Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Ethiopia announced the appointment of a seven-member negotiating team to “peacefully resolve” the conflict in the northern part of the country.
- AMERICAS: US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will meet on July 12 at the White House where the two leaders are expected to discuss food security, immigration, climate, security, and shared economic interests.
- ASIA: China accused the G7 countries of irresponsibly sowing division after the forum condemned Beijing’s trade practices in an end-of-summit statement.
- EUROPE: A French court will hand down verdicts against 20 men accused over the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris.
- MIDDLE EAST: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan highlighting deep ties between the major trade partners.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: The nosedive in cryptocurrency markets has wiped out millions of dollars in funds stolen by North Korean hackers.
Top Story
- Europe: Turkey Lifts Veto on Finland and Sweden Joining NATO.
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced NATO leaders would formally invite Finland and Sweden to join the alliance Wednesday after Turkey inked a deal to drop its objections.
- The breakthrough came after four hours of talks just before the NATO summit in Madrid.
- The lifting of the veto means that Helsinki and Stockholm can proceed with their application to join the military alliance, cementing what is set to be the biggest shift in European security in decades.
- The terms of the deal involve Finland and Sweden not providing support to YPG/PYD [Turkey’s name for Syrian Kurdish forces], and the organization described as ‘FETO’ in Turkey.
- In return, Turkey confirmed “its long-standing support for NATO’s Open-Door policy and agreed to support the invitation of Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO.”
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted both Scandinavian countries to end their decades-long policies of military neutrality.
- AFP, Reuters, AlJazeera, NYT, Balkans Insight, The Guardian
Africa
- Region: Ethiopian and Sudanese forces clashed at the disputed al-Fashaga border area following the alleged capture of the bodies of seven Sudanese soldiers and a civilian killed over the weekend. (BBC)
- Angola: Former president José Eduardo dos Santos is in an induced coma in a hospital in Barcelona. (BBC)
- Ethiopia: The federal government announced the appointment of a seven-member negotiating team to “peacefully resolve” the conflict in the northern part of the country. (Xinhua)
- Kenya: The African Union announced the deployment of an international election expert mission to the country to observe the integrity of the country’s forthcoming general elections on August 9. (Xinhua)
- Mauritius: The government reopened nightclubs and bars, lifted restrictions on gatherings, and scrapped a public mask mandate as it eased Covid-19 measures in the Indian Ocean island. (AFP)
Americas
- Region: US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will meet on July 12 at the White House where the two leaders are expected to discuss food security, immigration, climate, security, and shared economic interests. (AP)
- Canada: Two suspected bank robbers were killed during a shootout with police in British Columbia that left six officers injured, a possible third suspect is still missing. (AFP)
- Colombia: At least 52 inmates were killed and 26 more injured after a fire broke out during a prison riot in the southwest. (AFP)
- Ecuador: President Guillermo Lasso survived an impeachment vote as negotiations to end more than two weeks of cost-of-living protests by Indigenous groups were suspended following the death of a soldier. (AFP)
- United States: The CDC announced the fast-spreading BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron are now estimated to make up a combined 52% of the coronavirus cases in the US, as of 25 June 2022. (Reuters)
Asia
- Region: US President Joe Biden will hold a trilateral meeting with the president of Korea and prime minister of Japan to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program and ongoing tensions with China. (AFP)
- Australia: Defense minister Richard Marles is talking down the prospect of acquiring US nuclear-powered submarines by the end of the decade. (AP)
- China: The country accused the G7 countries of irresponsibly sowing division after the forum condemned Beijing’s trade practices in an end-of-summit statement. (AFP)
- Philippines: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa said her Rappler news website is operating as usual and will let courts decide on an order to close the outlet. (AP)
- South Korea: A government official highlighted his administration’s desire for peace on the Korean peninsula via a three-phase roadmap involving reconciliation, cooperation, and the creation of a Korean Union. (Newsweek)
Europe
- France: A court will hand down verdicts against 20 men accused over the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris. (AFP)
- Poland: The country hailed US President Joe Biden’s commitment to establish the 5th Army’s Headquarters as the realization of a long-held dream that would send a clear signal to Russia. (Reuters)
- Scotland: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced plans for a second referendum to be held on Scottish independence in October 2023. (Reuters)
- Ukraine: Pro-Russian authorities said they were launching bus and train services between Crimea and the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. (AFP)
- United Kingdom: The government announced sanctions on oligarch Vladimir Potanin, known as Russia’s “Nickel King” describing him as Russia’s second-richest man. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nayhan met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Tuesday. (Reuters)
- Israel: Parliament is expected to dissolve ending Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s year-long tenure and triggering a fifth election in less than four years installing Foreign Minister Yair Lapid as prime minister. (AFP)
- Palestinian Territories: Israeli forces shot and killed a man in the occupied West Bank during clashes that broke out during an arrest raid. (AP)
- Syria: The UN announced that more than 300,000 civilians have been killed during the first 10 years of the conflict, the highest official estimate to date of conflict-related civilian deaths in the country. (AP)
- UAE: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan highlighting deep ties between the major trade partners. (WaPo)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: The nosedive in cryptocurrency markets has wiped out millions of dollars in funds stolen by North Korean hackers. (Reuters)
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 29JUN22)
- Confirmed cases: 545,530,847
- Deaths: 6,332,788
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 29JUN22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (30JUN22)
- OPEC: OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting to be held virtually with OPEC’s 13 member countries and non-OPEC countries, including Russia, to discuss market conditions and further production adjustments.
- Africa: Visit by USAID Administrator Samantha Power to Malawi and Zambia. (to 03JUL)
- Belarus: Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend ninth Russia-Belarus forum in Grodno.
- Egypt: 10th anniversary of Mohammed Morsi assuming office as Egyptian president.
- France: The country’s six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union ends with the Czech Republic scheduled to take over the presidency on July 1.
- Israel: Cyber Week Event. (to 30JUN)
- Kenya: Presidential candidate William Ruto to release campaign manifesto.
- Morocco: African Lion 22 military exercises to conclude in Agadir.
- Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to be sworn in as President.
- Russia: Indonesian President Joko Widodo to meet President Vladamir Putin in Moscow.
- Spain: NATO Summit in Madrid, hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, concludes on the third and final day.
- Sudan: Pro-democracy parties to hold March of Millions protest against military junta.
- Sweden: The country’s central bank to announce interest rate decisions for June.
- Turkmenistan: Caspian summit in Ashgabat with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to attend.
- United States: Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts ceremony releasing the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses efforts around the world to combat human trafficking.
- United States: House Foreign Affairs Committee members briefing on the Summit of the Americas.
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