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From reforming the UN Security Council to taxing billionaires, thousands of leftists gathered in Barcelona over the weekend to brainstorm ways to halt the rise of authoritarianism and win back voters who have drifted rightwards.The gathering, which drew more than 6,000 people from over 40 countries, comes as far-right and nationalist forces have gained ground globally, eclipsing the left with messaging that pins cost-of-living concerns on immigration, outdated institutions and out-of-touch political elites.Spearheaded by Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose outspoken opposition to US President Trump’s foreign policy has boosted his image, the summit was buoyed by hopes that the far-right surge may have peaked, with Trump’s polling numbers falling, Hungary’s Victor Orban ousted after 16 years in government and the French far-right underperforming in last month’s municipal elections.Leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rallied the crowd with calls to reform international organisations and cement new left-leaning alliances, as the shadow of Trump’s attacks on multilateral institutions loomed large.”To be progressive is to defend a reformed multilateralism, where the rules work for everyone,” said Lula da Silva, addressing a packed closing plenary of supporters waving red flags, sporting ‘Make Science Great Again’ caps and periodically chanting Spanish anti-fascist anthems.Left-wing parties hoping for a resurgence need to address kitchen table issues such as the cost of living, said Marcus Roberts, CEO of political strategy consultancy Mandate Research.A 30-country Ipsos survey published last month showed voters were far more worried about unemployment, inflation, poverty and inequality than the rise of extremism or moral decline.Indeed, anger at rising fuel prices due to the war in the Middle East has seen Trump’s approval ratings tank, polls show, in what Democrat strategists have described as a window of opportunity to make convincing arguments on the economy ahead of midterm elections in November.Economist Gabriel Zucman took the stage to advocate for higher wealth taxes on millionaires and billionaires, a policy which is hugely popular in polls across Europe and the US but was rejected by lawmakers in his native France.”It’s hard for people who can’t afford eggs to be concerned about democracy,” said Neera Tanden, former advisor in Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama’s administrations and director of the Center for American Progress think tank.Isabel Allende, former Senate president of Chile and daughter of Salvador Allende, Latin America’s first Marxist leader who was ousted in 1973 by a US-led military coup, warned that the left had become disconnected from citizens’ concerns.”It’s unimaginable to fight against the right if we can’t get closer to ordinary people,” she said.Attendees returning from the Spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank said discussions in Barcelona reflected a similar urgency for reforming the balance of power in global institutions, though specifics on what would come next remained unclear.”The institutions are still standing but the logic inside them is shifting,” said Mariana Mazzucato, a professor of economics advising governments and policymakers on how states can use public investment to foster growth.”Trump is accelerating the crisis of the old order… but if progressives do not offer a credible alternative framework, someone else will fill that vacuum,” she said.Studies like Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World” index show the number of authoritarian governments swelling in the past two decades, as a rise in conflicts, coups, and crackdowns on freedoms has coincided with a pivot away from foreign aid programs by wealthy democracies, whose populaces have grown weary of sending funding abroad while facing cost-of-living challenges at home.While organisers were adamant the event, hosted by several left-wing political networks and Spain’s Socialist Party, was not a mobilisation against Trump, they also said the left could not afford to sit tight and wait for a new US administration, with many echoing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for “middle powers” to coalesce.”Trump has become a symbol for the extreme right. But this is about social democrats coming together. The fact that US Democrats are so well represented is a first and shows that this movement is growing,” Lars Klingbeil, vice-chancellor of Germany and head of the German Social Democrats, told reporters on the sidelines.The American left and centre-left featured heavily in the closing plenary of the two-day gathering, with former vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz urging crowds not to give up on Democrats and voices from Bernie Sanders to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Hilary Clinton sending video messages in support.”The reality is that the tools that the right wing are using to try to destroy our democracy are similar from country to country,” US Democratic Senator and Foreign Relations Committee member Chris Murphy said in an interview with Reuters.”We need to share experiences to understand how we can fight back,” he said. Related Story Source link
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (left) and Japan’s Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro shake hands during a Defence Ministers’ Meeting at…
A farmer inspecting a rice field that has recently been treated with microbial solution Soil Digest, in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. (AFP) Rice farmers Siriporn and Amnat Taidee used to burn their paddy fields between plantings — a common method of clearing crop residue partly blamed for toxic smog that blankets much of Thailand every spring.A quick and affordable way to prepare for a new growing cycle, the practice has long been seen as the only feasible option for millions of Thai rice farmers.But for the couple from Chiang Rai, abandoning what Amnat called “the old way of doing things” for new microbial solutions has been a boon.Thanks to the hungry bacteria that chew up post-harvest leftovers — their soil is softer, their yields are up and their fertiliser bills are down.”My life has changed,” said Siriporn, 63, as she sloshed through a verdant paddy field in Chiang Rai. “I’m so happy… we don’t have to burn anymore.” This aerial photo…
New Delhi summoned the Iranian ambassador yesterday to lodge a protest over a “shooting incident” involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the foreign ministry said. Iran has reversed its pledge to reopen the strategic trade route to commercial traffic during a ceasefire in the Middle East war in protest at a US counter-blockade of the waterway, a crucial passage for crude oil and gas.Security monitors said several commercial ships came under fire and threats from Iranian forces yesterday as they tried to cross the strait. India’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Secretary Vikram Misri summoned the Iranian ambassador and “conveyed India’s deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz”. New Delhi also urged Iran to “resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait”, the statement said, adding that the envoy “undertook to convey these views to the Iranian authorities”. Monitoring site TankerTrackers.com said in post on X that “two Indian vessels were forced back west out of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Sepah (IRGC) Navy”, adding one of the vessels was “an Indian-flagged VLCC supertanker carrying 2 mn barrels of Iraqi oil”. India, the world’s second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas, has managed to secure passage for several Indian-flagged vessels in recent weeks. India imports about 60% of its LPG needs and has been grappling with a gas crunch since the war in the Middle East began on February 28. New Delhi maintains strong relations with Tehran but has steadily expanded co-operation with Iran’s rival Israel in defence, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity. Source link
The Trump administration on Friday renewed a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea for about a month, even as lawmakers accused the government of going easy on Moscow as its war on Ukraine grinds on. The Treasury Department’s waiver lets countries purchase Russian oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of Friday through May 16. It replaces a 30-day waiver that expired on April 11 and excludes transactions involving Iran, Cuba and North Korea. The move is part of the administration’s effort to control global energy prices that have shot higher during the US-Israeli war with Iran. It came after countries in Asia, suffering from the global energy shock, pressed Washington to allow alternative supplies to reach markets. “As negotiations (with Iran) accelerate, Treasury wants to ensure oil is available to those who need it,” a Treasury Department spokesperson said. Just two days earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would not be renewing the waiver for Russian oil and another for Iranian oil, which is set to expire on Sunday. Global oil prices tumbled 9% on Friday to about $90 a barrel after Iran temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz, an oil choke point in the Gulf. But the war has already created the worst global energy supply disruption in history, the International Energy Agency has said. The war, which enters its eighth week on Saturday, has damaged more than 80 oil and gas facilities in the Middle East, and Tehran has warned it could close the strait again if the recent US Navy blockade of Iranian ports continued. High oil prices are a threat to President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump has also faced pressure from partner countries on the oil price. A US source said partner countries on the sidelines of Group of 20, World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington this week had requested the US extend the waiver. And he spoke about oil this week in a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, a big purchaser of Russian oil. The waiver on Iranian oil, which the Treasury Department issued on March 20, allowed about 140mn barrels of oil to reach global markets and helped relieve pressure on energy supply, Bessent said last month. US lawmakers from both political parties had slammed the administration over the sanctions waivers, saying they stood to help the economy of Iran while it was at war with the US and of Russia as it was at war with Ukraine. The waivers could impede the West’s efforts to deprive Russia of revenue for its war in Ukraine and put Washington at odds with its allies. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said now is not the time to relax sanctions against Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev said an extension of the US waiver will affect another 100mn barrels of Russian oil, bringing the total volume affected by both waivers to 200mn barrels. Dmitriev, who travelled to the US on April 9 for meetings with members of the Trump administration ahead of the previous waiver expiry, said on his Telegram channel that the extension faced “active political opposition.” Brett Erickson, a sanctions expert at the consulting firm Obsidian Risk Advisors, said Friday’s renewal is likely not the last waiver Washington will issue.“The conflict has done lasting damage to global energy markets, and the tools available to stabilise them are nearly exhausted,” Erickson said. Waiver aims to stabilise energy prices amid Iran war and Middle East tensions; Lawmakers criticise waivers for benefiting Russia during war with Ukraine; Analyst warns energy market tools are ‘nearly exhausted’; EU urges no relaxation of Russia sanctions Source link
Pope Leo XIV (CL) is welcomed by Angola’s President Joao Lourenco (CR) upon his arrival at the “4 de Fevereiro” Luanda International Airport in Luanda on…
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Foreign Ministry on April 17, 2026, shows Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan greeting Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa…
A fire that broke out Sunday morning destroyed approximately 200 stilt houses in the Kampung Bahagia water village of Sandankan, Malaysia.Sandakan Fire and Rescue Station chief, Jimmy Lagung, said that firefighting operations are still underway and the blaze has not yet been brought under control. He noted that firefighters are facing difficulties reaching the site due to narrow access roads which hindered the movement of fire engines.Strong winds and the close proximity of the houses contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, while low tide conditions made it difficult to obtain an open water source, he added.Meanwhile, Sandakan District Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Walter Kenson declared a disaster following the fire, noting the activation of a temporary relief center to accommodate affected residents. He added that the affected homes are no longer safe to live in following the fire incident.According to unofficial figures, approximately 445 people from 89 families were displaced. Source link
Nepal's government, elected last month on an anti-corruption platform, has formed a commission to investigate the assets of politicians and officials, an official said Thursday.Prime Minister Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, won a landslide election victory on a platform of youth-driven political change in the first elections since deadly 2025 anti-corruption protests ousted the government.Led by a former Supreme Court judge, the five-member commission will examine assets of top figures who have held public office since 2006.Dipa Dahal, press and investigation adviser to the prime minister, said the commission was ordered by cabinet on Wednesday.’The cabinet meeting made this decision,’ Dahal told AFP. ‘We are following up to confirm its timelines and other details.’Plans to form the commission were listed in the government's 100-point reform agenda issued after Shah took office.Earlier this month Nepal issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife in a money laundering investigation, the latest high-profile figure targeted under the new government.Deuba, who is abroad, has rejected the allegations.Investigations are also ongoing into former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and ex-home minister Ramesh Lekhak over their alleged roles in the deadly crackdown on the anti-corruption protests in September 2025.The two men were arrested last month, but they have denied all accusations and were released after a court order.The youth-led uprising began in Kathmandu and was triggered by a brief social media ban.It spread countrywide the following day, fuelled by longstanding frustration over corruption and economic hardship.Nepal currently ranks 109th out of 180 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. Source link
Logo of the Spanish oil company Repsol at a gas station. (Reuters/File Photo) Spanish energy group Repsol said Thursday it has reached an agreement with the Venezuelan government to regain control of its oil business in the country and sharply increase production over the coming years.Repsol’s operations in Venezuela have been sharply limited since 2025 after Washington unilaterally revoked its operating license, a move that also affected other foreign companies in the country.The deal will allow Repsol to resume operational control of its Petroquiriquire joint venture created to develop and operate oil fields in eastern Venezuela, the company said in a statement.Repsol said it is prepared to increase gross oil production in the country — which currently averages some 45,000 barrels daily — by 50 % within 12 months and potentially triple output within three years, provided “necessary conditions” are met.”This agreement underscores Repsol’s commitment to Venezuela, where we have operated continuously since 1993,” the company’s head of exploration and production, Francisco Gea, said in a statement.”We have the assets and the technical, operational, and human capabilities on the ground to increase our production in the country.”The deal was signed between Repsol, Venezuela’s hydrocarbon ministry and Venezuela’s state oil and gas firm PDVSA, which owns 60% of the Petroquiriquire joint venture.A new bonanza from Venezuela’s vast oil reserves has been touted after the US captured its socialist strongman Nicolas Maduro in January in a lightning military operation on Caracas.The new authorities, led by interim president Delcy Rodriguez, have cooperated with US President Donald Trump’s administration and introduced reforms to liberalise the sector.The US has eased a seven-year-old oil embargo on Venezuela and issued licenses allowing a handful of multinationals including Repsol to operate in the country under certain conditions.US oil giant Chevron and the government of Venezuela signed two deals on Monday that will expand oil production in the country.The possibility of increased Venezuelan oil output comes as global markets face disruptions to Middle East oil supplies from the conflict in Iran which have driven up oil prices.Venezuela sits on the world largest proven oil reserves and the once-thriving sector helped make it one of Latin America’s wealthiest countries in the 20th century.But production plummeted during two decades of socialist rule, with observers pointing to underinvestment, mismanagement and corruption, as the country plunged into a protracted political, social and economic crisis.Speaking to AFP in Paris in February, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Venezuelan oil production was “a little bit less than a million barrels a day” in January.But output could grow by 30-40% by the end of 2026 — “that’s a big deal,” he said. Source link