Monday Sunrise Briefing: G-7 touts democracy over autocracy
During their three-day summit in England, the G-7 leaders sought to convey that the club of wealthy democracies - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States 鈥� is a better friend to poorer nations than authoritarian rivals (i.e. China and Russia).听Summit nations staked their claim Sunday to leading the world out of the pandemic, pledging more than 1 billion vaccine doses to poorer nations, and vowing to help developing countries grow while fighting climate change. The G-7 鈥淏uild Back Better鈥� plan promises financing for infrastructure 鈥� 鈥渇rom railways in Africa to wind farms in Asia鈥� 鈥� to help speed up the global shift to renewable energy. The plan is a response to China鈥檚 鈥渂elt and road鈥� initiative. A Chinese official responded: 鈥淭he days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone.鈥�
2. Leadership shift.听Israel's parliament cast a historic vote on Sunday ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure as prime minister. Naftali Bennett became prime minister, promising to try to heal a divided nation. Mr. Bennett will preside over a fragile coalition of eight parties, including conservative factions, centrists, and an Arab party, the first ever in an Israeli government.听The vote ended a two-year cycle of political paralysis in which the country held four deadlocked elections. To his supporters, Mr. Netanyahu is a global statesman uniquely capable of leading the country through its many security challenges. But to his critics, he has become an autocratic leader who used divide-and-rule tactics to aggravate the many rifts in Israeli society, and they question his fitness to remain in office while on trial for corruption charges.
3. Grace, power, and consistency on clay. Tennis star Novak Djokovict won the French Open for the second time on Sunday while notching his 19th Grand Slam title overall - one away from the men's record shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After losing the first two sets, he said there was a voice inside telling him: 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 do it, that it鈥檚 done, it鈥檚 finished,鈥� he told reporters after the match. He decided to take charge. 鈥淚 told myself, 'I can do it.' Encouraged myself. I strongly started to repeat that inside of my mind, tried to live it with my entire being.鈥澨齌o get to the finals, Djokovic had to eliminate 13-time French Open champion Nadal - a challenge the Serb likened to scaling Mt. Everest -听 in a semifinal that lasted more than four hours Friday night.听Djokovic is now one of three men 鈥� alongside Rod Laver and Roy Emerson 鈥� to have won each major tennis tournament twice.听
Look Ahead
MONDAY, June 14
Friends and allies. U.S. President Joe听Biden and his NATO counterparts meet in Brussels to discuss China, Russia, and give a symbolic farewell to Afghanistan in their last summit before America completes pulling out its troops. Separately, Mr. Biden and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also expected to meet for the first time as heads of state.听
WEDNESDAY, June 16听
Fence-mending summit? Amid strained relations, President Biden and President Vladimir Putin meet in Geneva.听
Inflation watch.听Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to hold press conference at the conclusion of the Fed's two-day meeting.听
FRIDAY, June 18
Democracy undone?听Iran鈥檚 presidential elections are scheduled to be held. Conservative hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's judiciary chief, is the leading contender among seven candidates hand-picked by Iran's Guardian Council.听
SATURDAY, June 19.
Emancipation Day.The Juneteenth holiday commemorates the end of slavery听in the United States.听mark it as a state holiday or observance. Communities across the country celebrate it with food and festivities.听
Generosity Watch
Generosity can be a sound investment in the future.听But when Walter 鈥淲illie鈥� Green gave out free food from his BBQ restaurant last summer, he considered it his last hurrah, a fire sale. An estimated 110,000 restaurants went out of business during the pandemic. Mr. Green thought Uncle Willie鈥檚 Wings in Newark, N.J. was next.听
But that act of giving turned out to be an act of renewal.
Support came pouring in. Uncle Willie鈥檚 Wings then joined , a free meal delivery service program for those in need, and set up to help restaurants survive the pandemic. Participating restaurants were paid $10 for each meal delivered out of a $1 million grant from Audible. Mr. Green ramped up to deliver 1,000 meals a week. NBC鈥檚 Today Show got one of its sponsors, the Ford Motor Company, to give Mr. Green.听
The spirit of giving came full circle Saturday, a year later.
Mr. Green held another free BBQ event in a Newark parking lot, complete with bouncy castle, face-painting, and music. South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James honored Mr. Green for using his own resources to feed residents last year. 鈥淲e need to show ,鈥� said Mr. James, reported NJ.com.
Hidden Gem
Start your week with a recent story that inspired Monitor readers:
Underground counselors: The chaplains helping transit workers cope
Sneak preview
In tonight鈥檚 Daily Edition, watch for our story about听what it means to be a Southern Baptist, ahead of the annual conference.
Finally, check out the Monitor鈥檚 selected stories from Friday's subscription-only Daily Edition:
- How Iran鈥檚 crisis of confidence makes it less democratic
- Reporter鈥檚 notebook: How Biden鈥檚 5 predecessors fared on NATO stage
- Vaccine passports: Why Europe loves them and the US loathes them
- Inheritance, fairness, and the billionaire class
- Joy returns to theaters with 鈥業n the Heights
听If you value our constructive, uplifting approach to journalism, please consider听supporting our work by subscribing. Thank you!
