1. US, Cuba to reopen embassies

    The United States and Cuba have reached a deal to reopen embassies* in Washington and Havana.

    U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement on July 1 in the White House Rose Garden about the deal, which constitutes one of the major foreign policy achievements of his presidency. “We will formally announce that the United States and Cuba have reached an agreement to re-establish formal diplomatic* relations and open embassies in each other’s capitals,” a U.S. official said.

    Diplomatic ties have been frozen for five decades.

    2. 141 bodies recovered from plane crash

    The death toll from the crash of an air force transport plane in the Indonesian city of Medan jumped to more than 140 on July 1, indicating a growing list of victims from the neighborhood where the plane went down.

    North Sumatra police major A. Tarigan said that 141 bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a residential area where the C-130 Hercules crashed shortly after takeoff on June 30. The air force says there were 122 people on the plane, including military personnel* and their families.

    3. Man holds world records with his mouth

    A man nicknamed “Maximouth” for his ability to stuff huge amounts of objects into his mouth has broken another record — for ramming* 1,001 straws into his gob*.

    Dinesh Upadhyaya, from India, holds an incredible 48 world records and has also stuffed 92 pencils, 79 grapes, 12 lit candles and five golf balls into his mouth for separate records.

    The science teacher from Mumbai has since been given the nickname “Maximouth” by his pupils due to his strange talent.

    4. Saudi prince to donate $32b to charity

    Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal on July 1 promised his entire US$32 billion fortune to charitable projects in coming years.

    The pledge* is “maybe... the first such big announcement” of its kind in the region, and is modeled on a charity established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the United States.

    Alwaleed said his charity “will help build bridges to foster* cultural understanding, develop communities, empower women, enable youth, provide vital disaster relief and create a more tolerant and accepting world.”

    The money “will be allocated according to a well-devised plan throughout the coming years,” he said.

    5. Greece votes on bailout referendum

    Greeks voted on Sunday whether to accept or reject the tough terms of an aid offer to avoid financial collapse* in a referendum* that may determine their future in Europe’s common currency.

    Greece has voted by a big margin against Europe’s latest bailout offer. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged a resounding “No,” saying it would give him a strengthened mandate to return to negotiations and demand a better deal, including a writedown on Greece’s massive debt.

    6. Tunisia declares state of emergency

    President Beji Caid Essebsi on Saturday declared a state of emergency* following a beach massacre* claimed by jihadists that he said had left Tunisia facing a “special type of war.”

    In another firm response to the June 26 attack claimed by the Islamic State group that killed 38 foreign tourists, several officials were sacked, including the governor of the Sousse region where it took place.

    The North African state, which has seen an exodus of tourists, has admitted its security services were unprepared for the seaside attack in Port El Kantaoui and that police were too slow to respond.

    In a televised address to the nation, Essebsi said the state of emergency would be in effect starting Saturday for a 30-day period.(SD-Agencies)