GLOBAL DIARY

PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL WINS SECOND TERM

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel clinched a second five-year term in a parliamentary vote for which he was the sole candidate in a country where political opposition is illegal. Diaz-Canel’s bid was confirmed by 97.66 per cent of votes cast in the Communist Party of Cuba-aligned National Assembly, its president Esteban Lazo announced in the chamber. “Taking into account the announced results, I declare lawmaker Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez the elected president of the Republic,” said Lazo. Diaz-Canel, 62, took over the reins in 2018 as Cuba’s first civilian leader after nearly 60 years of hegemony by the Castro brothers, vowing to “always defend the party” even as he set out in pursuit of cautious economic liberalisation.

FINLAND JOINS NATO IN THE ALLIANCE’S FASTEST-EVER ACCESSION PROCESS

When Finland joined NATO as the 31st member, it was the fastest accession process in the organisation’s history. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has welcomed the new arrival. “It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security and for NATO’s as a whole,” he said.

Pope Allows Women To Vote At Bishops Meeting For First Time

In a historic move that could lead to more inclusiveness in decision-making in the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis will allow women to vote for the first time at a global meeting of bishops in October. Previously, women were allowed to attend the synods, a papal advisory body, as auditors but with no right to vote. The revolutionary rules, announced on Wednesday, allow for five religious sisters with voting rights. Additionally, the pope has decided to include what a Vatican document called “70 nonbishop members who represent various groupings of the faithful of the people of God”. The pope will choose the 70 priests, religious sisters, deacons and lay Catholics from a list of 140 people recommended by national bishops’ conferences. The conferences were encouraged to include young people. The Vatican has asked that 50% of the 70 be women.

“Sweden will also be safer as a result.” “Each country maximises its own security. So does Finland. At the same time, NATO membership strengthens our international position and room for manoeuvre. As a partner, we have long actively participated in NATO activities. In the future, Finland will make a contribution to NATO’s collective deterrence and defence,” the Finnish presidency said in a statement.

Germany’s former leader Angela Merkel has been awarded the country’s highest order of merit, receiving praise for her discipline and passion during 16 years as chancellor. She was presented with the honour by the president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Berlin in recognition of her contribution to German political life at an event attended by her political allies, including the current chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the former national football coach Jürgen Klinsmann, Ulrich Matthes, an award-winning actor who had helped improve how she delivered speeches, as well as family and friends. The Großkreuz, or “large cross”, is the most important order of its kind. It has been received by two previous chancellors: Konrad Adenauer in 1954 and Helmut Kohl in 1998.

Russia Takes Over The Presidency Of The Un Security Council

As the war rages on in Ukraine, Russia has taken over the presidency of the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council has 15 members, and each member has one vote. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all

EID 2023: MUSLIMS CELEBRATE THE END OF

Muslims worldwide celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr, commonly known as Eid, to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The celebration was marred by tragedy amid the explosion of conflict in Sudan, while in other countries, it came against the backdrop of hopes for a better future. After the Ramadan month of fasting, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr with feasts and family visits. The start of the holiday is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which vary according to geographic location. Islam’s holidays follow a lunar calendar. But some countries rely on astronomical calculations rather than physical sightings. This frequently leads to disagreements between religious authorities in different countries – and sometimes in the same country – over the start date of Eid al-Fitr.

Member States are obliged to comply with Council decisions. Each member takes turns being president, and it’s rotated each month in alphabetical order, according to the English language. The last time Russia held the presidency was February last year when it launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour Ukraine. At its resumed eleventh emergency special session, the world body adopted a new resolution calling for an end to the war.

THE WORLD’S RICHEST MAN JUST SURPASSED A $200 BILLION FORTUNE

The fortune of Bernard Arnault, the world’s richest person, has topped $200bn for the first time as shares in his French LVMH luxury goods empire hit a record high. The 74-year-old has become the third person in history to amass an estimated fortune above the $200bn (£160bn) threshold. Tesla’s Elon Musk and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have previously hit the milestone before their fortunes dropped back as technology companies’ share prices fell. Arnault’s fortune increased by $2.4bn on Tuesday to $201bn, according to the daily-updated Bloomberg billionaires index. His wealth has increased by $39bn so far this year as shares in LVMH have risen 30%, thanks to soaring demand for luxury goods among the world’s wealthy.