Category: Politics

To reshape the post-Brexit arrangement in Northern Ireland, Boris Johnson and Ursula der Leyen have failed to reach an agreement according to the UK’s demand. Ms Von Der Leyen reported to the European Union that the original deal will not be renegotiated.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the president of the European Commission spoke earlier about the change in the Northern Ireland protocol which was suggested by the UK. But the spokesman of Downing Street said the protocol is “unsustainable” and must be changed which was reiterated by PM, as reported to Asia One. During a call on Thursday, Borison requested German Chancellor Angela Merkel to consider “significant changes” of the agreement.

In 2019 the EU and UK agreed to Northern Ireland Protocol as part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Asia News stated that the agreement was to prevent the hard border in Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for good. In the Brexit divorce bill, the border checks imposed on goods from Great Britain had proved to be unworkable. The UK’s Brexit minister Lord Frost on Wednesday, set out a new set of demands to re-shape the agreement.

Ms. Von Der Leyen added that they are ready to be creative and flexible within the protocol framework but will not renegotiate.

Foreign Ministry’s head of African calls the return of Israel to the 55-state pan-African organization as an extremely important political recognition. On Wednesday, the African Union said that it would readmit Israel as an observer country. According to news Asia One, after 19 years it was ousted from 55-nation pan African due to pressure by then-Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.

The Israeli officials have been trying since 2002 to push for a seat in the African Union since its suspension. This news was warmly welcomed in Jerusalem and called it a day of celebration for Israel-Africa relations. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid added it as a “diplomatic achievement” that will help them strengthen their activities within the continent and the member states of the organization, Asia One stated. In recent years Israel tried to join the union twice without any success.

Israel’s newfound observer status will not only give them “political recognition” but also opens up the possibility of increased cooperation with the member nations of a variety of economic and security issues. Ben-Nun told Haaretz that it will help bring Israel closer to the few remaining African states with which they don’t have any diplomatic ties. 

Israel is eagerly waiting for this relationship to be established and start to cooperate in other areas of the fight against the coronavirus and the prevention of the spread of extremist terrorism throughout the continent.

A recent official notice announcingon July 22, the closure of Potala indicated a visit by high-level dignitaries, but the fact that Xi was visiting caught many observers off guard.

According to Asia One News given by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), Chinese president Xi Jinping paid an unannounced visit to Tibet. On Thursday, Xi was seen addressing people in the city of Nyingtri in a video clip shared on social media. President Xi Jinping was seen facing the “Monument to the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet ” in front of the Potala Palace. It’s the traditional winter residence of the Dalai Lama where he stepped out of a shop in the Barkhor area in Lhasa and gave remarks to the public. 

Asia News reported on July 20 that ICT was informed by a source that Xi first landed at Mainling airport in Nyingtri, in southeast Tibet. Xi said that 10 years ago when he came as the head of the Chinese government’s delegation to mark the 60th anniversary of the 17 Point Agreement, he had gone to Lhasa first. He further added that this time he came to meet the people in Nyingtri first, telling them that not even a single ethnic group will be left behind in the efforts to fully build a modern socialist China.

On Tuesday, the UK condemned Brussels of refusing to communicate in the “real world” and trying to discredit British sovereignty in the Brexit debate over Gibraltar. 

Commissioners from the EU outlined right to close checks on persons and products at the border crossing between Spain and Gibraltar during a meeting in the EU capital. However, the plan’s specifics enraged London, with foreign secretary Dominic Raab accusing the EU of breaking past agreements.

The law is serious and states that Spain is attempting to expand its authority into Iberian territory, which has long been a source of friction between the two countries.

The United Kingdom is apprehensive that the EU talks agenda has yet to be announced but has been leaked and released to the Spanish press. They said it contains proposals for Spanish officials to conduct border checks at ports and airports.

The British government wants EU border agency Frontex to conduct the inspections. This is being done in view of its concern over delegating administration to Spain that would appear to be a concession to Spanish control over the island.

The territory’s chief minister Fabian Picardo said, “The draft EU mandate is a matter for them, of course. But I must say that on the basis of the current draft, there is no possibility of this forming the basis for an agreement.

“We will work closely with the United Kingdom, especially foreign secretary Dominic Raab, to continue to seek the best possible outcomes for Gibraltar.”

The United States, Japan, and South Korea reaffirmed their commitment to work together on North Korea’s regional threats and denuclearization. They fail to make any progress in bringing the two U.S. allies closer together.

The State Deputy Secretary of U.S. Wendy Sherman was in the conversation with the Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori and South Korea’s Choi Jong-Kun. Wendy said their alliance remains a “lynchpin of peace, security, and prosperity”. The officials reaffirmed maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. They even value the importance of respecting international law. The States of America opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait.

The United States and Japan have even raised concern about China pressing its claims to the South China Sea and the Japanese-controlled Senkaku island which is also claimed by China and calls it Diaoyu.

Sherman said, “When countries take actions that run counter to the United States’ interest or that threaten our partners and allies, we will not let those challenges go unanswered”. South Korea and Japan are trying to improve their allies since U.S. President called for stronger three-way cooperation in the face of the North Korean nuclear threats and challenges posed by China.

On July 25-26, the United States Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman will head to meet Chinese Officials. Wendy will travel to China this weekend on a visit that comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing on multiple fronts.

According to Asia One News, Deputy Secretary will travel to Tianjin and hold the meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and State Councillor. The State Department said the discussions are part of ongoing US efforts to hold candid exchanges with People’s Republic of China officials to advance their relationship. The statement future includes that they will discuss the areas where their interests align. After Biden, Sherman will be the highest-ranking US official to visit China. Later Wendy is scheduled to visit Oman on July 27.

According to AP, the Biden administration and Western allies on July 19 blamed China for a massive hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software. They even alleged that the Chinese government was associated with the criminal hackers and carried out ransomware and other illicit cyber operations.

Biden addressed the recent incident and spoke to reporters that they will join the European nations to expose the scale of China’s activity. Later he added that legal steps will be taken to counter the same. However, Chinese Officials even denied this allegation.

Washington- The U.S. and Germany signed an agreement to enable a long-lasting, knotty battle between other maverick allies to complete the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Confirmed on Wednesday, the Washington-Berlin agreement aims to invest well over €200 million both in energy security and in sustainable energy throughout Europe, in Ukraine.

“Should Russia attempt to use energy as a weapon or commit further aggressive acts against Ukraine, Germany will take action at the national level and press for effective measures at the European level, including sanctions to limit Russian export capabilities to Europe in the energy sector,” said a senior State Department personnel.

On the condition of anonymity, the Senior State Department official has also added that the U.S. will continue to have the power to impose sanctions in the event that Russia generates power as a tool of coercion.

The official noted that the United States and Germany “resolutely committed themselves to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” and thus closely discussed with Kyiv on this issue.

The new prime minister of Haiti who is supported by key international diplomats will take over following the assassination of President Jovenal Moise. This move is aimed at averting the leadership struggle.

Ariel Henry will replace the country’s interim prime minister. He was designated prime minister by Moise before he was slain but never swore in. The neurosurgeon was the minister of social affairs and interior minister previously. He was a member of several political parties including Inite, which was formed by former President Rene Preval.

It is unclear how Claude Joseph was quickly cleared even after having been backed by police and the military since July 7 assassination. The authorities say more than 20 suspects who were directly involved in the killing of the President have been arrested. Out of which, the majority of them are former Colombian soldiers who were duped.

An audio recording of Henry referred to himself as the prime minister and called for unity from the country. He said he will soon announce the members of the provisional consensus government that will lead the country until further elections are held. He addressed the nation and assured them that the truth will be restored. He eleven complemented to Haitian people who have shown political maturity in the face of what can be considered a coup.

Women have proven their mettle in various fields, including politics. The world has seen numerous powerful women lead their countries, including India’s Indira Gandhi, Germany’s Angela Dorothea Merkel who is serving as Chancellor of Germany since 2005, and New Zealand’s current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Moreover, in January 2021, Kamala Harris, by taking the oath to hold the USA’s second-highest office, broke all barriers of male dominance and an American tradition that kept men at the top ranks of power for over two centuries.

While women have made significant progress in leadership positions, the trend of letting women take over political reins, unfortunately, remains stagnated around the world. As per information provided by Permanent Missions to the United Nations, only 22 countries have women as their Head of State or Government, while 119 countries have never had a woman in these positions.

Women’s equitable participation and leadership in politics and public life are crucial if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be met by 2030. While improving gender balance remains a challenge in many countries, the Narendra Modi-led BJP government has recently made some strides by establishing a council of ministers made up of 77 members, 11 of whom are women. This represents the highest number of women ministers since 2004. What’s more, the current Lok Sabha also boasts the highest percentage of women, at 14%. Though this is a reason to be jubilant, the 14% representation however hints that the bar has been set quite low.

Among the eleven women in PM Modi’s council of ministers are:

1. Nirmala Sitharaman: Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s first full-time women finance minister, will continue to hold the position following the cabinet reshuffle. After Indira Gandhi, she was the second woman to serve as India’s defense minister in 2017.

2. Smriti Irani: India’s first woman minister for Human Resource Development and Textiles, she continues to lead the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

3. Renuka Singh Saruta: A BJP MP from Surguja, Renuka Singh Saruta now serves as Minister of State for Tribal Affairs in the new cabinet.

4. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti: She has been appointed Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Ministry of Rural Development.

5. Annpurna Devi: The MP from Jharkhand, who holds a Master’s degree from Ranchi University, is now serving her first term in the Lok Sabha. She has been appointed to the Ministry of Education as a Minister of State (MoS). She previously served as a Cabinet Minister in the Jharkhand government.

6. Dr. Bharati Pawar: A first-term MP, she holds an MBBS degree. Originally from Dindori in Maharashtra, she currently heads the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as the Minister of State.

7. Sushri Pratima Bhoumik: Pratima Bhoumik, a first-term Member of Parliament from Tripura West, has been appointed MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment. She has a degree in Bioscience from Tripura University.

8. Shobha Karandlaje: As a Lok Sabha MP representing Karnataka’s Udupi-Chikmagalur, Shobha is serving her second term in Parliament. Her new post is that of the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. A former MLA and one-time MLC, she comes with immense political experience.

9. Darshana Vikram Jardosh: The third-term MP from Surat in Gujarat is now in charge of both the textiles and railways ministries. She had been a member of the Gujarat Social Welfare Board and a Corporator of the Surat Municipal Corporation before being elected to the Lok Sabha.

10. Meenakshi Lekhi: The BJP leader is also a Supreme Court lawyer. She is serving her second term as MP from Delhi. As MoS, she is in charge of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Culture.

11. Anupriya Singh Patel: Anupriya Patel took charge as the Minister of State of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Ms. Patel has served twice in the Lok Sabha from Mirzapur, UP.

In the last 17 years, this is the highest number of women serving on the Union Council of Ministers. While the Women’s Reservation Bill has not gained much traction in the recent months, there is a good chance that it will pass in the Lok Sabha soon if the Indian government takes steps to push for it.

The outcome of Sunday’s trust vote paves way for Sher Bahadur Deuba to become the next Prime Minister of Nepal. Nepalese media reported Mr. Deuba to remain in office for the next one and a half years until fresh parliamentary elections are carried out.

By averting the general election in the Himalayan nation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Deuba sprang out as a surprise by winning the vote of confidence in the reinstated lower House of Representatives. 75-year-old President of the Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba was appointed as prime minister as per Article 76(5) of the constitution on 12th July. This was done after the Supreme court’s intervention and secured 165 votes in the 275 member House on Sunday.

Asia One News reported that to win the Parliament Sher Bahadur needed 136 votes in total. He was given a brief one-month time to look for trust votes. However, he sought a vote of confidence on the first day of the reinstatement of the House itself. 249 lawmakers witnessed the voting process and 83 of them voted against Deuba while one remained neutral.

Mr. Deuba was immediately congratulated by Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi.

Sher Bahadur Deuba has previously served as the prime minister on four occasions; from 1995-1997, 2001-2002, 2004-2005, then again in 2017-2918.