Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Chad’s interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby set August 20 as a date to hold a national dialogue ahead of promised elections.
- AMERICAS: UN Special Envoy Carlos Ruiz Massieu said there was “optimism” for the country’s incoming administration but warned of continuing violence.
- ASIA: Sri Lanka’s parliament is expected to convene on Saturday to begin the process of selecting a new president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned and fled to Singapore in the face of mass protests over his rule.
- EUROPE: UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s chances of becoming the next Tory leader have been boosted after she was endorsed by eliminated contender Suella Braverman.
- MIDDLE EAST: The government of Israel approved the parameters of a deal, which the US has quietly negotiated for months, around two strategic Red Sea islands that would pave the way for Saudi Arabia to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: The US Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on a bill to boost the domestic semiconductor industry and improve competitiveness with China.
Top Story
- Middle East: US President Joe Biden met with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank on Friday before heading to Saudi Arabia where he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Saudi King Salman and advisors, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), for the final leg of his Middle East trip.
- The meeting with the Palestinian leader comes as Biden continues to advocate for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but stated it was not the right time to restart talks.
- Biden repeatedly defended his decision to travel to Saudi Arabia and meet with MBS, maintaining his administration wants to lead in the region and not create a vacuum for Russia and China to fill.
- Biden’s trip coincided with Saudi Arabia’s decision to take a small step towards normalizing relations with Israel by agreeing to allow Israeli planes to fly between the two countries,
- CNN, NYT, Reuters, USAToday
Africa
- Chad: Interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby set August 20 as a date to hold a national dialogue ahead of promised elections. (Reuters)
- Gambia: A Gambian court sentenced five former members of the intelligence service to death for the murder of a political activist, Ebrima Solo Sandeng, during the rule of former dictator Yahya Jammeh. (AFP)
- Libya: The US Embassy in Libya voiced concern over the struggle for control of Libya’s National Oil Corporation after its chairman was sacked by one of Libya’s two rival governments. (AP)
- Togo: The army said a group of teenage civilians were killed in an airstrike on Saturday after being mistaken for jihadists. (Reuters)
Americas
- Brazil: State oil company Petrobras rejected two of seven government nominees to its board. (Reuters)
- Colombia: UN Special Envoy Carlos Ruiz Massieu said there was “optimism” for the country’s incoming administration but warned of continuing violence. (AP)
- Cuba: The Liberia-flagged Aframax cargo tanker arrived in Cuba’s Matanzas port carrying about 700,000 barrels of Russian fuel oil worth an estimated $70 million at market prices. (Reuters)
- Haiti: At the UN Security Council, China called for an arms embargo on criminal gangs in the country. (Reuters)
Asia
- Japan: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida blamed inadequate police protection for the death of former leader Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated last Friday in Nara in western Japan. (ABC)
- Region: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he was willing to “recalibrate” ties with Australia. (Reuters)
- New Caledonia: President Louis Mapou said he did not want the French territory to be a “Trojan horse” for major powers in the Pacific. (Reuters)
- Sri Lanka: Parliament is expected to convene on Saturday to begin the process of selecting a new president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned as president of the country and fled to Singapore in the face of mass protests over his rule. (BBC)
Europe
- Italy: Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s resignation was rejected by President Sergio Mattarella. (AP)
- Russia: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen denounced Russia’s war in Ukraine in a closed-door meeting of the Group of 20 nations attended by a senior Kremlin official, according to a Treasury official. (WaPo)
- Ukraine: Russian missile strikes on the city of Vinnytsia killed at least 23 and wounded more than 100. (AP)
- United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s chances of becoming the next Tory leader have been boosted after she was endorsed by eliminated contender Suella Braverman. (BBC)
Middle East
- Region: US President Joe Biden met with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank on Friday before heading to Saudi Arabia where he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Saudi King Salman and advisors for the final leg of his Middle East trip. (CNN)
- Iran: US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid declared on Thursday that they would not allow Iran to become a nuclear power. (AP)
- Israel: The government approved the parameters of a deal, which the US has quietly negotiated for months, around two strategic Red Sea islands that would pave the way for Saudi Arabia to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel. (Axios)
- Saudi Arabia: The General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that the country’s airspace would now be open to all carriers, including those to and from Israel. (Reuters)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: The US Senate could vote as soon as Tuesday on a bill to boost the domestic semiconductor industry and improve competitiveness with China. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
- Hurricanes:
- Hurricane Darby
- Location: 16.2 N, 133.5 W
- Wind: 110 mph
- Movement: WNW 15 mph
- Map
- Hurricane Darby
- Earthquakes: Nothing to Report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 15JUL22)
- Confirmed cases: 560,451,239
- Deaths: 6,365,803
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 15JUL22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (16JUL22)
- Asia: Visit by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to Japan, Indonesia, and South Korea (to 20JUL)
- Belarus: Visit by UN Special Rapporteur on human rights of migrants Felipe González Morales (to 20JUL)
- France: Holocaust Memorial Day
- Indonesia: G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Bali
- Middle East: Visit by US President Joe Biden to Israel, Palestinian Territories, and Saudi Arabia.
- Switzerland: World Intellectual Property Association Coordination Committee session in Geneva (to 22JUL)
- United States: World Athletics Championships in Eugene, OR (to 24JUL)
