View Articles

NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump has virtually called off his peacemaking efforts with Ukraine and Russia to break their ongoing conflict after his two-hour talk on Monday with so-called buddy Russian President Vladimir Putin ended in a no entry zone. Now the Vatican has entered the scene to host the peace talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.

The results of the national elections held on Sunday May 18 in three countries of Europe-Portugal, Romania and Poland have given mixed signals about the political trends in the continent with Right forces consolidating in Portugal while the anti- Right combinations prevailed with narrow margins in Romania and Poland.

The world's attention has been on the Vatican City in Rome for the past few days. The Catholics have made history with the election of Robert Francis Prevost, a 69-year-old American cardinal of Spanish descent. He has taken over as the 267th occupant of the throne of St. Peter. This momentous event, the first time an American has ascended to the papacy in the 2000-year history of the Catholic Church, is a significant milestone.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, arrived in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on the first leg of his West Asian tour, last week. He also visited Qatar and the UAE during the tour, ignoring Israel. During the visit he also met with Syria’s President, a former Al Qaeda leader, Al Shara. Overall, the visit was not just foreign policy and bilateral relations but an exercise to boost the financial fortunes of the Trump family.

LONDON: After a set of elections in which the Labour leadership’s campaign was almost all about immigration and asylum, it has decided to “go further and faster” in the same direction. We know that the outcomes of the May 1 elections were disastrous for Labour, and unfortunately, we can confidently predict further disasters lie ahead for as long as this line is maintained.

Donald Trump’s Gulf tour has marked a defining chapter in his post-presidential brand of deal diplomacy, delivering a staggering $2 trillion in agreements that stretch across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. This campaign stands in sharp contrast to the flagging results of his so-called trade mark tariff war, which—despite dominating headlines—yielded few tangible gains and inflicted considerable economic uncertainty globally. The deals secured in the Gulf region do not merely reflect economic exchanges; they signal a recalibration of regional alliances, global energy markets, and the enduring influence of Trump-style realpolitik in an increasingly multipolar world.

NEW YORK: It's the turn of the United States government to face a sovereign rating being downgraded by the Moody’s from its top AAA rating – Moody’s keeps downgrading the ratings of many developing countries including India. Moody’s Ratings cut the United States’ sovereign credit rating down a notch to Aa1 from the Aaa, the highest possible. however As1 would mean the economy is stable but not strong.

Fierce attacks by Baloch rebels have shaken the Pakistani Army, while it was predominantly occupied on the Indian front. Balochistan's provincial capital, Quetta, saw six attacks on Pakistani forces in just one day. Pakistan mobilised its Army units from Balochistan and redeployed on the Eastern border with India because of a recent military confrontation with India.

Renowned Nobel laureate economist Robert Solow was once asked if having a trade deficit is bad for any economy. He answered by saying he would always have a trade deficit with his barber and would always run a trade surplus with his students. Such is the nature of the game in the realm of economic transactions. Some countries are always better at producing certain goods and services, which they export, and they gain by importing those they are not as good at producing. Arguing that the US should impose equal reciprocal tariffs is fundamentally flawed. It contradicts the principle of comparative advantage - the very foundation of international trade since the beginning of modern civilization.

Portugal, a very important member of the European Union with a strong economy, is going for national elections next Sunday, May 18 to elect its 230 member Parliament. The 2025 elections will be the third one in the last three years showing the fragility of the coalition governments. No single political party is in a position to get majority in Parliament on its own.