Key Storylines
- AFRICA: President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Cameroon at the start of a three-nation tour of west Africa.
- AMERICAS: Former US President Donald Trump will return to Washington for the first time since leaving office.
- ASIA: US President Joe Biden is expected to speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week.
- EUROPE: The Kremlin said that it believes former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is in Moscow, and did not rule out possible contact with him.
- MIDDLE EAST: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his $500 billion flagship project NEOM will be partly financed through a flotation expected in 2024.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: French and British satellite operators Eutelsat and OneWeb announced plans to merge and create a “global champion” in broadband internet.
Top Story
- Asia: Indonesian President Joko Widodo Visits Beijing for Talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to hold in-person talks in Beijing with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo.
- The last time China hosted foreign leaders was at the start of the Winter Olympics in February, with Russian President Vladimir Putin among those who visited Beijing in a highly guarded bubble.
- The leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views focusing on bilateral relations and major regional and international issues.
- Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Widodo’s talks with Xi will also focus on trade and investment.
- China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade and inward investment reaching $110bn and $3.2bn, respectively, last year.
- Diplomatic visits have been rare under China’s severe pandemic protocols, and Mr Widodo’s visit may be a sign that the world’s second-largest economy could be loosening its strict Covid-19 policies.
- Reuters, CNBC, Straits Times, AlJazeera, Toronto Star, Bloomberg
Africa
- Burkina Faso: The military said two soldiers were killed in an attack on a military detachment in the north, with 15 suspected jihadists “neutralized” in a counter-offensive. (AFP)
- Cameroon: President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the country at the start of a three-nation tour of west Africa. (AFP)
- Morocco: Authorities said one volunteer firefighter has been killed and another injured in a forest fire in the north. (AFP)
- Tunisia: President Kais Saied celebrated the “yes” vote in a referendum on a new constitution that strengthens the powers of the head of state and risks the return of authoritarian rule to the country. (AFP)
- Uganda: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Kampala on the third stop of his tour of African countries as part of an effort by Moscow to reinforce relations on the continent. (AFP)
Americas
- Brazil: US defense secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to call on militaries to respect democracy at an Americas-wide defense gathering this week in the country. (Reuters)
- Canada: Pope Francis apologized to native people on their land for the Church’s role in schools where Indigenous children were abused, calling their forced cultural assimilation a “deplorable evil” and “disastrous error.” (Reuters)
- Ecuador: The public prosecutor’s office is investigating former president Lenin Moreno over the disappearance of priceless artifacts from the presidential palace. (AFP)
- Mexico: A new group of about 2,000 migrants set out walking in the south with the goal of reaching the United States. (AP)
- United States: Former President Donald Trump will return to Washington for the first time since leaving office. (AP)
Asia
- China: US President Joe Biden is expected to speak with his counterpart Xi Jinping this week. (AFP)
- Japan: Former emperor Akihito has been diagnosed with heart failure but is in stable condition after being prescribed medication. (AFP)
- Myanmar: The chair od ASEAN said that the junta’s execution of four prisoners, including a former member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, is “highly reprehensible,” (AFP)
- Solomon Islands: The US is sending a high-profile diplomatic delegation to visit the islands next week led by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. (AP)
- South Korea: South Korean ambassador to the US said the two countries may resume their bilateral strategic dialogue on extended deterrence within the next two months. (Yonhap)
Europe
- Croatia: The country opened a long-awaited bridge linking its southern Adriatic coast including Dubrovnik with the rest of the country, bypassing a narrow strip of Bosnian territory. (AFP)
- Greece: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has proposed an EU-wide mechanism that would compensate industries for cutting their gas use as part of European efforts to cope with tight gas supplies. (Reuters)
- Germany: The Kremlin said that it believes former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is in Moscow and did not rule out possible contact with him. (Reuters)
- Russia: The Kremlin said it has legal questions regarding a non-profit organization that helps Jews emigrate to Israel, but this should not be “projected” onto bilateral relations between the two countries. (Reuters)
- United Kingdom: The government added forty-two new designations under its Russia sanctions regime in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Iran: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said the ground is prepared for Tehran and Riyadh to hold the next round of talks on reducing tensions in bilateral relations. (Xinhua)
- Iraq: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that an attack on a mountain resort in the northern province of Dohuk last week that killed nine people was carried out by “terrorists” and was aimed at harming relations. (Reuters)
- Saudi Arabia: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his $500 billion flagship project NEOM will be partly financed through a flotation expected in 2024. (Reuters)
- Syria: Algeria’s foreign minister decried Syria’s decadelong suspension from the Arab League during a visit to Damascus, indicating support for the war-torn country’s return to the organization under President Bashar Assad. (WaPo)
- Yemen: US special envoy Tim Lenderking will visit Riyadh and Amman for talks focused on renewing the truce set to expire on August 2. (Al-Monitor)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: French and British satellite operators Eutelsat and OneWeb announced plans to merge and create a “global champion” in broadband internet. (AFP)
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 26JUL22)
- Confirmed cases: 571,241,881
- Deaths: 6,386,372
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 26JUL22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (27JUL22)
- Event: Anniversary of the signing of the Korean armistice agreement (1953).
- Event: Heritage Foundation to hold a discussion on Chinese government lending.
- Event: CSIS to hold a discussion on strengthening Guyana – U.S. Relationship.
- Event: CSIS to hold a discussion on AI-Surveillance Symbiosis in China.
- Africa: Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov continues his tour of African countries.
- Asia: US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland is on travel to Japan and the Republic of Korea. (to 28JUL22)
- Canada: Pope to continue his trip to the country. (to 30JUL22)
- Ethiopia: UN Human Rights Council Commission, tasked with investigating human rights violations committed in the country’s Tigray region, to continue its visit. (to 30JUL22)
- Japan: Indonesian President Joko Widodo to arrive in Tokyo, Japan, for bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
- Puerto Rico: Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michael Regan, to visit the northern city of Caguas to discuss ongoing water infrastructure challenges.
- United States: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Washington.
- United States: US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to meet with UK National Security Advisor Stephen Lovegrove in Washington.
- United States: Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold nominations hearing, to include considerations for US Ambassador postings to Morocco, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
- United States: House Foreign Affairs Committee to hold hearing on challenges facing global food security.
- United States: House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to hold a hearing on ‘Combating the Threats to US National Security from the Proliferation of Foreign Commercial Spyware.’
- United States: Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearing on national security and economic statecraft.
- Vietnam: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to meet in Ha Long (to 29JUL22)
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