Countering terrorism post Operation Sindoor is a key theme for India; PM’s attendance comes despite U.S. concerns over India’s participation in BRICS and possible initiatives to find alternative trade currencies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Rio De Janeiro next month to attend the BRICS summit, sources said here. The gathering is being closely watched by the U.S. Trump administration that sees it as a counterweight to the G-7 group of developed nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to attend, as well as the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, and Indonesia.

Mr. Modi’s attendance at the event comes soon after the four-day conflict with Pakistan, and India’s “new normal” on fighting terror. Any joint statement on cross-border terrorism by the largely economic grouping will be significant for India, officials said. Any meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Mr. Modi last met on the sidelines of the previous BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia in October 2024, will also be watched with interest, given China’s support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and plans to reset bilateral ties with the restart of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims to Tibet in June.

Ref : The Hindu

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan also urged quicker regional integration, saying the Asean bloc must act now to reduce the impact of global trade shocks, especially from US tariffs

Boris Pradhan New Delhi 

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has urged Southeast Asian countries to strengthen trade relations with China and India to bypass steep US tariffs. In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Mahathir said, “Malaysia should have a bigger trade with China and India to replace the loss of trade against America.” 

Mahathir was speaking on the sidelines of the Future of Asia forum in Tokyo last week. Mahathir emphasised that trade with China significantly surpasses that with the United States, and noted that there is still potential to further expand trade with India.

Asean reels from US tariffs 

The US, under President Donald Trump, imposed tariffs ranging from 10 per cent to 49 per cent, heavily impacting Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) economies that rely on US exports. Six of the Asean bloc’s 10 member states are among the worst affected, likely impacting the Asean’s 4.7 per cent growth target for the year. 

Following Trump’s announcement of a 90-day tariff pause last month, several Asean countries - including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam - initiated trade talks with Washington to mitigate the economic fallout.

Malaysia calls for regional integration

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan also called for faster regional economic integration to buffer the effects of global trade disruptions. “Asean nations are among those most heavily affected by the US-imposed tariffs,” Mohamad said. “We must seize this moment to deepen regional economic integration; so that we can better shield our region from external shocks.”

Asean has responded by intensifying ties with China and the Persian Gulf, including a landmark trilateral summit held in Kuala Lumpur last month. Trade between Asean, China, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) reached over $900 billion last year — nearly double its $453 billion trade volume with the US, according to Aseanstats.

Push for Asean-US dialogue

 As the current Asean chair, Malaysia has formally requested a special summit with the US to discuss trade issues. Mohamad expressed hope that the meeting would take place later this year.

China will be ‘No 1 country in the world’: Mahathir

Mahathir stated that China is on track to become the world’s leading power, asserting that the United States lacks the capacity to halt its rise due to growing domestic preoccupations. “China has been there much longer than the US. I don’t think China is going to be easily defeated by the US,” he said. “I don’t think the US will recover and become No 1 again. China looks like it is going to be the No 1 country in the world.”

Ref : Business Standard

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says Tehran and Caracas are determined to expand comprehensive bilateral cooperation, calling for a transition from dollar-based transactions to national currencies and the use of the BRICS Pay system in their trade relations.

Qalibaf made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with Iranian and Venezuelan business leaders and private sector representatives in Caracas. The visit marks the beginning of his three-nation tour of Latin America, which will also take him to Cuba and Brazil to participate in the Parliamentary Forum of BRICS member states.

Emphasizing the need to overcome existing obstacles in banking and finance, Qalibaf highlighted the role of the Iran-Venezuela joint bank and underlined the potential of BRICS Pay — the economic bloc’s alternative to the SWIFT system — to facilitate smoother financial transactions between the two heavily sanctioned nations.

"Replacing the dollar with national currencies and regional payment systems like BRICS Pay can neutralize the impact of foreign pressure on our economies," he said. "Traders and private sector actors in Iran and Venezuela are on the frontlines of the economic war waged by our common adversaries."

The speaker reaffirmed that expanding Iran-Venezuela ties is a definitive policy of the Islamic Republic, and called for the swift implementation of long-term strategic agreements to solidify cooperation across vital sectors.  “The more coordinated countries with shared interests and common adversaries are, the more effectively they can capitalize on opportunities and confront threats,” he said.

Qalibaf pointed to wide-ranging areas of cooperation, particularly in oil, energy, and OPEC-related coordination, as key examples of the two countries’ strategic alignment. He also emphasized the importance of leveraging geographic advantages in both countries to bolster economic growth.

The Iranian speaker stressed the urgency of removing banking hurdles and establishing free trade mechanisms to facilitate smoother private sector engagement. He noted that the Iran-Venezuela partnership is grounded in sustainable and logical economic principles based on mutual supply and demand.

In June 2022, Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year cooperation agreement during Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s official visit to Tehran. The deal includes collaboration in oil, petrochemicals, defense, agriculture, tourism, and culture, and provides for the repair of Venezuelan refineries as well as the export of Iranian technical and engineering services.

Ref : Tehran Times

Trump says his executive order banning and restricting foreign visitors is in the interest of US ‘national security’.

United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a full travel ban on people from 12 countries and restricting the citizens of seven other countries, the White House said.

The banned countries include Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

In addition to the ban announced on Wednesday, there will be heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” Trump said in his order.

The order comes into force on Monday, June 9, 2025 at 12:01am local time in Washington, DC (04:01 GMT). Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said.

In a video message released by the White House, Trump said the recent attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado had “underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted”.

The president claimed there were “millions and millions of these illegals who should not be in our country”.

“We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America,” he said, adding, “very simply, we cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States”.

“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.”

"We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen… That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others." –President Trump 

The White House (@WhiteHouse) 

BY EDITH M. LEDERER

Five countries won seats on the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday in uncontested elections and will start serving two-year terms in January on the U.N.’s most powerful but deeply divided body.

The 193-member General Assembly held a secret-ballot vote for the five rotating seats on the 15-member council. Bahrain received 186 votes, Congo 183 votes, Liberia 181 votes, Colombia 180 votes and Latvia 178 votes.

This will be the first time on the council for Latvia, which was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union and gained independence again after its collapse in 1991. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže told reporters after the vote her Baltic nation is ready for the responsibility, saying, “Our historical experience puts us in the position to understand, empathize with, and forge partnerships across every region in the world.”

“We know the value of freedom,” she said. “We know the fragility of peace and the power of multilateralism to safeguard it.”

Braže said Latvia will spare no effort to achieve just and lasting peace in Ukraine and to alleviate suffering in the Middle East, Gaza, Africa and other conflicts around the globe.

Bahrain will be the Arab representative on the council, and Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said his country’s election to the council for a second time reinforces its determination to be “a proactive contributor” to international peace and security.

“Our goal is to fortify peace and stability within our region,” Al Zayani said, stressing that resolving the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict is “the cornerstone for achieving peace in the region.”

The immediate requirement, he said, is a ceasefire and massive influx of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the release of all hostages taken from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and progress toward a two-state solution and “a viable state of Palestine.”

The Security Council is mandated in the U.N. Charter with ensuring international peace and security, but it has failed in the two major conflicts because of the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and the United States, Israel’s closest ally, on Gaza.

There have been decades of efforts to reform the Security Council to reflect the geopolitical realities of the world in 2025, not of the post-World War II era 80 years ago, when the United Nations was established. But they have all failed.

The council still includes five veto-wielding permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — and 10 elected members from the U.N.’s different regional groups. One major failing is the absence of a permanent seat for Africa or Latin America and the Caribbean.

Under its current rules, five new council members are elected every year. In January, the newly elected countries will replace Algeria, Guyana, South Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia.

Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner of Congo, which will be serving its third term on the council, told the council its election not only reflects confidence in her country, “it is also a reflection of Africa’s unity and its rightful place in shaping the global peace and security agenda.” Asked about the ongoing fighting by armed groups in the country’s mineral-rich east, she said Congo will bring to the council the knowledge of dealing with decades of conflict, the challenges of U.N. peacekeeping operations and protecting civilians, and “the convergence between conflict, natural resources, and environmental changes.”

Liberia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Deweh Gray, whose country was last on the council in 1961, said her country has “an unwavering resolve to make a difference for all” and to tackle the formidable challenges facing the world including conflict, inequality and climate change, “to name a few.” “Liberia’s vote is a vote for Africa,” she said, “and we shall ensure that we follow the African common position.”

Colombia’s U.N. Ambassador Leonor Zalabata urged all countries to unite and “keep working together in harmony with nature to preserve what we have and build peace in the world.” And she said, “We invite you all to keep working in the path of human rights.”

Ref : AP

CANDIDATES running in South Korea’s snap presidential election made a last push for votes on Monday, the eve of a poll triggered by ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration.
South Koreans are desperate to draw a line under six months of political turmoil sparked by Yoon’s brief suspension of civilian rule in December, for which he was impeached and removed from office.
All major polls put liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead in the presidential race, with the latest Gallup survey showing 49 per cent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate.
Conservative Kim Moon-soo, from the People Power Party (PPP) — Yoon’s former party — trailed Lee on 35 per cent. Both candidates have framed the campaign as a fight for the soul of the nation.
Lee spent much of his final day of campaigning in his old stomping grounds of Gyeonggi Province — where he previously served as governor and built much of his support base.
He then headed to Seoul’s Yeouido, to hold his final rally at the site where people gathered to demand disgraced president Yoon be impeached after he attempted to suspend civilian rule in December.
By Monday evening, thousands of Lee’s supporters had gathered, waving blue balloons, as K-pop music blasted and vendors sold glo-sticks emblazoned with Lee’s beaming face. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Tehran, IRNA 

Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf says Iran’s participation in the BRICS summit presents a valuable opportunity to expand relations with major global economic powers and counter sanctions.

Speaking on Saturday night at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport before departing for a tour of Latin America and the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, Qalibaf said the visit will begin in Venezuela at the invitation of the country’s parliament speaker to enhance economic, political, and cultural ties.

He highlighted the strategic importance of Latin America, referring to its population of over 600 million and shared positions with Iran on the global stage. All Latin American countries reject unilateralism and support multilateralism, which creates a good platform for cooperation with the Islamic Republic, he said.

On BRICS, Qalibaf said that the group accounts for over 49 percent of the world’s population, 39 percent of the global economy, and about 24 percent of international trade.

Calling Iran’s participation a significant political and economic opportunity, Qalibaf pointed to discussions on BRICS Pay, the bloc’s proposed alternative to the SWIFT international payment system, as a key area of interest in efforts to overcome sanctions. 

He expressed hope that the parliamentary delegation’s Latin America tour would yield tangible political, economic, and cultural outcomes.  The 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum will be held on June 4-5 in Brasilia, Brazil, which will be the host country and chair of BRICS for the entire year.

(Ref: Islamic Republic News Agency)

THE EU on Wednesday decided to review Article 2 of its trade agreement with Israel, which was signed in 2000. The EU in its statement noted that Humanitarian principles matter for every conflict around the world and should be applied consistently in every warzone.
“Whilst we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid, Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza for over two months. Food, medicines and essential supplies are exhausted. The population faces starvation. Gaza’s people must receive the aid they desperately need,” the statement said.
“This means that if Israel is found to have breached its human rights obligations, it will face sanctions. But for the time being, the EU is just trying to put further pressure on Israel, hoping that it will one day allow more aid into Gaza,” the statement added.
Kallas, speaking to reporters after a meeting in Brussels, said that pressure is necessary to change the situation and that a strong majority of the bloc’s nations favour this review, Al Jazeera reported. — ANI

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

POLES vote on Sunday in a tight presidential election that will be decisive for the future of the country’s centrist government as well as for abortion and LGBTQ rights.
Pro-EU Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski is expected to get 30 per cent, ahead of nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki’s 25 per cent, according to opinion polls.
That would put both through to the runoff on 1 June at a particularly fraught moment for Europe as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, far-right populists continue to rise and ties with Washington come under strain. Polls open at 7:00 am (0500 GMT) and close at 9:00 pm when exit polls are to be released.
There are 13 candidates in total and definitive results are expected only on Monday. Ever since former EU leader Donald Tusk’s coalition came to power in 2023, key government initiatives have been blocked by the veto of nationalist President Andrzej Duda. Some Poles are hoping that logjam is about to end. “I hope that these elections will complete the change,” said Hubert Michalowski, a self-employed 50-year-old. Michalowski told AFP he was opposed to any rightward turn for Poland and instead wanted his country to “stay in the centre and reverse this trend in Europe as well”. — AFP

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a phone call during a technical stop of a Brazilian government plane in Moscow on its way from China, and the Russian leader expressed gratitude to the leadership of Brazil and China for their desire to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

"Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to the leadership of Brazil and China for their sincere desire to make a constructive contribution to finding ways to resolve the [Ukraine] conflict," the Kremlin said.

Silva told Putin that he intended to do everything possible to promote the success of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul, the statement said, adding that the leaders confirmed their commitment to developing the Russian-Brazilian strategic partnership.

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