Morning Briefing: July 28, 2023

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including the latest on the attempted military coup in Niger, new charges against former US President Donald Trump, UN’s warning on climate change, and a foreign dignitary’s rare visit to North Korea

TOP STORIES

Countries around the world have called for restraint in the West African nation of Niger where soldiers overthrew the president and declared a military coup.

The UK condemned the attempt to undermine stability and democracy in Niger, as Russia called on all parties to resolve issues through “peaceful and constructive dialogue.”

Türkiye said it was following the coup attempt with “deep concern,” and hoped that peace and stability will not suffer.

The Niger Armed Forces chief endorsed the mutineers, saying he wanted to avoid a deadly confrontation and bloodshed.

Former US President Donald Trump is facing additional charges related to an investigation into his handling of classified government documents.

The special counsel, Jack Smith, filed a new indictment Thursday.

According to the charges, it is alleged that Trump was involved in a scheme to delete surveillance footage.

The superseding indictment includes three new serious charges against Trump.

The former president’s campaign said in a statement that the move intends to harass him.

The UN chief warned Thursday that “the era of global boiling has arrived” as July is set to be the hottest month ever recorded on Earth.

“Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” Antonio Guterres told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

July is on track to be the hottest month ever, according to the World Meteorological Organization and the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

North Korea on Thursday held a military parade in Pyongyang after its leader Kim Jong-un hosted and met Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu to discuss military cooperation and regional security.

The parade was held to mark the 70th anniversary of North Korea’s Victory Day, which was also attended by a Russian delegation, led by Shoygu.

The North Korean leader received the Russian delegation and discussed ways to further boost bilateral cooperation. They also visited the Weaponry Exhibition-2023 event showcasing new weapons and equipment.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Russia will provide 25,000-50,000 tons of grain free of charge to six African countries – Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea – in the next three to four months, President Vladimir Putin announced.

• Israeli far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Thursday led a group of 1,700 Jewish settlers to the Al-Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem. Türkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned the storming.

• A wildfire whipped by strong winds triggered a series of blasts at an ammunition dump in central Greece on Thursday. Although the blasts shattered windows of homes in the surrounding area, no injuries were reported.

• At least six people were killed and 23 others injured when an explosive device planted in a motorcycle near a taxi detonated in the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, said a report.

• Finland’s birthrate hit an all-time low in the first half of 2023, dropping to its lowest since 1900, according to media reports Thursday.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said his government’s judicial overhaul plan is a “minor correction” to an “activist” court.

SPORTS

UEFA has provisionally admitted Barcelona to club competitions this season despite alleged referee payments by the team, the European football body said Thursday.

UEFA are still investigating Barcelona’s alleged payments to the head of Spain’s referee federation for more than 15 years, which means it can punish the Spanish giants if it detects wrongdoing.

Türkiye’s Besiktas beat Albania’s Tirana 3-1 in a UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round first-leg match at home on Thursday.

Turkish right-back Onur Bulut scored the opener in the 21st minute at Istanbul’s Vodafone Park.

Besiktas doubled the gap in the 42nd minute. Tirana’s Brazilian forward Kaina scored in the six-yard box to give hope for the visitors in the 83rd minute.

Besiktas youngster Semih Kilicsoy scored a solo-effort goal to give a 3-1 win to his team.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

The European Central Bank on Thursday hiked its three key policy interest rates by 25 basis points, in line with market forecasts.

Though inflation is falling, it is projected to remain “too high for too long,” the bank said in a statement.

The rate on the main refinancing operations was raised to 4.25%, the highest since October 2008.

Renewable energy share in global electricity generation could surpass coal as early as 2024, potentially becoming the largest source of electricity, Eren Cam, electricity analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA), told Anadolu.

Depending on the favorable weather conditions and the expectation that coal-fired generation will slightly drop this year and next year, renewables are set to meet all additional electricity demand in 2023 and 2024, according to the IEA’s recent Electricity Market Report.

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