North Korea destroyed a joint liaison office (Yonhap) in the North Korean border town of Kaesong today in a dramatic escalation in tensions with Seoul over anti-North messages sent from South Korea.
 
North Korean defectors and others have used balloons to send the leaflets across the border, prompting Pyongyang to threaten military action (NYT), such as moving troops into demilitarized zones. North Korean state media called the destruction of the liaison office, which served as the de facto embassy (WaPo) between the countries since 2018, an act of “enraged people” retaliating against “human scum.” No officials were working in the office, which had been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged a breakdown in health protocols (NZ Herald) after two women who traveled to the country from the United Kingdom tested positive for coronavirus, the first new cases in New Zealand in over three weeks. The women left self-isolation without being tested and drove to the capital.
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Think Global Health, a CFR initiative, tracks coronavirus developments around the world.

An Indian senior officer and at least two soldiers were killed in a “violent face-off” (AP) near the disputed border between India and China, Indian officials said. It was the first deadly conflict between the countries since 1975. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson did not provide details about any Chinese deaths. Senior military officials are meeting to defuse the crisis, the Indian army said.
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Pakistan: Two Indian embassy staff members were arrested in Islamabad (BBC) for an alleged hit-and-run but were later released after New Delhi protested. The incident came two weeks after India expelled two Pakistani officials on accusations of spying.

The head of the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran must provide inspectors access (AP) to sites where undeclared nuclear material may have been used or stored. He said Iran has denied access to two sites for more than four months and that it refused to engage in discussions for almost a year.

Palestinian territories: Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, called for Palestinians to unite and resist Israel’s planned annexation (Al Jazeera) of parts of the West Bank.

A group of African countries is pushing for the UN Human Rights Council to establish an inquiry into systemic racism (Reuters) and alleged human rights abuses, including the mishandling of peaceful protests, in the United States and elsewhere. President Donald J. Trump withdrew the United States from the body two years ago.

CFR’s David J. Scheffer explains how America’s credibility gap hurts the defense of rights abroad.
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Sudan: Ali Kushayb, a Sudanese militia leader, appeared before the International Criminal Court (NYT) on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict in Darfur from 2003 to 2004.

President Trump confirmed that he plans to halve the number of U.S. troops (WSJ) in Germany unless it agrees to spend more on defense, accusing Berlin of being “delinquent.” The move has prompted concern within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and has been opposed by some Republican lawmakers.
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UK: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and leaders of the European Union agreed on the need for new momentum (BBC) in talks to decide the future relationship between the UK and the bloc.

The Mexican government announced that sixteen states can begin reopening hotels, restaurants, and markets despite a surge of coronavirus cases and deaths (El Universal). The states that are set to reopen have declining hospitalization rates and acceptable numbers of available hospital beds.
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Brazil: The country’s attorney general has called for an investigation into citizens’ invasions of several hospitals (CNN). President Jair Bolsonaro had called for Brazilians to investigate hospitals themselves, claiming that local officials might be inflating the number of coronavirus cases.

President Trump plans to issue an executive order today addressing police reform (WaPo) in the wake of mass protests against police killings of Black people. The order would use federal funds to incentivize police departments to improve training and would also improve a national database of officers’ misconduct.