Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and the Israeli military exchanged cross-border fire (Bloomberg) in a flare-up today in which no casualties were immediately reported. The attacks mark the first time that Hezbollah has sent rockets over Lebanon’s border with Israel since September 2019. Israel’s army said it does not wish to escalate the situation into a full-blown conflict.

Rockets were shot from Lebanon into Israel on Thursday and Friday, to which Israel responded with artillery fire and strikes. While Hezbollah took responsibility for today’s rocket fire, it was unclear who was responsible (AP) for Thursday’s attacks, an Israeli military spokesperson said. The escalation comes as Lebanon is mired in political and economic crisis and amid regional tensions between Israel and Iran, which backs Hezbollah; Israel blamed Iran for a strike on an oil tanker last week. Since the start of the Gaza conflict in May, rockets have been launched from Lebanon into Israel (Axios) five times, all of which Israel viewed as linked to Palestinian groups rather than Hezbollah.

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to export (Bloomberg) two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of this year, as well as donate $100 million to the global COVAX initiative. China’s foreign ministry said the country has so far sent 770 million doses overseas.

Hong Kong: U.S. President Joe Biden ordered the Department of Homeland Security to grant Hong Kongers (SCMP) in the United States the right to remain in the country for another eighteen months. U.S. officials cited ongoing repression (FT) and said thousands of Hong Kongers could be affected by the move.

The Taliban claimed it was behind (Reuters) the assassination of Dawa Khan Menapal, the Afghan government’s top media official, in Kabul. The group had warned (Al Jazeera) in previous days that it would target senior Afghan officials in response to increased air strikes.

This Backgrounder looks at the Taliban’s history and its recent advance in Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan: The leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are holding talks (Diplomat) in Turkmenistan to discuss regional security issues, a rare meeting of Central Asian nations unattended by an outside power.

New President Ebrahim Raisi pledged at his swearing-in ceremony (Al Jazeera) yesterday to pursue diplomacy and international engagement. A U.S. State Department spokesperson urged Iran (BBC) to “advance diplomatic solutions” regarding stalled nuclear talks.

In Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar looks at Raisi’s path to power.

President Cyril Ramaphosa reshuffled his cabinet (FT), including naming a new finance minister, in the wake of what is considered the country’s worst unrest since the apartheid era.

Senegal: The Institut Pasteur of Dakar reached a deal with U.S. firm MedInstill to bottle COVID-19 vaccines (Reuters), according to a European Union document. The partnership aims to manufacture three hundred million doses per year.

The International Olympic Committee stripped two Belarusian coaches (AFP) of their accreditation after they allegedly tried to force a sprinter to fly home, where she said she would face political persecution. The committee is investigating the incident.

Italy: The country made COVID-19 health passes mandatory (Reuters) for teachers, university students, and domestic travelers. It is the latest in a series of European requirements to show either proof of immunization or a negative COVID-19 test.

A U.S. delegation led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with (Reuters) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and other officials in Brasilia, where they discussed climate change, the pandemic, and Brazil’s upcoming 5G bidding process. Washington opposes the participation of China’s Huawei in the auction.

Haiti: The country requested assistance from the United Nations (Reuters) to investigate the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which it is considering an international crime due to the suspected involvement of foreigners.

This In Brief lays out what to know about Moise’s assassination.

The Department of Justice is launching an investigation (AP) into allegations that police in Phoenix, Arizona, have abused and used excessive force against people experiencing homelessness.