New Delhi: On a trip to Moscow, Indonesian Defence Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto asked for Russia’s support to develop nuclear energy. Subianto met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday at the Kremlin.
“We are open for more Russian participation in our economy,” Prabowo said during a broadcast from the meeting. He highlighted discussions with Rosatom, Russian state atomic energy corporation, about potential cooperation on small modular reactors and main reactors.
“This visit is an opportunity for Indonesia to strengthen its strategic partnership and cooperation in the defense sector with Russia,” Prabowo wrote on X.
“We consider Russia as a great friend,” the Indonesian defence ministry statement said.
While the Kremlin has not confirmed or announced any nuclear partnership, Putin affirmed Russia’s readiness to invest in energy, transportation and infrastructure projects in Indonesia. He emphasised the significant interest Russia has in the Indonesian market, a country of nearly 300 million people.
Subianto, who is set to take charge as president in October, replacing Joko Widodo, has been on a four-nation visit. Since late July, he has visited France, Serbia, and Turkey, with Russia being his final stop.
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Venezuelan government expels diplomats from 7 countries
Amid controversies surrounding the fairness of the electoral process of the presidential elections held in Venezuela on 28 July, Nicolas Maduro’s regime has expelled diplomats from seven countries — Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. Leaders from across the world have viewed the elections with suspicion.
Calling comments by the seven Latin American countries “interventionist acts”, the current Venezuelan government Monday ordered the diplomats to leave the country immediately. The government has also suspended flights to these countries.
Apart from these seven countries, the US has also expressed support for the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, and even previously Maduro-friendly governments in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia have asked for the release of the voting tallies. As previously reported by ThePrint, China and Russia have supported Maduro’s claim.
President Putin congratulates Nicolás Maduro on his re-election.
🔗 Source: https://t.co/IpfWNcm4Ry pic.twitter.com/vhv0BIdc6g
— Putin Direct (@PutinDirect) July 30, 2024
Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that incumbent Maduro was victorious, claiming he won with 51.1 percent of the votes. However, the Opposition has also claimed victory, alleging widespread election fraud. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in support of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Demonstrations took place in several cities, including Caracas, Valencia, Maracaibo and San Cristobal.
Druze community loses at least 12 children in strike on Golan Heights
In the ‘deadliest’ strike in West Asia, 12 children were killed when a rocket hit a football field in Majdal Shams. The town in Israel-occupied Golan Heights is home to thousands of people belonging to the Druze community — an Arab minority that reveres all Abrahamic prophets including Jesus, Moses and Mohammad.
The Israeli government has accused Hezbollah of orchestrating the attack. In response, Israel conducted airstrikes in Beirut, targeting what it claimed was Hezbollah’s most senior military commander, Fu’ad Shukr. The strike reportedly killed at least three people and injured 74 others, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The attack on 27 July has drawn attention to the Druze community, considered a 10th-century offshoot of Ismaili Shia Islam. It is spread across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Golan Heights. The Druze faith is characterised by its secretive practices and prohibition on conversion.
The community, numbering around one million, has adopted varying national identities depending on its location. In Lebanon and Syria, Druze support Arab nationalism and the Palestinian cause, while in Israel, they navigate their Syrian identity under Israeli occupation, maintaining a complex relationship with the state.
While not all Druze in Israel and Golan Heights hold citizenship, they are known for their loyalty and military service, often described as having a “blood covenant” with Israeli Jews. Many Druze have held high-ranking military positions and served in the Knesset, Israel’s house of representatives.
Despite their service, the Druze community has been critical of Israel’s 2018 Nation-State Law, which they argue marginalises non-Jewish citizens. Druze in Israel rallied in Tel Aviv to protest the law, which defines Israel as the “nation-state” of the Jewish people.
Leaders of DRC, Rwanda agree to ceasefire starting 4 August
A ceasefire set to begin on 4 August in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was agreed upon Tuesday following mediation talks between the DRC and Rwanda, the Angolan presidency announced. The discussions, hosted in Luanda (capital of Angola), were led by Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who has been hailed as a “champion of peace.”
The ongoing conflict in the mineral-rich North Kivu region of eastern DRC has seen Rwanda-backed M23 rebels (Congolese rebel military group called March 23 Movement that is mostly formed of Rwandans) clashing with Congolese forces since late 2021. This ceasefire marks a significant development in the 1.5-year-long conflict, which has caused severe humanitarian impacts.
The ceasefire agreement, set to be monitored by a reinforced “Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism“, aims to halt the hostilities and provide relief to the affected population.
While the United Nations and various other nations like the US and Belgium have welcomed this ceasefire, there is speculation on how long it will last.
Previous efforts to establish peace have not been fully respected. On 5 July, the US brokered a two-week “humanitarian truce”, but it was only partially observed.
Tragically, two children and two teenagers were killed in a bombardment on 15 July, just days before the truce was set to expire.
Congo has long accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, an allegation that Kigali (capital of Rwanda) denies. A report commissioned by the UN Security Council indicated that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers have been fighting alongside the M23 and that Rwanda exercises “de facto control” over the group’s operations.
The fighting in North Kivu has displaced over 1.7 million people, contributing to a total of 7.2 million displaced individuals across the DRC, according to UN estimates. The humanitarian crisis has garnered international attention, with both the UN and the US welcoming the newly declared ceasefire.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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