Wednesday morning news - June 29, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Turkey drops objection to NATO membership for Sweden, Finland » Turkey now says it will not stand in the way of Sweden and Finland joining the NATO alliance.

At the start of this week’s NATO summit in Madrid, leaders said the Nordic nations were able to allay Turkey’s concerns on counterterrorism policy.

President Biden on Tuesday said the alliance is only growing stronger.

BIDEN: Transatlantic unity has been and will continue to be the greatest strength in our response to Russia. We're standing as one to support Ukraine and to enhance our own deterrence and defense capabilities.

And Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during the summit, leaders will outline a new NATO defense strategy.

STOLTENBERG: We will agree to a new strategic concept, the Madrid Strategic Concept, that will be the blueprint of NATO in a more dangerous and unpredictable world.

Already this week, the alliance announced plans to multiply the size of its rapid response force eightfold—from 40,000 to 300,000 troops.

Macron, Boris Johnson condemn Russian missile strike on mall » Hours earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the end of the G7 summit in Germany condemned Russia’s deadly missile strike on a crowded shopping mall as a“war crime.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed. He said he and other G7 leaders received word of the attack as they gathered for meetings on Monday.

JOHNSON: And you could feel the whole mood of the meeting become yet more somber. I think people are just shocked by what Putin is capable of doing.

The long-range missiles killed at least 18 people at the mall in the city of Kremenchuk.

And G7 leaders said the attack further strengthened their resolve to stand behind Ukraine.

Families of migrants seek word of loved ones after human smuggling deaths » Desperate families of migrants are frantically seeking word of their loved ones as Texas authorities work to identify 50 people found dead inside a tractor trailer.

Police found the victims trapped inside the abandoned trailer near San Antonio as it baked in the sun. Others inside were still alive but near death from heatstroke.

The White House called the deaths “horrifying and heartbreaking.” And Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added …

JEAN-PIERRE: Far too many lives have been lost to this dangerous journey. We will continue to take action to disrupt human smuggling networks which have no regard for lives.

Authorities have reportedly arrested the driver of the truck and two other people.

U.S., Iran gather for indirect talks » Iran and the United States began indirect talks Tuesday in Qatar aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: With Iran refusing to meet in person with U.S. diplomats, an EU official is delivering messages between the two sides.

Former President Trump pulled the plug on U.S. participation in the 2015 deal four years ago. President Biden wants to rejoin the pact.

Iran is cooperating less and less with UN nuclear inspectors. Many analysts believe that’s a ploy to gain more leverage in negotiations and relief from U.S. sanctions.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

House Capitol riot panel calls former White House aide to witness stand » The House panel investigating the Capitol riot held another public hearing on Tuesday.

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified that President Trump wanted to join protesters at the Capitol, but the Secret Service said it wasn’t safe and refused. She said someone inside the limousine told her the president had a brief altercation with the head of his security detail, Bobby Engel.

HUTCHINSON: The president reached up toward the front of the vehicle to grab at the steering wheel. Mr. Engel grabbed his arm and said sir, you need to take your hand off the steering wheel.

She said she was told that Trump then used his free hand to lunge at Engel.

Former President Trump disputed her testimony, calling it a “fake story.” He added that it—quote—“Wouldn’t even have been possible to do such a ridiculous thing.”

Fire kills 49 after riot attempt in Colombian prison » A fire in a Colombian prison killed more than 50 people on Tuesday. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: The fire broke out during what appeared to be an attempted riot at the medium security prison in the city of Tulua.

Fifty-one people died, and more than 20 inmates were hospitalized. Two prison guards sustained minor injuries.

The director of the prison system said the facility was overcrowded and the building did not have a suppression system to control the blaze.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher

I’m Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org. 

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