US President Joe Biden is set to discuss the debt ceiling with congressional leaders at the White House as early outlines of a possible deal emerge. The Tuesday meeting comes as the US Treasury prepares to run out of cash to pay bills as early as June 1, heightening the need for a budget agreement between Democrats and Republicans. Among the ideas being discussed is clawing back some $30bn in unused COVID-19 funds and tweaking work requirements for recipients of government aid. White House and congressional staff have held days of closed-doors discussions to try to thrash out the agreement.
Former US President Donald Trump has described government officials involved in probing his 2016 presidential campaign and alleged Russian links as “scum” and “cockroaches” following the release of a report into the matter by John Durham, a Trump-appointed Special Counsel. Ahead of its publication, Trump had predicted that the Durham report would uncover the “crime of the century.” Meanwhile, former New York City mayor and one-time personal attorney to Trump, Rudy Giuliani, is being sued for sexual harassment by former aide Noelle Dunphy, who alleges that Giuliani told her he and Trump were willing to sell presidential pardons for $2m each. Giuliani’s spokesperson strongly denied the claims.
Kyocera is set to invest $2.9bn in semiconductor-related production facilities through to March 2026 to make cutting-edge chips for AI and other fields. President Hideo Tanimoto said that the investments, which are part of the company's medium-term business plan, are a 130% increase from the previous three-year period. The company is planning to raise production capacity for package products as well as fine-ceramic components for semiconductor-processing equipment.
Mario Péloquin has been appointed the new president and CEO of Via Rail Canada, with a five-year term starting in June. He will take over from Martin R. Landry, who stepped into the role last May to fill the gap left by Cynthia Garneau. Péloquin has nearly 40 years' experience in the industry, previously serving as chief operating officer for New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and senior vice-president at SNC-Lavalin Group. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the appointment followed an open, transparent and merit-based selection process.
A delegation of African heads of state will travel to Moscow and Kyiv to help end Russia's war in Ukraine, according to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He had held separate phone calls with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who both agreed to host the African leaders to discuss a potential peace plan for the conflict. Senegal, Uganda, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and South Africa have been chosen to take part in the mediation effort, and Ramaphosa confirmed the US and UK had expressed “cautious” support for the plan. It is the latest in a string of foreign offers of mediation and peace talks.
Ramaphosa stated that Guterres and the African Union (AU) welcomed the initiative, after the UN Secretary-General said peace talks in the Ukraine conflict were not possible at the moment. There is no timeline as yet for the visits, but Ramaphosa said the conflict had been “devastating, and African countries suffered a great deal” from it. South Africa has previously abstained from voting on UN peace resolutions relating to the war, however Ramaphosa insisted that South Africa was impartial after recent allegations that Russian ships containing military hardware were loaded in Cape Town. Despite the allegations, he said that South Africa would not be drawn “into a contest between global powers”.
Ecuador's National Assembly has begun impeachment proceedings against President Guillermo Lasso, who faces a charge of disregarding embezzlement warnings related to Flopec, a state-run oil transport company. The opposition requires 92 votes to oust Lasso, while Lasso could call for "two-way death" early elections to avoid impeachment. If Lasso is removed from office, Vice President Alfredo Borrero will replace him, while dissolving the assembly will see Lasso govern via decree until new elections are called. Some lawmakers have stated any dissolution would be unconstitutional and refuse to comply, while the government and allies question the legality of the impeachment process.
US President, Joe Biden, has cancelled visits to Papua New Guinea and Australia to return to the US early. The trip has been cut short due to ongoing urgent discussions between White House officials and Congress over how to counter the government's deficit and avoid a potential economic disaster. Without reinforced support, officials estimate that the US government will not have the funds to pay its expenses, should the debt ceiling not be raised, by Jun 1.
Ukrainian officials have claimed that their air defence system intercepted six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles which had been pointed at Kiev, evidence which if confirmed, would suggest the country's ability to shoot down the most advanced weaponry from Russia. Ukraine accused Russia of launching an "exceptional" flurry of missiles and drones at Kiev, but said that it had stopped the Kinzhals. Russia claimed that one missile had hit an American-made Patriot system. This is one of Russia's biggest attacks since March, and Russia's chaotic defence system and lack of resources have failed to improve the country's 15-month war strategies.
Taiwan has highlighted the support of Japan, South Korea and the Philippines in forming a "crescent of defense" alongside the US against China's growing presence in the Indo-Pacific region, according to You Si-kun, the speaker of Taiwan's parliament. The countries' opposition leaders have described Taiwan as a key global issue and an important buffer in the region. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr commented that granting the US access to Philippine military bases was a defensive measure that would be useful if China were to attack Taiwan. The speaker believes that with these countries and the US offering support, a key stabilizer of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region will be created.
China has been putting increasing pressure on Taiwan to try and force the democratically governed island to submit to Beijing’s sovereignty, with military activities notably on the rise. The speaker of parliament highlighted China’s CCP’s aim for global dominance, with Taiwan seen as simply a stepping stone. It is clear to Taiwanese politicians that being able to rely on external support for the country is critical; However, the article notes that the speaker, a member of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, doesn’t speak for President Tsai Ing-wen.
This commentary comes as the UK’s first warship (HMS Queen Elizabeth) sails through the contested South China Sea, following a UK official’s recent statement that British naval vessels would be seen more frequently in this region, prompting criticism from China, which claims most of the sea. The UK has declared that its presence is showing its support for international law and freedom of navigation and it will sail its warships where it sees fit, regardless of any objection from China.
President Biden is to cut short his trip to Asia to focus on debt ceiling negotiations, with the US again facing the risk of default on its $31.4tn debt if talks fail. Biden, initially due to fly to the G7 meeting in Japan and then to Papua New Guinea and Australia, is expected to return after the summit and meet congressional leaders in Washington, according to CBS. Republican leaders are demanding budget cuts in exchange for supporting the raising of the debt ceiling. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has previously warned that the US could run out of cash by 1 June if the ceiling is not lifted.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use this weekend’s meeting of the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders in Hiroshima to promote the elimination of nuclear weapons, but there will be deep irony as Kishida is overseeing the greatest expansion of Japanese military power since the end of World War II. Meanwhile, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, threatened earlier this year that there would be a "nuclear apocalypse" if the West sent weapons to Ukraine, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol recently suggested his country might need to develop atomic weapons. The G-7 leaders will find common ground on Ukraine, but the issue of China’s increasing assertiveness is a trickier issue to resolve.
Two US embassy employees and two police officers have been killed in Nigeria when gunmen opened fire on their convoy. Three additional individuals have also been kidnapped. Police officials have suggested that separatist groups are involved following an increase in such violence. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been mentioned, in particular, as a group pushing for secession from Nigeria to form its own republic. Such opinions are historically controversial, with a civil war beginning in Nigeria in 1967 after the Republic of Biafra declared independence. The US State Department confirms that it is investigating the incident.
US President Joe Biden has cancelled his trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea as his team attempts to reach an agreement on the debt ceiling crisis. Although the president will still travel to Japan for the G7 summit, he has shortened his visit in order to return to the US on Sunday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has argued that a default on the country's debt would trigger a global economic downturn. The US government could run out of money as soon as June if no resolution is found.
Argentina's Vice President Cristina Fernández has confirmed she will not be running for the presidency again amid accusations that the country's courts are attempting to prevent her candidacy by aligning with the opposition. The announcement leaves the ruling Peronist party to determine a new candidate in this year’s presidential elections, with President Alberto Fernández also confirming last month that he will not be seeking re-election. The political instability comes amid an ongoing economic crisis in the country, marked by a sharp devaluation of the local currency and annual inflation of over 100%.
Cristina Fernández, the Vice President of Argentina, has announced that she will not run for president, despite pressure from her party. The ruling Peronist party is now in disarray, as it is not clear who will be their candidate this year. The President, Alberto Fernández, has already said that he will not be running for re-election, and the centre-right Peronist Economy Minister, Sergio Massa, is now seen as a potential candidate. The country is currently experiencing an ongoing economic crisis, with high inflation and a sharp devaluation of the local currency.
The nephew of French first lady Brigitte Macron has been beaten by people protesting against the proposed increase in the retirement age to 64. Jean-Baptiste Trogneux was assaulted outside his family’s chocolatier in Amiens. Eight people were arrested. Violence has crept into protests, with the ongoing casserolade demonstrations seeing protesters banging pots and pans outside political events attended by President Emmanuel Macron. The public has slipped away from supporting Macron, with 26% now backing him. A proposed law to reverse the proposed retirement age increase will be presented before the National Assembly on 8 June.
UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng, has called for greater UK and US collaboration on energy security. Speaking ahead of his address at America's largest civil nuclear conference in Washington DC, Kwarteng emphasised the importance of both countries working together on state-of-the-art technologies and creating the conditions for renewable businesses to thrive. Kwarteng argued that the UK was already demonstrating its energy innovation, citing the country's large offshore wind farms and potential for reviving nuclear power.
Russian missile strikes on May 16 may have damaged the US-made Patriot missile defence system, which is currently used by Ukraine, according to two anonymous US officials. Though the system has not been destroyed, the two countries are reportedly discussing the best way to repair it without having to remove it from Ukraine. The alleged damage follows a warning from Vladimir Putin to target and destroy anti-missile defence systems supplied by the West to Ukraine. The Patriot system is designed to counter a range of threats, from ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to aircraft.
Russia has been ramping up the number of missiles it fires in order to confuse and overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences. However, according to one US official, this may have worked to Ukraine’s advantage as it forced Russia to go through more of its limited supply of precision weaponry that can home in on targets. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke at a summit of the Council of Europe, where he said that recent battlefield successes showed that Ukraine could achieve anything as long as it was united. These included shooting down 18 Russian missiles overnight, including a volley of six Kinzhals, which Russia claims have hypersonic capabilities.
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has confirmed the Quad Summit, involving the leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the US, will not go ahead without President Joe Biden. The leaders will instead meet at the Group of Seven meeting this weekend in Japan, following Biden's decision to withdraw from the Sydney summit to focus on domestic politics. Albanese said the Quad is an important organisation and expressed his disappointment at the lack of summit. He suggested Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, should still visit Sydney next week because he would be a very welcome guest.
Taiwan's parliament speaker, You Si-Kun, has hailed Japan, South Korea and the Philippines as valuable allies in a "crescent of defence" against China's global ambitions. Speaking at the Hudson Institute think tank, he asserted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views Taiwan as a "stepping stone" to global hegemony as part of its ambition to see the East rise and the West decline. You argued that protecting Taiwan equates to defending both Europe and the US. China has been ramping up its military pressure around Taiwan to try and force its acceptance of Beijing's sovereignty.
