In a landmark development with implications well beyond its borders, India has launched the Bharat Forecast System (BFS), one of the world’s first indigenously developed, ultra-high-resolution numerical weather prediction systems. Developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and inaugurated by the Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, this system sets a new benchmark in regional climate forecasting. With a spatial resolution of 6 km among the highest globally, the BFS is a transformative tool for real-time, village-scale weather prediction, particularly across tropical regions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that ensuring affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is India’s priority. In his address at the 51st G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, Mr Modi stressed that AI itself is an energy-intensive technology. He pointed out that renewable energy is the way to sustainably fulfil the energy requirements of a technology-driven society. The Prime Minister expressed the belief that any technology is valuable only if its benefits reach every person. He stated that no one in the Global South should be left behind. Mr Modi stressed the need to work on global governance to address concerns related to AI.
India and the European Union have made progress in discussions related to a free trade pact that will be “comprehensive, balanced and meaningful”, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently. Mr. Jaishankar made the remarks after meeting Maros Sefcovic, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security in Brussels. “Recognised the progress in our discussions for a comprehensive, balanced, and meaningful FTA agreement between India and EU. Agreed that it would elevate our strategic partnership, that is rapidly acquiring new dimensions and facets,” said Mr. Jaishankar after the meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first locomotive manufactured at the Marhowrah factory in Bihar for export to the Republic of Guinea on June 20, the Railway Ministry said. The Marhowrah facility will supply 150 locomotives worth more than ₹3,000 crore for SimFer’s Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, Africa, in three years. The Ministry noted that three types of tracks— broad gauge, standard gauge and cape gauge— have been laid at the Marhowrah factory for manufacturing these locomotives. The export project was secured through global competitive bidding, highlighting India’s capabilities in world-class manufacturing.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in France and discussed bilateral cooperation and regional developments. They reviewed the whole range of growing India-Armenia bilateral cooperation, including in the areas of political exchanges, trade, economic, connectivity, education, culture, and people-to-people contacts.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted developing a South-South alliance during his opening speech at the Brazil-Caribbean Summit at the Itamaraty Palace. He also mentioned that cooperation with Caribbean countries would be one of the pillars of his foreign policy. In addition, he proposed the creation of a South-South Climate Fund to deal with extreme phenomena such as hurricanes, droughts, and rising sea levels. Lula also described the meeting as a historic moment to rethink relations between South America and the Caribbean nations, prioritizing sustainable development, solidarity, and climate justice.
The first-ever Global South Economic Forum was held in Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It brought together nearly 100 policymakers, scholars, and think-tankers from over 20 developing nations to address the most pressing issues facing the Global South and to promote a more equitable and inclusive global economic order. The Global South now accounts for 85 percent of the world's population and over 40 percent of global GDP, becoming an important engine of global economic growth and showing great potential in terms of resource endowment, market size and industrial upgrading.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry has announced that Vietnam has officially joined BRICS as a partner country. The ministry’s statement said that, as a dynamic economy deeply integrated into global value chains, Vietnam is an important player in Asia. The Russian news agency Sputnik reported that after expressing its desire to become a member of the global body, Vietnam has now become the 10th BRICS partner. The partner country category was created at the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. The current list of partners includes Vietnam, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
The African Development Bank Group has approved up to $184.1 million for the Obelisk solar project in Egypt, which is set to become Africa’s largest solar power plant. Located in the Qena Governorate in southern Egypt, the project will include a 1-gigawatt solar photovoltaic facility and a 200 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system. The $590 million project will be developed under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company as the sole off-taker. It involves the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the integrated solar and storage facility.
Inonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman and Singapore’s Minister of Sustainability and Environment, Grace Fu, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in food security and agricultural technology. The MoU signing, held as part of a meeting on strengthening bilateral cooperation in several sectors, was witnessed by President Prabowo Subianto and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. In a statement released, Sulaiman said that the cooperation agreement has opened opportunities for Indonesia and Singapore to strengthen their food and agricultural sectors.
Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, held a strategic meeting with a ministerial committee to explore ways of enhancing cooperation with African countries in the agricultural sector. The session included Sherif El-Gabaly, Chair of the African affairs committee in the House of Representatives; Hesham El-Hosary, Chair of the House agriculture and irrigation committee; Abdelsalam El-Gabaly, Chair of the Senate agriculture and irrigation committee; Abdelhamid Demerdash, Chairperson of the Agricultural Crops Export Council; as well as ministry leaders, experts, and investor representative Ahmed El-Sewedy. The discussions focused on mechanisms to boost Egyptian agricultural investments across African countries and strengthen bilateral cooperation in food production and agribusiness.
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) has declared Thailand’s readiness to take the lead in ASEAN traditional medicine, during the ASEAN Health Cluster 3 meeting held in Brunei. The visit aimed to showcase Thailand’s progress in traditional medicine initiatives under the ASEAN Work Plan 2021–2025 and to help shape regional health cooperation strategies beyond 2025. During the forum, the Thai delegation highlighted Thailand’s key role in advancing traditional medicine within ASEAN’s healthcare systems and reaffirmed its readiness to lead in this domain, said Somruek.
Indonesia is stepping up its measures to achieve malaria-free status by 2030, and is currently focusing on reducing cases in the country's easternmost region of Papua. The Southeast Asian country reportedly has the second-highest number of malaria cases in Asia, following India, although it has seen a decrease in cases from around 443,000 in 2022 to around 418,000 in 2023. According to the 2024 report from the World Health Organisation, Indonesia was lauded for its achievements in malaria control over the last decade. At present, the Central government is taking several accelerated measures, including integrating malaria detection into its newly established free health check-up programme.
The Niger government has inaugurated the first round of the May/June 2025 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCHW) Week and the National Immunisation Plus Days, targeting two million under-five children and 600 women. Governor Umaru Bago of Niger, at the inauguration in Minna on Monday, said the campaign was in line with the new Niger Agenda. Mr Bago, represented by Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba, said the campaign would aid in reducing the morbidity and mortality of childhood killer diseases. He said it further underscores the critical role of nutrition and immunisation in achieving good health and the collective efforts to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population announced nearly 20 million electronic treatment approvals were issued during the 2024/2025 fiscal year through the General Authority for Health Insurance, marking a major step forward in the country’s healthcare digitalisation efforts. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the ministry, described the development as a “significant breakthrough” in digital transformation. He noted that over 13 million online appointments have been made across 250 clinics, with a further 120 clinics currently undergoing digital conversion and receiving new technical infrastructure.
The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has validated Ghana’s first National E-Commerce Strategy. The validation, which was done at a stakeholder workshop in Accra on Thursday, marks a major milestone in the country’s efforts to use digital trade for inclusive economic growth and transformation. The event brought together senior government officials, private sector actors, academia, civil society organisations, and development partners to review and endorse the draft strategy which outlines key actions to address structural and trade-related barriers in Ghana’s e-commerce space.The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has validated Ghana’s first National E-Commerce Strategy. The validation, which was done at a stakeholder workshop in Accra on Thursday, marks a major milestone in the country’s efforts to use digital trade for inclusive economic growth and transformation. The event brought together senior government officials, private sector actors, academia, civil society organisations, and development partners to review and endorse the draft strategy which outlines key actions to address structural and trade-related barriers in Ghana’s e-commerce space.
Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Governor Naji Issa inaugurated the first edition of the Electronic Payment Exhibition and Forum in Tripoli. The event, hosted at the Tripoli International Fairgrounds, is organised by the General Authority for Exhibitions and Conferences and features participation from leading commercial banks and e-payment companies. In his opening speech, the CBL Governor highlighted that the forum reflects the Central Bank’s commitment to advancing digital transformation and broadening financial inclusion in Libya. He emphasised the importance of developing digital banking infrastructure and adopting modern electronic payment technologies.
DAKSHIN Meeting with Institute for Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR
DAKSHIN and the Institute for Industry and Commerce (IIC), Lao PDR had a productive meeting on 17 June 2025.
Professor Gulshan Sachdeva, Chief Coordinator, DAKSHIN introduced the centre’s mandate and its focus on addressing development issues in the Global South through joint research, policy dialogues, capacity building programs, and technology transfer projects. Dr. Somdeth Bodhisane, Director, IIC illustrated that the institute operates under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and provides scientific-based policy recommendations to policymakers, including ministers. He elaborated that IIC collaborates with various partners across ASEAN countries, as well as with institutions in the USA, Japan, China, and Europe. He also highlighted that the institute focuses on providing capacity-building programs, helps people with disabilities to find business opportunities and promotes women's access to e-commerce and job opportunities. Prof. Sachdeva concluded that collaboration with IIC would be beneficial and important particularly in areas related to public health and occupational health.
The inaugural session of DAKSHIN’s “Dialogue with the Ambassadors of the Global South” marked an important beginning in facilitating mutual learning and cooperation among countries of the Global South.
Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva, Chief Coordinator, DAKSHIN, in his introductory remarks emphasized that the initiative is not merely about promoting India’s development story, but about engaging in serious exchanges of ideas and experiences with other countries from the Global South. Following this, he provided a background about the inception of the centre, its vision and mandate. He further elaborated on the different verticals of the centre, its major activities and its growing collaboration network with other think tanks and research institutes of the Global South. He mentioned that the choosing Egypt as the first partner in this dialogue series was deliberate given the relationship between both the nations is rooted in civilisational exchanges dating back over 4,000 years. Recent years have seen continued high-level engagements, establishment of strategic partnership as well as collaborations under multilateral forums like BRICS and G20. Egypt is seen as a natural partner for India in shaping the future of Global South cooperation.
