The Capitals: London's coronation cast from the past, Arabian homecoming of Damascus, and more

Hello and Welcome. This is The Capitals.

In London, a show of archaic pomposity in Charles the third's crowning as King of England was televised for the world. Charles, 74, is now officially the King of United Kingdom's constitutional monarchy.

Read this and more, in The Capitals this week:

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Cairo, Egypt

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks during an emergency meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo on May 7, 2023 | AFP

The Egyptian capital witnessed a remarkable moment towards stability in West Asia this weekend, as foreign ministers from Arab League member states agreed to reinstate Syria’s membership after its suspension more than 10 years ago.

The decision was made in advance of the Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19.

Syria’s Arab League membership was revoked after President Bashar al-Assad ordered a crackdown on protesters in March 2011 at the onset of Arab spring that spiraled the country into a civil war.

Moscow, Russia

A flying object filmed over the Senate Palace in the Kremlin in Moscow during a suspected Ukrainian drone strike on May 3, 2023 | Reuters

In what appeared to be remarkable optics to justify the escalation of ongoing war in Ukraine, two drones were exploded in Moscow this week as they hovered over Russian President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin residence. Russia designated the incident as a "planned terrorist attack" and "assassination attempt on the president of Russia".

Russia said the United States masterminded the attack, and that Ukraine carried it out.

Washington and Kyiv quickly denied the responsibility.

Despite a multiplicity of claims, a conclusive assertion by either Russia or the West, behind the cause of explosion over the Kremlin is yet to be made.

Seoul, South Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (L) attend a joint press conference after their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on May 7, 2023 | AFP

The Japanese and South Korean capitals despite a deeply rooted bitter history, sought deeper ties amid North Korea's nuclear belligerence and China's maritime assertiveness in the region. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Seoul this weekend to meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, returning the trip Yoon made to Tokyo in March.

Yoon is facing criticism at home that he has given more than he’s received in his efforts to improve relations with Japan. This includes a proposal that South Korean businesses – not Japanese companies as ordered by a court – compensate victims of wartime labour during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial occupation.

Berlin, Germany

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addresses participants in the Petersberg Climate Dialogue (Petersberger Klimadialog) | AFP

In the German capital, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue was attended by climate envoys of 40 countries. The aim was to facilitate the negotiations leading up to COP28 Climate Change summit in Dubai next year.

The breakthrough was simply that there emerged a consensus among the nations for the need to set a new target on renewable energy.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested that the goal could be a tripling of newly installed solar, wind power by 2030, echoing a target proposed recently by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Islamabad, Pakistan

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Islamabad | AFP

Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang had quite more than a few hit-ins this week. Their multilateral stumble in India's Goa at Council of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, quite obviously, elevated to a bilateral engagement in Islamabad this week.

While Islamabad expected Beijing to address its bilateral anxieties against India -- which it did by echoing Pakistan's line of argument on India's Jammu and Kashmir -- it also got schooled on the importance of political stability.

"We sincerely hope the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so it can focus on growing the economy," Qin said, addressing a press briefing alongside his Pakistani counterpart after the closed-door strategic talks.

London, United Kingdom

Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla wavefrom the Buckingham Palace balcony in central London on May 6, 2023, alongside an image from June 2, 1953 showingQueen Elizabeth II with her husband Prince Philip | AFP

Charles Philip Arthur George alias Charles III was crowned the King of England this weekend inside London's historic Westminster Abbey. The British tabloids declared Operation Golden Orb — the codename for the event -- a grand success with feverish banner headlines screaming 'collector's edition'.

But a few miles from where Charles was crowned as King, thousands gathered to protest his coronation that costed British exchequer about $126 million amid a burgeoning cost of living crisis.

London Metropolitan Police force arrested six organisers from the anti-monarchy group Republic as they prepared to protest along the procession route for the coronation.

The detentions infuriated the scores of other demonstrators who rallied near The Mall as well as in Trafalgar Square.

WION's Mohammad Saleh reflects on British Royal family's chequered history with colonial exploits here.

That's all for The Capitals this week. See you next weekend.

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