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GLOBAL DIARY
LEADERSHIP
“Together, the G7 is demonstrating the strong global leadership it will take to maximize the costs to Putin and his enablers and address the impact of his war on the global economy” – JOE BIDEN, US PRESIDENT
OPEN BALKAN SUMMIT
Leaders of Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia signed an 8th June agreement on cooperation in the area of mutual recognition of diplomas and academic qualifications, as well as multiple memoranda at the summit of the Open Balkan initiative. The memoranda signed relate to cooperation in the areas of culture, tourism and the economy. This is the second time official agreements have been signed in the framework of the initiative. The summit held in Tirana last December saw the signing of several agreements, including one on conditions for free access to the job market, the interconnectivity of schemes of electronic identification for citizens and collaboration in the fields of veterinary and food safety.
CHAOS IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY
People around the world are anxious to travel again as pandemic restrictions are being lifted. But those planning to jump on a plane for a holiday have been frustrated by chaos in the airline industry. In both North America and Europe, thousands of flights have been cancelled and hundreds of thousands of passengers have had their trips disrupted. The main cause of the disruptions has been a shortage of qualified personnel at airports to handle the recent surge in passenger traffic. Hundreds of thousands of aviation workers were laid off or terminated, removing years of experience and technical expertise from the ranks of the commercial aviation sector worldwide.
BULGARIA’S COALITION GOVERNMENT RESIGNS
Bulgaria’s coalition government led by Prime Minister Kiril Petkov submitted its resignation to the Bulgarian Parliament after losing a 22nd June vote of no confidence. Following Petkov’s resignation, President Rumen Radev launched consultations with parliamentarians to form a new Cabinet in accordance with constitutional procedures. He met representatives of the We Continue the Change (WCC) party, the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). Petkov, who heads the WCC, the largest parliamentary group, has declared his intention to run for prime minister again. If he fails, the Citizens for GERB party, led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, will be tasked Bulgarian PM Kiril Petkov with forming a government.
WAR MACHINE
“I am referring to the expansion of the NATO to the east, moving its military infrastructure closer to Russian borders… The war machine is moving and, I repeat, it is coming close to our borders” – VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA
G7 SUMMIT
AFGHANISTAN QUAKE KILLS 1,000 PEOPLE
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed heads of state and government to the latest G7 Summit. Under the German Presidency, leaders of the seven economically strongest democracies met at Schloss Elmau for three days, from 26th to 28th June. “We share a common worldview. We’re also united by our belief in democracy and the rule of law,” said Chancellor Scholz in his opening address, adding that this would be a key factor in the consultations and that he was very confident that the G7 would send out a signal of unity from the Summit. The attending leaders discussed the most pressing global challenges including the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, climate protection, infrastructure and investment.
RECORD TEMPERATURES ACROSS EUROPE
Scorching heat sent Europeans across the continent scrambling for shade and water as an unusually early heatwave spread across several countries. Temperatures blasted historical records for this time of the year, hitting over 40°C in some places. The heatwave is set to continue to spread over the weekend, with temperatures higher than 30°C expected across most of Western and Central Europe. Meteorologists say these temperatures are normally recorded in July and August. French climate scientists say this is the earliest heatwave France has seen since 1947, believing it is a direct consequence of climate change.
A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people. It was Afghanistan’s deadliest earthquake in two decades, and officials said the toll could rise. An estimated 1,500 others were reported injured, the state-run news agency said. The disaster inflicted by the 5.9-magnitude quake heaps more misery on a country where millions face increasing hunger and poverty and the health system has been crumbling since the Taliban retook power nearly 10 months ago. At least 2,000 homes were destroyed in the region, where on average every household has seven or eight people living in it, said Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special representative to Afghanistan.
ABORTION RIGHTS PROTESTS SPREAD ACROSS U.S.
The U.S. Supreme Court stripped women’s constitutional protections for abortion on 24th June, representing a fundamental and deeply personal change for Americans’ lives after nearly half a century under the Roe v. Wade ruling. The court’s overturning of the landmark decision is likely to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states. The ruling, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump. Both sides predicted the fight over abortion would continue, in state capitals, in Washington, D.C. and at the ballot box. Clinics in at least eight states – Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin and West Virginia – stopped the performing of abortion procedures after the Supreme Court’s decision.