Friday,  June 3rd, 2022 

Two Reuters journalists are injured and their driver is killed after their vehicle is attacked while travelling to Sievierodonetsk. The perpetrators have not been identified. (Times of Israel) 

United States health officials say that 1,200 doses of the smallpox vaccine have been administered for patients considered at a high-risk for monkeypox. (CNN) 

Estonia‘s coalition agreement collapses as the junior coalition partner, the Centre Party, joins the far-right EKRE in defeating a government bill on primary education, and is subsequently expelled by Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Kallas is expected to form a coalition with two other parties, Isamaa and the Social Democrats. (Reuters) 

Germany‘s Bundestag approves a constitutional amendment that enshrines €100 billion in military spending. The amendment must now pass the Bundesrat. (AFP via France 24) 

The U.S. state of New York passes a partial two-year cryptocurrency mining ban for cryptocurrency mined from fossil fuel power plants. (Politico) 

The Special Olympics lift their COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the upcoming Special Olympics USA event in Orlando, Florida, after Governor Ron DeSantis urged them to do so or face threats of a $27.5 million fine. (Florida Politics) 

Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 

Ukrainian officials say that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have recaptured 20 settlements in Kherson Oblast. (VOA) 

U.S. President Joe Biden agrees to provide Ukraine with long-range rocket artillery systems after Ukraine reportedly gave “assurances” that they will not use the missile systems to strike Russian cities. The weapons systems are a part of a new $700 million weapons package to Ukraine that will also include ammunition, counter-fire radars, a number of air surveillance radars, and additional Javelin anti-tank missiles. (Reuters) 

Russia says the U.S. decision to supply advanced long-range rocket systems and munitions to Ukraine could “widen the conflict”, and also risks “direct confrontation” with Russia, accusing the United States of “purposefully and diligently adding fuel to the fire”. (Reuters) 

It is announced that the United Kingdom will send M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion. (Euro Weekly News) 

Germany says that it will send the IRIS-T air defence missile system to Ukraine following a request from Ukraine for heavy weapons. (Reuters) 

Sweden announces that it will send additional military aid to Ukraine, including anti-ship missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, and rifles for the Ukrainian Ground Forces. (Reuters) 

Taiwan imposes an export ban of all modern computer chips to Russia and Belarus, as well as any technology and equipment used to manufacture them. (Taiwan News) 

The United Nations formally recognizes the new official name of Türkiye following an official request from Turkey to change its name. Turkish state broadcaster TRT says that the name change is primarily to avoid association with the bird of the same name. (BBC News) 

The platinum jubilee for UK Queen Elizabeth II commences at the The Mall in London. (BBC) 

Bavarian authorities say they will release all their unpublished files about the Munich massacre. (AP) 

Six African countries, on Zimbabwe’s initiative, agree to restart trade in ivory as the population of elephants soars beyond sustainable levels. (OCCRP) 

Scientists from the University of Western Australia announce that a seagrass meadow of the species Posidonia australis covering 200 square kilometres (77 sq mi), approximately three times the size of Manhattan, found off of Western Australia’s Shark Bay actually belongs to one plant, making it the largest known plant on Earth. (BBC News) 

Ukrainian officials say that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have recaptured 20 settlements in Kherson Oblast. (VOA) 

Sweden announces that it will send additional military aid to Ukraine, including anti-ship missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, and rifles for the Ukrainian Ground Forces. (Reuters) 

Russia blocks access to the Finnish, Russian and English websites of Finnish state broadcaster Yle on the orders of the Prosecutor-General of Russia. (Yle) 

Three civilians are killed after Russian forces shell the Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery. (Ukrayinska Pravda via Yahoo! News) 

The United Nations formally recognizes the new official name of Türkiye following an official request from Turkey to change its name. Turkish state broadcaster TRT says that the name change is primarily to avoid association with the bird of the same name. (BBC News) 

Turkey announces a planned military operation to seize control of the Syrian cities of Tal Rifaat and Manbij from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. (Al Jazeera) 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan cancels high-level talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accusing Mitsotakis of consistently using Greek jets to violate Turkey’s airspace. Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had also accused Greece of violating the airspace of demilitarized zones in the Aegean Sea yesterday. (Al Jazeera) 

The European Commission formally approves, by a majority vote, Poland’s plan for the usage of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility funds. Although the money will not be immediately available for use, the plan must go through approval in the European Council, and any future funding requests in that mechanism will also be subject to the approval of other member states. The acceptance was previously withheld due to the Commission’s concerns about the rule of law in the country, and in particular Poland’s non-compliance with the ruling of the European Court of Justice that ordered the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court disbanded. (Rzeczpospolita) (Politico) 

The platinum jubilee for UK Queen Elizabeth II commences at the The Mall in London. (BBC) 

Bavarian authorities say they will release all their unpublished files about the Munich massacre. (AP) 

Comair, a South African franchisee for British Airways, suspends all flights after the company announced that it has run out of funds. Budget airline kulula.com, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comair, has also suspended all flights. (Al Jazeera) 

Exit polls show that around two-thirds of Danes voted to have Denmark join the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy, ending Denmark’s 30-year policy of opting out. (Al Jazeera) 

At least five people, including the perpetrator, are killed in a mass shooting at a clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. (CNN) 

Actor Johnny Depp wins a defamation lawsuit against ex-wife, actress Amber Heard. (BBC News) 

Canada announces that it will temporarily decriminalize possession of less than 2.5 grams total of MDMA, opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine in the province of British Columbia, in order to allow for the province to launch a three-year trial of drug decriminalization and treatments. (BBC News) 

The End