 "FirstUp: South Korea goes to the polls, RCB vs PBKS in IPL 2025 final… Big news today")
South Koreans are set to vote today in a snap presidential election following the removal of Yoon Suk Yeol, who was dismissed after enforcing martial law.
What else is happening today?
The IPL final takes place, with RCB and PBKS facing off to decide who will take home the trophy.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.
India and the European Union will begin a three-day joint naval exercise in the Indian Ocean.
The World Trade Organization will hold a meeting in Paris with around 25 trade ministers. India is expected to raise concerns on several key matters.
Here’s a look at the events in detail:
South Korea presidential elections
Following months of political unrest, South Korea will choose a new president this week to replace Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office after briefly imposing martial law.
Voters across the country will cast their ballots today in the snap presidential election. South Koreans living overseas were given the chance to vote early between May 20 and 25, according to BBC.
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Results are expected after voting ends, likely by the evening of June 3. The winner should be clear by the early hours of June 4.
The new president will take office on Wednesday, skipping the usual two-month handover period.
The incoming leader will need to deal with internal divisions caused by Yoon’s actions, while also addressing concerns about US President Donald Trump’s America-first approach and North Korea’s growing nuclear threat.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThough six candidates are running, the main battle is between Lee Jae-myung from the opposition Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the ruling conservative People Power Party.
IPL 2025 grand finale: RCB vs PBKS
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final today in Ahmedabad.
RCB will be playing their fourth IPL final. They ended as runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016, losing to Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, PBKS have only reached the final once before, back in 2014, when they were called Kings XI Punjab. They lost that match to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Notably, Punjab’s path to the final was sealed by a stunning knock from captain Shreyas Iyer in their Qualifier 2 win.
The two teams previously met in Qualifier 1 on May 29 in Mullanpur, where RCB bowled out PBKS for 101 and chased down the target with ten overs remaining to reach the final.
PBKS then travelled to Ahmedabad and defeated MI in Qualifier 2 , marking their second win over them in just one week to secure their spot in the final.
France’s Macron to meet Italy’s Meloni
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Rome today.
“The main topics of the bilateral, European and international agenda will be at the centre of the talks,” Meloni’s office said in a statement, without providing further details.
The meeting follows tensions between the two leaders, which came to light during the European summit in Albania on May 16.
Though Meloni was present in Tirana, she did not attend a key meeting involving Macron, along with the leaders of Germany, Britain and Poland, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. That meeting was followed by a joint phone call to Donald Trump.
Meloni said she skipped the meeting because she is against sending Italian troops to Ukraine as part of any peace plan involving Russia.
Macron later said that Meloni’s decision was based on a “misunderstanding”.
EU-Indian Navy to hold joint naval exercise
Two European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) ships, Spain’s ESPS Reina Sofia and Italy’s ITS Antonio Marceglia, have arrived in Mumbai as part of the EU’s first-ever naval visit to India.
The ships were docked in Mumbai from May 26 to June 1 for an operational turnaround.
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India and the European Union begin a joint three-day naval exercise in the Indian Ocean today.
The drills will involve Indian Navy warships and the two EU frigates, both of which are part of EUNAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta mission in the region.
Key WTO meet in Paris
Trade ministers from around 25 countries will meet in Paris today under the World Trade Organization’s mini-ministerial session, where India is expected to raise concerns on several key matters.
Issues likely to be flagged include agriculture, the fisheries agreement, a China-led investment facilitation proposal, and the continued deadlock over the WTO’s appellate body.
The meeting is taking place alongside the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will attend the talks as part of his five-day visit to France and Italy, which began on June 1.
With inputs from agencies
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