Chinese officials demanded that the U.S. consulate in the city of Chengdu cease operations by Monday in retaliation for the United States’ swift shutdown (Straits Times) of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, over concerns about espionage and other crimes. The Chinese announcement follows a Thursday speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in which he called for “free nations” to triumph over Chinese tyranny (Guardian).
 
Tensions are again mounting between the two countries, as Washington also imposed new sanctions (WaPo) on Chinese companies and arrested Chinese researchers for visa fraud. Beijing, meanwhile, has accused the United States of political persecution and slander. The ongoing tensions have raised concerns about further impacts on the global economy (Bloomberg) amid the pandemic, and put pressure on other countries to take a side (SCMP).

Lawmakers are at odds over the ruling Democratic Party’s push to move the capital from Seoul to Sejong, which it says (Yonhap) could help with overcrowding. The proposal was considered more than a decade ago but scrapped after the Constitutional Court rejected it.

Chinese and Indian officials will meet virtually today (Straits Times) to discuss a withdrawal of forces from their shared Himalayan border, more than a month after the countries’ deadliest border skirmish in decades. Since then, there has been a surge of troops on both sides, according to an unnamed U.S. official, and India has outlawed dozens of Chinese-owned mobile applications.

CFR’s Alyssa Ayres lays out what to know about the China-India border dispute.

Afghanistan: The Taliban has agreed to peace talks (AFP) with the Afghan government pending the completion of a prisoner swap of some five thousand Taliban fighters and one thousand Afghan security forces. The offer to meet after the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha comes amid a spate of Taliban attacks.

U.S. fighter jets approached an Iranian airliner (National) over Syrian airspace, according to Iranian state media, forcing a change in altitude and injuring passengers. U.S. Central Command confirmed that one jet inspected the Lebanon-bound aircraft, which is owned by an airline that the United States and Israel have accused of transporting arms.

Iraq: Two British members of the self-proclaimed Islamic States admitted their involvement (NBC) in the torture and abuse of American aid worker Kayla Mueller and journalist James Foley in Syria. The men, part of the Islamic State cell known as the Beatles, are now in U.S. custody in Iraq and expected to face trial in the United States.

Peter Biar Ajak, a prominent critic of South Sudan’s government, fled to the United States on a State Department emergency visa amid reports that President Salva Kiir ordered him (AP) kidnapped or killed.
 
Sudan: Experts unearthed a mass grave believed to contain the bodies of twenty-eight army officers executed in 1990 (Reuters) for an alleged coup plot against former President Omar al-Bashir. Bashir, who is on trial in Khartoum for leading a 1989 coup, has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at the role of the International Criminal Court.

Officials from the two countries accused Russia of launching an anti-satellite weapon (Guardian) from one of its satellites, threatening the “peaceful use of space.” Russia said it had deployed (AP) “a small space vehicle” to inspect one of its satellites. U.S. Space Command said Moscow carried out a similar test in 2017.

This episode of the Why It Matters podcast explores the increasing risk of space conflict.

United Kingdom: British and European Union negotiators will miss a July deadline to outline a Brexit deal after they wrapped up (Politico) a fifth round of talks yesterday without an agreement. The two sides are deadlocked over the structure of a deal.

Amid a spike in coronavirus cases, Bolivia’s electoral authority pushed back (AP) the country’s presidential election from September 6 to October 18. Interim President Jeanine Anez has led the country since Evo Morales was ousted last year.

El Salvador: Authorities arrested former Defense Minister General David Munguia and issued an arrest warrant (Reuters) for former Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, alleging the men offered undisclosed benefits to rival gangs Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 to secure a truce between them. The peace deal is credited with helping slash the country’s homicide rate.

This CFR backgrounder looks at violence in Central America’s Northern Triangle.

President Donald J. Trump called off the part of the convention to be held in Jacksonville due to Florida’s surge of coronavirus cases. The event had already been moved (NPR) from Charlotte, North Carolina, due to concerns about hosting thousands of people at an indoor venue. Republican delegates are still set to meet in small groups in Charlotte in late August.