Morning Briefing: June 21, 2024

ISTANBUL

Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including Russia’s president saying his country is ready for peace talks with Ukraine at any time and place, the White House saying the Israeli prime minister’s "incorrect" allegations of the US withholding weapons deliveries are "vexing," and a report that a senior UN official is concerned over the number of executions in Iran.

TOP STORIES

• Putin says Russia ready for peace talks with Ukraine at any time, place

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is ready for peace talks with Ukraine at any time and place.

Speaking at a news conference in Vietnam's capital Hanoi that was live-streamed on the Kremlin website, Putin said he expected that the West would oppose his peace initiative on Ukraine.

He questioned why Russia's proposal was called "unrealistic" while no one criticized in the same way Ukraine's "ultimatum" containing conditions unacceptable for Moscow.

• White House says Netanyahu's 'incorrect' allegations of US withholding weapons are 'vexing'

The White House rebuffed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying his "incorrect" claims that the US is withholding weapons deliveries are "vexing" the administration.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the allegations by Netanyahu on Tuesday "were deeply disappointing and certainly vexing to us, given the amount of support that we have and will continue to provide Prime Minister Netanyahu."

Asked why Netanyahu would make such claims, Kirby said: "You'd have to talk to the prime minister about what prompted him to do that."

• UN human rights official concerned over number of executions in Iran: Report

A senior UN official is concerned over the number of executions in Iran, which rose by more than 40% over the course of a year in 2023, according to a report presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"According to information received, at least 834 individuals were executed in 2023, representing a 43% increase from the previous year," said Nada Al-Nashif, deputy high commissioner for human rights, as she presented Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' report on human rights in Iran.

"Especially troubling is the 84% increase in executions for drug-related offenses in 2023, the highest figure in nearly a decade," she added.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The EU agreed on a 14th package of sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine, which has continued for more than two years.
• The Israeli army released 33 Palestinian detainees from the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.
• Just Stop Oil activists broke into London Stansted Airport, spraying private jets orange and demanding a treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
• Six Israeli soldiers were injured in clashes in the last 24 hours, including three in the Gaza Strip, military figures showed.
• China and Malaysia have agreed to launch a bilateral dialogue to resolve maritime disputes and maintain peace and stability in the disputed South China Sea, said a joint statement by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
• North Korea and Russia vowed to provide each other military assistance "without delay" if either is attacked by a third country, in under a new partnership agreement signed after a summit between the two countries' leaders.
• Global health has become "geopolitical," France's president said, stressing the importance of cooperation in this area.
• Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew his candidacy for NATO chief in support of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s bid for the same position, the President’s Office announced.
• Sixty-three UN members warned against the "malicious use of cyberspace," saying money got through the darknet and cryptocurrency theft has international ramifications and can be used to fund terrorist networks and develop nuclear weapons.
• Hamas is drafting a legal memorandum to counter what it says are unfounded accusations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against three of its top leaders, the Palestinian resistance group said.
• More than 4,100 metric tons (4,519 US tons) of humanitarian aid have been delivered via a floating pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip since becoming operational on May 17, the Pentagon said.
• The Israeli army claimed that it killed a Hezbollah field commander in an airstrike on Deir Kifa town in the district of Tyre, southern Lebanon.
• A UN official expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and called on Israel to allow aid delivery.
• Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida survived a no-confidence motion over controversial political funds control legislation.
• South Korea said it will reconsider the issue of arms supply to Ukraine after arch-rival North Korea and Russia signed a new partnership treaty.

SPORTS

• England held to 1-1 draw with Denmark in EURO 2024

England were held to a 1-1 draw with Denmark in Group C of EURO 2024.

Harry Kane scored the opener at Frankfurt Arena to give England the lead in the 18th minute, but Morten Hjulmand made a classy long-range shot to level in the 34th minute.

It was a scoreless second half and the match ended in a tie.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• S&P 500 climbs above 5,500 record high for 1st time in history

The S&P 500 climbed above the 5,500 record-high level for the first time in history as US stocks opened Thursday with gains.

The S&P 500 added 17 points, or 0.31%, to 5,504 at 9.47 a.m. EDT (1347GMT). The Nasdaq gained 63 points, or 0.35%, to 17,925.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile, increased 106 points, or 0.27%, to 38,941.

• European Central Bank can gradually loosen monetary policy stance: IMF

The European Central Bank (ECB) can gradually loosen its monetary policy stance at a pace that depends on incoming macroeconomic data, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.

"The projected disinflation path and balanced risks around it—based on current information—imply that interest rates can be gradually lowered to reach a neutral stance—consistent with a terminal policy rate of around 2.5 percent—by the end of the third quarter of 2025," it said in Euro Area: IMF Staff Concluding Statement of the 2024 Mission on Common Policies for Member Countries.

"Continued, gradual monetary easing would achieve a balance between keeping inflation expectations anchored and avoiding an overly restrictive policy stance," it added.