Rachel Reeves Becomes First Woman UK Finance Minister
Rachel Reeves, Britain's first woman Finance Minister, is a former child chess champion and Bank of England economist who pledged to grow the nation's economy while showing strong fiscal discipline.
Reeves became Chancellor of the Exchequer after her centre-left Labour party won Thursday's UK general election by a landslide, ending 14 years of rule by the right-wing Conservatives.
Ex-Pak PM Launches Party
Pakistan's former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi formally launched a new political party, Awaam Pakistan Party, to "change the system and restore respect for the Constitution of the country".
Party officials said that its main slogan was "Badlien gaen nizam" (we will change the system) and its membership was open to anyone who can contribute for the development of the country.
Abbasi had served as PM from August 2017 to May 2018 when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court. Abbasi later distanced himself from the PML-N due to policy disagreements after 2018.
Jul 07, 2024
Reformer Massoud Pezeshkian Elected Iran's President
Reformist Massoud Pezeshkian was elected Iran's new President, beating his hardline conservative rival Saeed Jalili.
The vote was declared in Pezeshkian's favour after he secured 53.3% of the more than 30 million votes counted. Jalili polled 44.3%.
The run-off came after no candidate secured a majority in the first round of the election on 28 June, which saw a historically low voter turnout of 40%.
The election was called after Iran's previous President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May 2024.
Jul 06, 2024
Keir Starmer New British PM
Keir Starmer vowed to rebuild Britain as he became the UK's new Prime.
Starmer assumed charge as the 58th Prime Minister after his customary audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, following ex-PM Rishi Sunak's meeting with the British monarch.
Cabinet ministers came to Downing Street shortly after Keir Starmer and his wife, UK First Lady, Victoria Starmer entered their new home. As per reports, the cabinet ministers were given berths that they have been shadowing.
A record number of around 28 Indian-origin members of Parliament have been elected to the House of Commons in the election.
Jul 05, 2024
China Leads Global GenAI Patents: U.N. Data
China dominates the global race in generative artificial intelligence patents, filing more than 38,000 patents from 2014 to 2023, a new United Nations report showed in July 2024.
That's six times more than those filed by U.S.-based inventors, according to the UN World Intellectual Property Organisation.
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that allows users to generate content such as text, images, music, audio, and videos.
Geographically, China leads with 38,210 inventions, far surpassing the U.S. (6,276), Republic of Korea (4,155), Japan (3,409) and India (1,350).
SCO Summit Concludes with Adoption of Astana Declaration
The 24th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), held in Astana, Kazakhstan, concluded with the adoption of the Astana Declaration and the approval of 25 strategic documents.
The summit, titled 'Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue – Striving Towards a Sustainable Peace and Prosperity', brought together leaders from SCO member states to discuss key issues and chart the organisation's future course.
A historic milestone of the summit was the finalisation of procedures for admitting Belarus as a full member of the organisation, granting it the status of an SCO Member State. This expansion of the organisation's membership reflected its growing influence and reach.
The Astana Declaration underscored the SCO's role in bolstering global peace, security and stability.
Jul 04, 2024
Hungary Takes Over Rotating Presidency of EU Council for 6 Months
Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) for six months, in July 2024, from Belgium with its focus on enhancing EU competitiveness.
Hungary's European Union Affairs Minister Janos Boka outlined the seven top priorities during Hungary's presidency. These priorities include enhancing the EU competitiveness, reinforcing European defence policy, EU enlargement, stemming illegal migration, shaping the future of a cohesion policy, formulating a farmer-oriented EU agricultural policy and addressing European demographic challenges.