Steve McGookin
World leaders gather under Covid’s relentless shadow
As the story of what really happened at the Wuhan lab in China becomes more confusing almost by the day, what remains undeniable is the extent of vaccine inequity between the world’s rich and poor countries.
With Nepal appealing to Britain for immediate help with vaccines, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to lay out a global target at this coming week’s G7 meeting for vaccinating the world by the end of next year.
Amid fresh confusion over the UK’s travel rules after Portugal was taken off the ‘Green List’ just a week after being put on it, there is growing concern that the government’s “roadmap” for lifting the final Covid restrictions on June 21 may be threatened by the persistence of the so-called “Delta” Variant.
Meanwhile the organizers of the Tokyo Olympic Games appear determined to press ahead next month despite continuing concerns. Only a very small percentage of Japan’s population has so far been vaccinated, and some 10,000 of the 80,000 volunteers have quit.
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Biden heads for tough talks
With his own July 4 vaccination target in doubt, US President Joe Biden arrives in Britain this week and will hold talks with Boris Johnson ahead of the G7 in Cornwall, before heading to Geneva for his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Biden says his administration is “looking closely” at retaliation over recent Russian-linked cyberattacks.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump – despite having his suspension from Facebook extended to two years – returned to the public arena with a speech to the GOP in North Carolina on Saturday. There were some familiar themes.
As Trump continues to press his ‘Big Lie’, a number of Republican-controlled state legislatures are ramping up efforts to pass restrictive voting laws.
And like it or not, Campaign 2024 is already gearing up before we even get through Campaign 2022.
See Also:
As Trump’s Legal Woes Mount, The GOP Doubles Down
After Trump, What Lies Ahead For The GOP?
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Brexit blame game intensifies
With G7 finance ministers having reached agreement on a significant global corporate tax plan (which some campaigners believe doesn’t go far enough) the Johnson government this week faces a Tory “rebellion” over foreign aid.
Meanwhile, the blame game continues to escalate over Brexit and its Protocol; while even among Brexit supporters, quite a few must be wondering when the promised benefits are going to show up.
Lord Frost and Maros Sefcovic are set to hold a Joint Committee meeting this coming week, with the EU seemingly pushing back against the UK’s alleged bad faith.
New DUP leader Edwin Poots was in Dublin this week to meet the Taoiseach, and was almost immediately accused of a “U-turn” over North-South ministerial meetings. The week ended with loyalists parading in Portadown.
See Also:
Poll Points To Trouble For DUP, Opportunity For Other Parties
It’s All In The Planning: A Review Of The ‘Unification Referendums On The Island Of Ireland’ Report
A New Northern Ireland Youth Assembly Gives Cause For Hope
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UFO report is almost out there
The much-anticipated official US report into Unidentified Flying Objects is set to be released later this month, with public interest continuing to grow. Briefings of the intelligence findings suggest that there’s “no evidence” of alien spacecraft, but that officials “can’t rule it out” – a dichotomy which will likely only intensify the clamour for more detail.
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Finally…
And this week in “Headlines you never thought you’d see…”
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See Also Last Week’s Five Points:
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