Global Briefs: Turkey punishes anti-NATO protesters

Turkey

In the latest crackdown on dissent, authorities arrested hundreds of people ahead of the NATO summit July 7–8 in Ankara. The Communist Party of Turkey, which held an anti-NATO protest in the capital July 5 despite a ban on demonstrations, said authorities detained more than 100 protesters. Officials also arrested stand-up comedian Deniz Goktas, charging him with insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and denigrating religious values during a performance. Western powers meeting for the military summit have been quiet on the country’s record on freedom, focusing instead on Turkey’s role as military ally and arms exporter. Critics say that has encouraged the country’s continued slide into authoritarianism. Human Rights Watch called the arrests a “misuse of terrorism laws to conduct mass arrests and silence people.” —Joyce Wu

China

The People’s Liberation Army Navy test-launched a long-range ballistic missile July 6 from a submarine in the South Pacific. The “dummy” warhead landed in the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, which bans nuclear testing. The drill was China’s first public demonstration of its nuclear capabilities from a submarine. Beijing maintained the strike was a routine test and not directed toward any specific country, but experts said the test was likely intended as a message for the United States about the PLA’s growing nuclear capabilities. Though China provided a few hours’ notice about the drill to its neighbors, the launch still left them uneasy. New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan all decried the launch as a threat to peace in the region, with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong calling it “destabilizing.” —Elisa Palumbo

Venezuela

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez overstepped constitutional term limits July 3 without calling for elections. Rodríguez took office Jan. 5 following the U.S. capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro. She has since gained Trump’s support while maintaining the socialist regime. Both Rodríguez and Trump stopped opposition leader María Corina Machado from returning to Venezuela following devastating June 24 earthquakes. U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Barrett praised the regime July 7 for being “fully compliant” in advancing the humanitarian response. However, local and international rescuers have denounced Rodríguez for restricting access to affected zones, and Machado has renewed her promises to return. —Carlos Paez

Sudan

The UN Human Rights Council voted July 6 to condemn growing violence by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in al-Obeid, Sudan, and ordered an urgent investigation into alleged human rights abuses in the region. Since 2023, conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF has killed at least 59,000, displaced 13 million, and plunged parts of the country into severe famine. The African human rights group DefendDefenders argued the council missed a critical opportunity to address ongoing support for the RSF from the United Arab Emirates. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported more than 300 children were killed or injured in Sudan during the first six months of 2026 and said the conflict has displaced nearly 5 million children. —Olalekan Raji

France

Right-wing politician Marine Le Pen announced plans to run for president in 2027—despite being under house arrest. Last year, a French court sentenced Le Pen to two years with an electronic ankle bracelet after her second conviction for embezzlement. She was convicted of using $5 million in public funds to pay staff at her National Rally party’s annual political events from 2004 to 2016. The court conviction also prohibited Le Pen from running for public office for five years. But July 7, an appeals court reduced the ban to 15 months. Le Pen announced her fourth presidential campaign the same day, declaring she would also appeal the ankle bracelet. The April 2027 election will determine the successor to Emmanuel Macron, who is finishing his second of two allowed consecutive terms. —Evangeline Schmitt

Indonesia

Separatist rebels killed Catholic charity AMA pilot and American Nicholas Gosselin and burned his plane July 2 after he and seven civilians landed at Balinggama village in Highland Papua. Rebels suspected his plane carried military equipment. Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, gained autonomy from Indonesia in 2021, but rebels still fight for independence. Gosselin’s killing was meant to send a message to the U.S., Indonesia, and NATO to resolve the conflict. Indonesian authorities have suspended all charter flights in the region. Ongoing clashes between Indonesian military and rebels have internally displaced nearly 125,000 Papuan villagers since 2022 and killed 500,000 during the last 50 years. —Amy Lewis

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to note that the number of people killed in Papua were counted over 50 years.