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Vladimir Putin reappeared to address the Russians in a televised address, following a rebellion by soldiers from the mercenary group Wagner Group. Seeking to reassert his authority after perhaps the worst challenge to his two decades in power, the president said the organizers of the revolution had “betrayed their country”. but he reiterated that those who participated could join the Russian army or move to Beloruisia. Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that his revolution, which had started marching in Moscow, was a protest against the military’s mishandling of the war in Ukraine. The speed at which Wagner’s troops advanced in Russia has led to speculation about collusion with Russian generals and the potential for civil war.
Mr. Prigozhin went into exile Belarus under a deal that was broken by the Belarusian dictator, Alexander Lukashenko. Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which all border Belarus, warned that Wagner’s forces regrouping in that country posed a security threat.
The failed revolution by The Wagner Group raised questions about the future of his activities in Africa, where it is estimated that there are about 5,000 mercenaries and extensive business interests. News reports suggested that the Russian government is trying to take direct control of Wagner’s foreign operations, including those in Syria.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, said that Against the offensive of Ukraine he was winning. In its regular assessment, the British Ministry of Defense reported that Ukraine may have regained some territory in the Donbas region occupied by Russia since 2014, but described this as progress. small
The leaders of Lithuania and Poland met with Mr Zelensky to discuss Ukraine’s request to join NATO. Lithuania will host a summit of the military alliance on July 11 and 12 that will discuss Ukraine’s membership bid.
Turn right
Second choice in Greece in a month it was won by the conservative New Democracy party, which now has a narrow majority in parliament. After winning the previous election in May the party asked for a new ballot to give it a bigger mandate; it trailed the left-wing Syriza party by 23 percentage points. With the far right also benefiting, the new parliament is the most right-wing since democracy was restored in 1974.
A riot broke out Paris and other cities in France after police shot a North African teenager who fled a traffic stop. Police unions criticized Emmanuel Macron, the president, after he said the shooting was “unsustainable”.
Britain The Court of Appeal ruled that the government’s controversial policy of sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda was illegal, finding that Rwanda was not a safe third country. The case could now go to the High Court.
America’s Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an unclassified report on its origins covid 19 in China. The long-awaited study found no evidence that the virus escaped from a laboratory, but concluded that there are both laboratory-related leaks and transfer from animals to humans at a market still alive in a plausible explanation. He also said that American intelligence agency does not believe that covid was developed as a biological weapon.
The UNthe first independent inspector to visit an American prison at Guantánamo Bay he said the other 30 men held there faced harsh and degrading treatment. Some prisoners were held without trial for over 21 years.
At the same time, the UN reported that 1,095 civilians were killed in Afghanistan since the withdrawal of the remaining American troops in August 2021. Most of the deaths were caused by explosive devices.
Australia the defense minister visited the Solomon Islands to discuss security and other regional issues. Australia has a long relationship with the Pacific island nation. The visit came shortly before Prime Minister Solomons was scheduled to visit China, which has increased its investment and cooperation with the islands.
Planting seeds
In a surprising result, Bernardo Arévalo, the candidate of the anti-corruption party Semilla (Seed), came second in the first round of Guatemala presidential election. He will face former Conservative first lady Sandra Torres in a runoff in August. Mr. Arévalo’s demonstration has fueled hopes that Guatemala could reverse its recent slide toward authoritarianism. But 17% of voters spoiled their votes to show their displeasure, more than voted for any single candidate.
New Ideas, party of El Salvador’s the authoritarian president, Nayib Bukele, announced that he had registered to run in 2024 for a second five-year term, even though the constitution appears to prohibit re-election. Mr. Bukele has an approval rating of over 80%.
Brazil The main electoral court started a trial of the former president, Jair Bolsonaro, on allegations that he spread false information about the voting system. Mr Bolsonaro, who lost an election to Luis Inácio Lula da Silva last year, had said Brazil’s electronic voting machines were at risk of fraud. If the court finds against Mr Bolsonaro it could prevent him from holding political office.
Olivia Chow beat more than 100 contestants to become its mayor Toronto. A former member of parliament from the left-wing New Democratic Party, she replaces John Tory, a Tory who resigned after admitting she had an affair with an employee. Ms. Chow, an immigrant from Hong Kong, is the first non-white mayor of a Canadian city.
Electoral officers in Sierra Leone that Julius Maada Bio, the incumbent, had won 56% of the vote in the presidential election. Viewers questioned the result.
The UN they were expected to vote to end a peacekeeping mission with 13,000 in Mali after the Malian government ordered them to leave as soon as possible. The blue helmets have been helping to conquer a country with jihadists.
At least 11 people were killed in Russian strikes on the rebel-held region of Idlib in Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights it was the deadliest attack in Russia this year.
In Israel Ehud Barak, a former prime minister, and Yair Golan, a leftist member of the Knesset, are to be investigated by an official task force set up by Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister. Both men have been criticizing the government’s plans to reform the judiciary.
The hajj, the annual pilgrimage that every able-bodied Muslim must complete at least once in his life, has begun in Saudi Arabia. This is the first time since the pandemic that it has operated at full capacity. More than 2.5m pilgrims are expected.
