Weekly Roundup: Top 10 International News Of This Week (July 23-July 30)

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Stay informed with the top 10 international news of this week, covering diplomatic disputes, political changes, health concerns, and more.

In a recent incident, India withdrew its wushu team from the summer World University Games in Chengdu after three Indian wushu players received visas that were stapled. The issuance of stapled visas to Arunachal Pradesh athletes by China has resulted in a dispute and diplomatic tension between the two neighbouring countries. In this case, the visa is attached to the passport as a separate piece rather than being printed directly on it. China’s use of stapled visas is interpreted as an unwillingness to recognise Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as integral parts of India. By not directly stamping the visa on the passport, China implies that these areas are disputed, undermining India’s sovereignty.
Hun Sen, Cambodia’s Prime Minister, has announced that he will step down in three weeks and hand over power to his oldest son. His son recently won his first election and was elected to the House of Commons. His son will be nominated for Prime Minister once the National Election Committee releases the final election results. In the election, the Cambodian People’s Party won 120 of the 125 seats. Some Western countries and human rights organisations have criticised the election for not being fair and unbiased, claiming that the main opposition party was suppressed. Hun Sen has been Cambodia’s leader for 38 years and has previously stated that he will hand over the position to his son.
On July 27, the military staged a coup in Niger, a West African country. Armed soldiers stormed the presidential palace and seized control. Along with this, President Mohammed Bazoum was deposed and imprisoned. The military announced the coup on national television, according to Reuters. Colonel Amadou Abdramane appeared on television with other military officers and stated that they are deposing the President due to deteriorating security and poor governance. Colonel added that Niger’s borders have been sealed, a curfew has been imposed across the country, and all government offices have been closed. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has offered humanitarian assistance to Niger’s President.

The contentious judicial reform bill passed by the Israeli Parliament has become a law. After being hospitalised for a few days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also arrived at Parliament to vote in favour of the law. This legislation has been approved by all 64 members of Netanyahu’s ruling right-wing coalition. Opposition members, on the other hand, have rejected it. This bill has drawn flak of the people in Israel since the start of the year, or for the past seven months. Those who oppose the law argue that it will limit the judiciary’s authority in Israel and concentrate all power in the hands of the government.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern about the coronavirus once again. A new MERS-CoV case has been reported in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This is the first case in Abu Dhabi since the virus was discovered in 2012. The patient in Abu Dhabi is being treated for the new MERS-CoV variant. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic virus. It is a respiratory viral disease caused by the MERS coronavirus, which is similar to the SARS virus. It’s most commonly found in camels and other animals. It is transmitted to humans via contact with infected animals or animal products. Close contact can also spread it from person to person. There have been several cases where this disease has resulted in death.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation that will be devastating to the LGBTQ+ community. It prohibits people from undergoing gender transformation surgery to medically change their gender. According to The Guardian, the legislation in Russia was passed unanimously in both houses of parliament, prohibiting medical interventions performed with the intent of changing a person’s gender and placing restrictions on changing gender in official documents. This renders marriages invalid where one partner has changed gender and prohibits transgender parents from raising or adopting children. The purpose of the law, according to lawmakers who defended it, is to preserve the family values of Russia. This is not the first time the community has been confronted with such measures. The protests began nearly a decade ago, when the Russian Orthodox Church supported the government’s emphasis on traditional family values.
To stabilise domestic prices, India, the world’s largest rice exporter, has banned the export of all “non-basmati white rice.” However, the government will grant permission for the export of white rice to other countries if they meet food security requirements and receive formal approval from their government. The government stated that the export ban was imposed to ensure adequate availability of non-basmati white rice in the Indian market and to limit the increase in domestic prices. Two major factors have had a negative impact on the country’s rice production. For starters, the global impact of Ukraine’s conflicts has had a significant impact on food prices. Second, unexpected weather conditions have hampered rice production, including heavy monsoon rains in rice-producing states in the north and insufficient rainfall in other parts of the country.

Elon Musk, the chief promoter of the Twitter, has unveiled a new ‘X’ logo to replace the iconic bird logo. ‘X’ has been in the works for a while because Musk wants Twitter to be a “everything app.” Prior to purchasing Twitter for $44 billion, Musk described the platform as a “assistant to build everything app,” which he intends to launch eventually. Elon Musk announced his plan to change the Twitter logo on July 23, and on Monday morning, he followed through by replacing the iconic bird logo with a white ‘X’ on a black background. Twitter is now being redirected to the domain X.com.
On Victory Day, a military parade of North Korera, the small island nation featured ballistic missiles, new drones, and nuclear-capable missiles. It also included the Hwasong-17 and 18, both of which can reach the United States. These missiles were recently successfully tested. This parade was organised to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, according to North Korea’s state media KCNA. Kim Jong-un demonstrated military might alongside his army. In addition to Kim, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and a Chinese delegation were present.
Quin Gang, China’s missing Foreign Minister, was removed from his position lately. Wang Yi has taken his place. Earlier, Wang Yi has held the office of Foreign Minister for ten years. Quin Gang was appointed Foreign Minister of China in December 2022. Quin Gang has been missing since June 25th. In addition, the government has removed Yi Gang, the Governor of the Central Bank. Pan Gongsheng will now take his place.

Hun Sen, Cambodia’s longest-serving prime minister, said he would step down in three weeks and hand over the reins to his eldest son. In the recently held elections, the elder son of PM Hun Sen has won the Parliament for the first time. Hun Sen said his son would be nominated as prime minister after the National Election Commission reports the final results of the election. The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) won 120 out of 125 seats in the election.