International

On the 19th, the Thai parliament opened the agenda for the second round of Prime Minister elections. Pita, who became the only candidate for prime minister in the first round of elections but did not reach the top, originally intended to launch a second attack on the position of prime minister, but ultimately lost his candidacy due to opposition from lawmakers. At this point, Pita's campaign journey has basically come to an end, and external attention will now shift to the actions of the Thai party and conservatives. The election for Prime Minister in Thailand is not a direct election for the government's Prime Minister, but rather an election for members of parliament and political parties, and then the Prime Minister is elected by the parliament. The parliament is divided into two houses, with the upper house consisting of 250 members appointed by the military and the lower house consisting of 500 members elected. In the parliamentary elections held in May this year, the Far Progressive Party led by Pita won 151 seats, becoming the largest party in the House of Commons. He then joined forces

On the 18th local time, a US soldier stationed in South Korea was detained for 50 days in South Korea and was taken to the airport waiting to return to the United States for punishment. However, he did not board the plane and instead disguised himself as a tourist, rushing across the military demarcation line between North and South Korea, and was detained by the North Korean side. For decades, it is the first time that American soldiers have voluntarily crossed the border to North Korea. At present, the North Korean authorities have not responded to this matter and are considered to be observing the US response. Who is this American soldier? Why did he make this "unbelievable" decision? On the 17th local time, 23-year-old US soldier Travis Kim arrived at Incheon International Airport in South Korea under the supervision of US military personnel and passed through customs checkpoints alone, thinking he was filming TikTok. Originally, he would take a plane back to the United States. However, just when everyone thought that Jin

On the 19th, Russian President's press secretary Peskov stated that Putin will participate in the BRICS summit to be held in South Africa in late August via video, and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov will represent Russia at the summit. This statement ends months of speculation from the outside world about whether Putin will attend the meeting. The 15th BRICS Leaders Meeting will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 22nd to 24th. For a period of time, South Africa has been under tremendous pressure from both domestic and international sources regarding the decision of the International Criminal Court in March this year regarding the Ukraine crisis and whether to receive Putin, putting it in a dilemma. Now, with the agreement of both Russia and South Africa, Moscow has finally adopted the method of leaders attending the entire conference online and the foreign minister attending on behalf of them. Spokesperson for the Office of the President of South Africa, Vincent·

The fiery Chinese diplomacy can easily switch between home and away matches. Open the door here to welcome guests, and cross the country door to visit friends. Next week, the footprints of high-level Chinese officials will be imprinted on the distant African continent. From July 24 to 25, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Committee, will be invited to attend the 13th BRICS High Representative Meeting on Security Affairs in Johannesburg and visit Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Türkiye before and after the meeting. Bilateral and multilateral travel, cross regional travel, and also the second visit of a Chinese high-ranking official to Africa this year. What are the major agenda and highlights of Wang Yi's trip? Security representative meeting: pave the way for the summit in two days, attend the BRICS conference, "punch in" the three African countries, and visit Türkiye. Wang Yi's schedule is compact and efficient,

However, the White House feels a bit sour about Kissinger's easier contact with China than American officials. In this regard, American public opinion believes that this highlights Beijing's dual approach in repairing the severely damaged Sino US relationship - while accepting Washington's request for renewed engagement, it is engaging with Americans it deems trustworthy under its own conditions. Another analysis suggests that there is a lack of true strategists like Kissinger in today's US political arena. China hopes that the Biden administration can listen to rational and pragmatic voices when formulating policies towards China, and take practical actions to push China US relations back on track.

As the crisis in Ukraine continues, John Kirby, Coordinator of Strategic Communications at the National Security Council of the United States, said on the 20th that the Ukrainian military has begun using cluster ammunition provided by the United States, which has an impact on the Russian defense formation and operations. Cluster ammunition has stronger killing power and a greater likelihood of causing civilian casualties than ordinary ammunition, and is banned by more than a hundred countries worldwide. However, the US government's decision two weeks ago to provide Ukraine with this type of ammunition has sparked widespread controversy and concern. During a briefing to the media on the same day, there was controversy over Kirby's statement that the United States received preliminary feedback from Ukraine that Ukraine is "effectively" using cluster ammunition, which will have an impact on the Russian defense formation and operations. According to reports, the Ukrainian army is using cluster ammunition on the front line in southeastern Ukraine, and has been attempting to advance in the area since last month. Next, the Ukrainian army may also gather

According to foreign media reports, the Indian government announced on the 20th that it will ban the export of rice other than Indian fragrant rice, which will take effect immediately. This will halve the export volume of India, the world's largest rice exporting country, and raise concerns in the international market about further rising global food prices. Chairman of the Indian Rice Exporters Association B V. Krishna Rao even believes that this move may disrupt the international market more than the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to Reuters, the Indian government issued a statement on the 20th stating that in order to ensure sufficient rice supply in the Indian market and alleviate the rise in domestic rice prices, the Indian government has revised its export policy to ban rice exports other than Indian fragrant rice. India is the world's largest exporter of rice, with a record high of 22.2 million tons exported last year

Recently, Taiwan's leading integrated circuit company TSMC confirmed that due to a lack of professional personnel, its factory in Arizona, USA, which was originally scheduled to start production in 2024, will be postponed for one year. Some comments suggest that this highlights the challenges TSMC faces in expanding overseas and the obstacles faced by the US government in attempting to reshape the semiconductor supply chain. TSMC announced in May 2020 that it would establish a factory in Arizona and start construction one year later. The original plan was to start production in 2024. TSMC Chairman Liu Deyin stated at the financial report press conference on the 20th that the factory construction process is entering a critical stage of installing professional equipment. However, the shortage of personnel caused delays in the progress. "We have encountered a certain challenge - a lack of professional personnel when installing equipment in semiconductor grade facilities." Liu Deyin predicts that the 4-nanometer process chip

Next week, two senior US officials will appear in the Asia Pacific region at the same time - Secretary of State Antony Blinken will start a trip to Tonga, New Zealand and Australia from the 24th. Austin, the defense minister, visited Papua New Guinea from the 26th and "joined forces" with Antony Blinken in Australia. Analysis suggests that the United States' renewed efforts in the South Pacific are aimed at strengthening allies and partnerships, and cooperating with its "Indo Pacific strategy" to engage in great power competition. However, despite unprecedented efforts by the United States to woo Pacific island countries, the results have been minimal. Both Australia and New Zealand tend to be more pragmatic in their diplomacy, while the other adheres to the principle of independence and autonomy, and may not necessarily be obedient to the United States. There is a huge question mark about whether a "journey of gathering" can be successful. It will be the fourth time that Antony Blinken has appeared in the Asia Pacific region in recent three months. In May, the President of the United States paid his respects

Spain holds parliamentary elections on July 23rd. The preliminary vote count shows that the right-wing party, the People's Party, ranks first in terms of vote share, while the current ruling party and left-wing party, the Workers' Socialist Party, rank second. But neither party has obtained the absolute majority of seats required to form a separate government. At present, it seems that there is no clear path for left-wing and right-wing political parties to form a governing coalition, which means that the fourth largest economy of the European Union may fall into a political stalemate. Who is the winner? In May of this year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez from the Socialist Party of Workers announced that the Spanish general election, originally scheduled for December this year, would be postponed to July 23rd. Public opinion believes that at that time, the Workers' Socialist Party was facing setbacks in local elections, and Sanchez was betting that early elections would have a greater chance of winning for the party. However, opportunities and risks coexist. At that time, it was on the right wing

Elon Musk, who has been constantly testing the waters of reform since acquiring Twitter, has made new moves. On the 23rd, he tweeted repeatedly stating that he would change the Twitter logo from Bluebird to "X". "We will soon bid farewell to the Twitter brand and gradually bid farewell to all birds," he said. If we can find a good "X" icon, it will be released globally on Monday. Currently, Musk has replaced his Twitter avatar with a black "X" logo image. Analysis indicates that this will be the latest significant change since Musk's acquisition of Twitter. Musk aims to accelerate the development of a versatile application that encompasses everything. Since its launch on Twitter in 2006, Bluebird has been its exclusive trademark for creating a "universal program". The name of the tweet comes from a type of bird call. The founder believes that bird calls belong to short and fast frequencies, which are related to

This week, the South Pacific region will welcome a series of historic visits, from the first US Defense Minister to visit Papua New Guinea to the first French President to visit the illegally owned islands in the region. And Macron's appearance is undoubtedly more eye-catching than Austin, as he will be the latest world leader to step onto a Pacific island nation. From July 24th to 28th, Macron will visit French New Caledonia and will make his first visit to Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, two non French territories of South Pacific. The Elysee Palace has promised to bring an alternative to China and the United States to South Pacific Island. It is believed that as South Pacific increasingly attracts the attention of major powers, France is also trying to voice its own opinions, including advancing the implementation of the Indo Pacific strategy. Whether the "French choice" can meet regional needs will depend on France's own strategic choices

On July 24th, the Israeli parliament voted to pass a bill that deprives the Supreme Court of the power to reject government decisions on the grounds of "unreasonable", which is seen as the "first step" taken by the Israeli government in carrying out judicial reform. Since the beginning of this year, the Israeli government has been committed to promoting judicial reform in order to enhance its influence in the country's political life. But critics are concerned that this move will weaken the power of the judicial system. As opposition intensifies, protests are spreading in the country's politics, economy, security, and other fields. After taking the first step and months of deliberation, this "reasonable" bill was finally voted on in the Israeli parliament on the 24th. All 64 members of parliament from the ruling coalition voted in favor. Even Prime Minister Netanyahu, who had just undergone a pacemaker implantation surgery in the early hours of the 23rd, personally went to parliament to witness

Recently, Japan's export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment have officially come into effect. This move is seen as in line with the pace of the United States, suppressing the development of China's chip industry and technology. However, according to Reuters, some Japanese officials are feeling uneasy about Japan's joint efforts with the United States to restrict exports of products such as chips to China. They are concerned that the aggressive behavior of the United States may create obstacles for allies to coordinate and unnecessarily provoke Beijing, leading to destructive retaliation. There are also comments pointing out that the Fumio Kishida government supports the United States in restricting the export of chip manufacturing equipment to curb China's ability to produce advanced semiconductors. The concerns of some Japanese officials highlight that this decision has not received full support in Japan. Worried about intensifying relations with China, starting from the 23rd of this month, the Japanese government will add export restrictions on 23 types of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment in 6 major categories

Recently, there have been frequent and unsettling screenplays on the Korean Peninsula. The USS Kentucky left Busan for only three days, and on the 24th, the USS Annapolis entered Jeju. Faced with repeated threats from the US South Korea alliance, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile late on the 24th, marking Pyongyang's third time firing a missile since last week. If the main storyline of the script is the confrontation between the United States and South Korea, then several other branches of the storyline are also worth paying attention to, including the incident of American soldiers breaking into North Korea and the upcoming "Armistice Day" commemoration event in Pyongyang. What kind of situation is the situation on the Korean Peninsula presenting under the interweaving of complex clues, and what kind of trend will it have, which affects the global vision. In the new round of peninsula confrontation, the South Korean President will accelerate the "hard and fast" game by the end of April this year

Recently, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy publicly stated that the investigation surrounding US President Biden has risen to a level where Congress can initiate an impeachment investigation. This is seen as McCarthy's most explicit impeachment threat against Biden since taking office, which has attracted public attention in the context of the upcoming US election next year. Clear threat: "We have always been following information. However, this has risen to the level of impeachment investigations." McCarthy told Fox News on the 24th that impeachment investigations can provide Congress with powerful power to obtain other information needed to uncover the truth. McCarthy also compared Biden to the protagonist of the Watergate scandal, former US President Nixon, accusing him of "weaponizing the government, benefiting his family, and weakening Congress's oversight capabilities.". However, McCarthy did not provide

The 100 meter tsunami swept through New York, and the world entered a period of glaciers... If you are a movie fan, you must have been deeply impressed by the scenes in the American disaster film "The Day After Tomorrow". The cause of these abnormal climates in the film is the complete collapse of a global ocean current system called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Although the plot of the movie is a bit exaggerated, the risk of AMOC collapse is by no means sensational, and the latest research suggests that this time may even come early. On the 25th, the journal Nature published the latest findings from a research team at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Research shows that AMOC may collapse by the middle of this century, or even as early as 2025. This conclusion is more pessimistic than the United Nations assessment. Once AMOC collapses, it will have a huge impact on the global ecosystem and affect every villager on Earth. Heating furnace

On July 25th, the International Monetary Fund released an update to the World Economic Outlook report. This updated report titled "Short term Resilience, Continuous Challenges" places the world economy in a shadow of light and shadow. On the one hand, the IMF is certain of the signs of progress showing in the short term and has raised its global economic growth forecast for 2023 by 0.2 percentage points to 3% compared to April. On the other hand, the IMF warns that although the world economy is on track, it is still struggling, with weak growth and facing multiple downward risks. As 2023 enters the second half of the year, with a series of economic data released from various countries, what key clues does the IMF's updated report provide for people to see the global economic outlook clearly? Compared to the April report, the biggest highlight of the latest report is that it shows signs of progress

In the face of the biggest change in the world in a century, profound changes in the international situation and the negative impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Gulf countries pay more attention to stabilizing the political situation, revitalizing the economy and improving people's livelihood, and independently adjust domestic and foreign policies in accordance with their own interests and requirements, and adhere to their own path. In view of this, significant historical changes occurred in the Gulf situation in the first half of 2023, with relative stability replacing the tense and turbulent past, and a new situation of reconciliation, cooperation, and development emerged. The Shai reconciliation has greatly enhanced the positive energy of regional peace. The reconciliation between the two sides has made substantial progress. On April 6th, Foreign Minister Shay issued a joint statement in Beijing, announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries from now on. On June 6th, Iran reopened its embassies and consulates in Riyadh and Jeddah, respectively. Shai's transportation cooperation has made certain progress. During the pilgrimage, Yi

On the 26th, a political earthquake occurred in Niger, a landlocked country in West Africa. On the evening of the coup, the country's military personnel issued a statement on Nepal's national television station, stating that President Bazum had been overthrown and a curfew would be imposed nationwide. The United Nations, the African Union, the United States, and other parties have all expressed condemnation. The Western Community has dispatched the President of Benin to Niger for mediation. Analysis suggests that the new events once again demonstrate the severe situation of this "coup prone country" and the complex situation in the Sahel region. The West is concerned that if the coup succeeds, it will lose important partners in West Africa and create opportunities for countries such as Russia to expand their influence in Niger. On the 26th, Amadou Abdullah, a representative of the Niger coup military and a member of the Nigerian defense and security forces, issued a statement stating that the coup army has overthrown Nigerian President Bazum and will blockade the Nigerian border due to "inadequate governance"

After governing Cambodia for nearly 40 years, Hun Sen announced on the 26th that he will no longer serve as Prime Minister. The new government will be led by the future Prime Minister candidate of the Cambodian People's Party, Hun Manai. At the age of 70, Hun Sen has transferred power to his 45-year-old successor and eldest son, Hun Manai, which is seen as an important step in Cambodia's intergenerational political transition. It is also the first time that this Southeast Asian country has transitioned from a conservative previous generation to a new one since the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979. However, it is believed that given that Hun Sen will continue to hold important positions such as the chairman of the ruling People's Party, even if he steps down as prime minister, he will still play an important role in Cambodian politics. In the foreseeable future, the new government led by Hung Mane is expected to continue the Hun Sen line in both domestic and foreign policies, and is unlikely to undergo significant changes. "It's time to make way for young people," I announced that I will no longer continue

The Federal Reserve ended its two-day monetary policy meeting on July 26th, announcing a 25 basis point increase in the target range of the federal funds rate to between 5.25% and 5.5%, the highest level in 22 years. This is the 11th rate hike by the Federal Reserve since entering the current rate hike cycle in March 2022, and it is also the Fed's resumption of rate hikes after pressing the pause button in June. Analysis suggests that the 25 basis point rate hike by the Federal Reserve is aimed at further curbing inflation while minimizing negative impacts on the financial system. At the same time, the Federal Reserve has left a suspense over the prospects of monetary policy. On the same day, the Federal Reserve issued a statement evaluating several indicators affecting its monetary policy, which has been at a high level for 22 years. The Federal Reserve believes that the US economy has continued to expand moderately in recent times, and Bank of America

The number of citizens has decreased by another 800000; The population has been shrinking for 14 consecutive years; For the first time, all 47 prefectures and counties across the country have reduced their staff; The birth rate has dropped to a historic low and the death toll has reached a historic high... The recently released population data in Japan depicts a bleak picture of an increasingly severe population crisis, sparking concerns about the future of the world's third-largest economy. The Japanese Ministry of General Affairs announced on the 26th the results of its population dynamics survey as of January 1st this year, which has been shrinking for 14 consecutive years, providing multiple record breaking and alarming numbers. Firstly, the number of Japanese citizens decreased by approximately 800000 to around 122 million, the highest decrease since the survey began in 1968. This is also the 14th consecutive year of population contraction in Japan. From the perspective of the total population, it has also declined to about 125 million, a decrease from the previous year

Russian President Putin stated at the second Russia Africa Summit on the 27th that Russia is prepared to provide 25000 to 50000 tons of food to six African countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Eritrea, for free, while expanding cooperation in multiple fields between Russia and Africa. Russian public opinion believes that the focus of the Russia Africa summit is on deepening economic integration between Russia and Africa. Putin's food aid plan shows that Russia's aid to Africa is not just verbal, but practical actions to solve Africa's urgent needs. Russian media also noted that the West has some criticisms of Russia's "free shipping and free food" policy and is actively interfering with this summit, but this cannot hinder the deepening of cooperation between Russia and Africa. On the 27th, the second Russia Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum opened in St. Petersburg. Putin announced in his speech that the Russian side will

The World Meteorological Organization and the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union stated on July 27th that given the significantly higher global average temperatures in the first three weeks of this month, it is almost certain that this month will become the hottest on record. Scientists also say that this month will be the hottest in approximately 120000 years. UN officials are calling on countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming. Since the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, North America, Europe, and Asia have all been hit by heatwaves, with temperatures breaking records one after another. Although this month has not yet ended, the World Meteorological Organization and the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union have concluded that it is likely to be the hottest month on record, which is seen as a new key milestone in the climate change process. According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service,

On the 28th local time, the Republican Party of the United States held a rally in Iowa, and more than ten Republican presidential candidates for the 2024 US election appeared on stage one by one. Among them, the first joint appearance of former US President Trump and his main competitor, Florida Governor De Santis, has attracted attention from the outside world. According to the public opinion, the same stage seems to show the latest trend before the 2024 U.S. presidential election: Trump still dominates the race for the nomination of the Republican presidential candidate, while others become supporting role. Trump took the stage and gave warm applause. On the 28th, the Republican Party of the United States held a dinner in Iowa, where 13 Republican candidates took the stage one by one to canvass 1200 Republican voters who participated in the event. Each person had a total of 10 minutes to speak. Except for Trump and De Santis, former US Vice President Peng

According to media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, according to informed diplomats, Saudi Arabia plans to hold a peace conference in the second largest city of Jeddah from August 5th to 6th, inviting high-ranking officials from Ukraine, Western countries, and developing countries to attend and discuss the path to peace in Ukraine. As of now, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine have not responded to the reported meeting. Analysts believe that the proposed meeting aims to continue wooing major developing countries to support Ukraine's peace plan and further isolate Russia. However, given that most developing countries have their own ideas for resolving the Ukrainian crisis and are unwilling to take sides, it is expected that the expected results will not be achieved. Continuing to attract the "global south", the planned Jeddah meeting is seen as a bridging event in foreign media reports on resolving the Ukrainian issue

On the 30th, a bomb exploded at a political party rally in northwestern Pakistan, causing at least 44 deaths and around 200 injuries. This is one of the most serious attacks in the northwest region of the country since 2014. At present, there are no organizations or individuals claiming responsibility for the incident, but preliminary police investigations suggest that ISIS may be the mastermind behind it. Some analysts believe that the attack may not be motivated by sectarianism, but rather related to the upcoming general election. The explosion occurred in the Khyber Pashtun province of northwestern Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, using 10 kilograms of explosives. On the afternoon of the 30th local time, the Islamic Sages of the Palestinian political party organized a rally in the Bajaur region of the province. The Guardian quoted police as saying that a suicide bomber detonated a vest during a rally and the explosion occurred

Recently, the scene of 81 year old US Congressman Mitch McConnell suddenly froze during his speech became a hot topic. At that time, he was stunned for 20 seconds and asked by his colleagues, "Are you okay?" Then he was helped to leave. From the brief "shutdown" of McConnell, to frequent falls and slip of the tongue by US President Biden, coupled with the possibility of a "two old man" showdown in the US election, the issue of aging American politicians has once again sparked public opinion and discussion. Not an isolated event, according to CNN, Senate Minority Leader McConnell's brief silence at a press conference last Wednesday was not an isolated event. He has fallen at least three times in the past year. Especially after a fall in March this year caused a concussion, McConnell had to be hospitalized for treatment. Coincidentally, not until after McConnell's condition

Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng set off on July 27th to visit six Asian and African countries, including India and South Africa. Analysis suggests that, with the basic settlement of relations with major countries such as the United States and Europe, the Japanese government is seeking to strengthen relations with emerging market countries and developing countries in order to win their support on issues such as the Indian Ocean Pacific region and the Ukraine crisis, thereby expanding Japan's influence on the international stage. However, considering that these countries generally hold a neutral stance and look forward to international peace and stability, Japan may find it difficult to achieve its goal. "Global South" Lin Fangzheng set off on July 27th to visit six countries in Asia and Africa. During the nearly one week trip, he will visit India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia. According to Kyodo News Agency, Lin Fang said before her trip that the Japanese side will attach great importance to packaging