The U.S. and Japan bolstered ties
During a pomp-filled ceremony at the White House, President Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan said their countries would enhance their cooperation as part of international efforts to counter China’s aggression.
Biden said that the U.S. and Japan would create an expanded defense architecture with Australia, participate in three-way military exercises with Britain and explore ways for Japan to join a U.S.-led coalition with those two countries.
Economic and climate initiatives also figured prominently on the agenda. Biden also announced that a Japanese astronaut would go to the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which would be the first time a non-American had stepped on the lunar surface. (A later statement clarified that two Japanese astronauts could join the program.)
The day ended with an elaborate state dinner, an honor reserved for only the closest U.S. allies. It featured a performance by Paul Simon and a guest list that included Bill and Hillary Clinton and the Olympian figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.
Subtext: The visit came amid hand-wringing in Washington and Tokyo about the possibility of a return to power by Donald Trump, whose unpredictable foreign policy as president kept many world leaders on edge. One goal of the summit, officials said, was to strengthen the relationship with Japan before the election.
South Korean leader’s party crushed in parliamentary elections
Voters handed President Yoon Suk Yeol and his party a bruising defeat in parliamentary elections, giving the opposition one of its biggest electoral victories in recent decades. Now, Yoon is facing the possibility of becoming a lame duck for the remainder of his single five-year term.
It appeared that the opposition Democratic Party, along with a party allied to it, would win far more than half of the 300 seats in the National Assembly. The Democratic Party’s candidate for president, Lee Jae-myung, narrowly lost to Yoon in 2022. Yoon’s People Power Party and its satellite party were expected to win more than 100 seats, according to The Associated Press. Final official results are expected later today.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and all of Yoon’s senior advisers, except those in charge of security issues, have offered to resign, The A.P. reported. Yoon’s office did not immediately say whether the resignations had been accepted.
Missteps by Yoon and opposition control of Parliament have stalled his business-friendly domestic agenda, and his goals will remain imperiled by the lopsided election results. In contrast, Lee, who hopes to run for president again in 2027, is likely to get a big push from the election.
Israeli ground troops have largely pulled out of Gaza, but Israel still conducts airstrikes across the territory. The Israeli military confirmed the deaths, noting that the three sons were Hamas military operatives.
“The enemy is delusional if it thinks that by killing my children, we will change our positions,” said Haniyeh, who leads Hamas’s political bureau from exile and has been engaged cease-fire negotiations that have stalled, in a statement.
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That’s it for today’s briefing. Thank you for spending part of your morning with us, and see you tomorrow. — Dan
You can reach Dan and the team at [email protected].
Source Agencies
