Key Storylines
- AFRICA: The European Union formally established a military mission to assist Mozambique’s forces in combating a jihadist insurgency in the country’s north.
- AMERICAS: Haitian police arrested doctor Christian Emmanuel Sanon, who they view as a key suspect behind the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
- ASIA: US General Austin Miller, who is leading the war in Afghanistan, will relinquish command today, marking a symbolic end to 20 years of US military involvement in the country.
- EUROPE: The Party of Action and Solidarity, which seeks closer ties with the European Union, won a clear majority in Moldova’s parliamentary election.
- MIDDLE EAST: Former royal aide and confidant Bassem Awadallah was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Jordanian court on charges of attempting to destabilize the country’s monarchy.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a new draft plan to boost China’s cyber-security industry.
Top Story
- Cuba: Thousands protest against the government in largest protests in decades.
- Cuba witnessed its largest protests in decades across at least 14 cities due to increasingly severe blackouts, food shortages and a spiking coronavirus outbreak.
- Cuba is also facing its worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union.
- Thousands of people participated in the anti-Communist government protests demanding President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s resignation, with shouts of “freedom”, “We want liberty”, and “Down with the dictatorship!” being heard at some of the protests.
- Following the protests, Diaz-Canel blamed the protests on the US in a televised address and visited the town of San Antonio de los Banos southwest of Havana where he was reportedly heckled.
- Security forces were deployed to the capital city Havana and they remained present even after protesters went back to their homes by the time of a coronavirus curfew.
- Reporting: WaPo, BBC, Reuters, WSJ, AFP
Africa
- Libya: The government imposed sweeping new COVID-19 restrictions amid a new record high of coronavirus cases in the country. (AFP)
- Mozambique: The European Union formally established a military mission to assist the country’s forces in combating a jihadist insurgency in the country’s north. (AFP)
- Nigeria: The governor of Lagos state warned of a “potential third wave” of COVID-19 infections. (Reuters)
- South Africa: Dozens of people were arrested as pro-Jacob Zuma protests, some of them violent, continued to spread across the country. (BBC)
Americas
- Haiti: Police arrested doctor Christian Emmanuel Sanon, who they view as a key suspect behind the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. (BBC)
- Peru: Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori hinted at not accepting the results of the recent presidential election that are still yet to be announced. (AFP)
- United States: Firefighters struggled to contain this year’s largest wildfire in California as state power operators in Oregon urged people to conserve electricity after wildfires disrupted the flow of electricity from three major transmission lines. (AP)
Asia
- Region: China’s military said it “drove away” a US warship that entered waters near the Paracel islands. (Reuters)
- Afghanistan: US General Austin Miller, who is leading the war in the country, will relinquish command today, marking a symbolic end to 20 years of US military involvement in the country. (Reuters)
- Myanmar: Ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyer said a witness for the prosecution failed to testify after being infected by the new coronavirus. (AFP)
- Nepal: A US donation of 1.5 million Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines arrived in the country. (AP)
- North Korea: Pyongyang dismissed US humanitarian aid as a “sinister political scheme” after suggestions from South Korea that humanitarian aid, including vaccines, could promote cooperation between Pyongyang and other countries. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis accused Belarus of using refugees as a political weapon and urged the EU to consider a fifth round of sanctions on the Belarusian government. (Reuters)
- Region: The European Union extended its economic sanctions on Russia for its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula for another six months. (DPA)
- Bulgaria: The country’s general elections ended inconclusively as the center-right GERB party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov led the anti-elite There is Such a People party by a razor-thin margin. (AP)
- Georgia: Thousands of people protested in front of parliament following the death of a journalist who was attacked and beaten by anti-LGBTQI+ protesters. (AP)
- Moldova: The Party of Action and Solidarity, which seeks closer ties with the European Union, won a clear majority in the country’s parliamentary election. (AP)
Middle East
- Region: Israel expanded the fishing zone off Gaza and said it would permit additional imports into the territory after “recent security calm”. (AFP)
- Region: In a joint-statement, Saudi Arabia and Oman called upon OPEC and other allied producers to continue cooperating on stabilizing and balancing the oil market. (Reuters)
- Region: Israel froze nearly $200 million in tax transfers to Palestinians that it said was the amount of money Palestinians transferred to the families of alleged attackers in 2020. (AP)
- Jordan: Former royal aide and confidant Bassem Awadallah was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of attempting to destabilize the country’s monarchy. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Tech Regulation: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a new draft plan to boost China’s cyber-security industry. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 12JUL21)
- Confirmed cases: 186,845,482
- Deaths: 4,032,630
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 12JUL21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (13JUL21)
- Global: The foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries will meet in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. (to 14JUL)
- Global: The 47th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council will conclude.
- Global: The UN will virtually hold the 2021 Girl Up Leadership Summit. (to 14JUL)
- Global: The UN will hold a ministerial meeting as part of a high-level political forum on sustainable development. (to 15JUL)
- Global: World Trade Organization Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will speak at the Atlantic Council.
- Global: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will hold a meeting.
- Asia: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. (to 16JUL)
- Europe: Maintenance of the Nord Stream gas pipeline will be undertaken. (to 23JUL)
- Europe: The finance ministers of Eurozone countries will meet.
- China: The government will release June’s trade figures.
- Colombia: The UN Security Council will hold a briefing on the country.
- Montenegro: National Day – 1878
- Russia: US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Ambassador John Kerry will visit and meet with government officials. (to 15JUL)
- Russia: Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Mahdi will participate in a Valdai Club roundtable.
- Ukraine: Vice-President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic will visit.
- United States: President Joe Biden will visit Philadelphia and deliver remarks on voting rights.
- United States: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will visit.
- United States: The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will hold nominations hearings.
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