This roundup summarises the most important news stories around the world in the last month (July 2023).

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As war in Ukraine grinds on, Russia announced its suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative – brokered by the United Nations – which had allowed Ukraine to safely ship grains through the Black Sea, thereby risking instability of global food prices. Separately, Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (UK) launched a case at the International Court of Justice over the downing of a Ukrainian flight in January 2020 by Iran.

Sweden is also set to join the intergovernmental military alliance NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), after Turkey agreed to support its bid. NATO also said Ukraine would be offered an invitation to join the alliance, but a timeline was not specified.

Electoral contestation

In Cambodia, in mostly unopposed elections, the ruling party won a landslide victory. In Spain, parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament, with no clear coalition winner. And in the Netherlands, after parties of the ruling coalition failed to reach an agreement on immigration policy, the government collapsed, and prime minister Mark Rutte resigned. Mr. Rutte announced that he would not contest in the next election.

Relatedly, in Guatemala, the top party with an anti-corruption candidate was suspended by a prosecutor. And in Thailand, the prime minister announced that he will not seek re-election and will retire from politics. Allies of the military junta had also rejected the recent electoral results by rejecting the top opposition candidate for prime minister.

Geopolitical and political developments

Geopolitically, in Iraq, the Swedish ambassador was kicked out, following a controversy over Sweden allowing an Iraqi refugee to burn the Quran during anti-Islam protests outside a mosque in Stockholm. Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad had been stormed amid protests. In the Middle East too, Israel launched a sweeping offensive in the West Bank city of Jenin – the largest military operation in the area in more than a decade – resulting in the death of at least 11 Palestinians. Later, eight in Tel Aviv were injured in a car ramming and stabbing attack.

Separately, the Israeli parliament passed a contentious law which limited the judicial power of the supreme court to overturn decisions made by government ministers.

Politically, in China, foreign minister Qin Gang was removed from office after being missing from public view since June. In Niger, a coup was initiated by soldiers – later supported by the military – who stormed the presidential palace and ousted the president from power. And in North Korea, an American soldier crossed into the country without authorisation and is in custody.

In other news

In the United States (US), for the first time in over six decades, two guilds – representing Hollywood writers and actors – are striking at the same time. Among other concerns, they are concerned about the development of and threats posed by artificial intelligence and technology. And in New Zealand, on the eve of the Women’s World Cup, two were killed in a shooting.

There was/were a mass shooting or violent attacks (China, India, US), gas leak (South Africa), traffic accidents and crashes (Algeria, UK, US), fire (Italy), infrastructure collapse (Brazil, Greece, Thailand), election clashes (India), plane or helicopter crash (Nepal, US), boat capsized or sinking (Indonesia, the Philippines), as well as explosions (Pakistan, Thailand).

Besides these man-made disasters, there were torrential rain, floods, landslides, or mudslides (China, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea).