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☆ Biden’s antisemitism speech leaves no doubt he’s standing by Israel despite tension with Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —The political rawness of the moment, as Israel pounds Gaza and outrage rocks American college campuses, means President Joe Biden’s big speech Tuesday condemning antisemitism is most notable for what he left unsaid. The speech was closely watched given the turmoil in the Middle East and its stunning political reaction in the US. “My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. While praising the right to free speech as a fundamental American value, he condemned reported instances when some Jewish students have faced antisemitic taunting. Understanding history and preventing it from being manipulated for political gain was a major focus of Biden’s speech, which was delivered on the 79th anniversary of VE Day, when the allies defeated Nazism in World War II.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, movingly, you’re, ” Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Joe ”, We’re, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, “, ” Johnson, Netanyahu, —, Mike Johnson, ’ Organizations: CNN, Jewish, Hamas, Holocaust Memorial, Capitol, Arab, Israel, Gaza Health Ministry, Democratic, Trump, Republicans, Republican, Louisiana Republican, White, GOP, Nazism Locations: Israel, Gaza, Nazi, Rafah, Michigan, Manhattan, Nazi Germany, United States, Louisiana, Charlottesville , Virginia, Gestapo

☆ Trump meets with foreign leaders looking to boost their relationships with GOP leader ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent weeks, Trump, seizing the role of both an erstwhile diplomat and ascending opposition party leader, has extended welcomes to a series of foreign leaders at his homes in Florida and New York. It’s not unusual for foreign leaders to meet with the leader of the party that doesn’t control the White House – especially one with a serious chance of becoming commander in chief. Biden and his top envoys have also met and spoken with opposition leaders, something that has been a longstanding practice for US officials. Last week, Trump met with Poland’s Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner. Trump, both while president and during his 2024 campaign, has called on NATO countries to spend more on defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, hasn’t, Trump, Andrzej Duda, David Cameron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Taro Aso, It’s, Sen, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Antony Blinken, Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “ They’re, he’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Biden, ”, Kim Jong Un, ” Trump, Brian Hughes, Viktor Orban, Putin, Javier Milei, Orban, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Aso, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Lindsey Graham, Salman, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Poland’s Duda, Duda, meanwhile, Cameron, Karen Pierce, Cameron’s, Pierce didn’t, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Air Force, British, Saudi Crown, Middle East, Republican, UK Labour Party, US State Department, Biden, Trump, NATO, Conservative Political, Japanese, White, Liberal Democratic Party, Saudi, New York Times, South Carolina Republican, Hamas, The New York Times, Trump Tower, Republicans, Democrats, UK Locations: House, huddling, Florida, New York, Lago, Manhattan, Japan, China, North Korea, Berlin, United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Munich, Europe, America, Ukraine, Korean, United States, Palm, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, American, Russia, British, Washington

☆ South Korean Parliamentary Election to Set Tone for Rest of Leader’s Term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In the two years since he was elected, President Yoon Suk Yeol has made his mark in foreign policy, forging deeper ties with the United States and Japan. Mr. Yoon has a shot at a do-over on Wednesday, when South Koreans head to the polls to select a new Parliament. Dozens of parties are vying for the 300 seats in the National Assembly, South Korea’s single-chamber legislature. However, the contest is largely between Mr. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and the main opposition camp, the liberal Democratic Party. Both have intense followings, but the eventual winner is expected to be decided by moderate and swing voters.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Organizations: South Koreans, National Assembly, People Power Party, Democratic Party Locations: United States, Japan

☆ Opinion | The Great Struggle for Liberalism
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( David Brooks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 1978, the Russian dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn gave a commencement address at Harvard, warning us about the loss of American self-confidence and will. “A decline in courage may be the most striking feature that an outside observer notices in the West today,” he declared. The enemies of liberal democracy seem to be full of passionate intensity — Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, campus radicals. He shows how it was created by real people in real communities who wanted richer, fuller and more dynamic lives. The Dutch merchant fleet was capable of carrying more tonnage than the fleets of France, England, Scotland, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain and Portugal combined.

Persons: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, ”, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Fareed Zakaria’s, Zakaria doesn’t Organizations: Harvard, Republicans, Trump Locations: Russian, West, Dutch Republic, Dutch, France, England, Scotland, Empire, Spain, Portugal, Paris

☆ Russians vote in an election that Putin will win, but the Kremlin is looking for a landslide victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesThere are no surprises over who will win Russia's presidential election this coming weekend with incumbent, Vladimir Putin, set to win a fifth term in office, keeping him in power until at least 2030. The heavily stage-managed vote taking place from Friday to Sunday is not expected to throw up any nasty surprises for the Kremlin which told CNBC months ago that it was confident Putin would win the vote comfortably. That's particularly the case in a country where Russian opposition figures are not represented on the ballot paper or in mainstream politics, with most activists having fled the country. "According to official data, Putin received 77.5% of valid votes in the 2018 presidential election that saw a turnout of 67.5%. Russian opposition activists, most in self-imposed exile in order to evade arrest, imprisonment or attack, have also condemned the election.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Svetlov, Putin, That's, Alexei Navalny, there's, Vladislav Davankov, Leonid Slutsky, Nikolay Kharitonov, Russia's, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, Andrei Kolesnikov, —, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Andreas Tursa, Russian Federation's, Yulia Navalnaya, Dmitrii, we're Organizations: Kremlin, CNBC, New People, Liberal Democratic Party, Communist Party, Russia's, Commission, Levada, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Putin, Teneo, Russian Democratic Society, Festival Locations: Kremlin, Ukraine, Russia, Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Europe, Kyiv, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, London, Sirius, Sochi, Stavropolsky Krai, Krasnodar Krai

☆ Japan's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, high court says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A high court in Japan on Thursday said the country's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, ruling on a matter that has divided lower levels of the judiciary and put the conservative government at odds with shifting public opinion. Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations that doesn't offer legal protection for same-sex unions. Although polls show 70% public support for same-sex unions, they are opposed by the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "Enacting same-sex marriage does not seem to cause disadvantages or harmful effects," the court said. The government will eye other upcoming court decisions, its top spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told a briefing.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Eri Nakaya, Fumiyasu Tsunamori, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Valentine's, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Locations: Shinagawa, Japan, Tokyo, Sapporo

☆ Russia presidential election: Putin set to sweep to fifth term in power
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) approved only three candidates to oppose Putin: Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party and Nikolay Kharitonov of the Communist Party. “A vote for Slutsky and LDPR is absolutely not a vote against Putin,” he said. Although the ruling United Russia party has declared its “full support” for the president, Putin is running as an independent candidate, placing himself above party politics. A local election commission member prepares a polling station for early voting in the Republic of Karelia, March 10, 2024. Polls are set to open in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka at 8 a.m. local time on Friday (4 p.m.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Joseph Stalin, Leonid Slutsky, Vladislav Davankov, Nikolay Kharitonov, Slutsky, “, ”, Stringer, Yekaterina Duntsova, Boris Nadezhdin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny “, Navalny, “ Putin, Yulia Navalnaya, Don’t, Natalia Kolesnikova, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Dmitry Serebryakov Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Commission, Liberal Democratic Party, New People Party, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, United, Getty, CEC, Russian Security Service, The New York Times, TASS, Russia Locations: Alaska, Kaliningrad, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet, United Russia, AFP, Moscow, Republic of Karelia, Avdiivka, Russia’s, Kamchatka

☆ Putin is coasting towards another term in power. Here’s what to know about Russia’s presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Russia is holding a presidential election that is all but certain to extend Vladimir Putin’s rule throughout this decade and into the 2030s. But this is not a normal election; the poll is essentially a constitutional box-ticking exercise that carries no prospect of removing Putin from power. But that is not to say Russians expect the election to change the direction of the country. Russia’s elections are neither free nor fair, and serve essentially as a formality to extend Putin’s term in power, according to independent bodies and observers both in and outside the country. In order to vote against Putin, you just need to vote for any other candidate,” he said on February 8.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Natalia Kolesnikova, Joseph Stalin, Putin’s, Dmitry Medvedev, euphemistically, —, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, ”, Callum Fraser, Nikolay Kharitonov, Leonid Slutsky, Vladislav Davankov, Davankov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Boris Nadezhdin, Yekaterina Duntsova, Duntsova, Leonid Volkov, Volkov, Stringer, Alexey Navalny –, –, Yulia Navalnaya, “, “ Putin, Don’t, Navalnaya Organizations: CNN, Russian, Duma, Getty, Levada, Central, Commission, Royal United Services Institute, Communist Party, Slutsky, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Kremlin, CEC, Freedom, Putin, European Union, Foreign Affairs Locations: Russia, Ukraine, AFP, Soviet, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Chechen, Grozny, Moscow, Russian

☆ Russia’s presidential election is nearing. We already know who the winner will be
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Russia is nearing a presidential election that is all but certain to extend Vladimir Putin’s rule throughout this decade and into the 2030s. The president’s dominance over the Russian electoral system has already been reinforced as the election looms. Voting will be held from Friday March 15 until Sunday March 17, the first Russian presidential election to take place over three days. The region makes up more than a third of Russia’s total territory but has only about 5% of its population. In order to vote against Putin, you just need to vote for any other candidate,” Navalny said on February 8.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Alexey Navalny, Maxim Shemetov, Joseph Stalin, Putin’s, Dmitry Medvedev, ” Callum Fraser, Nikolay Kharitonov, Leonid Slutsky, Vladislav Davankov, Davankov, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Boris Nadezhdin, Yekaterina Duntsova, Duntsova, Leonid Volkov, Volkov, Vladimir Nikolayev, euphemistically, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Alexey Navalny –, –, ”, ” Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, “, “ Putin, Don’t Organizations: CNN, Russian, Duma, Federal, Reuters, Kommersant, CEC, Royal United Services Institute, Communist Party, Slutsky, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Kremlin, Freedom, Putin, Levada, EU, Foreign Affairs Council, European Union Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russia’s, Soviet, AFP

☆ Russia Closes Presidential Race Candidate Registration With Putin, 3 Others -TASS
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russia's registration of candidates for the March presidential election has closed, TASS reported on Sunday, with a list including President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to win, and three politicians who all support Moscow's war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has said it does not see him as a serious rival to Putin. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesNadezhdin said on Thursday he would challenge the CEC's decision in Russia's Supreme Court. The war, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation", is nearing the end of its second year. It has killed thousands on both sides, displaced millions of Ukrainians, and turned scores of cities and villages into rubble.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Boris Nadezhdin, Vladislav Davankov, Leonid Slutsky, Nikolai Kharitonov, Putin, Nadezhdin, Elaine Monaghan, Lidia Kelly, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Reuters, Commission, CEC, Russian Duma, New People, Kremlin, Liberal Democratic Party, Communist Party, United Russia, Putin Locations: Ukraine, Russian

The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in parliament, has stalled Sweden’s bid since July 2022, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. “The prime minister pledged to convene parliament to urge parliament to act at its earliest opportunity. Kristersson has said that he will make the trip, but only after Hungary approves his country's NATO membership. But Vadai, the lawmaker, said that there was no guarantee that Orbán's party would commit to a swift approval. “I’m not sure whether the opening session will start with the Swedish ratification, unfortunately,” she said.

Persons: Viktor Orbán, Hungary's, Orbán, Jens Stoltenberg, ”, didn't, David Pressman, Pressman, expeditiously, Sen, Ben Cardin, Agnes Vadai, “, it’s, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, “ I’m Organizations: — Lawmakers, NATO, Fidesz, U.S, Maryland Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, ”, Democratic Coalition, Associated Press, Swedish Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, NATO, U.S, Maryland, Budapest, Swedish, Hungary's

☆ Japan's Message for Donald Trump: Don't Cut a Deal With China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination. Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken U.S. support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with China. A Trump aide told Reuters that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. "If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the U.S. and in China," said Machida. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said.

Persons: John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, America's, Donald Trump, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden's, Trump, Xi, Kim Jong Un, they're, Ado Machida, Machida, Shinzo Abe, Aso, Japan's, Shigeo Yamada, Mike Pence, Jim Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Michael Green, Bill Hagerty, Yamada, Hagerty, Robert O'Brien, Trump's, O'Brien, Shigeru Kitamura, Biden, Tsuneo Watanabe, John Bolton, Watanabe, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, David Brunnstrom, Tim Reid, Ben Blanchard, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, David Crawshaw Organizations: Trump, Republican, Group, North, Reuters, Fox News, U.S, Steel, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S ., Liberal Democratic Party, . Studies, University of Sydney, Japan's U.S, Taiwan, Peace Foundation Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Asia, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Trump, Taipei

South Africa’s genocide case has put the spotlight on a deeper fault line in global geopolitics. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty ImagesReactions from the Global North to the ICJ case have been mixed. “This war is a war that is not only between Israel and Hamas,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog told MSNBC in December. “It’s a war that is intended – really, truly – to save Western civilization, to save the values of Western civilization.”So far, no Western countries have supported South Africa’s case against Israel. Traditionally, the West has wielded significant influence in international affairs, but South Africa’s move signals a growing assertiveness among Global South nations that threatens the status quo, says Adekoya.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, ”, Nesrine Malik, ” Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Biden, ” Remi Adekoya, Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, ” Hugh Lovatt, Garry Andrew Lotulung, ” Lovatt, Lovatt, Israel –, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, Alaister Russell, Isaac Herzog, Hage Geingob, Berlin’s, Namibians, ” Adekoya Organizations: CNN, Israel, International Court of Justice, Guardian, Hamas, West Bank, Getty, US, UN, University of York, Palestine Liberation Organization, North Africa, European Council, Foreign Relations, Global, Arab League, ICJ, West, ”, International, MSNBC, ZDF, Dhaka Tribune, Germany Locations: South Africa, Johannesburg, Israel, The Hague, Gaza, South, Africa, Sudanese, United States, Europe, Ramallah, West, AFP, England, PLO, East, Indonesian, Jakarta, Indonesia, Anadolu, China, Soviet, Ekurhuleni, Germany, German, Germany’s, Namibia, Namibian, Bangladesh, Pakistan

I don’t know. ross douthatIt’s true that he didn’t want the vice president to have a sort of separate political agenda. I don’t think that it was a fait accompli —ross douthatThat’s true. He would legitimately sabotage, kneecap his own vice president, just to prove no one else could do it. carlos lozadaLet’s just say, I will be your vice president, Michelle, anytime.

Persons: michelle cottle, I’m Michelle Cottle, ross douthat I’m Ross Douthat, carlos lozada I’m Carlos Lozada, lydia polgreen, Lydia Polgreen, ross douthat, carlos lozada, That’s, Ross, Michelle, what’s, — carlos lozada Oh, ”, Donald John Trump, it’s, Lozada, LYDIA, — carlos lozada Selena, michelle cottle We’re, they’re, Selena Meyer, michelle cottle Ross, Carlos, ross, Joe Biden, Biden, Obama, — carlos lozada Super, haven’t, Dick Cheney, carlos lozada Pence, Pence, Cheney, Kamala Harris, — carlos lozada, carlos lozada Weirdly, won’t, Richard Nixon, Al Gore, — ross douthat, lydia polgreen —, Kamala Harris —, Mike Pence, ross douthat They’re, Harris, George H.W Bush, Ronald Reagan, Nelson Rockefeller, Gerald Ford, Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Lieberman, — carlos lozada Joementum, michelle cottle Joementum, Gore, Trump, Newt Gingrich, It’s, michelle cottle Let’s, carlos lozada Well, Elaine Kamarck, J.F.K, Southern L.B.J, Carter, Mondale, Bush, Jules Witcover, lydia polgreen Scintillating, Quayle, Jesus, carlos lozada Right, Dan Quayle, George H.W, lydia polgreen Hah, V.P.s, Truman, — ross, ross douthat Really, — Yup, carlos lozada Biden, lydia polgreen Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, George H.W . Bush, Dan, John McCain, Sarah Palin, — michelle cottle, gosh, Palin, lydia polgreen “, Tina Fey, carlos lozada The Palin, We’ve, John the Baptist, Donald Trump’s, lydia polgreen Wow, michelle cottle Oh, ross douthat Sarah, Jimmy Carter, White, carlos lozada Jimmy Carter, michelle cottle Fine, polgreen, michelle cottle Alrighty, hasn’t, CARLOS SIGHS, lydia polgreen Boy, michelle cottle Carlos, Donald Trump, who’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kari Lake, carlos lozada I, michelle cottle He’s, he’s, —, lydia polgreen That’s, lydia polgreen MAGA King, Lydia, — michelle cottle That’s, let’s, there’s, Nikki Haley, MICHELLE, Haley, There’s, carlos lozada Doesn’t, George W, Bush’s, michelle cottle Dick Cheney, ross douthat I’m, — michelle cottle You’re, Vivek, Nikki Haley’s, I’m, Ron DeSantis, Kristi Noem — lydia polgreen, Michelle — michelle cottle —, Kristi Noem, Rushmore, CARLOS, it’ll, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, MAGA, Vance, michelle cottle There’s, Elise Stefanik, doesn’t, ross douthat Trump, we’ll, — lydia polgreen, ross douthat —, carlos lozada —, Mueller, Nikki doesn’t, ROSS, don’t, can’t, Nikki, Nikki —, Peter Baker, Susan Glasser — michelle cottle, carlos lozada It’s, michelle cottle Hey, carlos lozada There’s, Walter Mondale, michelle cottle Can’t, carlos lozada Oh, carlos lozada Whoa, michelle cottle Woohoohoo, carlos lozada Potato, lydia polgreen Oh, MICHELLE GASPS, lydia polgreen Oooh, I’ve, michelle cottle That’s, michelle cottle I’d, michelle cottle Don’t, carlos lozada Let’s, Phoebe Lett, Sophia Alvarez Boyd, Derek Arthur, Alison Bruzek, Kate Sinclair, Mary Marge Locker, Michelle Harris, Efim Shapiro, Carole Sabouraud, Pat McCusker, Shannon Busta, Kristina Samulewski, Rose Strasser, carlos lozada — “, ” Jimmy Carter’s, lydia polgreen Woo, Frank Church, Scoop Jackson, John Glenn, Ed Muskie, Adlai Stevenson, Pete Rodino, Muskie, ross douthat We’re, — carlos lozada It’s, — carlos lozada Yes, Lord Jesus Organizations: New York, Iowa Republicans, ross douthat Real, HBO, Hollywood, Bush, Republican, Trump, Biden, Republicans, Southern, Conservative, Democratic, “, carlos lozada Central, Heritage Foundation, Supreme, State, New Hampshire, Michigan, University of Notre Dame, Irish, Associated Press, Notre Dame, hashtag Locations: Iowa, Minnesota, California, ‘, Massachusetts, Clinton, Gore, Cheney, America, George H.W ., Russia, —, New Spain, South Dakota, New, American, Michigan, Washington, Plains

☆ Japan's Kishida sends letter to China's Xi - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a summit discussion on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, at the Stanford, California, U.S., November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A Beijing delegation of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling party, handed a letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting with China's top leadership team on Wednesday, NHK reported. The broadcaster did not say what was in the letter. Komeito representatives and Kishida's office were not available to comment on Thursday, a public holiday in Japan. Yamaguchi and Cai also agreed to work toward a resumption of dialogue between the CPC and the coalition of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, NHK reported.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Brittany Hosea, Xi Jinping, Natsuo Yamaguchi, Cai Qi, Yamaguchi, Cai, Makiko Yamazaki, Stephen Coates Organizations: Japan's, Economic Cooperation, Stanford, REUTERS, Rights, Komeito, Wednesday, NHK, Communist Party of China, CPC, Central Committee, Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: Asia, California, U.S, Beijing, Japan, Taiwan

☆ Germany's Scholz backs Spain's Calvino for EIB presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Susana Vera/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 11 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday backed the candidacy of Spanish acting Economy Minister Nadia Calvino for the post of president of the European Investment Bank (EIB). "I think she will be a very good president of the EIB," Scholz said in an address to a weekend congress of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Malaga, Spain. He added that they had worked well together in the past when they headed their respective countries' finance ministries. The EIB is currently led by German Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) politician Werner Hoyer. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Nadia Calvino, Susana Vera, Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Werner Hoyer, Andreas Rinke, Vera Eckert, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Monetary, Financial, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Saturday, European Investment Bank, Party of European Socialists, European Union, Berlin, German Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Malaga, Spain, Germany, France

☆ Joe Manchin's exit makes it harder for Democrats to defend US Senate majority
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Republican former President Donald Trump beat Democratic President Joe Biden here by 39 points in 2020. OHIOLiberal Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is seeking a fourth six-year term in a state, like West Virginia, that increasingly is Republican. There are at least four Republicans seeking their party's nomination, including State Senator Matt Dolan. Trump won the state by 16 points in 2020 and Tester is the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation. Biden captured Michigan by just three points over Trump and the open Senate seat has attracted several aspirants from Democratic and Republican benches.

Persons: Joe Manchin, Julia Nikhinson, Joe Manchin's, Jim Justice, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Alex Mooney, Sherrod Brown, Trump, Matt Dolan ., John Tester, Tim Sheehy, Bob Casey, Biden, Republican David McCormick, Kyrsten Sinema, Ruben Gallego, Kari Lake, Debbie Stabenow, Elissa Slotkin, Republican Peter Meijer, Richard Cowan, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Supreme, WEST, Democrat, Republican, Democratic, Republican Party, U.S, OHIO Liberal Democratic, Biden, Navy, Senate, ARIZONA Independent, Trump, Democratic U.S, U.S . House, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, West Virginia, Matt Dolan . MONTANA, MICHIGAN, Michigan

☆ Opinion: Who a ‘stalemate’ in Ukraine really benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Augusta Anthony | Opinion Jade Mcglynn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Responses to the recent statements by the commander in chief of the Ukrainian military, Valery Zaluzhny, warning of a stalemate war between Ukraine and Russia, have been varied and revealing. On the other side, skeptics of Western support for Ukraine gloatingly cited the interview as evidence that Ukraine should have capitulated at some imagined earlier opportunity. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyi meets with the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg on September 28, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is not Ukraine that is desperate to continue war despite plentiful options to stop the bloodshed — it is Russia. And would there still be ‘fatigue’ in Western capitals if Ukraine had retaken more territories during the summer counteroffensive?

Persons: Jade McGlynn, “, Read, Valery Zaluzhny, Jade McGlynn Jade McGlynn, Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Igor Zhovka, Ukraine gloatingly, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, NATO Jens Stoltenberg, Yan Dobronosov, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Anatolii Stepanov, Washington, ’, Putin, worldviews, Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny, Gleb Garanich Organizations: Center for Strategic, International Studies, CNN, Western, Ukraine, NATO, Ukrainian Air Defence, Kremlin, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters, EU, North Korea — Locations: Putin’s Russia, Ukraine, Russia, frontlines, Kyiv, AFP, North America, West Germany, West, Iran, North Korea, freefall, Europe, Eastern Europe, Korea

☆ Ukraine says it killed Kremlin-backed politician in car bombing in occupied Luhansk
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Christian Edwards | Gul Tuysuz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Kyiv CNN —Ukraine said it was responsible for the assassination of a Russia-backed official with a car bomb in the occupied eastern city of Luhansk on Wednesday. Both Ukrainian and Russian authorities reported Filiponenko had been killed in a car bombing early Wednesday morning. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence posted Filiponenko’s address and warned others: “All addresses of traitors and places of their service to terrorist Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are known! Defense Intelligence of Ukraine states that all war criminals and collaborators will receive a fair retribution!”There have been several assassination attempts against Russian-backed officials in occupied Ukraine. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, in the south of Ukraine, have been occupied by Russian forces since shortly after the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Persons: Mikhail Filiponenko, Filiponenko, Russia ”, ”, Russian Liberal Democratic Party Filiponenko Mikhail Yuryevich, ” Filiponenko, “ Filiponenko, Stanislav Krasilnikov, LPR, Igor Kornet, Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: CNN —, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russia’s, Russian Liberal Democratic Party, Defense Intelligence, Russian, CNN Locations: CNN — Ukraine, Russia, Luhansk, Luhansk People’s Republic, Russian, Kherson, Ukraine, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Moscow, Vladimir Putin’s United Russia

☆ Japanese junior coalition party calls for debate on income tax cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Takaya Yamaguchi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The head of the tax panel for the Japanese political party Komeito, a junior coalition partner with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said on Tuesday a thorough debate is needed on a controversial plan to cut income tax next year. Makoto Nishida, Komeito's tax panel head, said that policymakers should not have a preset mind to limit the tax break to just a year, signalling a possibility to extend it beyond 2024. Prime Minister Fumio Kishiida of the LDP plans to adopt income tax cuts for the next fiscal year as part of a broader economic package to boost household incomes and consumption. Opposition lawmakers have criticized the income tax cuts as politically motivated and ineffective as it takes time to implement and it could end up adding to the Japan's debt burden, the industrial world's largest. Additional reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Makoto Nishida, Nishida, Fumio Kishiida, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Putin looks set to run for president in 2024 — and there's no one who can oppose him right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the concert marking the City Day on September 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images) Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly decided to run in the March 2024 presidential election and he's likely to win another six-year term in office, essentially because there's no one that can oppose him. Analysts say that the bitter truth in modern Russia is that there is no one who can oppose Putin, for now. In this pool image distributed by Sputnik agency, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the regional head of Inigushetia in Moscow's Kremlin, on August 15, 2023. MOSCOW, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 9: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the concert marking the City Day on September 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sobyanin, he's, —, Vladimir Milov, Alexander Kazakov, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Alexei Navalny, Yulia Morozova, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Sergei Medvedev, Mikhail Svetlov, Medvedev, deigning, Prigozhin's Wagner, Wagner, Kirill Shamiev, Milov Organizations: Moscow's, Getty, Kremlin, Reuters, CNBC, Sputnik, AFP, Kremlin's, Communist Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Russia, IK, Wagner Group, Analysts, Saint Petersburg, Economic, Prigozhin's Wagner Group, Anadolu Agency, European Council, Foreign Relations, Putin Locations: MOSCOW, RUSSIA, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Moscow's Kremlin, Ukraine, Vladimir, Iran, North Korea, SAINT PETERSBURG, Concord, Saint Petersburg, Belarus, Prigozhin, Russia's, Tver

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday he is preparing to take bold economic measures, including an income tax cut for households hit by inflation and tax breaks for companies to promote investment, in what's seen as a move to lift his dwindling public support. “I'm determined to take unprecedentedly bold measures,” Kishida said, pledging an intensive effort to achieve stronger supply capability in about three years. “The results clearly show that many voters are dissatisfied by the government's delayed economic measures to tackle rising prices," said Jun Azumi, a senior CDPJ lawmaker. “Now is the time for me to focus on that, and I'm not thinking about anything else,” Kishida said, denying that his tax cut proposal was related to elections. The tax cuts would be part of a new economic stimulus package he plans to announce by the end of the month.

Persons: —, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, “ I'm, ” Kishida, “, ”, Azumi Organizations: TOKYO, Liberal Democratic Party, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan Locations: what's, Nagasaki, Sunday's, Kochi, Tokushima, Ukraine, Israel, China

☆ I'm a 23-year-old gay man training to be a priest. Though I'm living on only $740 a month, I don't regret it one bit.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He says he had considered the idea ludicrous as someone who's gay and used to be an atheist. And it was also a big shift for someone who was living abroad in the Hague, who's openly gay, and who was heavily invested in a different career. I thought it was completely ludicrous, as someone who used to be quite atheist as a teen, who's gay, and who'd been preparing for an entirely different career. By January, I'd started working there as a pastoral assistant. Though it hasn't been the easiest time — I get a stipend of 600 pounds a month, or about $740 — I don't regret it one bit.

Persons: Peter Banks, —, I've, It's, who's, Banks, who'd, Little, I'd, hasn't, We're, you've Organizations: Service, UK's Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Hague, University of Cambridge's Trinity College, Episcopal Church, Episcopal, of Locations: Cambridge, England, Hague, Netherlands, Winchester, Mary's, United States, Scotland, of Wales

☆ Momentous Shift Looms for Poland as Governing Party Looks Set to Be Ousted
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Andrew Higgins | More About Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It boiled down to a choice between two different visions of the future: one dominated by nationalism, traditional Catholic norms and the defense of Polish sovereignty; the other by promises to “bring Poland back to Europe” and the liberal democratic values espoused by the European Union. In the end, after a long, vicious election campaign in a highly polarized country, opponents of the nationalist governing party won a clear majority of seats in a pivotal general election held on Sunday, according to final official results Tuesday. That victory opened the way for a potentially drastic shift away from Poland’s deeply conservative policies at home and its role abroad as a beacon for right-wing groups and politicians opposed to liberal values. The prospect of an end to years of testy relations between Warsaw and Brussels delighted Polish liberals and those elsewhere worried by what had, for a time, seemed like a rising tide of right-wing, and sometimes left-wing, populism in Poland and across Europe.

Persons: “ Organizations: European Union Locations: Poland, Europe, Warsaw, Brussels, Polish

☆ Analysis: EUphoria! Poland election surprise spurs investor hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Tusk, leader of the largest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO), delivers a speech after the exit poll results are announced in Warsaw, Poland, October 15, 2023. As Europe’s sixth-largest economy, a revitalised pro-EU attitude in Poland would be particularly welcome. The 66-year old Tusk and his pro-EU coalition allies may still have to wait weeks or even months though before getting a turn at forming a government. Duda has referred the issue at the heart of that row to a constitutional tribunal in Poland. The central bank though has slashed interest rates at its last two meetings as the election campaign burst into life.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Kacper, Poland's, Daniel Moreno, Mirabaud, PiS, Moreno, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Robert Fico, Tusk, Andrzej Duda, Duda, Viktor Szabo, Fitch, Szabo, Adam Glapinski, PiS ., Simon Quijano, Evans, Libby George, Karin Strohecker, Josie Kao Organizations: Civic Coalition, REUTERS, European Union, Law and Justice, European, EU, Brussels, PiS, Gemcorp, Ukraine, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Brussels, Europe, EU, Slovakia, Britain, London

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