Daily News BriefJuly 28, 2023

Top of the Agenda Guterres: Hottest Month on Record Means ‘Global Boiling’ Has Arrived July is “virtually certain” to be the hottest month (WMO) in human history by a significant margin, scientists from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in an announcement yesterday. The month has already seen the hottest three days and highest ocean temperatures ever recorded. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned an era of “global boiling” rather than global warming has arrived (UN News) and said the year of burning heat must translate into accelerated action by states to curb emissions of heat-trapping gasses, as well as more vigorous efforts to bolster climate adaptation. Catastrophic heat waves and wildfires across North America, Asia, and Europe in recent weeks have underscored the changing temperature’s costs for human health. U.S. President Joe Biden said yesterday that extreme heat is costing the United States $100 billion (Bloomberg) per year and threatening lives and business, as he issued a hazard alert to ramp up heat-related protections for workers.

Analysis “Climate policy is not keeping pace with the acceleration of climate change,” Breakthrough Energy’s Ann Mettler tells Bloomberg. “[Shifting to clean energy], whatever that cost, would pale in comparison to what these extreme weather events cost.” “Climate change impacts like wildfires will affect readiness for the next war—from damaged installations to missed training to drained resources. To avoid the very worst security risks, nations should accelerate efforts to reduce harmful pollution that causes climate change,” CFR expert Alice C. Hill and CFR’s Tess Turner write in Just Security.   At this CFR Meeting, the Economist’s Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Jennifer Wilcox, CFR expert Alice C. Hill, and Material Impact’s Carmichael S. Roberts Jr. discuss the innovation that is necessary for climate solutions. CFR’s comprehensive coverage of climate challenges is available here.

Pacific Rim France’s Macron Visits Pacific Islands, Warns of ‘New Imperialism’ President Emmanuel Macron cautioned against “predatory big powers” in the Pacific on a visit to Vanuatu, the first by a French leader since the island gained independence from France in 1980. An analyst told the Financial Times he aims to distinguish France as an alternative partner to China or the United States, which have been deepening strategic ties in the region.  China/Hong Kong/U.S.: Beijing called on Washington (FT) to allow Hong Kong leader John KC Lee to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November hosted by the United States. The Washington Post has reported the White House will ban him due to sanctions over his involvement in Hong Kong’s protest crackdowns.

South and Central Asia U.S. Chip Firm Announces $400 Million Investment in India Advanced Micro Devices unveiled its pledge (Nikkei) at an Indian semiconductor conference. In a speech at the conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to make the country a “reliable” base for chips as India grows its manufacturing economy. For the Net Politics blog, Srishti Khemka discusses India’s prospects in the global semiconductor manufacturing race.  Afghanistan/Pakistan: Some Afghans who are eligible for resettlement in the United States  have been deported back to Afghanistan from Pakistan when U.S. visa applications were too slow to be processed, CNN reports.

Middle East and North Africa White House Officials Meet MBS to Talk Saudi-Israel Normalization The meeting in Jeddah with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed a potential normalization deal (Al-Monitor) in which Saudi Arabia is reportedly seeking security guarantees and support for a civilian nuclear program from the United States. Syria: More than four million Syrians have been put at risk after the UN Security Council failed to renew a humanitarian aid corridor earlier this month, the head of the International Rescue Committee told the Associated Press. He said the Security Council should “do its job” and reauthorize the border channel.

The World Next WeekCFR’s Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins discuss U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Australia, a cease-fire between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army, Thailand’s political face-off, and more.Listen Now

Sub-Saharan Africa African Leaders Press Putin to Resume Black Sea Grain Deal At a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, African leaders including Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin (Reuters) to rejoin the grain deal with Ukraine that he exited last week. Putin reacted by blaming the rising food prices affecting African countries on Western policies rather than Russia pulling out of the grain deal.   Niger: The head of Niger’s presidential guard Abdourahmane Tchiani appeared on state-run television today to declare that he was the country’s transitional leader (Al Jazeera) after a military overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum. For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR expert Michelle Gavin analyzes the Niger military’s efforts to seize power.

Europe Russian Legislature Advances Bill to Increase Conscription Age Men up to thirty would be required to enlist (The Guardian) if Putin signs the bill into law, a measure to widen the pool of eligible men to serve in Russia’s war in Ukraine. It comes as Ukraine’s counteroffensive intensifies in the south. Sweden: Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said demonstrators had filed new requests (Reuters) to protest at the site where a planned burning of the Quran prompted protests in Iraq last week. He said he was “extremely worried” about the consequences of these potential protests against the Quran.

AmericasWSJ: Brazil Denies U.S. Request to Extradite Russian Accused of Spying U.S. officials had been considering a possible prisoner exchange involving Russian Sergey Cherkasov, who is detained in Brazil, and imprisoned reporter Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reported.  Brazil/Saudi Arabia: Two Saudi firms bought a minority stake (FT) in the copper and nickel unit of Brazilian mining company Vale, valued at $26 billion, as Saudi Arabia makes a big push into the global mining industry to diversify its economy away from oil.

United States Regulators Unveil Plans to Raise Capital Requirements for Banks According to the draft rules, banks will be required to hold higher levels of capital (Bloomberg) to protect against financial system insecurities. The eight largest U.S. banks would have to increase capital holdings by around 19 percent. The reforms aim to prevent the kind of instability prompted earlier this year by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. In this In Brief, CFR’s Noah Berman discusses banking regulation in the United States.

Friday Editor’s PickVox points out a major global uptick in climate change lawsuits in recent years and their role in reaching a definition of universal climate rights amid a warming world.

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