Key Storylines
- AFRICA: South African police arrested three people following the mysterious deaths last month of 21 young people in East London.
- AMERICAS: Foreign Minister Carlos França said Brazil will buy as much diesel fuel as possible from Russia following a deal with Moscow.
- ASIA: The US Navy sailed the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold past the Paracel Islands and continued thereafter with operations in the South China Sea.
- EUROPE: Ukraine said a deal to resume grain exports blocked by Russia appeared close as four-way talks kick off in Istanbul.
- MIDDLE EAST: US President Joe Biden lands in the Middle East for discussions with Israeli leaders before a delicate stop in Saudi Arabia.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Twitter sued Elon Musk to enforce his purchase of the company for $44 billion.
Top Story
- Sri Lanka: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Flees to the Maldives, Protestors Storm the Prime Minister’s Office.
- President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka and hundreds of protesters stormed the prime minister’s office demanding his ouster.
- The Air Force confirmed that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife left aboard a Sri Lankan Air Force plane bound for the Maldives.
- Thousands of protesters demanding that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe step down rallied outside his office compound, and some scaled the walls, as the crowd roared its support.
- Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency as thousands of people mobbed the prime minister’s office after the country’s president flew to the Maldives, following months of widespread protests against an economic crisis.
- Sri Lankan lawmakers agreed to elect a new president on July 20 but have struggled to decide on the makeup of a new government to lift the bankrupt country out of economic and political collapse.
- Rajapaksa is accused of mismanaging the economy to a point where the country has run out of foreign exchange to finance essential imports, leading to severe hardships for 22 million people.
- Reuters, BBC, AP, AFP, WaPo, NYT
Africa
- DR Congo: The UN said 20 people have been killed and dozens more abducted in multiple attacks in northern Kivu Province. (BBC)
- Ivory Coast: The country accused Mali of “unjustly” detaining 49 of its soldiers and has called for them to be released. (BBC)
- Kenya: A plan by the World Health Organization (WHO) to build an emergency hub in the country has been thrown into jeopardy over a land ownership dispute. (BBC)
- South Africa: Police arrested three people following the mysterious deaths last month of 21 young people in East London. (AFP)
- Uganda: Police in Kiira region have arrested 25 people following Monday’s protests about the soaring prices of food and fuel. (BBC)
Americas
- Brazil: Foreign Minister Carlos França said his country will buy as much diesel fuel as possible from Russia following a deal with Moscow. (AP)
- Canada: A Ukrainian diaspora group sued to prevent the return to Germany of a repaired turbine needed for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. (Reuters)
- Haiti: Dozens of people have died in four days of gang battles in a violent neighborhood of Port au-Prince, the latest eruption of bloodshed in a wave of increasing violence sweeping the country. (AP)
- Mexico: Police engaged in a shootout with more than a dozen gunmen outside the capital armed with a .50 caliber sniper rifle, grenades, and a machine gun. (AP)
- United States: Former UN ambassador and White House national security advisor John Bolton admitted on CNN to planning attempted foreign coups. (Reuters)
Asia
- Region: The US Navy sailed the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold past the Paracel Islands and continued thereafter with operations in the South China Sea. (AP)
- Fiji: Two Chinese defense attaches were removed by police from a Pacific Islands Forum meeting being virtually addressed by US Vice President Kamala Harris. (The Guardian)
- Japan: Police found what they believe are several bullet marks on a building near the site of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination last week in the country’s west. (AP)
- Solomon Islands: Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare met counterparts from Australia and New Zealand for the first time since striking a security pact with China. (Reuters)
- South Korea: Health officials are expanding booster shots to adults 50 and over as COVID-19 cases creep up again across the country. (AP)
Europe
- France: The government suffered its first defeat in parliament after President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party lost its majority in elections last month. (AFP)
- Germany: Deputy finance minister Joerg Kukies said his country would cease buying Russian coal on August 1 and Russian oil on December 31. (Reuters)
- Spain: Several areas of the country were put on high alert as temperatures were set to rise in parts of western Europe suffering under a second heatwave. (AFP)
- Ukraine: The country said a deal to resume grain exports blocked by Russia appeared close as four-way talks kick off in Istanbul. (Reuters)
- United Kingdom: The Trade Remedies Authority proposed dropping anti-dumping measures on Chinese steel in order to meet demand. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: US President Joe Biden lands in the Middle East for discussions with Israeli leaders before a delicate stop in Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
- Region: Tehran and Riyadh are interested in holding more talks as US President Joe Biden begins his visit to the region. (Reuters)
- Iran: New French foreign minister Catherine Colonna said there are only a few weeks to revive the JCPOA nuclear deal, while senior US officials have set no such deadline. (Reuters)
- Israel: The country announced a new advanced technology partnership with the United States ahead of President Joe Biden’s trip to the region. (Reuters)
- Palestinian Territories: Although US President Joe Biden will meet with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, citizens expect little to come from the meeting. (Xinhua)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Twitter sued Elon Musk to enforce his purchase of the company for $44 billion. (BBC)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
- Hurricanes:
- Hurricane Darby
- Location: 14.7 N, 133.9 W
- Wind: 100 mph
- Movement: W 16 mph
- Map
- Hurricane Darby
- Earthquakes: Nothing to Report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 13JUL22)
- Confirmed cases: 557,829,108
- Deaths: 6,356,056
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 13JUL22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (14JUL22)
- Event: Brookings discussion on global supply chains.
- Event: Wilson Center conversation with US ambassador to Mexico.
- Event: CSIS discussion on China’s security initiative.
- Global: UN High-Level Political Forum 2022. (to 15JUL)
- Global: I2U2 Summit between Israel, India, UAE, and USA, virtual. (to 15JUL)
- Global: International Non-Binary People’s Day.
- Asia: Visit by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to Japan, Indonesia, and South Korea. (to 19JUL)
- France: Bastille Day.
- Germany: Visit by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said of Oman.
- Indonesia: G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies meeting in Bali.
- Iraq: Republic Day.
- Middle East: Visit by US President Joe Biden to Israel, Palestinian Territories, and Saudi Arabia. (to 16JUL)
- Montenegro: EU-Montenegro Stabilization and Association Council meeting in Podgorica.
- Switzerland: World Intellectual Property Association Coordination Committee session in Geneva. (to 22JUL)
- United States: First Lady Dr Jill Biden participates in a Democratic National Committee fundraiser.
- United States: House Foreign Affairs subcommittees joint hearing on Russia in Africa.
- Zambia: African Union Executive Council Ordinary Session in Lusaka.
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