Around the World in 5 – 9
“Time obliterates the fictions of opinion and confirms the decisions of nature.”
Tuesday 27 May opened with the IMF and El Salvadoran leaders finalising the first review of a 40-month extended agreement under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme. In an effort to address the nation’s medium-term balance of payments problems, the IMF has agreed to provide a total of $1.4 billion over the term, aimed at reforming key policy areas. IMF white papers outlined plans to reform the civil service and pension systems, increase bank liquidity requirements, bolster anti-corruption laws, and support the nation’s Bitcoin transition.
Prime Minister Starmer faces mounting pressure as 828 UK lawyers, including several from the Supreme Court, called upon his government to halt the ongoing conflict in Gaza. They urged a review of trade ties with Israel and the imposition of sanctions and travel bans. In a 36-page letter, the group warned that “genocide is being perpetrated in Gaza” as a result of the blockade on vital food and aid supplies amid a new military offensive. They criticised Israel’s actions as “grave violations” of international law and an infringement on the Palestinian people’s legal right to self-determination. The lawyers argued that the UK, along with all nations, is obliged to prevent and punish genocide and has so far failed to meet this obligation.
King Charles III concluded his brief visit to Canada with a historic address to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new parliament, delivering the traditional inauguration throne speech in Ottawa. This marks only the second time a monarch has undertaken such a task. The King outlined PM Carney’s plan to join the ReArm Europe initiative, first announced in March. Canada has committed to a CAD $235 billion loan to support multilateral efforts to build and procure arms within the alliance. EU member states approved the loan on Tuesday, marking a significant step towards increasing arms production independent of US reliance.
Human rights group, Amnesty International, has accused the M23 rebel group of committing war crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The long-standing conflict escalated in January, with Amnesty alleging that Rwanda-backed militants were responsible for the killing and torture of civilian detainees under their control. Survivors reported being held in overcrowded, unsanitary cells without access to food or water. Amnesty has called for the immediate release of detainees, noting that recent efforts to secure a ceasefire have yet to gain traction.
Following the 2025 ASEAN summit, Timor-Leste has been approved to join the association after first applying in 2011. ASEAN leaders agreed to accept Timor-Leste as the 11th member, citing satisfaction with the nation’s efforts to meet entry requirements. Having been granted observer status in 2022, Timor-Leste now joins current members: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines.
A Gathering of Friends, Eustache Le Sueur, c.1640-42.
