HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Xinhua) — Amid waves of protests, the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ annual summit got underway on Friday in Japan’s western city of Hiroshima. Hundreds of protesters from all over the country, even abroad, gathered in Hiroshima’s Funairi Daiichi Park, not far from the summit’s venue, to decry the finger-pointing bloc that advertises its own version of world order. Seen on-site were huge banners and placards that read “Junk G7,” “No Build-up to War” and “No…

GENEVA, May 17 (Xinhua) — The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) issued a worldwide appeal on Wednesday calling for an increase in the value of pledges for digitalizing the world from the current 30 billion U.S. dollars to 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2026. The target was announced on the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), observed annually on May 17 to mark the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and ITU’s founding in 1865. “Tech is at…

TV BRICS Media Network is starting its work in the organising committee responsible for preparing and ensuring Russia’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2024. Ivan Polyakov, Chairman of the TV BRICS International Media Network, has joined the Organising Committee. The decree on the establishment of the relevant committee was signed by Vladimir Putin. The Organising Committee will be headed by Yuri Ushakov, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation. The main tasks of the organising committee are to prepare and submit…

SOUTH Africa will not take sides in a contest between global powers, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said as he hit out at critics accusing his country of siding with Russia in the war with Ukraine. Ramaphosa was writing in his weekly letter, days after the United States envoy in South Africa accused the African National Congress-led government of arming Russia. “Since the advent of democracy nearly 30 years, South Africa has pursued an independent foreign policy.” Ramaphosa said. He noted…

Left-wing political party, the EFF, has once again condemned the British monarchy’s continuous public display of the diamond taken from South Africa in 1907, said to be worth R6 billion, that adorns the royal crown. The party was responding to the display of the world’s biggest diamond, known as the Star of Africa, at the coronation of British monarch King Charles III in London on Saturday. The diamond was discovered in South Africa and handed over to the British Monarchy…

LONDON, May 5 (Xinhua) — Britain’s ruling Conservative party has lost over 1,000 seats in local elections across England, latest election results showed on Friday. Senior Conservatives had predicted ahead of the elections that major losses were to be expected after 13 years in power. By Friday evening, 222 out of 230 councils had already declared their results, with the Conservatives losing control of 45 city halls and the party’s 1,040 councilors lost their jobs in the process. However, the…

VLADIVOSTOK, May 5 (Xinhua) — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned on Thursday that Russia and the United States are on the verge of an open armed conflict over Ukraine, but Moscow is trying to prevent this. Ryabkov said that Moscow knew that Kiev was acting under Washington’s instructions when it chose to attack targets in Russia, including a drone strike on the Kremlin, adding that both Ukraine and the United States looked ridiculous when they denied their involvement…

UNITED NATIONS, May 5 (Xinhua) — The world body is working toward the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and asks all parties concerned to engage constructively, said a UN spokesman on Friday. The Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) has not reached agreement to authorize new vessels to participate in the initiative, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from Black Sea ports. The JCC continues its daily inspection work on the previously authorized vessels, said…

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) — Russia has evidence showing that the United States and Ukraine were behind the recent drone attack on the Kremlin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. “We have this data. The data that was received by our special service,” Peskov said about an attempted drone attack Wednesday on the Kremlin. Peskov noted that the United States must understand that Russia is aware of its participation in the terrorist attack, saying that it’s important for Washington…