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☆ New Zealand's National Party confirms coalition gov't
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsNew Zealand's National Party confirms coalition gov'tPostedNew Zealand's incoming prime minister Christopher Luxon said on Thursday (November 23) his National Party had reached an agreement with ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First to form a government, ending weeks of negotiations and political uncertainty with the country under a caretaker government.

Persons: Christopher Luxon Organizations: New, National Party, ACT New, New Zealand Locations: ACT New Zealand, New

WELLINGTON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - New Zealand's National Party said on Thursday it has reached an agreement with ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First to form a government, ending weeks of negotiations and political uncertainty with the country under a caretaker government. The center-right National Party won the largest share of votes in New Zealand's Oct. 14 general election but needed the support of both right-wing ACT New Zealand and the populist New Zealand First parties to form a majority government. "I'm very pleased to announce that we're in a position where we've concluded negotiations with the respective parties. Christopher Luxon, leader of New Zealand's National Party waves to supporters at his election party after winning the general election in Auckland, New Zealand, October 14, 2023. The conservative National Party won over voters by promising relief for struggling middle-income New Zealanders, and to bring historically high inflation under control while reducing the country's debt.

Persons: we've, Christopher Luxon, David Rowland, Winston Peters, Act's David Seymour, Lucy Craymer, Renju Jose, Stephen Coates Organizations: WELLINGTON, National Party, ACT New, New Zealand, ACT New Zealand, New, National, REUTERS, NZ, Zealanders, Labour, Thomson Locations: ACT New Zealand, New, Auckland , New Zealand, New Zealanders

☆ Dutch shock points to tremors in Europe’s core
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Rebecca Christie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders speaks to the press following the exit poll and early results in the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 22, 2023. The results add to the sense that Europe’s core is starting to rot. Even if Wilders drops his most radical ideas, mainstream conservatives, who won 24 seats, may have reservations about supporting his cause. The Dutch results, combined with German political turmoil, likely put paid to hopes of a deal on Europe’s fiscal rules by year-end. Europe’s core, the bloc’s lynchpin during the euro zone crisis, is now a shaky foundation.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Yves Herman, Mark Rutte, Wilders, won’t, Giorgia Meloni, ’, Rutte, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, EU, Party, Freedom Party, Labour, Italian, Green, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Rights BRUSSELS, Wednesday’s, Hague, Europe, Ukraine, Israel, France, Germany, Dutch, Belgium

☆ Dutch vote in tight election with far right set for gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Dutch voters cast their ballots on Wednesday in a nail-biting election in which opinion polls show at least three parties - including the far right -could hope for the top spot. ”I hope I don’t wake up tomorrow and we have Wilders as a prime minister. Mark Rutte will be leaving the post of prime minister after 13 years. A hard-right coalition could also soften plans to reduce livestock and fertilizer use, which are strongly opposed by farmers. Rutte will remain in a caretaker role until a new government is installed, likely in the first half of 2024.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Mark Rutte, Wilders, That’s, ”, Arie van der, Nicolas Economou, Rutte, Frans Timmermans, It’s, ” Wilders, Dilan Yesilgoz, Pieter Omtzigt Organizations: CNN, Freedom Party, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, ”, Christian Democrats, NOS Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Turkish

☆ Lebanon mourns two journalists killed in Israeli air strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The crowds gathered around the two coffins of correspondent Farah Omar and camera operator Rabih al-Maamari, both draped in Lebanese flags and topped with wreaths of flowers, outside the Al Mayadeen headquarters in Beirut. The Committee to Protect Journalists said deaths added to a toll of over 50 journalists killed covering the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and its spillover to other regions including the Lebanon-Israel border area, where Israeli and Lebanese Hezbollah forces have been exchanging fire since Oct. 7. Al Mayadeen said the Israeli strike occurred near the town of Tayr Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli frontier. A third person, who was not working with the channel but was accompanying them as they filmed, was also killed. The Israeli military has previously said it cannot guarantee journalists' safety in areas of military activity.

Persons: Al Mayadeen, Farah Omar, Al, Israel, Najib Mikati, Nabih Berri, Jazeera, Maya Gebeily Organizations: Protect Journalists, Caretaker, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, BEIRUT, Israel, Gaza, Lebanese, Tayr, France, Yaroun

Voters choices could be critical to the country's immigration and climate change policies, and its relations with European Union partners. A poll published on the eve of the election showed anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) tied for the lead with the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, followed closely by a joint Labour/Green ticket. Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz, a Turkish immigrant tough on immigration, who took over from Rutte at the helm of VVD, is hoping to become the country's first woman prime minister. [1/10]Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders votes during the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 22, 2023. "I hope I don't wake up tomorrow and we have Wilders as a prime minister.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Mark Rutte, It's, Wilders, Anne Frank, Van, Dilan Yesilgoz, Maria Tolman, Pieter Schilperoort, Yves Herman Acquire, Hungary's Victor Orban, Ria van der, That's, Arie van der, Pieter Omtzigt, We've, we'd, Rutte, Johnny Cotton, Toby Sterling, Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg, Charlotte van Campenhout, Ingrid Melander, Toby Chopra, Angus MacSwan Organizations: European Union, Freedom Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Labour, Green, Others, REUTERS, Amsterdam, Christian Democrats, NOS, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Van Gogh, Amsterdam, Turkish, Rutte, Yesilgoz, The Hague, Ukraine

☆ New Zealand's National Party Reaches Deal to Form Government
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's National Party has reached an agreement with ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First to form a government, and the final signoff could be done later on Thursday, the leaders said. The conservative National Party won the largest share of votes in New Zealand's Oct. 14 general election but needed the support of both right-wing ACT New Zealand and the populist New Zealand First Parties to form a majority government. The statement did not include details of any ministerial appointments or the incoming government's policy priorities. Currently, the government is being operated by the former Labour government, which is operating in caretaker mode. (Reporting by Lucy Craymer and Renju Jose; Editing by Jamie Freed and Stephen Coates)

Persons: Christopher Luxon, ACT's David Seymour, New Zealand First's Winston Peters, Lucy Craymer, Renju Jose, Jamie Freed, Stephen Coates Organizations: WELLINGTON, Reuters, National Party, ACT New, New Zealand, ACT New Zealand, Zealand, Labour Locations: ACT New Zealand, New

[1/9] People cast their votes during the Dutch parliamentary elections in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 22 2023. Only one thing is certain: the Netherlands will get its first new prime minister in over a decade, after Rutte resigned in July as his fourth coalition government collapsed, ending a 13-year tenure. Restricting immigration - the issue that triggered the collapse of Rutte's last cabinet - has been a key issue in the campaign. Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz, a Turkish immigrant tough on immigration and Rutte's successor at the helm of the VVD, who is hoping to become the country's first woman prime minister, responded:"I don't think anyone believes Wilders would be a prime minister for all. The party that wins the most seats traditionally takes a lead in negotiations and provides the prime minister, but even that is not guaranteed under the Dutch system.

Persons: de Wouw, Geert Wilders, Mark Rutte, Rutte, It's, Wilders, Dilan Yesilgoz, Frans Timmermans, Pieter Omtzigt, Johnny Cotton, Toby Sterling, Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg, Charlotte van Campenhout, Ingrid Melander, Sharon Singleton, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Freedom Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Labour, Green, NOS, Christian Democrats, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, Turkish, The Netherlands, North

☆ What's at stake in the Netherlands' election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsWhat's at stake in the Netherlands' electionPostedThe Dutch go to the polls next week without caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte's name on the ballot for the first time in a decade, with voters citing the economy, climate change, and reducing immigration as their top concerns. Isaine Blatry has more.

Persons: What's, Mark Rutte's, Isaine Blatry Locations: Netherlands

☆ Dutch candidates snipe, scramble for undecided voters in race to deliver PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Major issues for Dutch voters include how to respond to climate change, the rising cost of living, and a desire to restrict immigration. Analysts said that with large numbers of undecided voters, much will depend on debate performances, including a final clash scheduled for Tuesday night. Yesilgoz, who had not ruled out a coalition with Wilders and had focused on Timmermans as her main opponent, has begun backtracking. On Tuesday she ruled out serving in a cabinet in which Wilders is prime minister. The party that wins the most seats traditionally takes a lead in negotiations and provides the prime minister -- but that is not guaranteed under the Dutch system.

Persons: Frans Timmermans, Geert Wilders, Wilders, Dilan Yesilgoz, Mark Rutte's, Yesilgoz, Timmermans, Rutte, Geert Wilders you'll, Toby Sterling, William Maclean Organizations: Party, Labour, Green Left, Research, Timmermans, Freedom Party, New, Analysts, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

☆ Opinion: The drama around Sam Altman is an urgent warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Opinion Jill Filipovic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is on its third CEO in as many days. And how should other institutions – governments, non-tech industries, global alliances, regulatory bodies – reign in the worst excesses of potentially dangerous AI innovators? This dynamic – a potentially dangerous technology developed at extreme speed, largely behind closed doors – is partly to blame for Altman’s firing. And we all have a stake in whose interests AI will serve – and right now, its development is being funded with billions of dollars by people expecting to make a huge profit. The Altman story is fascinating because Altman is the most powerful figure in AI technology, which in effect makes him one of the most powerful men in the world.

Persons: Jill Filipovic, Sam Altman, Altman, Jill Filipovic It’s, OpenAI, CNN’s David Goldman, he’ll, ”, – Organizations: Twitter, CNN, Microsoft, Israeli Defense Force Locations: New York, Big Sur, Yorker, Atlantic, Silicon Valley

☆ The Man Looking to Upend an Unpredictable Dutch Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Claire Moses | More About Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yet it is one that does not pit the elite against the common man in the way populist parties often do, political analysts said. The Dutch election is shaping up as one of the most significant and competitive in years. Mr. Rutte, who is serving as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed, was considered a mainstay of Dutch politics. Mr. Rutte was also a strong voice for fiscal restraint inside the European Union, especially after the British exit, allowing the Netherlands to punch above its weight on E.U. Those are big political shoes to fill, and the race remains unpredictable, analysts said, with three or four parties closely jockeying near the top of polls in the homestretch.

Persons: Rutte, ” Organizations: European Union Locations: Groningen, Netherlands

☆ Explainer: What's at stake in the Netherlands' Nov. 22 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte attends a joint news briefing with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (not pictured), amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The Dutch will elect a new parliament on Nov. 22 in an election that will bring the Netherlands its first new prime minister in over a decade, and determine how conservative the country's new cabinet may be. Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's centre-right government collapsed in July over differences in how to reduce the flow of asylum-seekers entering the country. Rutte, the country's longest-serving prime minister, has lost popularity and promised not to stand again. Dilan Yesilgoz, who leads Rutte's conservative VVD Party, herself a Turkish immigrant who would be the Netherlands' first woman prime minister.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Viacheslav, Mark Rutte's, Dilan Yesilgoz, Rutte's, Frans Timmermans, Pieter Omtzigt, Geert Wilders, Rutte, Toby Sterling, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Dutch, Conservative, Union, Party, Labour and Green Left, Democrat, NOS, Thomson Locations: Netherlands, Ukraine, Kyiv, Dutch, North, Rutte, Turkish

☆ How OpenAI so royally screwed up the Sam Altman firing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

A company’s board of directors has an obligation, first and foremost, to its shareholders. Strange board structureThe bizarre structure of OpenAI’s board complicated matters. And some, including former OpenAI board member Elon Musk, fear the technology will surpass humanity in intelligence and could wipe out life on the planet. Microsoft, despite its massive stake, does not hold an OpenAI board seat, because of the company’s strange structure. Alternatively, it could become a competitor to Altman, who may ultimately decide to start a new company and drain talent from OpenAI.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sam Altman, Altman, –, Bing, “, Kara Swisher, weren’t, Greg Brockman, Brockman, OpenAI, mulligan, Ilya Sutskever, they’re, Swisher, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI’s, Satya Nadella Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft, Altman, Co, Office, Google, Amazon, IBM, Economic, Twitter, Wall Street, New York Times Locations: New York, Silicon Valley, Bing

☆ Taliban Minister Raises Return of Deported Afghans' Assets in Pakistan Visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Charlotte GreenfieldISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting commerce minister said he had asked Pakistan to help return the assets of expelled Afghans and discussed ways to overcome Afghanistan's stalled banking sector transactions during a four-day visit to Islamabad this week. Acting minister Nooruddin Azizi's arrival in the Pakistani capital marked the first public visit by a senior Taliban official since Pakistan announced its policy to deport thousands of undocumented Afghans and other foreign citizens after Nov. 1. The Taliban have said the security issues are a domestic matter for Islamabad and called on Pakistan to stop deportations. Azizi said a major focus of the visit had been raising the problem of Afghan deportees being unable to return their assets from Pakistan. Pakistan's commerce minister and a spokesman for the commerce ministry did not respond to request for comment.

Persons: Charlotte Greenfield, Nooruddin, Azizi, Asif Shahzad, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, William Maclean Organizations: Taliban, Pakistan, Reuters Locations: Charlotte Greenfield ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Islamabad, Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate, Uzbekistan, China, Kabul

Chhetri is one of Israel’s approximately 110,000 registered migrant workers; tens of thousands of other foreign workers lack a permit, often having entered as tourists or overstayed their visas, according to workers’ rights organization Kav LaOved. Pranita Chhetri, who moved from India seven months ago and is a caretaker in northern Israel, considers Israel a safe country for foreign workers despite the Israel-Hamas war. (Michele Chabin)When Hamas terrorists massacred 1,200 people and took more than 200 others hostage last month, they didn’t spare migrant workers. With so many Israeli farmers killed or kidnapped, the workers didn’t know where to turn for help, she says. While it may sound counterintuitive right now, Chhetri insists that Israel “is a safe country for foreign workers.

Persons: JERUSALEM, Pranita Chhetri, Chhetri, ”, Esther, Yad Sarah, Kav, Michele Chabin, Shira Abbo, Eldose, Yahel Kurlander, ” Kurlander, “, Abbo, Assia Ladizhinskaya, Kav LaOved, “ Israel, ” Abbo, ” Umkudiyil, “ don’t, Israel “ Organizations: Hamas, Hotline, Refugees and Migrants, Hai, ” Locations: Gaza, Israel, India, Kiryat Shmona, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Tel Aviv, Thailand, Nepal, China, Moldova, Tel, Bangkok, Ashkelon

☆ How Drug Addiction Tore a Family and Tribe Apart - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Judith Surber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

When I think about my sons, Roger and Cory, I picture them as I do all my children, as precious babies. I don’t see them as the rest of the world does, as two men in their 30s with drug addiction. I remember reading once that if parents had an addiction to alcohol or drugs, their children would have a higher risk for addiction, too. My teenage granddaughter recently left an addiction treatment facility in Utah. My granddaughter, shortly after she returned from an addiction treatment center.

Persons: Roger, Cory, OxyContin, I’ve, Megan, I’m, Kinsinta’s, “ Grandma, “, ” Organizations: Indian, Indian Health Service, Indian Child Welfare Locations: B.D, Northern California, Utah, Hoopa, Eureka , Calif

☆ Taliban minister raises issue of refugee assets during Pakistan visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting commerce minister met Pakistan's foreign minister in Islamabad this week, an Afghan embassy statement said on Tuesday, discussing trade and how the thousands of Afghan citizens Pakistan is expelling could take cash and other assets back to their homeland. Taliban officials say militancy is an internal matter for Pakistan and have called on Islamabad to halt its deportation of Afghan citizens. Afghan citizens returning to Afghanistan have said there are restrictions on the transfer of cash and property to Afghanistan from Pakistan, where many had built businesses and homes for decades. Last month, Pakistan set a Nov. 1 start date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Pakistan's foreign office said the Taliban acting commerce minister would also undertake a trilateral meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Haji Nooruddin Azizi's, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jilani, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Afghan, Karachi, Western, Uzbekistan, South, Central Asia

Margaret Newcomb, 69, a retired French teacher, is desperately trying to protect her retirement savings by caring for her 82-year-old husband, who has severe dementia, at home in Seattle. She used to fear his disease-induced paranoia, but now he’s so frail and confused that he wanders away with no idea of how to find his way home. He gets lost so often that she attaches a tag to his shoelace with her phone number. They ran up $15,000 in medical and credit card debt while she took on the role of caretaker. “I had to do it.”Millions of families are facing such daunting life choices — and potential financial ruin — as the escalating costs of in-home care, assisted-living facilities and nursing homes devour the savings and incomes of older Americans and their relatives.

Persons: Margaret Newcomb, Feylyn Lewis, Sheila Littleton, ”, “ Locations: French, Seattle, England, Nashville, Houston

☆ Pakistan Opens New Border Crossings to Expedite Afghans' Repatriation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Saleem AhmedQUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday opened three new border crossings to accelerate the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals who have been ordered to leave the country or face expulsion, officials said. Many Afghans have opted to go home voluntarily to avoid deportation under a government push for undocumented migrants to be expelled. The new crossings were set up at the Afghan border in southwestern Balochistan province in addition to the main crossing in Chaman district, said Jan Achakzai, information minister for the provincial caretaker government. More than 280,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan since the new policy was announced in early October, according to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR). Kabul has also asked Islamabad to give Afghan nationals ample time to leave.

Persons: Saleem Ahmed, Pakistan's, Jan Achakzai, Asif Shahzad, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters, Monday, United Nations, Refugees Locations: Saleem Ahmed QUETTA, Pakistan, Islamabad, Kabul, Afghan, Balochistan, Chaman, UNHCR

☆ Pakistan opens new border crossings to expedite Afghans' repatriation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Saleem Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Afghan nationals with belongings sit atop a truck as they head back with their families to Afghanistan from Pakistan, at the Chaman Border Crossing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border in Balochistan Province, in Chaman, Pakistan November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsQUETTA, Pakistan, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday opened three new border crossings to accelerate the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals who have been ordered to leave the country or face expulsion, officials said. The new crossings were set up at the Afghan border in southwestern Balochistan province in addition to the main crossing in Chaman district, said Jan Achakzai, information minister for the provincial caretaker government. More than 280,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan since the new policy was announced in early October, according to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR). Kabul has also asked Islamabad to give Afghan nationals ample time to leave.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Pakistan's, Jan Achakzai, Asif Shahzad, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monday, United Nations, Refugees, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights QUETTA, Islamabad, Kabul, Afghan, Balochistan, UNHCR

☆ Lebanon front with Israel heats up, stoking fears of wider war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Israeli strikes killed two people in south Lebanon on Monday, according to a first-responder organisation affiliated to the Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement. Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israeli forces since its Palestinian ally Hamas went to war with Israel on Oct. 7. The exchanges mark the deadliest violence at the border since Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006. So far, more than 70 Hezbollah fighters and 10 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, and 10 people including seven troops have been killed in Israel. The 2006 war killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 157 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

Persons: Israel, Hamas, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Nasrallah, Najib Mikati, Al, Lloyd Austin, Mohanad Hage Ali, Phil Stewart, Crispian Balmer, Dan Williams, Edmund Blair Organizations: Amal, Israel Electric Company, Hezbollah, United, Israeli, U.S . Defense, Carnegie Middle East Center, Thomson Locations: Israel, BEIRUT, JERUSALEM, Lebanese, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, United States, Beirut, Al Jazeera, Israel's, Seoul, U.S, Jerusalem

☆ New Zealand Prime Minister-elect unlikely to attend APEC as coalition talks continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Christopher Luxon, leader of New Zealand's National Party waves to supporters at his election party after winning the general election in Auckland, New Zealand, October 14, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - New Zealand’s Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon said on Monday that it was unlikely he would attend the APEC meeting in San Francisco later this week as coalition negotiations are ongoing. Luxon told 1News that he does not expect to attend APEC as "good progress" is being made by the two parties and he wants to ensure negotiations conclude and a government is formed. I think that's why it's unlikely I'll head out to APEC on Wednesday evening," he said. If Luxon does not attend APEC, New Zealand will send a representative from both the caretaker government and a National Party member.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, David Rowland, Luxon, 1News, Lucy Craymer, Diane Craft Organizations: New, National, REUTERS, Rights, Zealand’s, APEC, National Party, ACT New Zealand, New Zealand, Labour, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, San Francisco, Zealand, New Zealand

☆ Deal Granting Amnesty to Separatists Sets Off Turmoil in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Jason Horowitz | More About Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain sealed a deal to extend amnesty to Catalan separatists on Thursday in exchange for their political support, likely allowing him to stay in power but causing turmoil throughout Spain, doubts in Europe and questions about the country’s stability. Mr. Sánchez, 51, who is currently acting as a caretaker prime minister after inconclusive snap elections he called in July, backed the amnesties related to an illegal referendum that shook Spain in 2017 to receive the critical support of the Junts party, which supports independence from Spain for the northern region of Catalonia. With their support, Mr. Sánchez will likely avoid new elections, win parliamentary backing for another stint as prime minister and solidify his place in the European Union as its standard-bearer for progressive politics.

Persons: Pedro Sánchez, Sánchez Organizations: Union Locations: Spain, Europe, Catalonia

☆ Sterling misses out on England selection again
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling was again left out by England manager Gareth Southgate as he named his squad for the forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. Sterling, who has earned 82 caps for his country and was once a key part of Southgate's forward line, has now missed five successive England squads. Despite Southgate saying the door remains open, time is clearly running out for Sterling to force his way back into the reckoning for the Euro 2024 finals. Manchester City's John Stones misses out because of injury while Chelsea's Reece James is also not included despite recently returning from a lengthy injury lay-off. "I'm super excited about the tournament, we're really gearing towards the next tournament and I think everybody in international football is always living from tournament to tournament.

Persons: Raheem Sterling, Gareth Southgate, Sterling, Southgate, Raheem, we've, Eddie Nketiah, Callum Wilson, Aston, Ollie Watkins, Manchester City's John Stones, Chelsea's Reece James, Reece James, that's, Sam Allardyce's, Sam Johnstone, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire, Fikayo, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander, Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Marcus Rashford, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Chelsea, Malta, Italy, Newcastle United, Manchester, Wembley, Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United, Milan, Manchester City, West Ham United, Bayern, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Thomson Locations: England, North Macedonia, France, Germany, Malta, Crystal, Everton, Chelsea, Manchester, Liverpool, Real Madrid, West, Bayern Munich

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