Biden off to Japan for Group of Seven summit, says there’s ‘work to do’ on global stage
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 17:05
US President Joe Biden has warned that there is “work to do” on the global stage, amid high-stakes negotiations in Washington over a federal default and geopolitical concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s assertiveness in the Pacific. Although Biden pledged to remain in contact with negotiators in the capital while travelling overseas, his trip has already been cut short. Speaking before leaving the White House, Biden stated that he had made “clear America is not a deadbeat nation”, amid concerns that a federal default would not just spark a deep recession but could also weaken its standing on the international stage.
Montana has become the first US state to ban the short video app TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance. The state's governor, Greg Gianforte, said the bill would protect Montanans from Chinese Communist Party surveillance. TikTok has previously denied that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government, adding that it would not do so if asked. The legislation prohibits mobile application stores from offering TikTok within the state and takes effect on 1 January 2024. The company said the bill infringes the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana and that it will defend them at home and abroad.
Lawyers representing three victims of a fire at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay Refinery earlier this week plan to/filed claims alleging gross negligence against the oil company. One employee was killed and two injured when carrying out maintenance on an octane-boosting unit at the plant. The other two injured workers, both contractors, have also sought compensation, which is likely to exceed the $2.4m awarded two years ago to a man who was injured in an acid leak at a BP plant in Texas City. Marathon has not yet commented on the allegations.
US and Mexican health officials are investigating an outbreak of fungal meningitis, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issuing a travel advisory warning Americans who have recently had surgery involving epidural anaesthesia in Matamoros, urging them to seek medical advice if they show signs of infection. Both US and Mexican officials are investigating the source of the infections, and whether the cases are linked; agencies have also advised that physicians across America should be warned about the cases and to offer guidance on managing potential cases. Matamoros is one of the many destinations for the booming medical tourism business south of the US border.
Four people have been killed after an attack on a two-vehicle US government convoy carrying five US embassy employees and members of the Nigeria police. Tochukwu Ikenga, a police spokesman, confirmed two police mobile force operatives and two staff members from the US consulate suffered injuries and had their vehicles set ablaze. No motive has been determined, although the district in the southeastern Anambra State has been previously affected by unrest by separatists, Boko Haram and bandits. The US has confirmed no Americans were involved in the incident.
A man who attacked two congressional staff members with a baseball bat has been charged with assault on an employee of the US government. Xuan-Kha Tran Pham, 49, was taken into custody following the attack in the offices of Representative Gerry Connolly on Monday. Prosecutors have not given a clear motive behind the attack, but have said the suspect was demanding to speak to Connolly. The two members of staff who suffered injuries have been released from hospital, according to Connolly.
The UK and Japan are set to deepen their security ties and sign a new accord called the "Hiroshima Accord," covering areas such as defence, trade and investment, science and technology, and joint initiatives to tackle global issues such as climate change. As part of the deal, the UK, which is looking to deepen relationships with countries outside Europe after leaving the EU, has committed to deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific in 2025. The two countries will also agree on a formal "Consult Clause," while trade and investment as well as science and technology programmes will be supported under the agreement.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has signed five bills prohibiting transgender medical treatments and limited pronoun usage in classrooms. The legislation titled 'Let Kids Be Kids' bans transgender-identifying children from receiving treatments, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy. The bills require public bathrooms and changing rooms to be used according to biological sex, and one new law gives the state the power to issue licenses to businesses that allow children to attend 'adult live performances' such as drag shows. Medical associations have criticized the legislation, labeling it a political intrusion in healthcare. Governor DeSantis is expected to run for the presidency in 2024.
Florida's Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis will enter the 2024 US presidential race next week, according to sources. The state governor is set to file paperwork declaring his candidacy on May 25 and is likely to have a more formal launch at the end of the month. DeSantis is currently the biggest threat to former President Donald Trump's leading position in the 2024 Republican primary, following the Florida governor's rise in profile among Republicans and his fundraising successes. Trump has increased political attacks on DeSantis in recent weeks.
Canadian Mattea Roach has advanced to the semifinals of the “Jeopardy Masters” tournament, a spin-off of the popular TV game show. The Toronto-based writer and podcaster came third in a recent game but still progressed to the next stage, beginning on 23 May. The tournament features six recent winners of the program and has been running since 3 May.
A man from Minnesota has been charged with stealing the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland's character Dorothy in 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Terry Martin, 76, has been charged with theft of a major artwork. The shoes were taken from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and were later found in a sting operation launched by the FBI's art crime team in 2018. The stolen slippers are one of only four pairs in existence. The treasured items of Hollywood memorabilia have been valued at $3.5m and were insured for $1m when they were taken nearly 18 years ago.
The G7 will meet in Japan and there are increasing expectations that the group will tighten economic sanctions against Russia. Despite the reality that sanctions have affected Russia with a heavy toll, it is widely believed they have not succeeded in their geopolitical aims. The sanctions have instead driven Russia deeper into the embrace of emerging-market nations such as China, India and Turkey, providing leverage for Russian foreign policy and making a nonsense of western compliance efforts. There is even wider concern related to the potential that sanctions could collapse an already weak global economy. The EU has also recently announced that it was considering penalties for EU firms that help Russia evade western sanctions, such as providing financing, investing in sanctioned sectors, or sharing technologies that could aid the energy sector.
Competing in the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in Barcelona, Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey broke the fastest 100 metres freestyle time in the world this year, finishing in 52.50 seconds. The performance was faster than everywhere but her silver-medal victories over the same distance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. This result, paired with her win in Canet en Roussillon earlier this month, means Haughey is already preparing to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 50m freestyle. The Mare Nostrum Tour occurs across three legs and is part of the worldwide qualifying process for both the World Championships and the next Olympics.
The Philippine military chief visited navy officers in the Palawan province, and told his troops they have a "very important" role to play in guarding Philippine waters against intruders, amid increasing tensions in the South China Sea. Andres Centino reminded his troops that their objective is to "ensure there is peace", and assured them of more resources and troops to shift the country's focus from internal security to territorial defence; escalating tensions in the region caused Manila to require a strategic shift. Manila has started building a 3km runway at the Balabac airbase, one of four sites the United States has been given access to under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement.
US banks are rethinking the role of social media, as the speed at which panics can strike, and stock prices offered by short sellers, threaten financial stability. Following the recent internet-fuelled run that toppled Silicon Valley Bank, lenders across America are focussed on adapting to changing times, devising emergency plans to counter online threats, including rumours around the health of banks that could lead to deposit outflows. The effects on local banking institutions have illustrated the essential need to manage social media risks responsibly, with efforts designed to measure, prepare and respond to such threats being set to escalate.
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by US President Joe Biden in August, has spurred a subsidy race and rankled foreign allies and global companies with its economic protectionism. Despite prompting concerns from some G7 leaders and global CEOs, Japanese officials have agreed a trade deal with the US to expand eligibility for EV tax credits. Tesla has declared a strategy shift centred on the Act’s incentives while Mercedes-Benz and Audi are looking to invest further in the US. However, some of the biggest global drugmakers are preparing to fight the Act’s plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices.
Taiwan is still hoping to receive an invitation to the World Health Organisation’s annual assembly, which commences on 21 May in Geneva, despite China still opposing the invitation of the democratically governed island. Despite opposition, several of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies have issued statements offering support for their participation, allowing for several bilateral meetings with the country. In response to China blocking Taiwan’s World Health Assembly participation in 2017, Taiwan pursued a diplomatic campaign to attend the global health forum as an observer. Researchers have suggested that Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO could have hindered efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has claimed that his PTI top advisers have been arrested to prevent him from running in the upcoming general election. In an article for Al Jazeera, Khan remarks that hundreds of cases have been filed against him to remove him from electoral contention. The former cricket star also claims that over 100 of his close advisers have been arrested, with seven of them tortured to force false confessions. He accuses Pakistan's military establishment of orchestrating the crackdown and is especially critical of current army general Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Joe Biden's re-election 2024 campaign is planning to retain the key battleground states he won in 2020, while also trying to make gains in states he lost including North Carolina and Florida. Re-election campaign chief, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, emailed interested parties to say the Democrats will plan early investments to keep Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada and New Hampshire, while also targeting Georgia and Arizona. The email did not specifically address former president Donald Trump, but referred to Democrats "prevailing over the MAGA extremist agenda once again". Biden's presidential campaign strategy generally focused on painting former president Trump and his supporters as a direct threat to American political values. National Democrats remain firmly behind Biden, who will face only token opposition in the party's presidential primary from self-help author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert Kennedy Jr.
Sudan's capital, Khartoum, has been hit by heavy air strikes again, with fighting in the areas around a military camp. The last two weeks have seen nearly a million displaced and disrupted food supplies. On Wednesday, the UN launched its $3bn aid appeal due to over half of the country’s 46 million population requireded humanitarian assistance. Moreover, the situation has been hampered by the deaths of some humanitarian workers early in the conflict and repeated cases of looting, with medical aid group MSF reporting its warehouse in Khartoum has been raided.
