The first live televised debate between two fated opponents Donald Trump and Joe Biden on June 27. (Source: AP)

Europe

* Moscow will respond if British Prime Minister Keir Starmer allows Ukraine to attack Russia with weapons supplied by London, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on July 10.

He said allowing Ukraine to attack Russia with British weapons would be an irresponsible escalation.

Earlier, on his way to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Washington DC, the new British Prime Minister said that the military aid package that London provided to Kiev, including Storm Shadow missiles, was "for defensive purposes" but Ukraine could "decide how to deploy" it for this purpose. ( The Telegraph)

* The Ukraine conflict has exposed major gaps in NATO's combat readiness, the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 9.

Speaking at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Washington on the sidelines of the alliance's summit, Stoltenberg said: "The reality of the war in Ukraine has not only demonstrated that our arsenals are too small and our production capacity is too low, but also that there are serious gaps in our interoperability." (TASS)

* Ukraine wants increased support at NATO Summit: On July 9, speaking in a video posted on the Telegram application, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would "fight" for strong decisions at the NATO summit to strengthen the country's air defense and have more F-16 fighter jets.

“We are fighting to provide further security for Ukraine and that is weapons, finance, political support,” he said.

Mr Zelensky is currently in Washington to attend the NATO Summit. (AFP)

* Russia has foiled a series of terrorist plots targeting the heavy aircraft cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" in Murmansk and three senior military officials of the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, according to the announcement of the country's Security Service (FSB).

According to the FSB, a detained subject confessed to having been recruited by a Ukrainian military intelligence officer in May 2024 and agreed to carry out terrorist acts in exchange for a reward.

The Moscow City Investigative Committee is investigating a criminal case against the Russian citizen on suspicion of terrorism, illegal trafficking of explosives and explosive devices. (The Moscow Times)

* Russia calls on the United Nations (UN) to soon lift some economic sanctions against North Korea, according to Director of the Department of Defense Organization of the Russian Foreign Ministry Pyotr Ilyichev.

"It makes no sense to keep the sanctions in place... These measures have not improved the security situation in the region after all these years," Mr. Ilyichev noted.

According to the Russian official, UN Security Council members should discuss the details of reviewing sanctions, even some economic measures "could be lifted immediately".

In addition, Director Ilyichev said that such measures could give an impetus to the development of Pyongyang's national economy and the well-being of the North Korean people. (Sputnik)

* Europe successfully launched its first Ariane 6 rocket on July 9, carrying the continent's hopes of regaining independent access to space. Ariane 6 is the latest version of Europe's Ariane rocket series, which can launch missions from low Earth orbit and beyond.

“I am honoured to witness this historic moment as Europe’s new generation of Ariane rockets successfully lifts off, effectively restoring the continent’s access to space,” said European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher.

Ariane 6 plays a fundamental role in Europe's space ambitions, according to ESA's Director of Space Transport. (AFP)

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Asia-Pacific

* The South Korean Navy fires an SM-2 interceptor missile from the ROKS Yulgok Yi I destroyer to shoot down a target during the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in waters near Hawaii on July 9. The SM-2 missile is capable of intercepting anti-ship missiles and aircraft at a range of 90 nautical miles.

South Korea has sent about 840 servicemen, three warships and one submarine to participate in this year's RIMPAC, which involves 29 countries and is scheduled to last until Aug. 1. (Yonhap)

* The US and South Korea have begun a new round of negotiations on cost-sharing for maintaining US Forces Korea (USFK).

The three-day talks in Seoul will aim to extend an agreement that determines how much Seoul will pay to maintain the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the country. (Yonhap)

* Russia-India Summit ended with a joint statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 14 other documents signed.

The joint statement of the two leaders, referring to the development of strategic directions in Russian-Indian economic cooperation until 2030, noted that bilateral economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of India is expected to be built in nine priority areas. (Kremlin.ru)

* Thailand's Constitutional Court has postponed the hearing of a lawsuit to remove Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office over his decision to appoint a convicted felon to the cabinet until July 24. The court also called for further evidence from individuals previously summoned.

In May, the court accepted a petition filed by a group of 40 caretaker senators to consider whether Prime Minister Srettha and Pichit Chuenban - who was appointed by Srettha as Minister of the Prime Minister's Office in a cabinet reshuffle in late April - should be removed from office under Section 170 (4) and (5) of the Constitution relating to the ethics of cabinet ministers.

Mr. Pichit resigned just before the court announced that it accepted the lawsuit, while Prime Minister Srettha filed a defense to the court on June 7. (Reuters)

* China, United Arab Emirates (UAE) conduct joint military exercises in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

On July 10, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the Falcon Shield-2024 joint training exercise between the air forces of the two countries is taking place from late June to late July according to the annual plan and consensus reached by Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

This is the second joint exercise between the two countries' air forces, aiming to strengthen mutual understanding and trust, enhance exchanges, improve strategic cooperation and achieve common goals and expectations. (THX)

* NATO launches four joint projects with partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, related to Ukraine, artificial intelligence, disinformation and cyber security.

Speaking ahead of the NATO Summit, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stressed that the relationship between the US, Europe and the Indo-Pacific region has never been more important or integrated than it is today.

What happens in Europe will impact the Indo-Pacific and vice versa, he said, adding that while each initiative is different, it shares the same main goal of “harnessing the unique strengths of high-capacity democracies to address common global challenges.” (Kyodo)

* The multinational air force exercise in Australia called Pitch Black is set to open on July 12 and last until August 2, with the participation of 20 countries and more than 140 aircraft from around the world, with about 4,435 military personnel.

The exercise will be conducted primarily from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory and RAAF Base Amberley near Ipswich in Queensland. (Aerospace Global News)

* New Zealand increases support for Ukraine: According to official information from the New Zealand Government website, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced an additional support package of 16 million NZD (9.8 million USD) for Ukraine to help the country in the conflict with Russia.

Specifically, NZ$6 million ($3.6 million) will be for military assistance and NZ$10 million ($6.2 million) for humanitarian assistance to affected communities in Ukraine and neighboring countries. (Ukrinform)

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Middle East-Africa

* Gaza ceasefire talks resumed in Doha (Qatar) on July 10, bringing together representatives from Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Israel, following an intensive round of talks held in the Egyptian capital Cairo on July 9.

Egyptian National Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel and US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director will lead the Egyptian and US delegations to the talks. (Al-Qahera News)

* Tanks advance deep into Gaza City, UN concerned about evacuation : On July 9, UN Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the agency's humanitarian aid workers expressed concern about Israel's evacuation order that has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The displacement of thousands of people in Gaza City is causing "dangerous chaos", with people fleeing in multiple directions under fire during clashes between Hamas and Israel, aid workers from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, according to Mr. Dujarric.

Palestinian officials say the Israeli military is stepping up airstrikes in southern Gaza and sending tanks deeper into Gaza City. (AP)

* Houthi claimed to have attacked three US and Israeli ships in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden on July 9. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the attacked ships were the Maersk Sentosa, Marthopolis and MSC Patnaree.

The attacks were carried out using "ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles," he added. (THX)

* Hezbollah launched about 40 rockets into the Golan Heights on July 9, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Some of the rockets were found to have fallen in the area.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for an Israeli airstrike earlier in the day near the Syrian-Lebanese border that killed a former bodyguard of Hezbollah leader Hezbollah. (Times of Israel)

* The United Nations has paused its troop withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of Congo , the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MONUSCO) said on July 9. There was no timeline for the next phase of the withdrawal. (Reuters)

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America

* Donald Trump invited US President Joe Biden to hold another live debate this week with " no moderator, no restrictions".

Former US President Donald Trump said at a rally in Florida that he was officially "giving Joe Biden a chance": " Let's have another debate this week so Joe Biden can prove to everyone around the world that he is qualified to be president."

The first live debate held on June 27 (US time, June 28 Vietnam time) witnessed the poor performance of incumbent US President Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate, against his Republican opponent Donald Trump and the entire American people, as well as the world. (TASS)

* The US is committed to strategic cooperation with India, continuing strong dialogue, as the Asian nation's Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes a historic visit to Russia.

Speaking to the media on July 9, US Department of Defense Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder emphasized that the long-standing relationship between India and Russia will not affect the strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi.

The Pentagon believes India will continue to support a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. (Business Standard)