The Donald J. Trump administration imposed new sanctions on the Syrian government (WaPo), including President Bashar al-Assad and his family.
 
The sanctions—designed to prevent private and foreign investment, including in hotels and malls—are the first implementation of the Caesar Act passed by Congress last year. Syria is already subject to a slew of U.S. and European Union sanctions, but the new ones are broader (Reuters): they apply to anyone who does business with the Syrian government, cover more sectors, and target Iran and Russia, which both back Assad. Tehran rejected the U.S. sanctions (Reuters) and said it would strengthen its ties with Damascus.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Hawaii amid heightened tensions between the two countries (NPR). Yang told Pompeo the United States should stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, including Hong Kong, and expressed dissatisfaction with a law President Trump signed on Wednesday that could lead to sanctions for officials involved in China’s arbitrary detention of Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region.
​
North Korea: The country’s official newspaper warned of additional retaliatory actions against South Korea that go “far beyond imagination” (Yonhap). North Korea destroyed a joint liaison office with South Korea earlier this week and said it will move troops near the border.

New Delhi warned Beijing against making “exaggerated and untenable” claims (AP) to the Galwan Valley region following a deadly clash there that left twenty Indian soldiers dead. Both sides have blamed each other for instigating the violence, which comes amid a border standoff that began in early May.
​
Afghanistan: The head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stressed the alliance’s commitment to the Afghan peace process (TOLO) and urged the Taliban to live up to commitments agreed to in a deal signed with the United States, including breaking ties with al-Qaeda.

Riyadh announced a proposal to end a standoff (Reuters) between members of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The conflict between the country’s Saudi-backed government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council, backed by the United Arab Emirates, has stalled efforts to end Yemen’s war.

The brother of George Floyd, whose killing by Minneapolis police sparked global protests, voiced his support for a UN Human Rights Council investigation of police brutality and racial discrimination (Reuters) in the United States during a council debate called by African countries. Activists and diplomats said the United States and Australia have pushed to limit a proposed resolution on the matter. 

CFR’s Jendayi E. Frazer unpacks the African reaction to U.S. protests.
​
Burundi: Evariste Ndayishimiye assumed the presidency (AP) two months early after the death of his predecessor, Pierre Nkurunziza.

The United States exited negotiations (NYT) with European countries over their plans to tax U.S. tech companies and threatened to retaliate if they move forward. A top EU official said the bloc would act on its own if a deal could not be reached.
​
Germany: A meat plant in northwestern Germany reported a massive coronavirus outbreak (DW). Of the nearly 1,000 people tested so far, 657 tested positive.

Canada lost its bid for a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council in a blow to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (CBC), who campaigned heavily for the position. Norway and Ireland won the two available seats, while Mexico and India won the spots (NYT) allocated to their regions after running uncontested.
​
Argentina: Talks between the government and creditors on a proposal to restructure roughly $65 billion worth of debt have stalled (Bloomberg) ahead of a self-imposed Friday deadline. The country defaulted last month.

The Justice Department asked a federal judge to halt publication of a tell-all book (NYT) by former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Parts of the account were leaked to the press, including that President Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help him win the 2020 election (WaPo).

Nearly eighty million people were forcibly displayed by the end of last year, according to a report from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Roughly 40 percent of those were children.
​
CFR’s No Refuge InfoGuide looks at the plight of the world’s refugees.