Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi will meet with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Angola amid rising tensions between the two neighboring countries.
- AMERICAS: Chile’s constitutional assembly handed over the final text of a proposed new constitution to President Gabriel Boric finalizing a year-long process.
- ASIA: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will fly to the Vietnamese capital Hanoi for a two-day visit before heading to a G20 meeting later this week in Indonesia.
- EUROPE: Officers in Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Germany launched a cross-border operation against people smuggling and made several arrests.
- MIDDLE EAST: Caretaker Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid departed for a day-long visit to Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was likely to have been killed by gunfire from Israeli positions, but it was probably unintentional.
Top Story
- Europe: Finland, Sweden Sign to Join NATO but need Ratification.
- NATO’s 30 allies signed an accession protocol for Finland and Sweden allowing them to join the alliance once parliaments ratify the decision, the most significant expansion of the alliance since the 1990s.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hailed the move as a “historic moment for Finland, for Sweden and for NATO.”
- The protocol allows Helsinki and Stockholm to participate in NATO meetings and have access to intelligence but will not be protected by the NATO defense clause that an attack on one ally is an attack against all until ratification.
- Despite the agreement in the alliance, parliamentary approval in member state Turkey could still pose problems for their final inclusion as members.
- Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Twitter, “Thank you for your support! Now the process of ratification by each of the allies begins.”
- Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO will mark one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades and further increase Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February.
- Reuters, AP, AFP, Bloomberg, AlJazeera, TIME
Africa
- Region: Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi will meet with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Angola amid rising tensions between the two neighboring countries. (AP)
- Algeria: The country is celebrating 60 years of independence from France with nationwide ceremonies, a pardon of 14,000 prisoners, and its first military parade in years. (AP)
- DR Congo: A Ugandan private deployed in the country “inadvertently” shot two soldiers in a friendly-fire incident in the eastern city of Beni. (AFP)
- Ethiopia: A fresh round of attacks against the Amhara community in the west resulted in what Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called a “massacre”. (BBC)
- Tunisia: President Kais Saied said his proposed constitution would not restore authoritarian rule, hitting back at criticism from across the political spectrum and urging people to support it in this month’s referendum. (Reuters)
Americas
- Argentina: New economy minister Silvina Batakis was sworn in and quickly moved to calm markets that slid after the shock resignation of her predecessor on fears his exit would spark a shift towards more populist policies and state spending. (Reuters)
- Chile: The constitutional assembly handed over the final text of a proposed new constitution to President Gabriel Boric finalizing a year-long process. (Reuters)
- Ecuador: Health Minister Ximena Garzon resigned from the government of President Guillermo Lasso, following earlier news that Economy Minister Simon Cueva would also leave the administration. (Reuters)
- Mexico: Hurricane Bonnie strengthened while moving off the Pacific coast after crossing over Central America from the Caribbean and dropping heavy rain and contributing to two deaths. (AP)
- Nicaragua: Police took control of five municipalities run by a party opposed to President Daniel Ortega in recent days, dismissing elected leaders and installing ruling party sympathizers in their place. (Reuters)
Asia
- Australia: Authorities instructed about 50,000 people to evacuate and another 28,000 to prepare to escape the rising waters in New South Wales. (AFP)
- Hong Kong: New leader John Lee will work on easing restrictions for travelers while balancing the risks of a coronavirus outbreak overwhelming the health care system. (AP)
- North Korea: Pyongang released water from a dam near its border with South Korea, prompting vacationers in the neighboring country to evacuate over rising water levels on the Imjin River. (Reuters)
- Taiwan: The Economy Ministry said it was cautious but “not pessimistic” about the island’s economic prospects in the second half of the year, pointing to strong exports. (Reuters)
- Vietnam: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will fly to Hanoi for a two-day visit before heading to a G20 meeting later this week in Indonesia. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: Officers in Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Germany launched a cross-border operation against people smuggling and made several arrests. (AFP)
- Denmark: Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen received an official reprimand from parliament but avoided impeachment over the government’s decision to cull all mink in the country two years ago. (Reuters)
- France: The country repatriated 35 children and 16 mothers from camps in Syria holding family members of suspected Islamic State fighters in the largest such operation by Paris after pressure from campaigners. (AFP)
- Switzerland: Leaders from dozens of countries are meeting in Lugano to adopt a declaration spelling out the principles and priorities of rebuilding Ukraine, estimated to cost at least $750 billion. (AFP)
- Ukraine: Sergei Yeliseyev from Russia’s FSB security services took over the government of Kherson region. (AFP)
Middle East
- Israel: Caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid departed for a day-long visit to Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron. (AP)
- Qatar: Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met with the chief executive of Shell Ben Van Beurden in Doha. (Reuters)
- Saudi Arabia: US President Joe Biden turns his attention this month to a sensitive trip to the Middle East that will test his ability to reset relations with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Reuters)
- Syria: Mark Cutts, a UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator, said the closure of the last aid corridor from Turkey into the northwest rebel-held areas would spell “catastrophe” for millions of people. (AFP)
- Yemen: Medical officials said an explosion at an arms depot killed three people and wounded 18 in the southern province of Abyan. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Media: Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was likely to have been killed by gunfire from Israeli positions, but it was probably unintentional. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
- Hurricanes:
- Hurricane Bonnie
- Location: 15.1 N, 103,2 W
- Wind: 105 mph
- Movement: WNW 17 mph
- Map
- Hurricane Bonnie
- Earthquakes: Nothing to Report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 05JUL22)
- Confirmed cases: 550,098,902
- Deaths: 6,340,322
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 05JUL22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (06JUL22)
- Event: Wilson Center hosts discussion on Brazil’s Presidential Elections.
- Global: The State of Food Security and Nutrition report launched.
- Global: Eid al Adha.
- Comoros: National Day.
- Czech Republic: Jan Hus Day.
- Germany: Governing Council of European Central Bank to hold non-monetary policy meeting in Frankfurt.
- Kazakhstan: Capital City Day.
- Lithuania: Anniversary of the Coronation of King Mindaugas.
- Malawi: Independence Day.
- United States: President Biden discusses economic agenda in Cleveland.
END
