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"There may be political confusion. " Abe succeeded in bringing stability to the prime minister's office for the first time since the maverick LDP reformer Junichiro Koizumi, who stepped down in 2006 after five years in office. Along the way, Abe weathered ministerial resignations and scandals, his Teflon qualities enhanced by the absence of a credible opposition. On Friday evening, a stunned LDP found itself confronting an unfamiliar political vacuum several months into a pandemic that has inflicted serious damage on the world's third-biggest economy, and with the Tokyo Olympics, which has already been postponed, hanging in the balance. The task of guiding Japan through the turbulence created by Abe's unexpected departure could fall to Aso, a gaffe-prone rightwinger who also doubles as deputy prime minister. Aso, 79, served as prime minister more than a decade ago and was in the post when the LDP was removed from office in a historic defeat in 2009. Aso could face a challenge from Ishiba, a former defence minister and Abe critic who would be a popular choice among voters but has less support among LDP MPs.
"I have lost a lot of my energy and strength, " he said. He also apologised for leaving office before resolving the cold war abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea and a territorial dispute with Russia. "It is gut wrenching to have to leave my job before accomplishing my goals, " he said. He said he had been able to manage his illness, which he has lived with since his teens, until a regular medical checkup in June revealed signs that it had returned. His health had deteriorated since the middle of last month, he added. Abe said he would start a new treatment that requires regular injections, but that there was no guarantee it would work. "I don't want to create a sudden vacancy because of my illness, which is why I decided to resign after I received the results of my latest tests this week. "The greatest challenge facing us now is our response to the coronavirus. There should be no disruption to that. " The 65-year-old was given a second chance as prime minister in late 2012 after newly available drugs helped him manage the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, a condition that helped bring his first stint as leader to a premature end in 2007.
They mock the idea that communities should "take back control" of their most precious resource, land. Fifty years ago, Britain had an admired global reputation for town and country planning. As in so many branches of our government, that reputation is collapsing. Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist This story was amended on 27 November because a missing word in the sentence about VAT tax relief completely changed its meaning
Such a warrant being served on a sitting U. S. senator would require approval from the highest ranks of the Justice Department and is a step that would not be taken lightly. Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman, declined to comment. A second law enforcement official said FBI agents served a warrant in recent days on Apple to obtain information from Burr's iCloud account and said agents used data obtained from the California-based company as part of the evidence used to obtain the warrant for the senator's phone. Burr sold a significant percentage of his stock portfolio in 33 different transactions on Feb. 13, just as his committee was receiving daily coronavirus briefings and a week before the stock market declined sharply. Much of the stock was invested in businesses that in subsequent weeks were hit hard by the plunging market. Burr and other senators received briefings from U. public health officials before the stock sales. A spokesperson for the FBI did not return phone messages seeking comment.
This week, Reuters reported that the Commerce Department has drafted a rule that would allow it to block U. exports to Huawei if U. components make up more than 10% of product value. Lawmakers from both parties are also taking action. Congress voted overwhelmingly last month to pressure China over Hong Kong, and they are pushing for measures to punish Beijing for its detention of an estimated one million ethnic Uighur Muslims in "re-education" camps. Then there are military tensions. Since the Pentagon officially labeled China a "strategic competitor" in 2018, the Trump administration has challenged China on multiple fronts. It increased patrols in the South China Sea and approved an $8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, the first such deal in almost 30 years. Just last week, the U. Army announced it would deploy a specialized task force to the Pacific capable of conducting information, electronic, cyber and missile operations against Beijing. Long March Xi's goal now is to sure up political support at home while also softening China's image abroad.
In a letter read out during Wednesday's trade deal signing at the White House, Chinese leader Xi Jinping asked U. S. President Donald Trump to take steps to "enhance mutual trust and cooperation between us. " That won't be easy: Apart from the trade agreement, the U. and China are butting heads on everything from technology to human rights to territorial disputes. Just this week, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told executives in Silicon Valley the U. is "facing a challenge from China that demands every fiber of your innovative skill and your innovative spirit. " A return to acrimony could have major consequences for China, and for Xi. In the short term, renewed tensions with the U. risk weakening an already fragile economic situation, while investment restrictions could hamper plans to secure technologies essential to driving growth. For Xi, a perceived failure to manage U. ties could also dent support for a third term in office at a key Communist Party meeting in 2022. "This is China's most important bilateral relationship by a country mile, and Xi Jinping has made it clear that he's in charge from the beginning, " said Trey McArver, co-founder of Beijing-based research firm Trivium China.
Other potential candidates include Fumio Kishida, a former foreign minister who despite his dovishness is said to be Abe's preferred successor, and Taro Kono, seen by some as eccentric but who has proven a dependable defence minister. Yoshihide Suga, the dour chief cabinet secretary, would be a safer option, bringing experience to the job in his role as Abe's longtime spokesman and confidante. Abe's resignation has almost certainly come too soon for the rising star Shinjiro Koizumi, the 39-year-old environment minister, whose political pedigree means his name is frequently linked with the office once occupied by his father, Junichiro.
They're allowing President Trump to place loyalists in important government positions. Stephen I. Vladeck Mr. Vladeck is a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. Aug. 19, 2020 Credit... Murray Brewster/Canadian Press, via Associated Press Saturday will mark the 500th straight day that there will be no Senate-confirmed secretary of Homeland Security — the longest vacancy in the 231-year history of the executive branch cabinet. What's more, unlike the rare, lengthy vacancies of previous administrations (usually a result of failed nominees), President Trump hasn't sent a single name to the Republican-controlled Senate since April 10, 2019. Instead, he has publicly insisted that he prefers the " flexibility " that comes from filling positions like secretary of Homeland Security with an "acting" officer. Last month, in a rare break from the White House, the Senate pushed back against the president's nominee to the senior policy position at the Pentagon, Anthony Tata, a retired Army one-star general turned Fox News commentator.