Police officers arrested two Myanmar citizens Friday on charges of plotting to violently attack Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.
Why it matters: Tun, who was elected to represent Myanmar's now-deposed elected civilian government, is an adamant opponent of the country's military junta, which staged a coup in February and later killed hundreds of protesters during anti-coup demonstrations.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told foreign ministers from Southeast Asian countries on Friday that the United States is concerned about the rapid growth of China's nuclear arsenal.
Why it matters: The U.S. maintains no arms control agreements with China, though Washington has repeatedly encouraged Beijing to join its efforts alongside Russia in trilateral treaties to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
A man stabbed at least 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo, Japan on Friday before being captured by law enforcement, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: The incident comes as Japan has seen a series of high-profile knife killings in 2016, 2018 and 2019 and the city is host to the Summer Olympic Games, which end Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday nominated Mike Herzog as Israel's next ambassador to Washington. Herzog, who is one of Israel’s most experienced and respected strategic thinkers, is the brother of Israel’s President Issac Herzog.
Why it matters: Herzog will be a key player in building the relationship between the new Israeli government and the Biden administration — navigating the differences on thorny issues like the Iran nuclear deal and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Taliban captured the city of Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz province in southwest Afghanistan, government officials announced Friday, according to the New York Times.
Why it matters: Zaranj, which has at least 50,000 residents, is the first provincial capital to fall under Taliban control since President Biden announced a military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has coincided with large territorial gains by the insurgent group and a sharp uptick in violence.
In a joint statement on Friday, the foreign ministers of the G7 member states condemned the attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker last week and blamed Iran for orchestrating it.
Why it matters: The joint statement is a diplomatic achievement for the U.S., the U.K. and Israel, who in recent days have sought to build as wide a coalition as possible to condemn Iran and increase the pressure on the new Iranian government.
The Taliban killed the director of Afghanistan’s Government Information Media Center on Friday, AP reports.
Why it matters: The killing of Dawa Khan Menapal, who led the government’s press operations for the local and foreign media, is the latest in a series of attacks against government officials in recent months, per AP.
Hezbollah on Friday fired 19 rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israeli military outposts on the border between the two countries. Most were intercepted by the Iron Dome system and there were no casualties, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Why it matters: This is the first time Hezbollah has fired rockets on Israel and publicly taken responsibility since the 2006 war. It's a significant escalation in tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border in recent weeks.
NBA player Enes Kanter said Thursday he would continue to denounce President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over human rights abuse reports in Turkey despite discovering that the Turkish government had issued nine warrants for his arrest.
Driving the news: Kanter is wanted in Turkey for defamation and terrorism offenses, according to documents dated July 12 and obtained by monitoring group, the Nordic Monitor.
