According to Reuters, on June 2nd, the Independent Election Commission of South Africa officially announced the results of the election. Among the 400 seats in the National Assembly, the ruling party, the African National Assembly, won 159 seats, losing an absolute majority in parliament for the first time and unable to form a separate cabinet. It is understood that this is the first time since the end of racial segregation and white minority rule 30 years ago that the African National Assembly has failed to obtain more than half of the seats in parliament. In the previous election in 2019, the party won 230 seats.

It is understood that the main competitor of the African National Assembly, the pro business, largest opposition party led by white people, the Democratic Alliance, is87 seats ranked second. The new political party, the National Spear Party, supported by former South African President Zuma, won 58 seats, while the radical left-wing Economic Freedom Fighter Party ranked fourth with 39 seats. The remaining seats were won by 14 other political parties. The Chairman of the African National Assembly and President of South Africa, Ramaphosa, called on political party leaders to seek common ground while reserving differences for the benefit of the people and demonstrate unity after the vote counting results were announced. The African National Assembly has expressed an open attitude towards all political parties negotiating the formation of a coalition government.

The South African parliament adopts a bicameral system, consisting of the National Assembly and the National Provincial Affairs Committee, each serving a term of five years. Co establishment of the National Assembly400 seats, of which 200 members are elected through national elections, and the other 200 members are elected through provincial elections. According to the South African Constitution, after the formation of the new National Assembly, members of the National Assembly will hold meetings to elect the new President of South Africa.

Bangkok News: On June 1st, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Songsha, pointed out that since the legalization of cannabis, the medical costs associated with cannabis have skyrocketed nearly six times, making it necessary to restrict the use of cannabis. He stated that an academic study showed that between 2019 and 2021, medical expenses related to marijuana amounted to approximately 3.2 billion to 3.8 billion baht, including treatment for drug rehabilitation or related diseases. This cost has now skyrocketed to 15 billion to 21 billion baht, partly due to the legalization of marijuana causing more and more children and adolescents to suffer.

It is reported that the Thai governmentIn 2018, marijuana was approved for medical and research purposes, and in 2022, marijuana was removed from the drug list, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize marijuana. However, Thai Prime Minister Saita announced early last month that he will reclassifie marijuana as a narcotic drug for medical purposes only by the end of this year. Many experts support the government in doing so, as the legalization of marijuana raises concerns about adolescent abuse, and the use of marijuana for leisure use may damage brain development and lead to an increase in depression and suicide cases. Research data also shows that about 40% of Thai young people who use heroin start with marijuana.

military affairs

01The United States and Britain launched an attack on the Housa target in Yemen, resulting in 16 deaths

According to Agence France Presse, from May 30th to 31st, the United States and the United Kingdom will face YemenHusai Armed ForcesOrganizing military targets to launch airstrikes, the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida heard loud explosions. Husai media Masila TV stated that the US and UK attacks also targeted the telecommunications infrastructure in the town of Tez. The report quoted the health department as saying that 16 people died and more than 35 were injured in Hodeida alone, but it did not specify whether the casualties were civilians or armed militants. This attack is the deadliest since the US and UK coalition forces began attacking military targets in Yemen in January this year.

Since the outbreak of the Israeli-Harbat conflict on October 7th last year, the Hussai armed forces have supported the Palestinians in Gaza,And launched attacks on international ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The UK Ministry of Defense said that British fighter jets launched strikes on Housa military facilities in joint operations with the US military to weaken the Housa armed forces' ability to continue attacking international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US Central Command stated in a statement that the attack successfully hit 13 locations controlled by the Housai armed forces.

According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea began releasing hundreds of large balloons into South Korea earlier this week, calling these balloons hanging with dirt and garbage "sincere gifts" and saying that more of these balloons will be sent in the future. On June 1st, the Seoul City Government issued a radio warning to the public to stay away from these objects and notified the military or police when the whereabouts of these balloons were discovered.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won seok criticizes North Korea's actionsExtremely stingy and low-level. Previously, the South Korean government also issued a warning to Pyongyang, stating that if North Korea continues to provoke, South Korea will not sit idly by and will take all measures that North Korea cannot afford. The South Korean Joint Staff Headquarters stated that North Korea's actions clearly violate international law and pose a serious threat to the security of South Korean citizens. South Korea strongly urges North Korea to immediately stop its low-level actions against human relations.

01French pharmacists on strike

According to Agence France Presse,On May 30th,Around France90% of pharmacies have closed, and pharmacists in cities such as Toulouse, Nice, Anger, and Limoges have also taken to the streets to protest. They shouted slogans such as "The pharmacy is in danger, posing a threat to health" and "Where is amoxicillin?". Amoxicillin is a scarce antibiotic.It is reported that,This isThe largest pharmacist strike demonstration in France in nearly a decade.

Their demands include demanding that the government implement a plan to address drug shortages, demand better salaries, and effective online sales regulation measures. Currently, French pharmacies are facing new challenges of increased costs and industry upheaval, with some pharmacists being assigned new tasks such as screening for viruses and vaccination. In addition, they are also concerned that as online platforms such as Amazon join the pharmaceutical market, they may become too concernedLiberalization leads to unfair competition.