U.S. President Joe Biden pledged today (NYT) that the United States will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent of its 2005 level by the end of the decade. 

Biden’s announcement came as he welcomed forty world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, for a two-day virtual summit on climate change. The new emissions-reduction target is roughly double (WaPo) that set by the Barack Obama administration under the Paris Agreement, which was signed five years ago today. Several other countries are setting ambitious climate targets. This week, the United Kingdom announced that it will cut its emissions by 78 percent of its 1990 level by 2035. At the U.S.-led summit, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to commit to lowering Japan’s emissions by 46 percent (Asahi Shimbun) of its 2013 level by 2030.

Indonesia’s navy is searching for a submarine (AP) that went missing during a training exercise with fifty-three people on board. Experts said the submarine may have sunk too deep to recover, which would make the crew’s chances of survival slim. 

Hong Kong: Award-winning journalist Choy Yuk-ling, also known as Bao Choy, was convicted (WaPo) for using a public database to report on the police. It is the first time a member of the press has been prosecuted for reporting in Hong Kong.

This CFR Backgrounder examines the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong.

India reported nearly 315,000 new cases (Scroll) of COVID-19 today, surpassing the previous single-day record set by the United States in January. It also reported more than 2,100 deaths. Indian hospitals are rapidly running out of oxygen to treat patients. 

Pakistan: At least five people were killed (Dawn) and a dozen more were injured by a bomb that exploded at a hotel in the city of Quetta. A Chinese delegation was staying at the hotel but escaped the blast (NYT). Tehrik-i-Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban movement, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iran installed additional advanced centrifuges at its Natanz facility in further violation of the 2015 nuclear deal, according to a new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency seen by Reuters. Under the deal, Tehran is only allowed to use older generations of centrifuges to enrich uranium. 

This CFR Backgrounder explains the Iran nuclear agreement. 

Israel: The Israeli military said a missile launched from Syria entered southern Israel today, triggering alarms (WaPo) near a facility believed to be part of Israel’s unofficial nuclear weapons program. The military said it launched retaliatory strikes against Syrian anti-aircraft defenses.

Lawyers for former President Jacob Zuma terminated their services (Mail and Guardian). The news comes less than a month before Zuma will face trial for corruption charges. An appeals court ruled last week that Zuma must repay the government for legal fees. 

DRC/Kenya: The two countries inked agreements (Nation) on security, trade, and transportation in an effort to boost economic ties.

Police in Russia detained more than 1,700 people (RFE/RL) during nationwide protests calling for the release of imprisoned opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Navalny has been on a hunger strike for weeks, and his health is reportedly failing. 

Turkey: U.S. President Biden is expected to declare the killings of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey’s predecessor, an act of genocide, the New York Times reports. Biden would be the first sitting U.S. president to do so, and the move could cause a rift in the U.S.-Turkey relationship.

A Canadian judge agreed to delay (Reuters) extradition proceedings for Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer for the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, who is wanted by the United States on fraud charges. Meng’s legal team had requested more time to review new documents.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at Huawei, China’s controversial tech giant.

Guatemala: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s office announced that she will speak (Bloomberg) with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei next week about the rise in migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border.