More than forty people who participated in a recent wave of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong were charged with rioting (SCMP) and released on bail today, with most given curfews.
 
The charges, which could carry sentences of up to ten years, are the strongest legal action yet against protesters, who continued to demonstrate in the streets (Guardian) this week amid increasing clashes with police (WaPo). The protest movement, sparked by a proposed bill to create an extradition system with mainland China, has swelled even after officials suspended the legislation. In a rare press conference earlier this week, Beijing’s office for Hong Kong affairs said it would not accept any challenge (SCMP) to the central government’s authority.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (Yonhap) off its east coast today, according to South Korean military officials. South Korea’s defense minister said the missiles appeared to be different from those fired last Thursday. North Korean state media said last week’s launch was a warning over planned U.S.-South Korea military exercises.

CFR Explains
This Backgrounder outlines North Korea’s military capabilities.

In the first half of this year, Afghan forces and their allies killed 717 civilians, while the Taliban and other militant groups were behind 531 civilian deaths, according to a new UN report [PDF]. The report says the higher civilian casualty rate is due to the use of air strikes (NYT).
 
India: Lawmakers approved a bill to end a man’s ability to divorce his wife (AP) by saying the word “divorce” three times in Arabic. So-called instant divorces were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two years ago, but the ban had faced blocks in parliament.

King Mohammed VI pardoned more than 4,700 prisoners, according to the Justice Ministry, and in a speech marking the twentieth anniversary of his rule called for a government reshuffle (AP) and an overhaul to policy in areas such as health and education. Major protests have rocked the country twice in recent years.
 
Iran: The United States reportedly plans to renew sanctions waivers (WaPo) this week for foreign companies working with Iran on its civilian nuclear program. The waivers affect Chinese, European, and Russian firms.

A coalition of seventy civil society groups said in a new report that February’s general election was not credible (Bloomberg) due to logistical problems, military interference, violence, and voter suppression. The main opposition candidate is challenging President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection in the courts.
 
Zimbabwe: The government distributed nearly 190,000 metric tons (Bloomberg) of maize to families as food aid amid a deepening economic crisis. It marked the first time the government provided food relief to people living in cities.

Fumes from the wildfires have spread across Siberia and parts of the Arctic (RFE/RL) to cover an area larger than the European Union. The fires are destroying permafrost north and south of the Arctic Circle.
 
UK: Senior ministers from the Five Eyes intelligence partnership, which comprises Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and United States, said at a London summit that tech companies should design their products so that governments can access encrypted information (Reuters) if they determine it necessary.

U.S. authorities have separated (NPR) more than nine hundred migrant children from their parents or guardians in the year since President Donald J. Trump ordered an end to most family separations, according to court documents in a lawsuit (NYT) filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

CFR Explains
This Backgrounder lays out the U.S. immigration debate.
 
Cuba: The country announced a ban (Reuters) on most retail and wholesale price increases in a bid to boost its struggling economy amid U.S. sanctions and the crisis in Venezuela.

Candidates in last night’s Democratic debate outlined their proposed measures for U.S. trade policy (NYT), discussed how soon they would withdraw troops from Afghanistan (Vox), and debated a no-first-use policy (Hill) on nuclear weapons.

More From CFR
Democratic candidates responded to CFR’s questions on foreign policy.
Edward Alden looks at Senator Elizabeth Warren’s trade plan.