On Wednesday, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was proclaimed as the next president of the Philippines with a huge win with 31 million votes. The joint session of Congress voted for him after 36 years in which his father was ousted from power in a pro-democracy uprising. A huge Philippine flag draped the podium in a plenary hall bedecked with a huge Philippine flag, as the Senate president and the House speaker raised Marcos Jr.'s hands to applause from the audience, which included diplomats. Additionally, both the Senate and House of Representatives declared that his separate vice presidential can
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden launched the technology cooperation initiative and investment initiative at the bilateral meeting in Tokyo. The leaders agreed to expand defense cooperation and welcomed the signing of an investment incentive agreement to focus on healthcare, renewable energy, infrastructure, and other sectors. Defense and security cooperation was described by Modi and Biden as crucial pillars of the bilateral agenda and they agreed to work closely on emerging technologies. This initiative, spearheaded by the National Security Council Secretariat i
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu along with the Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, will visit Israel this week in what seems to be an effort to improve the relationship between the two countries that has seen tensions and stormy ties for more than a decade. Cavusoglu met Palestinian officials on Tuesday and will meet his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, on Wednesday, which will make it the first visit by a Turkish foreign minister in 15 years. The ministers are expected to hold talks on re-establishing ties and enhancing diplomatic links. Relations between Israel and Turkey saw a su
Australia's economy minister on Wednesday urged China to drop the taxing trade tariffs if it wants to improve bilateral relations after Beijing showed interest in fostering ties. China, Australia's biggest trading partner – levied official and unofficial trade sanctions and threw into disorder several big industries such as wine, barley, and coal, as relations between both countries worsened in the last couple of years. Earlier in the week, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent a congratulatory note to the newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which is considered t
The Quad leaders are set to discuss laying a long-term strategic groundwork to further solidify cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Leaders from India, the United States, Australia and Japan are among the Quad leaders. The leaders of India, the United States, Australia and Japan are expected to show that the group is a "force for global good" and has a unifying commitment to a rules-based international order amidst China's increasing threats. PM Narendra Modi is expected to discuss India's outlook and vision for the Indo-Pacific and ways to boost cooperation in multiple areas, including en
On Monday, the first non-Anglo Celtic Labour Party leader Anthony Albanese has sworn in as Australia’s new president ahead of the Tokyo summit with President Biden. He flew to Tokyo while counting and continued to determine whether he will control a majority in a parliament as it demands tougher action on climate change. In Saturday's election, Albanese defeated Scott Morrison's conservative coalition, which was in power for nine years under three prime ministers. Malaysian-born Penny Wong was sworn in as Australia’s first Foreign Minister to be born overseas and Richar Marles as Deput
Officials said on Monday that India and Nepal have agreed to construct a 695 megawatt (MW) hydropower plant. As per a statement released by the NEA spokesperson Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai the Arun IV project will be constructed jointly on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal by India's Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN NSE 2.20%) Ltd and Nepal's state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) with payable equity of 51% and 49% respectively. India, which has an electricity trading pact with Nepal, is plowing billions of dollars into infrastructure such as hydropower plants as it aims to expand its
Elisabeth Borne, 61, was appointed France's new prime minister following the resignation of Prime Minister Jean Castex on Monday, to become only the second woman in the history of France to hold the post. The first woman Prime Minister of France was Edith Cresson, who ruled from 1991 to 1992 under Socialist President Francois Mitterrand. Borne served as the transport minister, minister of Ecological Transition and the labor minister all under President Emmanuel Macron's previous government. Soon after her appointment, Borne spoke about how emotional she felt at being selected for the top-m
After the demise of UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin al-Nahyan on May 13, his half-brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, 61, was unanimously elected as the new president of the United Arab Emirates. The meeting was held between the rulers of the seven sheikhdoms in Abu Dhabi’s Al Mushrif palace where the decision was made to appoint Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan as the third president of the oil-rich country. Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, tweeted that all of UAE, including the rulers, pledge allegiance to the new president and congratu
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is on a historic 7-day visit to the USA, on a mission to give a talk on bilateral disagreements and strengthen partnerships including America-ASEAN ties that would be significant in offering peace and stability in SE Asia. The visit goes to show that Vietnam has an important role in casting US-ASEAN ties. At the same time, India-Vietnam collaboration also helps to build up India’s role in ASEAN and therefore avouch Vietnam’s role as a multinational player in shaping foreign policy. Chinh’s visit also gives evidence of the fact that Vietnam c