Category: Politics

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will join at least 12 other heads of state and government invited by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to next week’s Group of Seven (G7) summit, officials said on Friday. The lengthy guest list indicates that Italy wants to broaden the G7’s influence. “The G7 is not a closed-off group; rather, it is a coalition of nations with similar views on core values and norms. It becomes globalised,” a senior official declared.

Diplomats released a list of attendees for the June 13–15 meeting, and it included dignitaries from Turkey, Algeria, Kenya, Mauritania, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, and India. Both Cyril Ramaphosa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are travelling abroad for the first time since their respective election victories. Ramaphosa lost the majority in South Africa.

The presence of King Abdullah of Jordan and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia at the Borgo Egnazia, Puglia, talks highlights concerns about the status quo in the Middle East. This is the first time a Saudi official has been invited to a G7 conference. Saudi Arabia is frequently criticised for violating human rights.

On Thursday, the Finance Ministry of Uganda said that the government had inked a $500 million loan arrangement with South Korea to assist in infrastructure development. The Exim Bank’s loan is intended to assist Uganda in growing its infrastructure projects; however, the exact nature of the projects is unknown.

Uganda’s minister of finance, Matia Kasaija, and South Korea’s minister of foreign affairs, Cho Tae-Yul, signed the loan deal. This signing, which occurred on the sidelines of the Korea-Africa summit in Seoul, is more evidence of the strengthening of political and economic links between the two countries.

The inflow of funds is likely to improve Uganda’s infrastructure, but it also makes one wonder if the government can manage its debt. As of December 31, Uganda’s state debt had risen to $24.6 billion, mostly due to substantial investments in infrastructure. After Moody’s just downgraded Uganda’s credit rating, the extra $500 million loan may make things worse. Concerns over Uganda’s capacity to handle and repay its mounting debt made the rating agency identify “diminished debt affordability” as a major factor in the downgrading.

The Ugandan government is determined to go forward with its programme for infrastructure development, which is vital for reducing poverty and boosting the economy.

On Sunday, BJP leader Narendra Modi was sworn in as India’s prime minister for the third time in a row. This is significant since no prime minister has served a third term in office since Jawaharlal Nehru, the first PM of independent India. 

Seventy-two leaders were sworn into the Modi 3.0 ministry on this momentous day. Thirty Cabinet ministers, five Ministers of State with Independent Charge, and thirty-six Ministers of State make up the new Cabinet. Important people include Dr S Jaishankar, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, JP Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

President Droupadi Murmu gave the ministers the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhawan, which has three layers of security in place. Authorities added that because Delhi was on high alert for the event, commandos from the NSG and SWAT sections of the Delhi Police were stationed around the venue and other key areas. 

The national capital was off-limits to the usage of aerial vehicles such as hot air balloons, drones, paragliders, and remotely piloted aircraft for the next few days after police designated it a no-fly zone. 

In keeping with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, leaders of neighbouring countries Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and the Seychelles were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

On Thursday, the Dutch far-right urged voters to prioritise immigration as the four-day European elections began. About 370 million people will be able to cast ballots on Sunday in the majority of EU member states. Following the Dutch election, exit polls will test the predicted rise of the hard right across Europe.

The far-right Freedom Party (PVV) leader, Geert Wilders, has put an emphasis on limiting immigration and strengthening asylum regulations. People who share his view that the European Union needs tougher immigration policies, such as Simone Nieuwenhuys, voted for him.

The Dutch coalition government, which includes Wilders’ PVV, is expected to emerge victorious in the next EU elections. Unsettling for mainstream groupings like the Socialists and Democrats and the European People’s Party (EPP), surveys show that the far-right might capture a quarter of the 720 seats in the European Parliament.

When it comes to passing legislation, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who is running for reelection, is willing to work with the far right. Giorgia Meloni, head of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party and Italy’s prime minister, has been in negotiations with her.

At a time when the world’s geopolitical environment is in a state of flux, many are looking to the European Union (EU) for stability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of India for their support after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won for the third time in a row. For the third time, the public has put its trust in the NDA. According to Prime Minister Modi’s post on X, this is a monumental achievement in India’s history.

The NDA gained 290 seats, putting them past the halfway point.

After receiving 1.5 lakh votes from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to the Janata Janardan for their devotion and promised to keep working hard to accomplish people’s dreams. According to him, “words will never do justice to their exceptional efforts.” He went on to commend the party workers for their commitment.

The most surprising development occurred in Uttar Pradesh, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) were anticipated to cruise to a comfortable victory. As a long-standing electoral pledge of the BJP, the building of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was a major factor.

In Faizabad, however, where the Ayodhya assembly seat is located, SP candidate Awadhesh Prasad has more than 33,000 votes compared to BJP candidate Lallu Singh.

South Korea is hosting a summit with leaders from 48 African countries, with an emphasis on mineral resources and the continent’s massive export market. According to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, plans include aid for industrial infrastructure and digital transformation, with Africa highlighted as a key partner.

Thirty heads of state are expected to attend Tuesday’s summit, while South Korean business leaders will host an investment and industrial development summit on Wednesday. Yoon and President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania, the African Union’s Chair, will deliver a joint statement.

South Korea is an important buyer of energy and semiconductor producers, and Kim pointed out that vital minerals like manganese, cobalt, and chrome are found in Africa. This brought attention to Africa’s strategic importance. Yoon has met with leaders from Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Additionally, he plans to meet with heads of state from Zimbabwe, Togo, Rwanda, and Mozambique.

Meanwhile, Tanzania will borrow $2.5 billion from South Korea over the next five years, and Ethiopia has signed a $1 billion financing agreement for infrastructure, research, technology, health, and urban development. By negotiating trade and investment pacts with Africa, South Korea hopes to take advantage of the continent’s 1.4 billion people under 25.

Japan plans to prioritise nuclear power in an upcoming energy policy update, aiming for a stable electricity supply amidst rising demand and geopolitical risks. The nation pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and decreased its dependency on nuclear power in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima accident. The country is getting 70% of its power from fossil fuels.

However, now everyone is turning their eyes to energy security because of the coal and gas price spikes in 2022, which were made worse by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Along with solar and wind power, the government is currently trying to increase nuclear power consumption.

Alex Whitworth, vice president at Wood Mackenzie said, “The focus has shifted from carbon emissions to energy security.”

Fossil fuel exporters such as Indonesia, the US, Australia, and Qatar will also be affected by Japan’s growing nuclear power. Japan’s energy policy is revised every three years and last month, discussions on the next revision began.

For 2040, Japan’s nuclear energy targets, which range from 20% to 22% in 2030, remain unclear, but energy corporations are pushing for more nuclear power to meet growing electricity demands and reduce geopolitical risks.

On Sunday, RUV announced entrepreneur Halla Tomasdottir as the newly elected Iceland’s president, succeeding Gudni Johannesson in the ceremonial role. The 55-year-old Tomasdottir won 34% of the votes in Saturday’s election. She defeated former PM Katrin Jakobsdottir, who resigned in April to run for president and received 25% votes.

The Icelandic president is elected for a four-year term has limited political authority functions as a unifying figure for the nearly 400,000 citizens of this NATO member nation. Tomasdottir will be Iceland’s eighth president since the republic was founded in 1944. She had run for president eight years ago and finished second to Johannesson. August 1st is when she is expected to start her new job.

Tomasdottir, a former head of Iceland’s Chamber of Commerce, founded Audur Capital in 2007 to bring social responsibility and female perspectives to finance. According to the World Economic Forum, Iceland has been the top country for gender equality for the past 14 years.

Traditionally, the presidents of Iceland have adopted a non-political role during their tenure in office. In recent years, the country has experienced a few volcanic eruptions around Reykjavik. These resulted in indefinite evacuations around the erupting sites.

Claudia Sheinbaum, a Nobel Prize-winning climate scientist, will become Mexico’s first female president following her stunning victory.

The 61-year-old received between 58.3% and 60.7% of the vote, the highest level of support for a candidate since the collapse of a one-party government in 2000. She thanked outgoing leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. She described him as “an exceptional, unique man who has transformed Mexico for the better.”

Sheinbaum’s win is a huge milestone for Mexico, which is known for its macho culture. The main opposition rival, Xochitl Galvez, conceded after acquiring 26.6% to 28.6% of the vote.

On October 1, Sheinbaum will become the first woman elected to a US, Mexican, or Canadian general election.

Sheinbaum has promised to increase Lopez Obrador’s welfare initiatives, despite inheriting a large budget deficit and slow economic development. She wants to strengthen security, but she confronts considerable obstacles, particularly as organised crime’s power grows during Lopez Obrador’s administration.

Sheinbaum will also manage strained US relations, notably those involving migration and drug trafficking. She intends to handle internal challenges such as energy and water shortages, as well as the struggling state-owned oil company Pemex.

On Friday, the US and China’s defence leaders met for the first time in two years, sparring over Taiwan. However, they emphasised the importance of maintaining open military communications. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and China’s defence minister, Dong Jun, met at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

After Taiwan’s presidential election and President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration, Austin expressed concern about Chinese military operations near the island. He stressed that Taiwan’s political transition should not be exploited as a pretext for China’s aggressive measures. Dong cautioned that US meddling in Taiwanese politics breaches commitments and sends the wrong signal to separatist elements in Taiwan, labelling Lai as a “separatist.”

Both parties highlighted the importance of military-to-military communications despite tensions. Additionally, the conflicts in the South China Sea, Ukraine, and Gaza were also discussed. Later, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. addressed the conference, emphasising the significance of the South China Sea for world trade and reaffirming the country’s legal and geopolitical position.

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam all claim sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea, but China claims sovereignty over the majority. According to Wellington Koo, Taiwan’s Defence Minister, peace could be maintained if Beijing stopped its military provocations.