Despite intense discussions, the WTO's Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi ends without agreements on fisheries and agriculture takes the centerstage among all global events which has happened over this week.
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Centerstage events of week 4
Tuvalu's lawmakers have chosen Feleti Teo as the new prime...
Tuvalu's lawmakers have chosen Feleti Teo as the new prime minister following an election focused on ties with Taiwan. Teo, a former attorney general, was elected unopposed and will be inaugurated with his cabinet this week. Taiwan’s ambassador to Tuvalu, Andrew Lin, received assurances of continued strong ties. Speculation had arisen about Tuvalu potentially shifting recognition to Beijing, as other Pacific nations have done. Teo's stance on Taiwan remains unclear as he has not held government office recently.
Monday, 26 February, 2024
Sony will cut about 900 jobs in its PlayStation division,...
Sony will cut about 900 jobs in its PlayStation division, around 8% of its global workforce, due to industry changes. Layoffs will occur across the Americas, Japan, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. CEO Jim Ryan stated the restructuring aims to meet developer and gamer expectations while advancing gaming technology. This follows similar layoffs by Microsoft and Riot Games. PlayStation Studio in London will close, with severance benefits provided to affected employees.
Tuesday, 27 February, 2024
The Chinese foreign ministry's arms control department urged states with...
The Chinese foreign ministry's arms control department urged states with the largest nuclear arsenals to negotiate a no-first-use treaty or issue a political statement. Director General Sun Xiaobo emphasized nuclear states' responsibilities for disarmament at the U.N. Conference on Disarmament. Sun proposed creating a roadmap to protect non-nuclear states and called for a universal, non-discriminatory export control order to address global security challenges and enhance compliance with biochemical arms control treaties. China and India are currently the only two nuclear powers to formally maintain a no first use policy.
Wednesday, 28 February, 2024
Members of the European Parliament voted for an unconditional, "immediate...
Members of the European Parliament voted for an unconditional, "immediate and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza on Wednesday, marking a first for the institution. The non-binding amendment, part of the annual report on human rights and democracy, calls for uninterrupted access to food and water for Gaza inhabitants. Belgian MEP Marc Botenga, who tabled the amendment, urged Europe to pressure Israel to implement the ceasefire. Previously, the European Parliament's ceasefire call was conditional on the release of Israeli hostages and dismantling Hamas.
Thursday, 29 February, 2024
Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb was sworn in on Friday...
Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb was sworn in on Friday as Finland's 13th president, succeeding Sauli Niinisto. Stubb emphasized Finland's new era of military alliance with NATO, which the Nordic country joined in April in response to Russia's war on Ukraine. Highlighting a strong alliance with the EU and NATO, Stubb stressed the importance of reforming the UN for global peace. Stubb narrowly won the February 11 runoff against former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.
Friday, 1 March, 2024
Despite intense discussions, the WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in...
Despite intense discussions, the WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi ended on 2 March without agreements on fisheries and agriculture. However, members adopted a Ministerial Declaration outlining a reform agenda and made several key decisions, including a commitment to have a fully functioning dispute settlement system by 2024 and to enhance the use of special and differential treatment provisions for developing and least developed countries. Negotiations will continue in areas where consensus was not reached.
Saturday, 2 March, 2024
On Sunday, March 3, Swiss voters overwhelmingly supported a proposal...
On Sunday, March 3, Swiss voters overwhelmingly supported a proposal to increase pension payments, seen as "historic" by proponents amid rising living costs for the aging population. Nearly 60 percent backed a trade union call for a 13th monthly pension payment, while a separate proposal to raise the retirement age from 65 to 66 was rejected by three-quarters of voters. The additional payment aims to help pensioners cope with Switzerland's high living expenses.
Sunday, 3 March, 2024
