India will assume the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022, stated a press release. Under its leadership, India is expected to host more than 200 meetings of the G20 across the country. The G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of Heads of State/Government is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 9 and 10 September 2023, as per the Ministry of External Affairs. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday, “India is headed to lead the G
Despite threats of further violence, Iraqi lawmakers elected Abdul Latif Rashid as the country's next president on Thursday, ending a crippling political vacuum after a barrage of rocket attacks earlier in the day. In spite of the political crisis, lawmakers continued to form the next government in the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of government, after being fired upon by at least nine rockets. The incident resulted in the injuries of at least five people. According to Iraqi law, the president must nominate a premier from the largest bloc in Parliament. There are 329 seats in t
The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday elected South Africa, to the Human Rights Council for a three-year term, starting on 1 January 2023. The other countries that were elected are Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Morocco, Romania, and Vietnam. Germany and Sudan acquired second terms. According to the UN, South Korea and Venezuela could not get re-elected to the top human rights body, which is based at the UN in Geneva. The UN Security council's main job is to protect and promote human rights all over the world and comprises 47 mem
Israel and Lebanon achieved a "historic breakthrough" on Tuesday after the U.S. brokered a deal that would end their maritime border dispute, allow for natural gas production, and reduce military tensions between them. Israel and Lebanon, which have formally been at war since Israel's creation in 1948, are expected to sign an agreement after months of U.S.-mediated negotiations. However, legal and political obstacles still remain in Israel. Israel welcomed the deal even before Biden announced it. In spite of not making a formal announcement, Lebanese leaders indicated that they wo
Uganda will host a ministerial meeting next week on the Ebola virus flare-up, which has caused widespread fear and concern in the East Africa region, as reported by The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Acting director Ahmed Ogwell informed journalists on Thursday that the three countries that lived through the disastrous West Africa outbreak of Ebola in 2014-16, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia, had also been invited to the October 12 meeting. The current Ebola eruption in central Uganda has a 69 percent case death rate, which according to Ogwell is “very high,” a
Over 2,500 U.S. and Philippine marines engaged in combat exercises on Monday to brace for any sudden crisis in a region always in a state of uneasiness and suspense over the South China Sea territorial disputes and escalating tensions over Taiwan. The annual military drills are the first significant exercise between the long-established treaty allies under newly elected Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., military officials said. The preceding president, Rodrigo Duterte, was a candid critic of U.S. security policies and disapproved of military exercises with American forces as they
On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with White House National Security Advisor (NSA) Jack Sullivan to discuss issues related to U.S.-India strategic partnership, the Ukraine war, and a free and open Indo-Pacific region. In addition to reviewing the strategic relationship, the White House said the meeting involved exchanging views on regional and global issues. According to Mr Jaishankar, "the Indo-Pacific situation, South Asia and the Gulf" were discussed. As per the White House and a tweet by Mr Jaishankar, the meeting also discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz named his son and heir Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the country’s prime minister and his second son Prince Khalid as defense minister, a royal order showed on Tuesday. The king's other son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, is the energy minister while Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan, and Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih continue to be in their positions, the decree showed. The crown prince, known as MbS, was earlier the defense minister and has been the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia,
Calling attention to the importance of the India-US relationship, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that both countries are positioning their militaries to operate and integrate more intimately than ever. Austin met Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar in the Pentagon on September 26. “Ties between India and the United States, the world’s two largest democracies, including military ties, are growing stronger,” he said in the statement released by the US Department of Defence. “These conversations reinforce a growing depth, breadth, and ambition of our partn
On Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and held productive talks. He paid a visit to the state funeral of late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Nippo Budokan in Tokyo which was attended by several other top leaders of the world. PM Modi tweeted, “Had productive talks with PM Anthony Albanese in Tokyo. We will keep working closely to boost Indian-Australian friendship in diverse sectors”. On many fronts, Australia plays a key role in India's development. An agreement between India and Australia for three years regarding critical minerals was a