Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is on a tour of African capitals, making the case that Moscow is not the aggressor in Ukraine nor the cause of the resulting food crisis, which has hit the continent hard.
Driving the news: Lavrov was in Congo-Brazzaville Monday and will visit Uganda Tuesday and Ethiopia on Wednesday, where he'll also hold meetings at African Union headquarters.
The United Kingdom will host Eurovision 2023 after it was determined that Ukraine, the winner of this year's song contest, could not put on the event due to security concerns over Russia's ongoing invasion.
What they're saying: "We know that next year’s contest will showcase the creativity and skill of one of Europe’s most experienced public broadcasters [the BBC] whilst ensuring this year’s winners, Ukraine, are celebrated and represented throughout the event," Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision Song Contest’s executive supervisor, said in a statement Monday.
Pope Francis publicly apologized on Monday for the Catholic Church's role in the "evil" that generations of Indigenous children suffered at Canadian residential schools.
Driving the news: "I have come to your native lands, to tell you in person of my sorrow, to implore God's forgiveness, healing and reconciliation, to express my closeness and to pray with you and for you," Francis said Monday.
Myanmar's military junta has executed four democracy activists, including a former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, state media announced Monday following a trial condemned by the United Nations and rights groups.
The big picture: The killings of former National League for Democracy lawmaker Phyo Zayar Thaw, pro-democracy leader Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Ko Jimmy, and two other activists mark the first judicial executions in Myanmar since 1988, according to the U.N. The executions were swiftly condemned worldwide.
Russia’s Gazprom said Monday it will halt another turbine engine in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline this week, which will further reduce natural gas flows to Germany.
Why it matters: The halt, which will reduce natural gas flows to only 20% of the pipeline's capacity starting July 27, comes just days after Gazprom resumed sending gas to Europe after a 10-day shutdown for maintenance.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Threats from China shouldn't stop U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from visiting Taiwan, analysts on the self-governing island say.
Why it matters: The news of Pelosi's potential trip to Taiwan has sparked heated rhetoric from Beijing and concerns among Biden administration officials that the dispute could spiral into a cross-strait crisis.
Pope Francis arrived in Canada on Sunday for what he called a "penitential pilgrimage" addressing the Catholic Church's role in the abuse of generations of Indigenous children at Canadian residential schools.
What he's saying: "This is a trip of penance. Let's say that is its spirit," the pope told reporters Sunday, per Reuters.
A boat carrying people believed to be Haitian migrants capsized off the coast of the Bahamas early Sunday, killing at least 17 people, Bahamian officials said.
Driving the news: The boat capsized in rough seas seven miles off of New Providence, Bahamas, at about 1am on Sunday. Officials said they believe the boat was headed for Miami.
Moldova Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita told CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS” in an interview that aired Sunday her country, which borders Ukraine, fears a possible Russian invasion.
What they're saying: “We are worried, of course. This is a risk, it’s a hypothetical scenario for now, but if the military actions move further into the southwestern part of Ukraine and toward Odesa," Gavrilita said.
The U.S. identified two American volunteer soldiers killed recently in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region as Luke Lucyszyn and Bryan Young, CBS News reports.
The big picture: Lucyszyn and Young were part of a special operations force in the Ukrainian army that was stationed near Siversk, a town that has been the target for Russian forces, their Ukrainian commander, Ruslan Miroshnichenko, told Politico.
China's military has become significantly more aggressive and dangerous in the past five years, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley told reporters Sunday, AP reported.
Driving the news: Milley is currently on a trip to the Indo-Pacific to shore up the U.S.' alliances with nations in the region and act as a counterbalance to China. He was in Indonesia on Sunday and will head to Australia this week to meet with Indo-Pacific chiefs of defense, per AP.
