Daily News Brief

June 24, 2022

Top of the Agenda

The leaders of Group of Seven (G7) countries will meet (Insider) in Germany beginning on Sunday and plan to focus on stabilizing energy markets. As prices surge due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Germany has moved to restart some coal-fired power plants, and U.S. President Joe Biden has pushed for a gas-tax holiday. The moves run counter to G7 environment ministers’ recent pledges to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and coal projects that do not capture their carbon emissions.

Topics on the summit’s agenda also include (Time) the war and its effects on global food and energy supplies, as well as efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide. The leaders of Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal, and South Africa are also set to attend.

Analysis

“[The G7 leaders’] overriding priority should be to signal the West’s determination to defend the rules-based international system against Moscow’s aggression. This effort is more likely to resonate globally if it is framed as a defense of the UN Charter principles of sovereignty and non-intervention, rather than as a clash between the forces of autocracy and democracy,” CFR’s Stewart M. Patrick writes for the Internationalist blog.

“A rethink has arisen because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is cutting off major supplies of gas exports,” the University of Toronto’s John Kirton tells Insider. “The clear and present danger the G7 summit has to address is inflation and curbing gas prices at the pump.” 

Europe

The retreat ends a weekslong battle (NYT) over the city in Ukraine’s Donbas region and leaves the twin city of Lysychansk as the last Ukraine-controlled area in Luhansk province.

Pacific Rim

The declaration by the BRICS grouping, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, also voiced concerns (ThePrint) about terrorists training on Afghan soil. It was released following a virtual summit hosted by Beijing.

Hong Kong: In an unusual set of meetings, Chinese officials asked foreign business leaders (Bloomberg) how to best revive Hong Kong’s economy.

This Backgrounder looks at Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong, including the consequences for the city’s economy.

South and Central Asia

The governments of India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates have pledged aid (Reuters) following this week’s devastating earthquake. 

Sri Lanka: Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament (ABC) that the country’s economy has “completely collapsed” amid extreme food and fuel shortages. Sri Lanka is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

Middle East and North Africa

Josep Borrell, the top diplomat for the European Union (EU), aims to support the talks (AFP) to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said last week that he believes the talks can still succeed.

This Backgrounder unpacks the Iran nuclear deal. 

Egypt/Qatar: Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is visiting Egypt today, Reuters reported. It is his first trip to Egypt since the countries ended a feud last year.

Sub-Saharan Africa

The summit mostly consisted of former British colonies, who pledged more than $4 billion (AP) to fight malaria and other tropical diseases. The countries are also expected to adopt a charter that addresses climate change and land degradation. 

This video looks at the Commonwealth’s uncertain future.

DRC: A court overturned the embezzlement conviction (Reuters) of President Felix Tshisekedi’s former chief of staff, his lawyer said. It had been the most high-profile corruption case in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Americas

President-Elect Gustavo Petro formed an alliance (Bloomberg) with Colombia’s powerful Liberal Party, which could make it easier for him to pass laws.

Ecuador: In a concession to Indigenous protesters, President Guillermo Lasso allowed them to enter (Al Jazeera) a cultural center in the capital, Quito. Confrontations between protesters and police continued on the eleventh day of demonstrations over prices of food and other essential goods.

United States

The ruling makes it easier to carry firearms in public (NYT) and will likely force at least six states to rewrite their gun laws to avoid legal challenges.

Friday Editor’s Pick

The Atlantic tells the story of a people struggling to return home decades after the British government forced them off their Indian Ocean island.

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