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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Prosecuting ousted President Bazoum on treason charges over his dealings with foreign leaders and organizations would be “unwarranted and unjustified,” the U.S. State Department said yesterday. The junta that seized power has threatened to prosecute Bazoum “for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger,” junta spokesperson Col. Amadou Abdramane said over the weekend. Matt Berg reports for POLITICO.
Javier Milei, a far-right libertarian candidate who proposed abolishing the central bank and adopting the dollar, won Argentina’s open presidential primary election over the weekend. Milei, who embraces comparisons to former President Trump, secured 30 percent of the primary vote. Argentina will hold a general election in October. Jack Nicas, Natalie Alcoba and Lucía Cholakian Herrera report for the New York Times.
China stopped publishing youth unemployment figures after figures for June showed a record high of more than 20% in urban areas. China’s central bank also cut the cost of borrowing today to help boost growth. Mariko Oi and Nick Marsh report for BBC News.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for a sharp increase in weapons production to be “fully prepared for coping with any war at any moment.” In recent weeks, North Korea has become increasingly vocal about its weapons production and military strength. Dasl Yoon reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Hundreds of young Taliban soldiers have crossed into Pakistan illegally to fight alongside an insurgent group, leaving a peaceful Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power from the U.S.-backed government two years ago. Many fighters are determined to continue waging jihad, raising fears about violent extremism spilling out of Afghanistan. The Taliban leadership has publicly condemned the outflow of fighters. Christina Goldbaum reports for the New York Times.
The U.K.’s foreign ministry over the weekend warned citizens going to Sweden of possible terrorist attacks following Quran burnings by anti-Islam activists. The updated travel advice indicated that Swedish authorities have successfully disrupted some planned attacks and made arrests. Reuters reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Three people have been killed in Russian airstrikes targetting the west of Ukraine. A kindergarten, residential block, and industrial plant were hit. Niha Masih and Annabelle Timsit report for the Washington Post.
Two Russians accused of spreading propaganda for the paramilitary organization Wagner group in Poland have been arrested and charged with spying, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said yesterday. The two individuals gave out roughly 300 leaflets in Krakow and Warsaw. “In total, they were to receive up to 500,000 roubles ($4,930) for the commissioned tasks,” the Interior Minister said. Reuters reports.
Russia’s central bank will hold an extraordinary meeting today to discuss interest rates after the rouble fell to its weakest point in over 16 months. The currency slid past the psychologically important level of 100 roubles to the dollar yesterday. Pjotr Sauer reports for the Guardian.
U.S. RELATIONS
The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, was granted access to detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich yesterday. The meeting is the third since his detention on spying charges in March. Ann M. Simmons reports for the Wall Street Journal.
The upcoming summit between U.S., South Korean, and Japanese leaders at Camp David will “set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation,” South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said today. According to two senior Biden administration officials, the leaders are expected to expand military cooperation on ballistic missile defenses and technology development. Hyung-Jin Kim reports for AP News.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS – TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump has been charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia. In a 98-page indictment made public yesterday, prosecutors listed 41 charges against 19 defendants. Trump denies all 13 charges, including racketeering and election meddling. Kayla Epstein and Madeline Halpert report for BBC News.
Nineteen defendants, including Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, and John Eastman, have been named in the indictment concerning the alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia. Andy Sullivan, Jacqueline Thomsen, and Joseph Ax report for Reuters.
Read the full indictment against former President Trump concerning his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia, as reported by the Washington Post.
New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan handling the hush money criminal case against former President Trump, has refused to recuse himself. “This Court has examined its conscience and is certain in its ability to be fair and impartial,” Merchan concluded. Trump’s attorneys unsuccessfully argued Merchan’s “role in a prior case encouraging Allen Weisselberg [Trump’s former chief financial officer] to cooperate against President Trump” and Merchan’s possible campaign contributions and his daughter’s financial interests created an actual or perceived conflict of interest. Adam Reiss, Tom Winter, Jonathan Dienst, and Summer Concepcion report for NBC News.
OTHER DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Biden administration urged the Supreme Court yesterday to decide whether the Constitution allows Florida and Texas to stop large social media companies from removing posts based on the views they express. Florida and Texas have said social media companies are engaged in censorship, citing the ban on former President Trump’s social media account as an example. The First Amendment protects Social media companies’ content-moderation activities, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote. Adam Liptak reports for the New York Times.
District Judge Kathy Seeley yesterday ruled that Montana must do more to protect the state and its residents from climate change, invalidating laws prohibiting state agencies from considering the effects of greenhouse-gas emissions. The case was brought by more than a dozen Montana youths aged between two and 18 when filed in March 2020. The ruling allows Montana officials to consider climate impacts in future policy decisions. Mariah Timms reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Six former Mississippi police officers pleaded guilty yesterday to all state charges stemming from the torture and abuse of two Black men this year after they pleaded guilty to federal charges earlier this month. The two victims alleged the officers illegally entered their home and handcuffed, kicked, waterboarded, and tased them and attempted to sexually assault them for almost two hours until one of the defendants put a gun in one victim’s mouth and shot him. Dakin Andone reports for CNN.
The United States has seen a record increase in homelessness this year, with figures up roughly 11% from 2022, the biggest recorded increase since the government started tracking comparable numbers in 2007. Several factors have caused the increase, including rising housing costs, lack of affordable rental units, and the opioid crisis. Jon Kamp and Shannon Najmabadi report for the Wall Street Journal.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys have argued that part of the plea deal sparing him prosecution on a felony gun charge is still valid, even though the agreement largely unraveled during a court appearance last month. Prosecutors “reneging” on the deal should be bound by the terms of the agreement, attorney Christopher Clark said in court filings on Sunday. Lindsay Whitehurst reports for AP News.
The Navy, Army, and Marine Corps do not have Senate-confirmed heads for the first time because Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has blocked the confirmations of over 300 senior military officers. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin yesterday said the blockade is “unprecedented, it is unnecessary, and it is unsafe.” Miranda Nazzaro reports for The Hill.