British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the Western allies are "steadfast" in their support for Ukraine, warning Vladimir Putin "we're not going away". During a round of interviews at Hiroshima’s Seifukan tea house, Sunak stated that the Russian President needs to understand this message, and told Putin that they cannot "outlast us in this conflict". The UK is introducing a ban on Russian diamonds, which was worth more than £3bn ($4.29bn) to Russia in 2021, and also prohibiting imports of Russian-origin copper, aluminium and nickel, hoping other countries will follow suit. The move is aimed at applying further pressure on Putin and his supporters, and the three-day summit will also discuss military and economic support for Ukraine, economic stability, and the security of Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression. Sunak will also visit the A-bomb dome ruin with his Japanese counterpart to reflect on the atomic devastation in the Second World War.
The Biden administration has reportedly informed European allies that it will not block their export of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. President Biden has previously expressed his opposition to the United States sending F-16s to Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a top item on the agenda at the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, which President Biden is attending. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also attend the meeting, in person according to sources. During his visits to Berlin, Paris and London this week, Zelensky secured billions of dollars in new military support from European leaders, but experts say much of the weaponry pledged is unlikely to reach the battlefield until after the start of the upcoming counteroffensive, and Europe's ability to sustain such support remains unclear.
The European Union is planning to propose diamond trade restrictions in an attempt to limit Russia's ability to sell the stones and deny funds used to wage their military activity in Ukraine, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said on Friday. He added that the proposed restrictions will be discussed later in the day.
The G7 group of industrialised nations have ensured that Ukraine will be provided with the necessary level of budget support until the early part of 2024 after leaders renewed their commitment to providing military and financial assistance. The G7 members are currently meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, with international pressures exerted over concerns including Russia’s activities in Ukraine and increasing international standing, and issues relating to China. The leaders stated they were engaging with other countries to prevent the flow of goods and technology into Russia through third parties, and sought to crack down on sanctions circumvention providing Russia a profit boost.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Jeddah to attend an Arab League summit and is due to attend the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima this weekend. Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have attempted to remain neutral in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, despite pressure from the west to isolate Russia. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has previously mediated in the conflict, securing the release of 10 foreigners from Russia, a move that was facilitated by his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The leaders of G7 countries have called for “guardrails” to be established for the growth of AI, particularly around the risks of its large language models. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak were among those to raise concerns at the summit in Japan, citing the “potential benefits” of AI to citizens and the economy. The state leaders call for development of AI that is “accurate, reliable, safe and non-discriminatory” reflects the wider worries of governments worldwide. Earlier this month, the competition watchdogs in the UK and the US began indicating plans to regulate the sector. The European Union also recently agreed tighter rules on using AI, including restrictions on chatbots, while the ministers for digital and technology of the G7 nations agreed to base AI policy on democratic values, protective of human rights and personal privacy, and risk-based to maximise benefits whilst mitigating risks.
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) have pledged to provide Ukraine with financial and military support, renewing their commitment in the face of Russian aggression. Speaking at a summit in Hiroshima, the G7 said that it specifically ensured Ukraine had the budget support it would need in 2016 and early 2017. The group’s members also stated that they were engaging with other nations in a bid to prevent goods and technology flowing to Russia via third European countries, thereby undermining sanctions.
US President Joe Biden was captured nearly tripping down a set of stairs at the G7 summit in Japan. Footage shows him fumbling his footing as he walked down a small set of stairs at the Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima, Japan. He has been captured several times tripping or stumbling before throughout his presidency, raising concerns about his age. However, the White House released a health summary report from Mr Biden’s official doctor, Kevin O’Connor, in February to prove Mr Biden is in good health. The G7 members are expected to speak about Russian sanctions and provide support to Ukraine as well as climate change and China’s growing military buildup.
Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, is set to visit China for two days, where he will meet with President Xi Jinping, as both nations are increasing their diplomatic efforts to hold talks over the Ukraine war. The visit will also include a stop in Shanghai, where Mishustin will attend a bilateral business forum. The Russian delegation will include Herman Gref, CEO of Russia’s state-owned bank Sberbank, and Mikhail Oseevsky, CEO of telecoms provider Rostelecom, both of whom have been sanctioned by Western countries over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The recent death of a 19-year-old lion, who strayed into a Kenyan village, was merely the most recent example of deaths due to hunger. Crops and livestock have been decimated by a lethal cocktail of climate change and conflict which has led to food shortages and malnutrition across east Africa. The crisis is due to kill one person every 28 seconds between now and July, yet it will not make the wider news. People most affected are those who have the least responsibility for climate change.
The G7 is holding its annual summit in the Japanese shrine city of Hiroshima where the talks are set to focus on the growing influence of China, the Ukraine crisis and the ongoing threat to Taiwan. G7 leaders, however, are keen to avoid confrontation with China over the issue of its territorial claims that are threatening the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Instead, the leaders are set to extend the promise of G7 cooperation. Alongside the G7 nations, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, and the Philippines have been invited as guests, symbolising Japan's ongoing interest and focus on Southeast Asia. In addition, India and South Korea, which have previously pressed Japan to address issues related to Japanese Imperial Army’s conscripting of sex slaves for the military during World War II, will also take part, together with the EU.
A draft communique from the G7 group of rich nations, which met in Hiroshima, Japan last week, suggests that publicly supported investment in the gas sector may be “temporarily appropriate”. Such investment would be to help countries accelerate the process of phasing out dependency on Russian energy. This language, if adopted in the final version of the statement, would represent stronger support for gas investments in relation to the G7 ministerial meeting in April. G7 climate ministers eventually agreed at this meeting that gas investment could be used to address “potential market shortfalls”. Unlike the Hiroshima draft communique, however, ministers did not say that such investment may be appropriate.
In a diplomatic victory for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the US will allow allies to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, with the US Military assisting in training Ukrainian pilots to fly the aircraft. President Biden has said the US will offer support to a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots, before later equipping them with F-16s, delivering one of the most significant upgrades to Ukraine's military after last year's full-scale Russian invasion. Biden made the announcement to G7 leaders. Kiev has been working to construct a coalition of nations ready to supply F-16s and has now garnered support from the UK, France and the Netherlands.
This move will strengthen Ukraine’s depleted air force and boost air defence capabilities, allowing ground operations that challenge Russia’s tactical air supremacy over the frontline. The Netherlands, which is phasing out F-16s, could be a major supplier to Ukraine. Belgium and Denmark also have F-16s. The training will take place in Ukraine and Europe, and potentially other countries may be involved. The process could take months before jets can fly over Ukraine’s skies. Meanwhile, with the increasing probability of a full-scale conventional war, Russia may soon sign a defense pact with Belarus to boost its security.
Investors are turning their attention to Japan, which is experiencing accelerating governance reform, strong economic momentum, and sustained inflation, leading some analysts to question whether “Japan’s Rising Sun” will finally live up to its promises. Foreign institutions have purchased the country’s Topix index, which has hit a fresh 33-year high, and the Bank of America has said the Topix could increase by a further 33% to exceed its previous peak.
The change is arguably the biggest practical and psychological shift in the Japanese economy in decades. After years of stagnation, wages are now increasing, and Japan is experiencing sustained inflation with core inflation running at 3.4% annually.
Several geopolitical factors, such as Japan’s hosting of the G7 summit, China-US decoupling, military tensions, bloc formation for a new cold war, and the country’s positioning as a stable and supply-chain friendly partner of the west, as well as its presence as the fourth-largest economy in the world, are contributing to investors’ renewed interest in the country.
The US will support providing advanced warplanes to Ukraine, including F-16s, and back training Kyiv’s pilots, President Joe Biden has said. The planned move is a breakthrough for Kyiv, which previously struggled to persuade Western allies to provide hi-tech aircraft. The UK’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, both have pledged to build an “international coalition” that will provide fighter aircraft support for Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron has offered to train Ukrainian pilots, but has ruled out sending warplanes to Kyiv. Previously, US opposition to providing advanced planes centred around their expense.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent visit to South Korea included several significant deals and meetings, but a photo of the PM posing in the "manner legs" stance with South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo has gone viral in the country. The sign of respect for height difference is popularised by South Korean celebrities, and delighted commentators who believe Trudeau was showing cultural sensitivity. However, the visit was also criticised by some who believed Trudeau should have visited Korea earlier, to more fully develop bilateral relations.
The G7 summit, held in Hiroshima, Japan, is focusing on both heightened global economic uncertainty and a new common approach to China. Alongside climate change and artificial intelligence, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, has labelled the G7 as the “steering committee of the free world”, underlining the meeting's potential for a generational struggle in a new era of superpower rivalry. The seven countries involved in the summit include the US, UK, Japan, Canada, Germany, France and Italy. During the meeting, members have announced sanctions, including proposals to hit Russia’s diamond business, which has not yet been affected by western restrictions. They confirmed they will provide continued support for Ukraine for “as long as it takes”. Meanwhile, Russia has admitted to “problems” with oil and gas revenues, which have fallen to their lowest level in years, undermining the country’s ability to fund its war in Ukraine.
The G-7 lords have launched the Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion, aiming to see off China's business bullying. The joint mechanism will target economic measures aimed at interfering with other states' affairs, with Bloomberg Singling out Australia and Lithuania as two countries that have felt China's wrath. The platform says China has used its economic weight to coerce nations in political disputes; however, an automatic response is not within the remit of the panel. Several G-7 members failed to agree on what stronger measures could be taken and by whom.
The G7 summit is seeking to adopt a common approach on Beijing and is planning to introduce measures to respond to Chinese "economic coercion" in an announcement on Saturday. A “platform” is to be unveiled which will provide a forum for the identification of economic vulnerabilities and coordination of protective measures. This follows two years of efforts by the US administration of Joe Biden, helped by Japan, to foster unity among G7 members on challenges posed by Beijing. China has taken issue with the G7’s language on “economic coercion”, saying in a statement "it is, in fact, the United States itself that instigates coercive diplomacy".
Rishi Sunak's bright red socks, featuring the logo of a Hiroshima baseball team, have sold out in Japan and online. The £8 socks caused a run on sales after they were featured on local media. Sunak wore them while having dinner with the Japanese Prime Minister and since then, the Hiroshima region has sold out of them. The designer of the product said they had not received any orders or enquires from the UK beforehand and is overwhelmed by the international exposure.
