The war in Ukraine could last for a long time and Western countries should “continue to support Ukraine in every possible way,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said today from Kyiv. “This war could last longer than we predicted or hoped for. But that doesn’t mean we can sit back and passively watch how it […]
Tag: International political news & developments
Black Sea navigation and grain exports at the center of Putin-Erdogan talks
The presidents of Turkey and Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, discussed today the establishment of “safe corridors” in the Black Sea for grain exports as well as the latest developments in northern Syria, as reported by Russian news agencies and Turkey’s Anadolu. The phone call between the two leaders comes at a time […]
Moscow and Minsk are considering countermeasures against Lithuania for Kaliningrad
The Kremlin said today that the Russian and Belarusian presidents are working on “joint measures” they can take to respond to Lithuania’s decision to ban the transit of some goods to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad shares borders with Lithuania and Poland – members of NATO and the EU – and relies on transit […]
Britain: Liz Truss says she will cut taxes
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has entered the fray to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, bringing to 11 the number of candidates in an increasingly bitter and unpredictable process. Truss, who has served as head of a number of ministries, including Commerce and Justice, said she would cut taxes and maintain a tough line on […]
Beijing urges Southeast Asian countries to avoid being used ‘like pawns’ by major powers
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called today in a speech from the capital of Indonesia for the countries of the region to avoid being used “like chess pieces” by the great powers. Speaking from the headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Wang said many countries in the region are under pressure to […]
Japan: The Liberal Democratic Party secures an absolute majority of seats in the upper house
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured an absolute majority in Japan’s upper house in elections held on Sunday, under the heavy shadow of the assassination of former prime minister and leader of Japan’s right-wing faction Shinzo Abe. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s FDP secures at least 63 seats, more than half of the 125 that […]
The revelations about the privileged relations between Macron and Uber are causing a wave of indignation on the French left
“Secret” agreement against the violation of “all our rules”, “looting the country”: elected officials of the French left loudly denounced yesterday Sunday the relations of President Emmanuel Macron, during his time as Minister of Economy, with the company Uber, after press disclosures. As part of the “Uber Files”, an investigation based on thousands of internal […]
Anthony Blinken in Japan to pay tribute to Shinzo Abe
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Tokyo today, making an unscheduled short visit to offer personal condolences to Japan over the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The US top diplomat landed at the Yokota military base near Tokyo on his way to the US after his tour of Southeast Asia. He […]
Kamala Harris: Biden plans to run for second term
US President Joe Biden plans to seek a second term in the 2024 election, according to his running mate Kamala Harris. “He plans to run and if he does, I plan to run with him,” Harris told CBS television today. Biden will be 81 years old in the November 2024 election. There has been speculation […]
Reuters: How the political scene and economy in Japan will be affected after the death of Shinzo Abe
The death of Shinzo Abe, who lent his name to “Abenomics,” a term for the policy mix that followed, makes any immediate challenge to his legacy highly unlikely, but could eventually allow Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to phase out the government’s spending and Abe’s monetary stimulus, according to a Reuters analysis. In a rare act […]