July 1, 2022

Daily News Brief

*) Missile strikes leaves many dead in Ukraine's Odessa Seventeen people have been killed in missile strikes on an apartment building and recreation centre in southern Ukraine's Odessa region, authorities said. Fourteen were killed and 30 wounded in the strike on a nine-storey apartment block, the emergency services said on Telegram. Odessa military administration spokesperson said the missiles were fired by aircraft that flew in from the Black Sea. Greece says Türkiye has 'reasonable concerns' on terrorism Türkiye has legitimate concerns about terrorism, the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, telling media at the NATO summit that Ankara "paid a heavy price". He said Türkiye has some reasonable concerns when it comes to the issue of terrorism perpetrated by organisations like PKK or YPG. “Türkiye has paid a heavy price for such terrorist acts," Mitsotakis told a press conference at the summit in Madrid. *) China's Xi swears in new Hong Kong chief on its handover anniversary Chinese President Xi Jinping has officiated the swearing-in ceremony of Hong Kong's new leader John Lee as the city marked the 25th anniversary of its return from Britain to China. Xi said Hong Kong's "true democracy" started after the city's handover to China from colonial Britain 25 years ago. He said after reuniting with the motherland, Hong Kong's people became the masters of their own city. *) Anti-coup protests turn deadly in Sudan as thousands take to streets Four Sudanese demonstrators have been killed with thousands of anti-coup protesters taking to the streets demanding an end to the military rule. Protesters urged the reversal of the October military coup by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan that prompted foreign governments to slash aid, deepening an economic crisis. Security forces were reported to have fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse demonstrations. And finally… *) N. Korea suggests balloons flown from South brought Covid-19 North Korea has suggested its Covid-19 outbreak began in people who had contact with balloons flown from South Korea. Activists for years have flown balloons across the border to distribute hundreds of thousands of propaganda leaflets critical of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un South Korea’s Unification Ministry said there was no chance South Korean balloons might have spread the virus to North Korea.