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America hosted the Prime Minister of Japan
President Biden welcomed Japanese chief Fumio Kishida to Washington yesterday for a state go to. A number of hours after sending this text, the 2 will sit all the way down to a state dinner in Kishida's honor, an honor the US reserves just for its closest allies.
The ceremony was meant to indicate the significance of Japan to America. It's all a part of a broader regional outreach geared toward countering China, which included latest struggle video games with South Korea. Later at this time, the 2 will meet with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for talks that characterize a extra aggressive effort by the US and its allies to isolate China.
Biden and Kishida introduced quite a lot of steps to extend navy, financial and different forms of cooperation. Biden stated the US and Japan will create an expanded protection structure with Australia, take part in navy workout routines with Britain and discover methods for Japan to hitch the US-led alliance with Australia and New Zealand. He additionally stated the US would come with a Japanese astronaut on a visit to the Moon as a part of NASA's Artemis program.
Officers additionally stated Biden is attempting to strengthen US-Japan relations as a lot as attainable earlier than the election in November. Many in each Washington and Tokyo are apprehensive that Donald Trump, whose unpredictability had put many world leaders on edge, might return to energy.
A Metal Deal: Disaster looms on state go to Biden's opposition to $14 billion bid Nippon Metal, a Japanese company, will purchase Pennsylvania-based US Metal. Union employees within the state are in opposition to the deal, and their votes shall be essential to Biden's re-election bid.
State Banquet: The menu for the official meal will characteristic a trendy California roll and steak with mole sabayon, in line with the “Presents of Spring” theme. Paul Simon will carry out.
South Korean chief's social gathering estimates enormous loss
Voting has closed in South Korea's common election and official outcomes are anticipated this morning. However exit polls present that President Yoon Suk Yeol and his social gathering are headed for a crushing defeat.
Exit polls from three main TV stations predicted that Yun's Folks's Energy Occasion and an ally would win not more than 105 of the 300 seats within the Nationwide Meeting. Opposition chief Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Occasion and an ally have been projected to get 197 seats. An identical consequence was predicted in a separate survey.
Lee's social gathering portrayed the election as a possibility for South Korean voters to punish Yoon for points starting from rising shopper costs to allegations of corruption and abuse of energy. The technique appears to have succeeded. This dramatic defeat would render Yun ineffective for the rest of his five-year time period.
Xi meets former Taiwan chief
Xi Jinping met with former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou in Beijing yesterday. This was the primary time {that a} Chinese language chief had met a former Taiwanese president on Chinese language soil. The transfer signaled that China was keen to have interaction with Taiwan, however solely by itself phrases.
In his remarks, Xi praised Ma as a patriot who had promoted “peaceable growth” throughout the Taiwan Strait, and expressed Beijing's place that Taiwan should settle for that it’s a part of China. Ma reaffirmed the stance that each side ought to settle for that they’re a part of one China, even when they differ on its that means.
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Use a free soccer ticket
Paris FC, a second-tier French soccer membership, stopped charging for many tickets on the finish of final 12 months. The transfer, which can price the membership roughly $1 million, is an effort to usher in bigger crowds and nurture long-term loyalty.
The tactic seems to have labored: crowds have elevated by greater than a 3rd. The video games which were scheduled every now and then have been the preferred with faculty age kids, which reveals that the membership is succeeding in attracting the youth inhabitants.
However the experiment might have broader implications for the world of sports activities, which is now largely a tv enterprise. If there’s sports activities content material, a portion of that content material is offered by enthusiastic followers in stadiums.
Then, my colleague Rory Smith wonders, how ought to followers be categorized? Are observers required to pay for the privilege? Or ought to they be thought-about a part of the manufacturing, and even perhaps paid to take part in it?