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☆ Kim Jong Un tested a new rocket that could hit Seoul — and may aid Russia against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kim Jong Un oversaw tests for a rocket capable of hitting Seoul in South Korea, Bloomberg reported. Russia and North Korea have previously denied reports of an arms deal between the two nations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on April 25, 2019. Russia and North Korea have previously denied an arms deal exists between the two countries. Business Insider reported in October that North Korea was on track to become "one of Russia's most significant foreign arms suppliers."

Persons: Kim Jong Un, —, Yang, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Simon Miles, Miles, Kelly Grieco, it's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Ukraine, Korean People's Army, Korean Central News Agency, Asan Institute, Policy Studies, NK News, North Korean, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Kremlin, Soviet Union, AP News, Business, pushback, US, Stimson Center Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Korea, Russian, Vladivostok, Soviet

Biden secretly approved the transfer of the long-range ATACMS missiles in February for use inside Ukrainian territory. The Biden administration had resisted sending the long-range missiles in part because of readiness concerns. Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the ATACMS missiles, is in full-rate production and produces approximately 500 missiles per year, a spokesman for the company said in September. The US worked behind the scenes to address the readiness concerns, which included buying more ATACMS missiles and filling US military stocks. Ukrainian officials have been asking the US in private and in public for the long-range missiles to target deeper behind Russian lines.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Garron, ” Garn, Lockheed Martin, ”, Charlie Dietz, “, ” Dietz Organizations: CNN, US, Pentagon, Lockheed, North Korean Locations: Ukraine, Korean, Russia, ”, Moscow

☆ Ukraine uses long-range ATACMS against Russia for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Courtney Kube | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The first strike was about 100 miles inside Crimea's border on the morning of April 17, targeting a Russian military airfield, according to the officials. The Biden administration has not previously acknowledged sending ATACMS to Ukraine, but a National Security Council spokesperson confirmed that the U.S. has provided them. The NSC spokesperson said the administration did not reveal at the time that it was sending Ukraine the long-range missiles for operational security reasons. President Joe Biden directed his national security team to send the ATACMS to Ukraine secretly, the spokesperson said. The powerful missiles have a range up to 300 kilometers (about 187 miles) and allow Ukraine to strike the Russian military throughout Crimea and in occupied parts of eastern Ukraine that had been difficult to reach.

Persons: Biden, ATACMS, Joe Biden, Kostiantyn Liberov Organizations: South Korean Defense Ministry, U.S, MGM, Tactical Missile, South, Getty, Russian, Army Tactical Missile, National Security, NSC, Armed Forces Locations: U.S, South Korea, East Coast , South Korea, Ukraine, Crimea's, Russian, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Crimea

☆ 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

☆ North Korea claims it tested new command-and-control system in simulated nuclear counterstrike
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea claims it tested a new nuclear weapons command-and-control system Monday, with the firing of projectiles carrying simulated nuclear warheads from multiple rocket launcher units. North Korea has tested both the rocket launcher system and a simulated nuclear counterstrike before, according to analysts, but KCNA said Monday’s exercise was the first time the “Haekbangashoe” – or nuclear trigger – command-and-control system was used, demonstrating what it claimed was an ability to switch rocket launchers from conventional to nuclear weapons. Though the regime’s true capabilities have not been independently verified, a 2017 report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency concluded North Korea had likely achieved its key goal of miniaturization. Images supplied by North Korea Monday showed four rockets being launched, with KCNA saying they hit targets on an island 352 kilometers (218 miles) away. The US-South Korea exercise has “incited extreme war fever” and cannot be classified as defense or deterrence, the KCNA report said.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, ”, Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, Joseph Dempsey, ” Dempsey, Kim ramped Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Defense Intelligence Agency, miniaturization, North Korea, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Korea, US Air Force Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, United States, North Korea, denuclearization, Washington, U.S

☆ Sketches from US animation studios found on North Korean computer server
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The revelation comes from a trove of documents recently discovered by US researchers inside a computer server housed in North Korea. Logs from the North Korean computer server showed multiple visits from internet connections in northeast China, the US cybersecurity firm Mandiant told CNN. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an artillery firing drill of the Korean People's Army on March 7, 2024. Barnhart, the Mandiant researcher, said any company that hires a North Korean IT worker runs the risk of being targeted by North Korean hackers because of the close relationship between the two. Heinz Insu Fenkl, an expert in North Korean comics, said that animation and comics have been prominent in North Korean society since the country’s founding in 1948.

Persons: “, Nick Roy, Roy, Mandiant, Michael Barnhart, ”, Max ., Hannah Cosgrove, ” Cosgrove, Max, Lion Forge, Martyn Williams, Williams, ” Williams, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Barnhart, ” Barnhart, CNN wouldn’t, Heinz Insu Fenkl, ” Fenkl, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Mike Conte Organizations: CNN, North, US, Amazon Prime, Max, Warner Bros ., Korean, Stimson, FBI, Treasury, North Korean, Entertainment, Amazon, ”, Skybound, YouNeek Studios, Forge Entertainment, Lion Forge Entertainment, South Korean, South, US Treasury Department, Treasury Department, Korean People's Army, State, United Nations, North Korean Embassy Locations: North Korea, Korean, Boston, Washington, State, North Korean, China, CNN , California, Maryland, South Korea, Koreans, Pyongyang, Korea, California, New York, London, cybercrime

☆ Blinken will travel to China amid concerns of global issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Blinken will meet with senior Chinese officials in both Shanghai and Beijing during his April 24-26 visit, the official said. The official said Blinken has “three primary objectives for his trip to China.”“First, making progress on key issues; second, clearly and directly communicating concerns on bilateral regional and global issues; and third, responsibly managing competition,” the official said. Blinken, he continued, “will also reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”During Blinken’s trip to China last June, he met in Beijing with top officials, including President Xi Jinping. The call came amid heavy global turbulence — the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, were topics of discussion. The two also spoke about issues that have strained the Washington-Beijing relationship, including Taiwan, China’s recent provocations in the South China Sea and Beijing’s human rights abuses.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Xi, “, ”, Blinken, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, MJ Lee, Donald Judd Organizations: CNN, Biden, Russia, State Department, US Locations: China, Washington, Beijing, American, Shanghai, Iran, Israel, South China, ”, Taiwan Strait, Gaza, Ukraine, Taiwan, South

☆ Ukraine's facing a perfect storm of problems, and a vote in Congress could make or break its war with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The House is expected to soon vote on a long-awaited aid package including support for Ukraine and Israel. If the stalled aid package is approved, it remains to seen how the rollout of aid will go. Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu via Getty ImagesWhile US lawmakers have spent months debating Ukraine aid, Russia has been given a golden opportunity. As the Russian war machine fires up, the army is putting pressure on Ukraine's defenses, seeing where it can potentially break through and seize territory. AdvertisementJohnson's planned foreign aid package comes in at a similar cost and includes about $61 billion for Ukraine.

Persons: —, Frederick Kagan, Kostiantyn, It's, Kagan, GENYA SAVILOV, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's, Mick Ryan, 2S3, Wojciech Grzedzinski, it's, Franz, Stefan Gady, Gady, Ryan, Mike Johnson, Republican opposers, Johnson, Johnson's, Scott Peterson, Jose Colon, William Burns, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Lev Radin Organizations: Service, Washington DC, American Enterprise Institute, Business, Armed Forces, Getty Images, Australian Army, Ukrainian 63rd Brigade, Getty, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Russian, Ukraine, NATO, Archer Artillery, Roman, Republican, Democrats, Republicans, Pentagon, Anadolu, CIA, Russia, UNITED STATES, Pacific Press, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Washington, Chernigiv, AFP, Getty Images Ukraine, Russian, Lyman, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, Europe, Taiwan, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Izyum, China, North Korea, Poland, American

☆ Ukraine was in trouble already — now it openly admits it's on track to lose
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Tom Porter | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

On the front line in east and south Ukraine, reports say the situation is increasingly desperate, with Russia outfiring Ukraine at a rate of three to one. Senior Ukrainian military officials, talking to Politico, said that Russia could break through wherever it focuses its anticipated summer offensive. AdvertisementThe role of the WestUkraine is on a "starvation diet" for aid, George Barros, an expert at the Institute for the Study of War, told BI. Anadolu/Getty ImagesAnalysts also say that weaknesses in Russia's military are limiting the Kremlin's ability to take advantage of the situation. "For Ukraine to suffer total defeat, we'd need to see a major collapse in Ukrainian lines and morale," he said.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Dmytro Kuleba, Bryden Spurling, George Barros, BI's Sinéad Baker, Barros, ATACMS, Klaus, Dietmar Gabbert, we've, Justin Bronk, Ukraine —, Politico —, Mykola Bielieskov, Spurling, George Beebe, Beebe, Ukraine it's, ferociously Organizations: Service, Republicans, Business, Patriots, Politico, Russia outfiring, Ukrainian, RAND Corporation, AP, US State Department, Institute for, Leopard, Getty, London's Royal United Services Institute, Ukraine, National Institute for Strategic Studies, Fleet, Anadolu Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Russia outfiring Ukraine, Iran, North Korea, West Ukraine, Avdiivka, Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian, NATO, Kyiv, Avdiivkva, Dnipro

☆ Mike Johnson: Doing ‘the right thing’ may cost the speaker his gavel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —It took less than six months for Speaker Mike Johnson to reach his existential moment. His tiny majority means he can’t afford to lose more than one GOP vote to pass a bill on a party-line vote. But a GOP speaker dependent on Democratic votes will be seen by many Republicans as a tool of the minority party and would be on borrowed time. In this way, those who oppose Ukraine aid on principle could vote against it, allowing Democrats who support it to ensure its passage. These are important responsibilities,” Johnson told Tapper.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, John Boehner –, Johnson, ” Johnson, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie of, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Greene, Chip Roy, Roy, ”, –, CNN’s Manu Raju, ’ Johnson, he’s, Tapper, “, Dan Crenshaw, CNN’s Raju, Johnson “, ” Trump, hasn’t, bankrolling, Dwight Eisenhower, George W, Bush, Vladimir Putin doesn’t, We’re, Putin, Xi, Lloyd Austin, Biden, he’d Organizations: CNN, Louisiana Republican, Republicans, Texas Rep, Democratic, GOP, White, Texas GOP, Lago, Trump, Senate, “, ”, House Defense Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Mexico, Kyiv, Washington, Texas, Mar, Trumpism, Europe, Iran, North Korea, British, Jordanian, Russia, Russia’s, United States

☆ Opinion: 5 critical takeaways from Iran’s attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Miraculously, by a feat of military technology bolstered by coordination with friends and allies, Israel was able to repel the massive attack. The Quds Force commanders have been working with Iran-allied Hezbollah, which has been shelling Israel since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack from Gaza. What if Iran’s missiles and drones had carried nuclear material? In addition, the US was able to work out of its bases in Qatar and northern Iraq to counter Iran’s attack. The Iranian attack has revealed that Israel does have friends, including some in very important places: across the Middle East.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Israel, Frida Ghitis Tanya Malott, Jerusalem —, Jesus, Israel unlivable, Israel —, Benjamin Netanyahu, —, General Antonio Guterres “, ”, Jordan, ” Saudi Arabia — Iran’s, Benny Gantz, ” Biden, “, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, John Bolton Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israel, Quds Force, Hamas, Ukraine, Street Journal, United Arab, Finance, National Security Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, al, Aqsa, Iran, Arab Israeli, Damascus, Gaza, Beirut, Buenos Aires, Jordan, Iraq, North Korea, Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Russia, Argentina, Japan, United States, France, ” Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Republic

☆ With Nuclear Deal Dead, Containing Iran Grows More Fraught
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Iran agreed to a deal in 2015 that would require it to surrender 97 percent of the uranium it could use to make nuclear bombs, Russia and China worked alongside the United States and Europe to get the pact done. The Russians even took Iran’s nuclear fuel, for a hefty fee, prompting celebratory declarations that President Vladimir V. Putin could cooperate with the West on critical security issues and help constrain a disruptive regime in a volatile region. A lot has changed in the subsequent nine years. China and Russia are now more aligned with Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” to an American-led order, along with the likes of North Korea. The disappearance of that unified front is one of the many factors that make this moment seem “particularly dangerous,” said Vali Nasr, an Iranian-born professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, “maybe the most dangerous in decades.”

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, ”, Biden, Vali Nasr Organizations: White, Johns Hopkins School, International Locations: Iran, Russia, China, United States, Europe, American, North Korea, Israel, Beijing, Moscow, Iranian

☆ Lockheed wins U.S. missile defense contract worth $17 billion, sources tell Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $17 billion contract to develop the next generation of interceptors that would guard the United States against an intercontinental ballistic missile attack, two industry sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. Both Lockheed and the Missile Defense Agency declined to comment. The sources did not indicate the length of the contract, but the first interceptor is expected to be operational in 2028. The NGI is currently in its technology development phase and will transition to its product development phase in May, according to written testimony submitted by the head of the Missile Defense Agency, Lieutenant General Heath Collins, last week. The United States then decided to restart the contract process to gather bids on designing the whole interceptor including the "kill vehicle."

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Walter E, General Heath Collins, Collins, Northrop Grumman Organizations: Lockheed, Astronautical, Washington Convention Center, Reuters, Army, Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, U.S . Missile Defense Agency, Defense, Missile Defense Agency, Pentagon, Boeing Locations: Washington , DC, United States, North Korea, Iran, U.S

☆ Live Updates: Israel Says Confrontation With Iran ‘Is Not Over’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Mike Ives | Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The Iranian armed forces are among the biggest in the Middle East, with 580,000 soldiers and officers and also 200,000 reservists. The start of a direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel has brought renewed attention to Iran’s armed forces. Instead, Israel and Iran have been engaged in a long shadow war via air, sea, land and cyberattacks, and Israel has covertly targeted military and nuclear facilities inside Iran and killed commanders and scientists. It’s that they realize any war against Iran is a very serious war.”What sort of military threat does Iran pose? The commander in chief of Iran’s armed forces is the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all major decisions.

Persons: ”, Afshon Ostovar, “ It’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Fabian Hinz, “, Atta Kenare, Ostovar, Ayatollah Khamenei, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Will Israel’s Organizations: Naval Postgraduate School, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Guards, General Staff of, Armed Forces, Quds Force, Agence France, Phantoms, Iranian Army, Associated Press Locations: Tehran, Iranian, Iran, Israel, Damascus, United States, Washington, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jihad, Gaza, Berlin, speedboats, Persian, Hormuz, Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, North Korea

☆ The New Great-Power Politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Houthis, the Iran-backed militia that controls much of Yemen, have disrupted the global economy by firing on commercial ships traveling through the Red Sea. But the Houthis have made some exceptions: Ships from China and Russia are allowed to pass without being attacked. This policy, formalized with a diplomatic agreement last month, is the latest sign that the world has entered a new period of great power politics. On the other side are China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as well as Iran-backed groups like the Houthis. These authoritarian powers “are more and more aligned,” Jens Stoltenberg, the head of NATO, the Western alliance, told the BBC this week.

Persons: ” Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: NATO, BBC Locations: Iran, Yemen, China, Russia, United States, Japan, South Korea, Western Europe, Soviet Union, North Korea

☆ Biden and Japan's Kishida forge new partnership, eyeing China and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday unveiled plans for military cooperation and projects ranging from missiles to moon landings, strengthening their alliance with an eye on countering China and Russia. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday unveiled plans for military cooperation and projects ranging from missiles to moon landings, strengthening their alliance with an eye on countering China and Russia. "Regarding Russia's aggression of Ukraine ... Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow," Kishida said. Biden also vowed to keep open lines of communication with China and said the U.S.- Japan alliance was defensive in nature. He spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping last week.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Kishida, Xi Jinping Organizations: Japanese, Nippon Steel's, U.S . Steel, U.S . Locations: China, Russia, Japan, United States, Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, North Korea, South, East China, Taiwan, Beijing, U.S, East Asia

☆ Vinod Khosla and Palantir's Jacob Helberg call on Senate to ban TikTok: It's 'a weapon of war'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investor Vinod Khosla and Palantir advisor Jacob Helberg penned an open letter Thursday calling on Senators to pass a bill that would force the divestiture of Bytedance-owned TikTok in the U.S. Describing the social media platform as "a weapon of war," Helberg and Khosla compared the bill to decades-old restrictions on foreign ownership of U.S. media outlets. Some critics have compared the ban to a bill of attainder, given that it singles out one company. The company mobilized its user base in opposition of the House bill, urging its millions of users to call their congressional representatives and voice their opposition. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has also been lobbying D.C. lawmakers against a ban, meeting with Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., in March.

Persons: Vinod Khosla, Jacob Helberg, Khosla, Helberg, Shou Zi Chew, Sen, John Fetterman Organizations: CNBC, House, Khosla Ventures, Sun Microsystems, U.S . Department of Defense, Valley, TikTok Locations: North Korea, Iran, U.S, Hill

☆ White House says it’s very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea ahead of key trilateral meeting
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The White House is very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea, a senior administration official said, as President Joe Biden prepares to draw two Asian allies closer at a historic meeting on Thursday. Japan and the Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former’s case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter’s areas of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China claims the shoal, which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as its sovereign territory, as it does much of the South China Sea, in defiance of an international arbitration ruling. CNN has previously reported that the three leaders will hold private discussions on the South China Sea. A senior administration official also said that on Thursday the White House will be announcing a new infrastructure project in the Philippines.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Fumio Kishida, Thomas, Kishida, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, “ We’re, ” Biden, Australia –, ”, Brad Lendon, Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, East China, China Coast Guard, CNN, American, White, Clark Air Base, Subic Naval Base, Coast Guard Locations: South China, Japan, Philippines, China, East, Philippine, Palawan, Taiwan, South, North Korea, Russia, Kishida, Ukraine, Manila, Asia, Pacific, United States, Beijing, India, US, Australia

☆ Japanese PM Kishida tells Congress the U.S. must play leading role in the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged the U.S. Thursday to continue playing a leading role in the world as it faces threats to democracy and the economic order. Kishida told lawmakers at a joint meeting of Congress that the world is at a pivotal moment that will define the next stage of history. "The world needs the United States to continue playing this pivotal role in the affairs of nations," Kishida said. The prime minister pledged that Japan would not sit on the sidelines and require the U.S. to defend international order on its own. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022 after leaving office, became the first Japanese leader to speak to a joint meeting of Congress in 2015.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Mike Johnson, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, Biden, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Shinzo Abe Organizations: U.S, Capitol, U.S ., State Department, White, Philippine, Former Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, U.S, Japan, China, Russia, Congress, North Korea, Ukraine, East Asia, Philippines

☆ Stinging Election Loss Leaves South Korean Leader at a Crossroads
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The results, released on Thursday, were disastrous for Mr. Yoon. Voters pushed him to the verge of being a lame duck, giving the opposition one of the biggest parliamentary majorities in recent decades. He becomes the first South Korean president in decades to contend with an opposition-controlled Parliament for his entire time in office. The outcome — and the increasingly polarized South Korean political climate that Mr. Yoon helped intensify — heralded deepening deadlock in a country that is crucial to U.S. efforts to counter China and North Korea. It reduces the odds of Mr. Yoon achieving anything that requires bipartisan support.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon Organizations: Voters, South, Washington Locations: South, South Korean, U.S, China, North Korea, Tokyo

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for a state visit Wednesday, including a crucial Oval Office meeting, reinforcing his commitment to bolstering vital partnerships in the Indo-Pacific amid a militarily and economically resurgent China. Over 70 items covering a wide array of critical sectors are expected to be announced as part of the bilateral meeting between Biden and Kishida, according to senior administration officials. “The idea of switching to a multilateral, lattice-like strategic architecture is to flip the script and isolate China,” this person said. Cherry Blossom diplomacyEven as the leaders plan to announce the lengthy list of defense and diplomatic agreements during the course of their visit, senior administration officials also sought to highlight a more symbolic takeaway. A senior Biden administration official called the original gift of cherry trees from Japan one of the most important diplomatic gifts in US history – second only to the Statue of Liberty, a present from France.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kishida Fumio, Biden, Kishida, Jake Sullivan, ”, Cherry, “, Donald Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, Carnegie Mellon University, Keio University, University of Washington, Washington State, Tsukuba University, US Steel, American, White, National Park Service, Biden, of, Japan Locations: China, Japan, Australia, Tokyo, Philippines, North Korea, Kishida, Ukraine, United States, Washington, France

☆ Kishida US visit: Japan seeks investment in AI, semiconductors from American companies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Junko Ogura | Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Speaking in Washington at a lunch with American CEOs, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan welcomes American collaboration in “critical and emerging technology” and assured them that any investment would flow both ways. Last year, Japanese foreign direct investment to the US exceeded $750 billion, Kishida said, making Japan the biggest foreign investor in America and creating more than 1 million jobs. It is reportedly the company’s largest ever investment in Asia’s second largest economy. Earlier this month, Japan’s industry ministry approved subsidies worth up to 590 billion yen ($3.9 billion) for Rapidus. It comes as Washington adds increasing restrictions on the types of semiconductors that American companies are able to sell to China.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Fumio Kishida, ”, Kishida, Joe Biden, Brad Smith, Gary Cohn, Sanjay Mehrotra, Ted Colbert, Albert Bourla, Mayumi Maruyama Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Microsoft, Microsoft Research Asia, IBM, Micron Technology, Boeing, Defense, Space & Security, Pfizer, CNN, US Chamber of Commerce, “, Intel, Samsung, US Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Japan, Washington, American, United States, America, Asia’s, Russia, South, Taiwan, Hokkaido, chipmaking, China, Europe, Asia, Germany

☆ China is sending its highest-level delegation to North Korea since 2019 to kick off a ‘friendship year’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The three-day visit, at North Korea’s invitation, shows the “great importance” China attaches to those relations, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. The delegation will also arrive amid heightened global concern about North Korea, which has in recent months ramped up its bellicose rhetoric and continued its weapons testing. The trip could also be an important opportunity for the upper echelons of China’s political establishment to better understand the circumstances in North Korea today. Balance of powerChina has long walked a thin line in its relations with North Korea. It is a critical economic lifeline for a North Korea crippled by international sanctions over its illegal weapons testing.

Persons: Zhao Leji, ”, KCNA, Zhao, Xi Jinping, China’s, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Li Qiang, Liu Dongshu, …, ” Liu, Kim, Li Mingjiang, Vladimir Putin, Yun Sun Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Beijing, Foreign Ministry, Japanese, CNN, Communist, North Korea –, Hong Kong’s City University, North, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, “, United Nations Security, Stimson Locations: China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Pyongyang, Beijing, Moscow, United States, North, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Asia, Washington, Philippines, Russia, North Korean, Covid, Pacific, American

☆ Exclusive: On board a B-52 bomber mission to China’s doorstep
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Sitting on the massive bomber’s sole bunk, the third pilot on the flight crew, Capt. This year, the Air Force began low-rate production of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, the next generation of stealth bomber. In October, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a B-52 bomber at night over the South China Sea, south of our position. Everyone is tired, especially as we approach the 24-hour mark of the flight, but the mission is not yet complete. On final approach, with Barksdale Air Force Base looming off our nose, the right main gear does not extend.

Persons: Jinan Andrews, Omaha ” Barnett, Sabin “ Jett ”, Michael Maginness, CNN's Oren Liebermann, ”, Jason Armagost, Bo “, Bo “ NATO ” Cain, Oren Liebermann, MYLAR11, Leo “ Swabbie ” Weber, “, Rebecca “ Vulcan ” Moore, Moore, you’ve, Jared Patterson, Avery Bulsterbaum, Andrew Rodriguez, Justin Joyner, Dakeeja Nelson, Veruca Plott, it’s, . Sabin “ Jett ”, Jeremy Harlan Organizations: CNN, US, Barksdale Air Force Base, Boeing, 2nd Bomb, China, Eighth Air Force, “, Air Force, Bo “ NATO, 20th Bomb Squadron, Northrop Grumman, Raider, CNN Staff, US Department of Defense, South Korean Locations: East China, –, Alaska, Louisiana –, Louisiana, Japan, Capt, Jinan, Tramaine, Omaha, Vietnam, Russia, Russia’s, China, North Korea, South Korea, MYLAR11, Beijing, South China, Jinan Andrews

☆ Sanctions are squeezing Russia, turning up its dependence on China and 'rogue' states, think tank says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewWestern sanctions are straining Russia's ability to fight in Ukraine, even if its war economy appears resilient and its output seems largely unfazed, a think tank expert said. Related storiesAlready, this order has put off lenders in India, China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates from working with Russia, Blank said. Individual sanctions have also targeted vessels carrying Russian crude above the Western $60-barrel price cap, reducing the Kremlin's ability to trade. With fewer available tankers, freight costs have climbed, and the discount Russia has offered on its oil has eroded. That's caused India to increasingly look elsewhere for crude, despite being the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian oil in 2023.

Persons: —, Stephen Blank, it's, Blank Organizations: Service, Center for, Business, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Treasury Department, CEPA, United, United Arab Emirates, West Locations: Ukraine, North Korea, Iran, India, China, Turkey, United Arab, Russia, Austrian, Moscow, Beijing

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