December 15, 2022

*) Peru declares state of emergency amid deadly protests Peru’s new government has declared a 30-day national emergency amid violent protests following the ouster of President Pedro Castillo. Defence Minister Luis Otarola Penaranda announced the declaration on Wednesday, which he said "means the suspension of the rights of assembly and freedom of movement." Peru's new president, Dina Boluarte, pleaded for calm as demonstrations continue against her and the Congress that ousted her predecessor. *) Türkiye continues to engage with Russia, Ukraine to end conflict: Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Ankara continues to hold talks with both Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing war. He hoped that Ankara's diplomatic efforts for achieving a ceasefire and lasting peace in the region will bear fruit. Erdogan was speaking during the first summit between the leaders of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan on Wednesday. He said the trio needs to start working on transporting Turkmen natural gas to Western markets. *) US planning to give smart-bomb kits to Ukraine — report The United States is planning to send electronic equipment to Ukraine that converts unguided aerial munitions into smart bombs, according to The Washington Post. "The kits incorporate global positioning devices for precision and can be bolted onto a variety of weapons, the Post reported. The Pentagon calls it a Joint Direct Attack Munition or JDAM. It comes as Russia warned US Patriot missile defence systems would be a legitimate target in Ukraine if Washington authorises them to be delivered to support Kiev in fighting. *) Developing nations seek more money at key UN biodiversity talks Dozens of countries led by Brazil have demanded financial subsidies of at least 100 billion dollars a year until 2030 to protect ecosystems. UN spokesperson David Ainsworth said that biodiversity talks in Montreal deteriorated when negotiators started discussing the global biodiversity fund proposal. Financial flows from the Global North