May 19, Friday, 2023

1. The leaders of the Group of Seven nations have started talks in Japan’s western city of Hiroshima. Issues on the agenda include the global economy, the war in Ukraine, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, who is chairing the event, spoke at the beginning of the talks on Friday. “The major theme of this summit is not division and confrontation,” he said. “It is reaffirming the G7’s unity and strengthening our role to ensure a coordinated international community and to hammer out active and concrete contributions to that end.” 2. Multiple western media outlets are quoting sources as saying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, western Japan. It will be the first visit to Asia for the Ukrainian leader since the start of Russia’s invasion in February of last year. He is expected to ask G 7 leaders directly for more military aid. Reuters says Zelenskyy will arrive on Sunday. 3. Authorities in Hiroshima have put in place traffic restrictions on city center roads and expressways in Hiroshima Prefecture for the duration of the three-day talks of the G7 summit that started on Friday.