Good morning. It’s Monday 27 June, and here’s a wrap of the latest news.
Anthony Albanese heads to NATO summit
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has departed Australia on a flight to Spain for the NATO summit in the capital of Madrid.
It's his first visit to Europe as Australia's prime minister, giving him the chance to meet with key world leaders.
Mr Albanese says the meeting of the security alliance comes at a crucial time for global diplomacy.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon board the plane to Europe for a NATO Leaders’ Summit. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch
Mr Albanese will also be holding bilateral meetings with leaders, such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President, Joe Biden.
Indonesian president to visit Ukraine on peace-building mission
The Indonesian president has announced plans to visit Ukraine and Russia in a bid to bring an end to the war in eastern Europe.
Joko Widodo said the visit is a mission aimed "to open room for dialogue for peace", and to resolve the food and energy crisis that has seen inflation soar in many countries.
He said he will also invite Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to also "open room for dialogue, immediate ceasefire and stop the war".
Mr Widodo made the announcement before his departure for the G7 summit in Germany, where he was invited as the G20 rotating president.
All eyes on Russia and Ukraine during G7 summit
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged world leaders to stand firm in their support for Ukraine, despite the increasing cost of living the war with Russia is imposing on global populations.
Speaking at the start of the Group of Seven summit in Germany, Boris Johnson has called for unity in the face of Moscow's aggression.
The G7 leading economic powers are meeting in Germany for their annual gathering Sunday through Tuesday. Source: AAP / AP / Markus Schreiber
"But the price of backing down, the price of allowing Putin to succeed, to hack off huge parts of Ukraine, to continue with his programme of conquest, that price will be far, far higher."
The three-day summit takes place against an even darker backdrop than last year, when British, Canadian, French, German, Italian, Japanese and US leaders met for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with global energy and soaring food prices, climate change, an increasingly assertive China and the rise of authoritarianism are also set to be on the agenda during the leaders' talks.
Protests continue to rage days after Roe v Wade overruling
Protests have continued across the United States over the Supreme Court decison to overturn the half-century-old Roe v. Wade precedent on women's right to abortion.
The sweeping ruling by the Court - with a 6 to 3 conservative majority - is set to alter the lives of many Americans with nearly half of US states considered certain or likely to ban abortion.
Demonstrators descended on the court in Washington but also in major US cities, often clashing with anti-abortion supporters who welcomed the decision from the court.
Leigh Lucas attended a protest in the Utah capital Salt Lake City.
"I feel that my country doesn't care about me. I feel like they are willing to ... I know that they are willing to let me die instead of make my own decisions."
