Israel establishes Trump Heights settlement in Golan; Iran raises uranium enrichment to 20%

Establishing the Trump Heights settlement in the Golan Heights, Israel wants to "please" the US?

On June 16, Israel officially inaugurated a new settlement in the Golan Heights, which is disputed with Syria, called “Trump Heights”. The move is considered an act of “gratitude” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the current US President when Mr. Trump last March recognized the sovereignty of the Golan for Israel, despite opposition from the international community.

“This is a historic day. We are taking a very important step with the creation of ‘Trump Heights.’ This place is named after a great friend of our country. He was an American leader who did things that no one had ever done before,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu.

British Prime Minister candidates enter second round of voting

In the first round of secret balloting, former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson took the lead in the vote. Photo: Sky News

On June 18, the ruling Conservative Party of the UK will hold a second round of voting to choose a new Prime Minister for the UK. The race to become the British Prime Minister and the leader of the Conservative Party is now down to 6 candidates. Before the vote, on June 16, the remaining candidates after the first round participated in the first live televised debate, in which they expressed deep conflicting views on Brexit.

According to the plan, after the second round, Conservative MPs will hold more rounds of voting to narrow the list of candidates down to two people. The two remaining candidates in the race will be put to a vote at the Conservative Party's plenary session scheduled for June 22. The winner will be announced four weeks later.

Iran raises uranium enrichment level to 20%

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization has just announced to increase uranium enrichment level to 20% and reduce commitments related to the nuclear deal.

Iran's low-enriched uranium production will exceed 300 kg by the end of June 2019, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Abbas Kamalundi said on June 17. Kamalundi said that if the 60-day deadline expires, Tehran will increase the rate of uranium enrichment beyond 3.7%. Iran believes that European countries have been unable or unwilling to implement the nuclear deal due to pressure.

In a related development, President Hassan Rowhani said during a recent meeting with leaders of Russia, China and other Asian countries in Tajikistan that Iran will continue to reduce its commitments under the nuclear deal in the absence of positive indicators from other signatories.

Mexico begins border patrol, arrests nearly 800 undocumented migrants

Mexican soldiers participate in border patrol activities to prevent migrants from illegally crossing into the US. Photo: Reuters

News agencyReutersMexican authorities are stepping up efforts to curb the flow of migrants heading toward the U.S. border under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to impose tariffs on Mexican goods if the country does not do more to stop illegal immigration.

Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) announced that it has arrested nearly 800 undocumented migrants in one of the largest raids against illegal migration in recent months as the National Guard began patrolling the southern border, along the border with Guatemala.

Bloomberg News reported that the Philippines has asked the United Nations to prioritize protecting the lives of fishermen at sea following a June 9 collision between a Philippine fishing boat and a Chinese vessel in the South China Sea.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, in a post on his personal Twitter account, said he had authorized the Philippine Embassy in London to file a complaint with the United Nations and the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO). He also sent the government’s statement to the IMO that the Filipino crew had been “inhumanely” abandoned and would have died if not for the assistance of the Vietnamese vessel.

Nigeria: 3 suicide bombers, at least 30 people killed

Soldiers patrol in the town of Banki, northeastern Nigeria. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

At least 30 people were killed in a suicide attack by Boko Haram militants in the northeastern town of Konduga, Nigeria’s emergency services said on June 17. Three bombers detonated explosives outside a football stadium on the evening of June 16.

Boko Haram began its insurgency in the northeast in 2009 with the aim of establishing a so-called Islamic state, and has since expanded its operations to neighboring Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Boko Haram-related violence has killed some 27,000 people and displaced 1.8 million, sparking a severe humanitarian crisis in the region.