German Chancellor Friedrich Mez and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announced on Monday they are stepping up maritime and air defense cooperation, and have asked their defense Ministers to "draw up a new bilateral defense agreement".

"Germany and Norway aim to ensure stability and security in maritime areas” said a joint statement released as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Berlin. Berlin and Oslo said that "the North Atlantic, including the strategically crucial Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) and Bear gaps and adjacent waters, and the North and Baltic Seas, are crucial for both Norwegian and German security."

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Nepal on Friday barred access to the Telegram app, citing the use of the social media platform for criminal activities. The Nepal Telecommunications Authority issued a notice ordering telecom service providers to immediately stop access to the app.

"The number of online frauds has been continuously increasing in Nepal with the use of the Telegram app and it has been understood that the app has been used in serious crimes such as money laundering," the notice said. "Therefore, all telecommunication service providers are instructed to immediately restrict or shut down access to the Telegram app," it added.

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On Friday, Berlin said it had deported 81 Afghan men convicted of crimes in Germany in the second such operation to their Taliban-controlled homeland. Germany stopped deportations to Afghanistan and closed its embassy in Kabul following the Taliban's return to power in 2021. Berlin has had only indirect contact with the Taliban authorities through third parties.

The previous government of Social Democrat chancellor Olaf Scholz expelled a group of 28 Afghans convicted of crimes on August 30, 2024, marking the first such action since the Taliban's return to power. Friday's operation was carried out with the help of Qatar, the German interior ministry said, adding that such expulsions must be able to continue in the future.

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Peruvian police eradicated coca plants as part of a national plan that targets more than 17,000 hectares of illegal crops in the first half of 2025, according to the government. Peru, one of the world's top coca leaf producers, aims to eliminate over 34,000 hectares this year, up from 26,475 in 2024.

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Amid escalating intercommunal violence in Syria’s Sweida governorate, and Israel’s resumed and intensified airstrikes on Syrian territory, Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari on 17 July called on Israel and Syria to “refrain from any action that would further undermine” the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement “and the stability on the Golan.”

Khiari reiterated the Secretary-General’s “unequivocal condemnation of all violence against civilians, including all acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after fourteen years of brutal conflict.”

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Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Thursday that those behind violence against the Druze minority would be held accountable after deadly clashes in their southern heartland, saying security responsibility would be returned to local authorities. The Syrian government announced on Wednesday a new ceasefire in Sweida and a halt to military operations there after days of violence that killed more than 350 people, according to a war monitor.

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 “The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Suweida,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, as deadly clashes in southern Syria continue to displace civilians and overwhelm health services. Speaking to reporters on July 16th, Dujarric stated the Secretary-General was deeply concerned by reports that hundreds have been killed in Suweida, including civilians, and that many more have been injured or forced to flee.

“The Secretary-General unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians, including reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after fourteen years of a brutal conflict,” he noted.

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On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon outlines Israel's interests in Syria during a media briefing in Jerusalem. He stated that Israel wants to "maintain the status-quo in the region of southern Syria, which is also close to border, and to prevent the development of threats towards Israel in the majority area of Druze community.

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India Monday received its second GE-404 engine from the US for the LCA Mark 1A fighter jet programme. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will integrate the engine into Tejas jets, with 12 more units expected by March 2026. The Indian Air Force has ordered 83 jets, with 97 more under consideration.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the milestone on social media, underscoring India’s growing self-reliance in aerospace. The deliveries had faced delays due to global supply chain disruptions but are now back on track.

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The 2025 Pacific Regional and National Security Conference is being held in Suva from 14-16 July. During the first session on July 14, senior Pacific political leaders have called for urgent regional unity, a stronger homegrown security framework, and peace rooted in Pacific values.

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka stated that external conflicts, illegal fishing, climate change, transnational crime, and growing economic problems are all harming the region’s environment and people. Rabuka believes that Pacific Regionalism is the only effective way to tackle these widespread issues.

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