Key Storylines
- AFRICA: A spokesman for the Tigrayan forces told AFP that they seized Alamata, the largest town in the southern Tigray region of Ethiopia, after starting a new offensive.
- AMERICAS: Venezuelan government reports state that ten Colombian “paramilitaries” died during fighting between armed groups and security forces in Caracas.
- ASIA: The Biden administration plans to warn US companies of the increasing risks of operating in Hong Kong as China asserts greater control over the financial hub.
- EUROPE: More than 900,000 French citizens rushed to set up appointments to get vaccinated after the president warned that people will have restrictions imposed on them if they did not have a health pass that covered a vaccine or negative COVID test.
- MIDDLE EAST: More than 50 people died in a hospital fire in the Iraqi city of Nasiriya.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Texas attorney General Ken Paxton unblocked critics on his Twitter account and agreed not to repeat such action after reaching an agreement in a First Amendment lawsuit filed against him.
Top Story
- Cuba: The most significant protests in decades on the island nation continue to provoke responses by powers domestically and abroad.
- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed “all support” to the Cuban government, following large anti-government protests in the nation.
- United States President Joe Biden called protests in Cuba “remarkable” and a “clarion call for freedom,” praising thousands of Cubans who protested food shortages and high prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Cuban police are out in force on the streets as the government is accusing Cuban Americans of using social media to provoke a rare outpouring of mass protests.
- Cuban government officials stated there were no more protests due to them enacting an internet blackout that prevented citizens from sharing the images that had sparked the demonstrations in the first place.
- The Cuban government blamed historic protests over the weekend on U.S. “economic asphyxiation” and detained some of the highest-profile activists.
- Reporting: AFP, AP, AP, CNN, Reuters
Africa
- Ethiopia: A spokesman for the Tigrayan forces told AFP they seized Alamata, the largest town in southern Tigray, after starting a new offensive. (AFP)
- Namibia: The nation recorded 28 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the country’s cumulative confirmed fatalities to 2,019. (Xinhua)
- South Africa: The nation ordered the military in a bid to end ongoing unrest sparked after former president Jacob Zuma surrendered himself to the police to serve a 15-month sentence amid corruption allegations. (The Guardian)
Americas
- Region: Government reports state that ten Colombian “paramilitaries” died during fighting between armed groups and security forces in Caracas. (AFP)
- Haiti: Local authorities identified Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 62, a citizen who once expressed a desire to lead his country in a YouTube video, as a key suspect in the assassination of the Prime Minister. (AP)
- United States: Wildfires that torched homes and forced thousands to evacuate persisted across 10 Western states, and in Oregon, threatened California’s power supply. (AP)
Asia
- Region: Japan believes rising tension surrounding Taiwan requires its attention “with a sense of crisis” as China intensifies military activities in the area, and the United States steps up support for the self-governing island. (AP)
- Australia: Authorities recorded a slight decrease in new COVID-19 cases in Sydney but left open the possibility of extending a lockdown in the country’s largest city to prevent an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. (Reuters)
- Hong Kong: The Biden administration plans to warn US companies of the increasing risks of operating in the city as China asserts greater control over the financial hub. (FT)
- Japan: Tokyo’s athletes’ village opened ten days before the beginning of the Olympic Games. (DPA)
- Kazakhstan: The COVID-19 situation worsened in the northern region, moving from the moderate-risk “yellow” zone to the high-risk “red” zone. ( Interfax)
Europe
- France: More than 900,000 people rushed to set up appointments to get vaccinated after the president warned that people will have restrictions imposed on them if they did not have a health pass that covered a vaccine or negative COVID test. (Reuters)
- Poland: A top court will rule on whether the country’s constitution or European Union treaties take precedence, possibly causing conflict between the nation and the bloc. (Reuters)
- United Kingdom: MPs are scheduled to vote on the national budget, fighting particularly on foreign aid. (BBC)
- United Kingdom: Senior doctors warned of “potentially devastating consequences” after Boris Johnson reiterated that he would press ahead with lifting most remaining Covid restrictions in England on 19 July. (The Guardian)
Middle East
- Iraq: More than 50 people died in a hospital fire in the city of Nasiriya. (BBC)
- Israel: Palestinian activists and human rights groups asked the nation to allow a prominent jailed lawmaker to attend her daughter’s funeral. (AP)
- Lebanon: As the first anniversary of the deadly Beirut explosion nears, the European Union said it hopes to create the legal framework for sanctions targeting government leaders. (The Guardian)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Texas attorney General Ken Paxton unblocked critics on his Twitter account and agreed not to repeat such action after reaching an agreement in a First Amendment lawsuit filed against him. (Axios)
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 13JUL21)
- Confirmed cases: 187,347,393
- Deaths: 4,038,979
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 13JUL21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (14JUL21)
- 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: United Nations Security Council briefing on Colombia
- Global: IEA Oil Market Report
- Asia: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. (to 16JUL)
- Europe: ECOFIN meeting of EU finance ministers
- Bangladesh: End of Nationwide Lockdown
- France: Bastille Day
- Russia: US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Ambassador John Kerry will visit and meet with government officials. (to 15JUL)
- Singapore: Second-quarter GDP figures released
END
