Global forced displacement reaches record 110 million | Your Brief
According to UNHCR, at the end of 2022, 108.4 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations.
Early this morning, we analyzed 1073 news articles across 31 outlets and located the primary sources for the most important stories. Here's what's happening in the world today.
Ben Byrne, News Editor
Global forced displacement reaches record 110 million, UNHCR report says
On Wednesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released its annual report, ‘Global Trends in Forced Displacement 2022.’ According to UNHCR, the newly published figures show that “new outbreaks of conflict and an inability to resolve long-running crises have helped propel the number of people forced to flee their homes to a record 110 million.”
The report found that the most significant contributing factor was the ongoing war in Ukraine, while the eruption of violence in Sudan this April pushed the total further into “uncharted territory.”
According to the UNHCR’s statistics on forced displacement, the number of refugees worldwide increased from 27.1 million in 2021 to 35.3 million at the end of 2022 — “the largest yearly increase ever recorded.”
“We have 110 million people that have fled because of conflict, persecution, discrimination, violence — often mixed with other [factors] — in particular, the impact of climate change,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told reporters in Geneva. “It’s quite an indictment on the state of our world, if I may say, to have to report that.”
Biden vetoes congressional bill to roll back EPA’s heavy vehicle emissions rule
On Wednesday, President Biden announced his veto of a congressional resolution seeking to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s regulation on vehicle emissions control.
The rule amends the EPA’s heavy-duty emissions control program by tightening its standards, test procedures, and other requirements — to further reduce the air quality impacts of heavy-duty engines, according to the White House.
Biden stated that overturning the rule would result in “weaker emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles and engines,” adding that, ”If enacted, the resolution would squander $36 billion in benefits to society.”
“While millions of Americans were taking shelter to escape unhealthy wildfire smoke made worse by climate change, Congressional Republicans were pushing a bill to repeal the President’s efforts to make our air cleaner and safer,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in her Wednesday briefing.
At the same time, Sen. Deb Fischer criticized Biden for “choosing to prioritize his extreme environmental agenda over bipartisan pushback from Congress.”
Fischer wrote, “This veto is more than just a slap in the face to truckers, who transport nearly every consumer good.” She added that pushing the EPA regulations forward will also “raise prices for families already grappling with inflation.”
Fed pauses rate hikes, but expects future increases
The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday its decision to pause rate hikes, leaving the target range unchanged at 5-5.25% after June 13-14’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.
Fed officials remarked: “Inflation remains elevated. The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient. Tighter credit conditions for households and businesses are likely to weigh on economic activity, hiring, and inflation. The extent of these effects remains uncertain.”
The Fed added, “Holding the target range steady at this meeting allows the Committee to assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy.”
Since early last year, the FOMC has significantly tightened its monetary policy by raising interest rates by 5%. “We have covered a lot of ground, and the full effects of our tightening have yet to be felt,” said Fed Chair Jerome Powell. “Despite elevated inflation, longer-term inflation expectations appear to remain well anchored.”
However, Powell is expecting further rate hikes in 2023. He said in a press release: “Looking ahead, nearly all Committee participants view it as likely that some further rate increases will be appropriate this year to bring inflation down to 2% over time.”
Geopolitics Today
Chinese Foreign Minister urges US to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs ahead of Blinken visit
China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has urged the U.S. to stop meddling in its internal affairs and “stop undermining China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests in the name of competition” in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken days before Blinken’s scheduled visit to Beijing.
During a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the telephone conversation between both leaders took place “at U.S. request” and that Qin expressed “China’s strong position on its core concerns, including the Taiwan question.”
According to a statement from the U.S. State Department regarding the telephone conversation, Blinken “discussed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the U.S.- PRC relationship to avoid miscalculation and conflict, addressed a range of bilateral and global issues, and made clear the U.S. would continue to use diplomatic engagements to raise areas of concern as well as areas of potential cooperation.”
Additionally, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink confirmed that Blinken is scheduled to travel to China for a two-day visit from June 18-19.
According to Kritenbrink, Secretary Blinken has three general goals for his trip — establishing open communication channels, raising regional and global security matters, and exploring potential cooperation on transnational challenges such as climate and global macroeconomic stability.
Secretary Blinken’s Trip to the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom
Secretary of State Blinken Phone Call with PRC State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang
Turkey raises concerns over Sweden’s NATO membership, demands action against PKK be taken
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey could not approve Sweden’s NATO membership at the Vilnius summit next month unless Sweden fulfills its duty under the memorandum, as reported by state-run Anadolu Agency.
Ahead of a trilateral meeting in Ankara between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland on Sweden’s progress toward full NATO membership, Erdoğan is reported to have said, “The expectations of Sweden do not mean that we will comply with these expectations. In order for us to comply with these expectations, first of all, Sweden must do its part.”
According to Anadolu Agency, Erdoğan also called on Stockholm to use “Swedish police to prevent Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists from operating in the country.”
“We discussed Stockholm’s significant steps to meet Türkiye’s concerns, including amending the Swedish constitution, ending its arms embargo, and stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation, including against the PKK. Progress is being made, and the atmospherics were positive,” said Stian Jenssen, Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General, after the trilateral meeting.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the progress made in Ankara. He noted that some progress had been made and that work would continue towards ratifying Sweden’s NATO membership as soon as possible.