The two day Summit on Peace in Ukraine at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland ended on Sunday with participants hoping for an end to the war between Moscow and Kyiv. 80 countries and four organisations of the 100 attending delegations supported the final joint communiqué that emerged out of the Path to Peace Summit looking at ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war raging on since February 2022.
India was a notable voice among those who did not sign the document. Current G-20 chair Brazil was in the room only as an observer.
U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan will represent the United States at the summit on Sunday and help establish working groups on returning Ukrainian children from Russia and on energy security.
Jun 16, 2024
G7 Summit 2024
The 50th G7 summit was held from June 13 to 15, 2024 at Borgo Egnazia in the city of Fasano in Apulia, Italy.
The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The summit was chaired by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
A lot of important things were talked about at the 2024 G7 meeting in Italy. These include calming down the world economy, tackling climate change, improving health systems around the world after COVID-19, and handling political tensions, especially between China and Russia.
Jun 15, 2024
Cyril Ramaphosa Re-elected President of South Africa after ANC Stitches Together Coalition
The South African parliament re-elected the African National Congress's President Cyril Ramaphosa as President during the first sitting of the National Assembly of the 7th Parliament.
South Africa's African National Congress party has a broad agreement with the main opposition and other parties to form a coalition government and end a political deadlock after the ANC lost its 30-year majority in an election two weeks ago.
Ramaphosa was sworn in as the President of South Africa for the first time in February 2018.
Jun 14, 2024
G7 Leaders Agree to Lend Ukraine $50 bn Using Frozen Russian Assets as Collateral
A Group of Seven summit opened with a pact reached on a US proposal to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral, giving Kyiv a strong show of support even as Europe's political chessboard shifts to the right.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni welcomed the heads of state of the G7 leading industrialised nations to a luxury resort in southern Italy, saying she wanted the message of the meeting to be one of dialogue with the global south and unity. She likened the G7 to the ancient olive trees that are a symbol of the Puglia region, "with their solid roots, and branches projected toward the future".
Jun 13, 2024
United Nations Declares 2025 as the Year to Focus on Quantum Advancements
The United Nations General Assembly officially declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The 193-member Assembly passed a resolution co-sponsored by Ghana and six other countries, acknowledging the significance of this groundbreaking field of study.
The year 2025 marks a century since the publication of Werner Heisenberg's seminal paper, which laid the foundation for quantum mechanics. This momentous scientific event prompted the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to request the General Assembly to declare 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
IMF Approves Second Review of Sri Lanka's $2.9 Billion Bailout
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the second review of Sri Lanka's $2.9 billion bailout package, authorising the flow of around $336 million to the crisis-hit nation. The global lender acknowledged signs of economic growth in a statement issued but warned that the country's economy remained highly vulnerable and that achieving debt sustainability remains a challenge.
The IMF urged the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), which comprises key lenders Japan and India, to complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as soon as possible. It also encouraged complete agreements with the Chinese Export-Import Bank. The lender highlighted the importance of completing these agreements in stabilising Sri Lanka's financial status and ensuring a long-term economic recovery.