Key Storylines
- AFRICA: An airstrike targeting the town of Tagogon in Ethiopia’s Tigray region killed at least 12 people a day after new reports of fighting emerged in the conflict-torn region.
- AMERICAS: Prominent journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro fled Nicaragua to “safeguard his freedom” after the police raided his house during a widening crackdown on opposition figures by the government.
- ASIA: Suspected Taliban militants attacked a hospital in Afghanistan and destroyed COVID-19 vaccines in the process, as the militant group also captured the town of Shir Khan Bandar on the country’s border with Tajikistan, triggering the flight of workers and security force members there into Tajikistan.
- EUROPE: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Germany to accept UEFA’s ban on lighting the Euro 2020 stadium in Munich in rainbow colours, saying “Whether the Munich football stadium or another European stadium is lit in rainbow colours is not a state decision”.
- MIDDLE EAST: Iranian officials said they fended off a “sabotage attack” targeting a civilian nuclear facility in Karaj city.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Rights group Global Witness said Facebook was amplifying misinformation posted by Myanmar’s military junta and promoting content inciting violence against Myanmar’s pro-democracy protesters.
Top Story
- China: Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper will close.
- Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily announced its closure, saying it would stop publishing in print and online by Thursday.
- The announcement takes place after last week’s arrest of five editors and executives of the newspaper and freezing of $2.3 million in assets under Beijing’s controversial national security law for the city.
- The pro-democracy newspaper was known to be critical of Hong Kong and China’s leadership and authorities had already placed its founder Jimmy Lai in prison.
- The closure of the newspaper marked the latest event in China’s bid to exert greater control over Hong Kong following the 2019 protests in the city.
- Reporting: BBC, AP, NYT, Reuters, WSJ, AFP, Guardian
Africa
- Region: Sudan called for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss Ethiopia’s GERD dam on the river Nile. (Reuters)
- Ethiopia: An airstrike targeting the town of Tagogon in the Tigray region killed at least 12 people a day after new reports of fighting emerged in the conflict-torn region. (Reuters)
- Libya: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken participated in a conference hosted by Germany and the United Nations aimed at making progress toward securing elections in the country and removing foreign fighters from it. (AP)
- Mauritania: Former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was imprisoned over corruption allegations. (AFP)
Americas
- Brazil: Congress suspended a debate over a controversial land reform bill after indigenous protesters and the police clashed outside the legislature’s building. (AFP)
- Chile: President Sebastian Pinera said the government was studying issuing a third booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines amid a new wave of COVID-19 infections in the country and doubts over the Sinovac vaccine. (Reuters)
- Nicaragua: Prominent journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro fled the country to “safeguard his freedom” after the police raided his house during a widening crackdown on opposition figures by the government. (Guardian)
- United States: The Senate voted to block voting rights legislation proposing elections reforms. (AP)
Asia
- Region: China condemned the United States after a US warship sailed through a waterway separating China and Taiwan. (Reuters)
- Afghanistan: Suspected Taliban militants attacked a hospital and destroyed COVID-19 vaccines in the process, as the militant group also captured the town of Shir Khan Bandar on the country’s border with Tajikistan, triggering the flight of workers and security force members there into Tajikistan. (Reuters)
- Cambodia: British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met with Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. (AP)
- New Zealand: Capital city Wellington was placed under coronavirus restrictions after an Australian visitor tested positive for COVID-19. (DPA)
- Pakistan: Three people were killed after a car bomb exploded near imprisoned anti-India militant leader Hafiz Seed’s house. (AP)
Europe
- Region: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Germany to accept UEFA’s ban on lighting the Euro 2020 stadium in Munich in rainbow colours, saying “Whether the Munich football stadium or another European stadium is lit in rainbow colours is not a state decision”. (DPA)
- Germany: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the country to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel and his German counterpart Heiko Mass. (AP)
- Russia: A leader of Myanmar’s military junta, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, visited the country and met with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. (Reuters)
- Spain: The government said its pardoning of nine Catalan independence leaders did not mean it was prepared to discuss a Catalonian independence referendum. (Reuters)
- United Kingdom: The government will begin issuing 28-day warnings to EU citizens in the country to complete their applications to continue living in the country. (BBC)
Middle East
- Iran: Officials said they fended off a “sabotage attack” targeting a civilian nuclear facility in Karaj city. (AP)
- Israel: The government enabled health officials to hold in quarantine anyone they deemed to have been exposed to the highly infectious Delta variant of the new coronavirus. (Reuters)
- Syria: Local aid agency the White Helmets said shelling by government forces in the country’s northwest displaced around 5,000 civilians. (Guardian)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Rights group Global Witness said Facebook was amplifying misinformation posted by Myanmar’s military junta and promoting content inciting violence against Myanmar’s pro-democracy protesters. (Guardian)
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 23JUN21)
- Confirmed cases: 179,194,672
- Deaths: 3,883,429
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- Ebola Virus Disease: Guinea (as of 20JUN21)
- Confirmed cases: 16
- Deaths: 12
- Sourcing: WHO
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 23JUN21)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (24JUN21)
- Global: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Germany, France, the Holy See, and Italy. (to 29JUN)
- Global: The 9th Moscow Conference on International Security will be held in Russia, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres scheduled to address the conference.
- Global: The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs and NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly will hold a joint virtual hearing.
- Global: A United States delegation will visit Turkey to discuss Afghanistan.
- Europe: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will visit Belgium to meet with Belgian government officials and EU officials.
- Europe: The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova will visit Brussels and hold an Association Trio format meeting with EU officials.
- Europe: The leaders of EU countries will hold a summit and discuss several issues, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (to 25JUN)
- Europe: The European Central Bank’s General Council will meet.
- Europe: Panama’s Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes will visit Spain and Belgium. (to 25JUN)
- Europe: German newspaper Die Zeit will publish an article penned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Middle East: The UN Security Council will hold briefings on the region.
- China: The Defense Ministry will hold a press conference.
- Germany: Chancellor Angela Merkel will address parliament.
- Gibraltar: A referendum on abortion law will be held.
- India: Leaders from the country’s restive Jammu and Kashmir region will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Indonesia: A court will deliver its verdict on a civil lawsuit filed against multiple government officials, including President Joko Widodo and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.
- Iran: The IAEA’s temporary nuclear site access and monitoring deal will expire.
- Israel: Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez will reportedly visit, as Honduras relocates its embassy to Jerusalem. (to 25JUN)
- Philippines: Cardinal Jose Advincula will be installed as the Archbishop of Manila.
- Russia: OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid will visit.
- Singapore: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong will visit.
- United States: President Joe Biden will visit North Carolina.
- United States: The Bureau of Economic Analysis will release final GDP data for Q1 2021.
- United States: The House Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing on advancing and protecting LGBTQI+ rights abroad.
- United States: Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella is expected to unveil the company’s new Windows operating system, Windows 11.
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