Morning Briefing: May 31, 2023

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday with, including, North Korea’s failed bid to launch a spy satellite, the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war, and the deployment of NATO troops in Kosovo.

TOP STORIES

North Korea has said that its launch of a spy rocket on Wednesday has been unsuccessful, according to state media.

The launch came a day after the country said that it will launch its first military spy satellite in June to monitor US and South Korea’s “dangerous military actions.”

Following the botched attempt, the US and UN condemned North Korea, demanding it engage in negotiations for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The move sparked panic in South Korea’s capital as it mistakenly issued an emergency alert, instructing citizens to prepare for evacuation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Ukraine’s drone attack against civilian facilities in Moscow is “a clear sign of terrorist activity.”

A drone attack damaged several buildings in Moscow as Russia blamed Ukraine for using eight unmanned aerial vehicles that were shot down.

In a separate incident, a civilian was killed and two severely injured in Ukraine’s attack in the Belgorod region.

Meanwhile, Ukraine claimed three Russian air attacks launched in the past 24 hours in Kyiv have killed one and injured seven.

The NATO chief on Tuesday announced the deployment of an additional 700 troops in Kosovo due to the ongoing tensions.

The alliance will put a battalion from the reserve forces on heightened alert so it can also be deployed if needed, Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference.

He urged that attacks in Kosovo “must stop” after 30 NATO soldiers were injured in recent clashes in Kosovo between Serb protesters and security forces.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Joe Biden has long been clear in his support for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye, and Sweden’s membership in NATO is not a condition for this, the White House said.

• South Africa’s main opposition party has filed papers in a local court requesting its government to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he travels to the country for the upcoming BRICS summit.

• Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged Tuesday that the UK is behind the recruitment of mercenaries for the war in Ukraine via the Adzuna job search portal.

• US House Oversight Committee Chairman James Corner said that he will take steps to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress after the bureau refused to turn over documents reportedly pertaining to a purported scheme involving President Joe Biden when he was vice president and a foreign individual regarding an alleged exchange of funds for favorable policy outcomes.

• The first summit of South American presidents in Brazil, intended to strengthen regional ties revealed major differences between leaders including Uruguay and Chile presidents over Venezuela’s human rights situation.

• A record number of Syrians, as many as 48,320 Syrians, many of whom escaped civil war between 2014 and 2016, became German citizens in 2022, according to official statistics.

SPORTS

Galatasaray defeated Ankaragucu 4-1 to win their 23rd Turkish Super Lig title on Tuesday.

With this victory, the Istanbul club have claimed their first title in Türkiye’s top football division since 2019.

Collecting 82 points in 34 matches, Galatasaray are five points ahead of second-place Fenerbahce with two matches remaining.

Novak Djokovic left a political message on a television camera lens after his first-round win at the French Open.

“Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence,” he wrote Monday in his native language, using a heart symbol.

His message stirred controversy on social media, with some users and media outlets accusing him of stoking Kosovo-Serb tensions.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

The youth unemployment rate in Greece is among the highest in the EU, the bloc’s statistical body said Tuesday.

Accordingly, Ceuta, Spain’s enclave in Africa, has the highest youth unemployment with 42.4%, followed by Greece’s regions of Thessaly and Central Greece with 39.8% and 36.5% respectively, according to EUROSTAT

China will extend tariff waivers on some US commodities until the end of 2023, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, trade volume between the US and China amounted to $217.9 billion in the first four months of 2023, plunging 11.2% from last year.

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