Morning Briefing: May 30, 2023

Anadolu’s recap of top stories from around the globe

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including the latest clashes in northern Kosovo, congratulatory messages on the Turkish president’s reelection, and China’s refusal to hold talks with the US.

TOP STORIES

Tensions grip Kosovo as Serb protestors, police clash

Violent clashes erupted between police and Serb protesters in northern Kosovo, resulting in injuries to 25 NATO troops who were assisting security forces.

The clashes were a result of unrest when Serb protestors on Monday attempted to bar newly elected Albanian mayors from entering municipal buildings, forcing police to fire tear gas shells to disperse them.

Police in Kosovo announced that five people were detained. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic claimed that a police officer first opened fire on Serbs.

World leaders phone Erdogan to extend congratulations

Presidents and prime ministers of several countries spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the phone, congratulating him on his reelection.

US President Joe Biden and Erdogan expressed commitment to work together. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to strengthen ties between Moscow and Ankara.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as leaders of Ukraine, France and Pakistan congratulated Erdogan on his victory. In a phone call, both Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Erdogan agreed to appoint ambassadors and advance relations.

China declines US request for defense chiefs meeting

China rejected a request by the US for a meeting between their defense chiefs on the sidelines of an annual security forum in Singapore, Pentagon Spokesman Patrick Ryder told Anadolu.

Ryder emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the militaries of the two countries to ensure that competition does not turn into conflict.

Since 2021, China has declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests for engagements and dialogues, said another officer.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou dissolved the new parliament and announced fresh elections set for June 25, local media reported on Monday.

Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a fiive-day cease-fire extension to provide more time for humanitarian work to be carried out, the US and Saudi Arabia announced.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva welcomed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday, marking Maduro's first visit to Brazil since 2015 in a bid to revive strained relations.

Nigeria swore in Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th president of Africa's largest democracy, during an elaborate ceremony attended by 5,000 dignitaries from around the world.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to dissolve the government and set elections for July 23, after the ruling party lost leadership of several regional governments in local elections.

Evacuation orders were issued as an out-of-control wildfire threatened to engulf thousands of homes in Halifax, the capital of the Canadian east coast province of Nova Scotia.

France is ready to ban Twitter if it pulls out of the voluntary code to fight disinformation, warned the country's minister for digital transition and telecommunications.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that his country's armed forces are capable of responding to the possible transfer of US fighter jets to Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia said it had executed two Bahraini men on charges of plotting terrorist acts.

Aiming to expand space exploration, China will launch a spacecraft to send three astronauts on Tuesday, marking the fifth manned expedition to the Chinese space station since 2021, the country’s space agency said on Monday.

SPORTS

World No 3 Djokovic advances to 2nd round after beating Kovacevic

Novak Djokovic beat Aleksandar Kovacevic in straight sets to ease into the second round of the French Open on Monday.

The Serbian World No. 3 defeated American Kovacevic 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 on Court Philippe Chatrier in Paris.

The 2023 French Open kicked off on Sunday and will run through June 11.

Mauricio Pochettino new head coach of Chelsea

Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed the new head coach of Chelsea, the English Premier League club announced on Monday.

He will take the helm of the Blues on July 1 until July 2025. The 51-year-old bagged the 2020-21 French Cup and 2021-22 French Ligue 1 trophies with Paris Saint-Germain.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

China’s environmental quality improves but challenges persist: Report

China's environment continued to see improvement in the last year but still faces challenges related to stability, said an official report released Monday.

China's 339 cities on average enjoyed 86.5% of days of good air quality in 2022, surpassing the country's goal by 0.9 percentage points, according to China Environment Report 2022 published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE).