US President Joe Biden on September 22 announced a new office dedicated to gun violence prevention. The office, to be led by Vice President Kamala Harris, who pursued gun safety measures when she was California’s top prosecutor, will help the administration coordinate gun policy and pressing congressional leaders to act on the issue. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention aims to combat a growing US national crisis through executive action instead of the more sweeping reforms that would require congressional approval. “We all want our kids to have the freedom to learn how to read and wr
BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is an alternative strategic platform for boosting cooperation between developing countries as traditional institutions of international economy management lose credibility, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on September 19 at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. The recent decision taken by the group of five countries to invite new members to cooperate in the BRICS format after the Johannesburg summit in August helps “strengthen efforts for the order that would reflect economic, geographical and political plur
United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was in India for the G20 summit on September 9-10, called himself a proud Hindu and noted that he always had a strong connection with India. The leader said that his wife is Indian and being a Hindu, he will always have a bond with India and its people. “I am hugely proud of my Indian roots and my connections to India,” added Sunak. He also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership saying that India is the “right country” at the “right time” to hold the G20 presidency. On the India-UK trade deal, the UK PM said there wa
The African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on September 9 lauded AU’s entry into the Group of Twenty (G20), saying that it will allow Africa to make its “effective contribution” in meeting global challenges. “I welcome the African Union's entry into the G20 as a full member. This membership, for which we have long been advocating, will provide a propitious framework for amplifying advocacy in favor of the Continent and its effective contribution to meeting global challenges,” the AU head wrote on X. The African Union at full strength has 55 members; six
In a briefing on September 11, the United States of America lauded India for conducting a successful G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10. International Monetary Fund’s Deputy Director Gita Gopinath congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for successfully hosting the two-day summit in India in a post on X. In the briefing, US State Department’s official spokesperson, Matthew Miller, told reporters, “We absolutely believe it was a success. The G20 is a big organisation. Russia is a member of the G20. China is a member of the G20.” Gita Gopinath had attended t
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suggested hosting a virtual G20 session towards the end of November to assess the recommendations and resolutions put forth during the recently concluded leaders’ summit in New Delhi. During the closing session of the two-day G20 summit, PM Modi pointed out that India’s presidency of the G20 will remain in effect until November 30, allowing for more than two months fulfilling its role as the leader of the group. He added that the views, suggestions and proposals put forward by G20 country representatives during the summit are being closely looked upon a
The new Thai government led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, sworn in by King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok on September 5, delivered its policy statement to parliament on September 11. In the policy statement, Prime Minister Thavisin detailed the main political, social and economic challenges facing Thailand, on top of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disturbed the country in the past three years. The new coalition government is made up of 11 parties. Prime Minister Thavisin, whose Pheu Thai party leads the coalition, and 33 cabinet ministers pledged their loyalty to the monarchy duri
On September 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded the G20 Summit in New Delhi by symbolically passing the presidency’s gavel to Brazil. During the two-day summit, the G20 officially adopted the New Delhi Leaders Summit Declaration after the member states successfully reached a consensus. The New Delhi Declaration, running into 38 paragraphs, was adopted on September 9 with “100% consensus on all developmental and geo-political issues,” said the Government of India. The declaration was welcomed with G20 members thumping their desks. Earlier on Saturday, PM Modi called for bri
Top diplomats of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries on September 4 reviewed a stalled peace plan for Myanmar, as the country’s ruling military failed to end violence more than two years after it seized power in a coup. ASEAN Foreign Ministers are meeting in Jakarta, capital of chair Indonesia, this week to discuss Myanmar, a code of conduct for the South China Sea, the region's economy, transnational crime and other issues. Myanmar is a member of ASEAN. However, its military rulers have been excluded from top bloc meetings since they ousted an elected government led
On September 1, Singapore elected Tharman Shanmugaratnam as its new president. The 66-year-old Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister won 70.4% of votes to gain a six-year term. He will replace Halimah Yacob, the island nation’s first female head of state. Shanmugaratnam faced stiff competition in a three-way contest, which included two candidates of Chinese descent, as indicated by the preliminary vote count released by the Elections Department. His main rival, Ng Kok Song, a former chief investment officer of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, won 15.7% of the vote. Pri