement, said at the hearing on custody conditions for minors, according to AP.
The Department of Transportation issued an order Tuesday proposing restrictions on the sale of passenger airline tickets between the U.S. and Belarus.
Why it matters: The move follows Belarus' decision last month to divert a commercial Ryanair flight in order to detain journalist and opposition leader Raman Pratasevich.
Venezuelan migrants are crossing the southern border along the Rio Grande into Texas in record numbers as they look to escape the political, social and economic crisis in their home country, AP reports.
By the numbers: A total of 7,484 Venezuelans were approached by U.S. Border Patrol agents in May at the southern border — "more than all 14 years for which records exist," AP writes.
The U.N.'s human rights investigator in Iran on Monday told Reuters he supports an independent probe into alleged state-ordered executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988, and President-elect Ebrahim Raisi's role as Tehran deputy prosecutor.
The big picture: Javaid Rehman, a U.N. investigator, said that his office has received testimonies and evidence over the years relating to the mass executions that took place under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
South Africa's highest court Tuesday sentenced former president Jacob Zuma to 15 months in prison, ordering him to be arrested on contempt after failing to appear at an inquiry into corruption while he was president, the New York Times reports.
The big picture: Zuma's presidency — from 2009 to 2018 — was tainted by financial scandals, corruption and mismanagement, per the New York Times.
Abu Dhabi will soon only allow adults vaccinated against COVID-19 in public places including schools, universities, shopping centers and gyms — banning anyone who hasn't been inoculated against the virus unless they've a valid reason.
The big picture: United Arab Emirates authorities said in a Twitter post Monday they're taking the action, effective Aug. 20, to "preserve public health" after vaccinating 93% of "target groups." Anyone in the UAE capital under 16 will be exempt from the rule, which doesn't apply to retailers selling essential goods, such as supermarkets and pharmacies.
American troops in northeast Syria came under fire from "multiple rockets" Monday evening, a spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition said.
What's happening: Col. Wayne Marotto said in a statement there were no injuries to U.S. troops in the attack, an apparent retaliation for Sunday's U.S. air strikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq.
The House passed two bills on Monday that would bolster scientific research in an effort to give the U.S. a competitive edge over China.
Why it matters: There have been concerns among lawmakers that the U.S. is being left behind in science and technology innovation as the Chinese Communist Party gains ground — something President Biden noted in his statement welcoming the House legislation Monday.
Why it matters: It's the first case to ask the court whether a government failed to protect a trans person. The court's ruling sets a legal precedent across Latin American, which has the highest concentration of trans murders in the world, activists say.
