Rabia Ali
18 July 2023•Update: 18 July 2023
ISTANBUL
Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday including Turkish President Erdogan's visit to Saudi Arabia, Moscow's suspension of the grain deal, extreme heat in Europe, and a warning by Russia's leader.
TOP STORIES
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed a series of significant agreements on Monday, covering various sectors from investments to the defense industry, energy, and communications.
The deals were signed after delegation meetings led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi city of Jeddah. The two had met earlier for private meeting following Erdogan's arrival as part of a three-day Gulf tour to strengthen ties. He will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Russia has suspended the Black Sea grain deal, the Kremlin declared on Monday.
"The Black Sea agreements ceased to be valid today," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Russia would return to the deal as soon as parts related to its interests are fulfilled.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia's decision was "unconscionable," adding the initiative "should be restored as quickly as possible."
The NATO chief on Monday decried Russia's decision to pull out from the deal despite Türkiye's mediation efforts to secure an extension past its July 17 exipiration date.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia of "putting the global food security at risk" and called the move irresponsible.
Extreme heat waves are expected to continue affecting many countries in Europe in the coming few weeks.
Spain, Italy, and Greece are among the countries most affected by the current surge in temperatures broiling Europe.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Monday that new temperature records could be recorded as intense heat waves grip the southern US, Mediterranean, North Africa, Middle East, and some countries in Asia. The WMO said in a statement that some nations may also break national temperature records.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his Defense Ministry was preparing "appropriate proposals" in response to an explosion earlier in the day at the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.
The Russian leader further said he was waiting for officials to submit specific proposals to improve the bridge's security, which he called a "strategic, important transport facility."
Blaming Ukraine for "another terrorist act," he urged officials to quickly repair the damaged portion of the bridge.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Türkiye continues to battle forest fires in its western, southern provinces as several have broken out in nation's coastal regions.
- Millions of sensitive US military emails have been accidentally sent to Mali for years due to a typo, a report said Monday. The emails were misdirected because people typed in ".ML," the domain for Mali, instead of the US military's ".MIL" domain name used for emails.
- UK residents staged a protest Monday over the government's proposed anti-immigration law and government officials' statements targeting migrants.
- China on Monday opposed Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te's planned stopover in the US next month, saying it was firmly against any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region.
- Funding cuts forced the World Food Program (WFP) to slash food assistance by 25% in crisis-hit Haiti, a UN spokesman announced on Monday, in a move that could affect 100,000 of the most vulnerable locals.
- EU countries received a record number of asylum applications in 2022, according to a report elaborating that in addition to 4 million who fled Ukraine, applications for international protection increased to almost 1M, says senior official.
- The death toll associated with a starvation cult in Kenya has now surpassed 400 as authorities uncovered more bodies in 40 recently discovered mass graves.
SPORTS
Real Madrid closed the 2022-2023 financial year with €12 million ($13.4 million) in profit, the Spanish football powerhouse confirmed on Monday.
In a statement, Real Madrid said the Whites' revenue for the last season — excluding player transfers — has "reached €843 million," which was 17% more than the previous year.
The club's income in the 2021-2022 financial year was €721.5 million.
Mexico claimed a 1-0 victory against Panama on Monday to win the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup — their ninth so far.
In a counterattack, Santiago Gimenez put the ball into the net to net the game's sole goal after dribbling past the opponent's defender in minute 88 at the SoFi Stadium in California.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup, which was founded in 1991, is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). It is held every two years.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Saudi Arabia has invited Turkish companies to take part in the country's Vision 2030 initiative, said Investment Minister Khalid Bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih at a one-day forum hosting Turkish and Saudi ministers in Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia plans to make an investment worth $3.3 trillion in the Vision 2030 program, he noted, adding that there would be strong opportunities for Turkish companies.
As South Africa faces its worst electricity crises in decades, the country's minister in charge of electricity apologized on Monday for the recent increase in power outages during the current winter season.
With several daily blackouts, power utility Eskom, which generates over 90% of the nation's electricity, has struggled to meet demand. The minister apologized for the disruption the outages have caused for homes and businesses.
