General Politics IV - Without a Home Elsewhere

She won:D

Takaichi elected Japan's premier, shattering glass ceiling with hard-right turn​

www.reuters.com

Takaichi elected Japan's premier, shattering glass ceiling with hard-right turn

Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan's first female prime minister on Tuesday, shattering the political glass ceiling and setting the country up for a decisive turn to the right.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
  • Summary
  • Takaichi becomes Japan's first female prime minister
  • Takaichi's election marks a shift to the right in Japan
  • Equity markets optimistic about Takaichi's economic policies
TOKYO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan's first female prime minister on Tuesday, shattering the political glass ceiling and setting the country up for a decisive turn to the right.

An acolyte of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and an admirer of Britain's Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is expected to return to Abe-style government stimulus as she attempts to jumpstart an economy saddled with slow growth and rising prices. While her victory marks a pivotal moment for a country where men still hold overwhelming sway, she named just two women to her cabinet, far fewer than what she had promised.

Takaichi is also likely to usher in a sharp move to the right on issues such as immigration and defence, making her the latest leader in tune with the broader rightward shift in global politics. She received 237 votes in the election in parliament's 465-seat lower house on Tuesday and then won a similar vote in the less powerful upper house.

Her victory was secured after her Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of its postwar history, agreed on Monday to form a coalition with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin.

Together the parties are two seats short of a majority in the lower house. That means Takaichi's success will depend on her winning the cooperation of more opposition lawmakers, said Tadashi Mori, a professor of politics at Aichi Gakuin University.

“The two parties do not command a majority in either chamber and to ensure a stable government and gain control of key parliamentary committees, they will need to secure more than half the seats,” he said.

PREVIOUS COALITION BROKE UP AFTER QUARTER CENTURY​

Takaichi takes over when Japanese politics appears more fractured than at almost any other time in recent memory, thanks in part to the rise of the smaller, hard-right Sanseito Party, which has siphoned voters away from the LDP.

"Since former Prime Minister Abe passed away, we’ve felt that both national politics and the LDP itself have drifted leftward," Sanseito head Sohei Komiya told broadcaster NHK, adding he hoped Takaichi would steer national politics back to the middle.

"While we won’t hesitate to oppose her when necessary, we intend to maintain a friendly working relationship,” he said.

The LDP's former coalition partner, the more moderate Komeito, broke up their 26-year-old alliance this month after the LDP chose the right-wing Takaichi as its new leader.

NO 'NORDIC' CABINET AFTER ALL​

Takaichi named just two women to her cabinet: fellow Abe disciple, Satsuki Katayama becomes the country's first female finance minister while Kimi Onoda becomes economic security minister.

In her leadership campaign she promised to boost the number of women in the cabinet to match socially progressive Nordic countries. The percentage of female ministers in Nordic governments ranges from Denmark's 36% to Finland's 61%. Under Takaichi, women will make up 16% of Japan's cabinet, including her.

"Only two female ministers, no surprise," said Yoko Otsuka a professor of welfare policy and gender studies at Ritsumeikan University. "A female prime minister might slightly improve Japan’s Global Gender Gap Index ranking, but the reality barely changes."

TAKAICHI TRADE MOVES STOCKS HIGHER​

Takaichi's endorsement of Abe-style fiscal stimulus has prompted a so-called "Takaichi trade" in the stock market, sending the Nikkei share average to record highs, the most recent on Tuesday. But it has also caused investor unease about the government's ability to pay for more spending in a country where the debt load far outweighs annual output. Both the yen and bond prices have weakened as a result.
Any attempt to revive Abenomics could also run into trouble because the policy was devised to fight deflation, not higher prices, said Aichi Gakuin's Mori.

Some analysts say Ishin, which has advocated for budget cuts, could restrain some of Takaichi's spending ambitions.

Takaichi has said defence and national security would be core pillars of any administration she led. She pledged to raise defence spending, deepen cooperation with the United  States and other security partners. U.S. President Donald Trump may visit as early as her first week in office.

A frequent visitor to the Yasukuni war shrine in Tokyo that some Asian neighbours view as a symbol of wartime aggression, Takaichi has also called for a revision of Japan’s postwar pacifist constitution to recognise the existence of the nation’s military forces.

Rising political star Shinjiro Koizumi will serve as defence minister while veteran lawmaker Toshimitsu Motegi will be foreign minister.

Takaichi will be sworn in as Japan's 104th prime minister on Tuesday evening to succeed the incumbent Shigeru Ishiba, who last month announced his resignation to take responsibility for election losses.
Click to expand...
 
Belgian politics - if you can make it here you can make it anywhere :D
Former Belgian PM Alexander De Croo snags big UN job
Click to expand...
https://www.politico.eu/article/for...der-de-croo-to-lead-un-development-programme/]]
According to reports, De Croo’s nomination followed weeks of deliberations after the selection panel failed to reach a consensus, prompting Guterres to make the final call. The U.N. General Assembly is expected to confirm the appointment in the coming days, a step widely seen as a formality.
Click to expand...
 
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Say goodbye to rent control, indefinite leases if Ontario passes new housing bill: advocates​

Province says consultations underway as it aims to 'protect tenants while supporting landlords'​

Ontario's planned new housing legislation could open the door to ending rent control and indefinite leases across the province, advocates warn after a recent proposal by Premier Doug Ford's government.

The Ford government introduced a new housing bill on Thursday that it says would streamline approvals and let developers build homes more quickly.

But buried in the legislation is a proposal for "alternative options to lease expiry rules that could allow landlords to control who occupies their units and for how long," including through adjustments to rental arrangements based on “market conditions, personal needs or business strategies,” according to the province’s briefing slides Thursday.

Housing advocates say if passed, the legislation will hurt long-term renters and vulnerable tenants, like seniors and students, across Ontario.

“Everybody’s panicking. This is not the solution for affordable housing," said Stacey Semple, a volunteer organizer with Acorn, a non-profit organization that advocates for various social justice issues, including affordable housing.

"He is taking rights away from tenants," she said, referring to Ford. "The landlords are getting free passes to evict long-term tenants, especially because they want to collect more rent because it’s more economically viable.”

'Security of tenure' at risk: advocates​

Currently, tenants are protected by what's called "security of tenure," which gives them the right to remain in a rental unit as long as they follow the lease agreement and residential tenancies act.

It also allows them to continue on a month-to-month rental basis after a fixed-term lease ends. Landlords are unable to evict tenants without a legally valid reason.

But if the legislation passes, Semple says Toronto and other areas large populations of renters will be hit especially hard. According to 2021 census data by Statistics Canada, 48 per cent of Toronto’s population are renters.

She says without affordable housing options, more people could be evicted from their rent-controlled homes and may end up homeless.

“[Ford] is actually going to create more encampments … I am not necessarily surprised Ford is all about the profit and the bottom line.”

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the province said it is undergoing consultations on options to lease expiry rules, but that it will continue “to protect tenants while supporting landlords, including mom and pops who rely on rental income to help pay their mortgage.”

“Tenants will continue to have strong protections across the province, including from significant rent hikes, holding 2025 rent increase guideline holding below the inflation rate at 2.5 per cent,” said the statement.

Proposal 'attacks every single' tenant: renter​

When he first came across the proposal, long-term renter Leigh Beadon went on social media to share what he called a "shocking" discovery. His post on X has over 100,000 views, with several other concerned renters chiming in, he said.

“[This] directly attacks every single one of the tenants in Ontario and I think people who haven't paid a lot of attention to the ins and outs and the details of tenant rights in the past immediately understood that this was going to directly impact them,” he said.

Beadon said it’s "unimaginable” to consider that this proposal could force him out of the apartment and community that he’s called home for nearly 20 years.

Renters in long-term tenancies often pay far below the market price, he said, considering many live in older rent-controlled buildings.

Without rent control, tenants will be forced to pay a lot more or move out to “less desirable neighbourhoods” farther from the city, said Beadon.

“People who are on fixed incomes, such as seniors or people on disability benefits, many of whom [have said] security of tenure is the only thing keeping them in their homes,” he said.

“It's the only way that they're able to know that they've got a place to sleep tomorrow night and we know that homelessness is out of control in Ontario.”

Renters get 1-year guarantee, spa gets 99 years: critic​

At an unrelated news conference Friday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said landlords could gain “enormous” powers with the proposal.

“There's considerations, consultations, but there has to be fairness involved,” she said.

Adil Shamji, housing critic for the Ontario Liberal Party called Ford’s latest legislation “a mean-spirited bill that ignores the injustices” tenants face and could lead to bad-faith evictions.

“Security of tenure allows tenants in good standing to remain in their home until they wish to move on,” said Shamji in an emailed statement.

“Only in Doug Ford’s Ontario can hard-working renters in good standing be able to count on just a one-year lease, while a foreign spa company at Ontario Place gets a guarantee for 99.”

Catherine McKenney, Ontario NDP’s shadow housing minister, said families across Ontario could face mass evictions if rent controls are removed.

“Housing has never been more expensive in Ontario; 800,000 people can’t find work, and now Ford is making things even worse. Is the Premier’s only goal making life as expensive as possible for Ontarians?” McKenney said, adding the province is last in the country when it comes to building homes.

“The answer is building more homes, not trampling the rights of renters. Ford has a responsibility to keep Ontarians from falling through the cracks. We need real rent control now.”

For Beadon, the proposed legislation shows tenants must advocate for themselves.

In recent years, tenants have “scored some big wins” by organizing rent strikes and protests – something renters need to consider if the Ford government moves forward with its proposal, he said.

“That's one of the few things that gives Ontario tenants hope right now,” Beadon said. “That is where we should all be focusing our efforts together as the tenant class and let the government know that we're not going to let them do this.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/proposal-rent-control-removal-ontario-9.6952992
 
Kerala to become first Indian state to eliminate extreme poverty this weekend

KERALA will announce the elimination of extreme poverty tomorrow — the first Indian state to achieve it.

The announcement is timed for Kerala Piravi (Kerala Day), as the southern state enters the 70th year since its foundation on November 1 1956.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government committed to eliminate extreme poverty by this date shortly after re-election in 2021, and immediately launched a state-wide investigation to identify people in the category — defined as severe deprivation in four core areas: nutritious food, safe housing, basic income, and health status.

Kerala has long had by far the lowest poverty rate in India — 0.55 per cent of the population compared to 16.22 per cent nationally or 33.76 per cent in the state with the highest poverty level, Bihar — but CPI-M journal People’s Democracy commented: “For the LDF government no person is negligible; not a single individual is to be disregarded or left behind.”

The survey identified just over 100,000 people as living in extreme poverty amid Kerala’s population of 36 million, before implementing a poverty elimination campaign involving community mobilisation, the despatch of hundreds of volunteers to poor areas (as practised in China’s absolute poverty elimination programme), and provision of ration cards and health insurance to thousands of families.

Direct food distribution was also rolled out, distributed through the all-women Kudumbashree network, a Kerala-founded programme focused on poverty elimination and women’s empowerment that has spread to other states.

Kerala’s Local Self-Government department then developed “micro-plans” in consultation with every affected family to bring them out of extreme poverty by this November, with measures including allocation of extra land, study scholarships, home renovations or new builds and employment schemes.

“The Left Democratic Front — which is enjoying its second term in succession and aiming for a hat-trick early in 2026 — has facilitated this remarkable shift,” Kerala State Planning Board member K Ravi Raman wrote in The Indian Express.

“It is powerful and irrefutable proof that communist ideology is not mere fantasy but an organising principle that has the power to transform the present, opening up the future to fresh possibilities.”
 

MP Chris d'Entremont says he joined Liberals because of Poilievre's leadership style​

Floor-crossing MP says he wasn't aligned with Conservative leader, felt he was too negative​

Nova Scotia MP Chris d'Entremont said Wednesday he left the Conservative caucus because he didn't feel represented in leader Pierre Poilievre's party anymore and bristled at his "negative" approach to politics.

D'Entremont said there are other Conservative MPs who "are in the same boat" and they may join him in crossing over to Liberals.

"In the last number of months, I wasn't feeling I was aligned with the ideals of what the leader of the Opposition had been talking about," d'Entremont told reporters of Poilievre after appearing with Prime Minister Mark Carney at a post-budget news conference, the day after he crossed the floor.

Asked what pushed him out, d'Entremont said: "It's just looking at leadership styles and whether we're doing the right thing for Canada."

D'Entremont said Canada is facing challenges and he felt it was better to be part of the solution to some of those troubles as a member of the government caucus "and not continue to be negative."

"It's time to lead a country to try and make it better and not try to knock it down," he said. "We have a great opportunity here in Canada and rather than knocking people down, we should try to find ways to work together, and that's what I've always tried to do in my career."

A self-described Red Tory, d'Entremont said he was also swayed by Carney's first budget, which includes more money for infrastructure, the fishery, farming and the military. Those are crucial industries in his rural Nova Scotia riding, which also includes a Canadian Armed Forces base that stands to gain from the government's defence spending hike.

D'Entremont said the Liberals promised him nothing in return for crossing the floor.

In an interview with CBC's Power & Politics on Tuesday, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman alleged d'Entremont left over a past disagreement over who should serve as deputy Speaker of the House of Commons — a position d'Entremont held in the last Parliament but one that's now occupied by Conservative MP Tom Kmiec.

d'Entremont acknowledged discussions over who should serve in that role were an "awkward time" for him, but he did "move on" and that's not what brought him to this decision.

He said he just felt Carney was a better leader for the moment.

Carney said he admires d'Entremont for making the decision to leave.

"This is a time where we need to act boldly," Carney said, adding he and d'Entremont have "alignment" on what's best for the country as it faces economic threats amid U.S. tariffs.

"This is the time for us to come together as much as possible in the interest of our country," Carney said.

Asked if he has had conversations with other MPs about joining the Liberals, Carney said: "We'll speak to anyone publicly or otherwise who can support us."

"I'll speak to members, deputies throughout the House."

Later on Wednesday, Liberals warmly embraced d'Entremont as he entered the party's caucus meeting alongside Carney.

The MPs assembled gave the Nova Scotian an enthusiastic standing ovation, cheered "Chris!" Chris! Chris!" and some of them hugged him as he entered that space for the first time as a Liberal.

Carney and d'Entremont were smiling broadly as they both shook hands with a caucus that seemed jubilant about adding another member, which brings the party to just two seats away from a majority in the House of Commons.

Liberal MP James Maloney, the party's caucus chair, said d'Entremont is an "outstanding MP, he's a great guy."

"This isn't about politics, it's about people. The decision he made is a difficult one and people need to support him."

Maloney said he's had conversations with other MPs — but he's "not actively recruiting" other floor-crossers.

Conservative MP Aaron Gunn, meanwhile, said d'Entremont's decision to leave was "shameful."

"I could never imagine doing something like that — to misrepresent yourself to voters, to lie to your volunteers. It's only been six months since the election, the leaders are the same, the policies haven't changed. He campaigned against budgets that look just like this," Gunn said.

MP Ted Falk said he was "very disappointed" in his former caucus mate for making the leap to the other side. "It's a betrayal of the team."

MP Michael Chong, another Conservative, said voters delivered a minority government at the last election and now Carney is trying to "manipulate that result and get a majority that Canadians did not elect."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/chris-dentremont-liberals-poilievre-9.6967559
 

5 more Alberta UCP legislature members facing recall, bringing total to 14​

Almost a third of the 47 United Conservative MLAs now face petitions​

Elections Alberta says it has approved recall petitions against five more members of Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party caucus, bringing the total to 14.

The new number means that almost a third of the 47 United Conservative members in the legislature are under recall.

The latest ones include cabinet ministers Searle Turton and Nathan Neudorf.

Also facing recall are backbenchers Jason Stephan, Jackie Lovely and Glenn van Dijken.

Under Alberta's Recall Act, any citizen in a riding can ask to begin collecting signatures to try to get their legislature member recalled if they feel the member is failing at their duties.

Many of those starting petitions against the first nine legislature members said their MLA was not representing the riding well and should not have used the Charter's notwithstanding clause to end a recent provincewide teachers strike.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/14-ucp-mlas-recalls-9.6991887
 
1764898952643.png

For context there's nine parliaments in Australia, seven of which have standalone Liberal parties and six where that Liberal party is in opposition. This is now 4 of those 6 ousting their party leaders in a month, seemingly independently of each other.
 

Canadian senator presses Ottawa on only land disputed between the US and Canada​

An uninhabited island at the centre of a century-old Canada–US territorial dispute is back in the spotlight after a Canadian senator urged Ottawa to assert sovereignty over the piece of land.

Senator Jim Quinn from New Brunswick has taken issue with an American boat tour group that describes Machias Seal Island on its website as being "on the Maine Coast".

He has called on Ottawa to review its permitting of the tour group to visit the island - home to thousands of puffins - as well as the mention of the group on a government website.

Machias Seal Island is a tiny, rugged island located in a disputed "Grey Zone" between the US state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

The tear-drop shaped island is a migratory bird sanctuary and is described as "one of the most important seabird nesting colonies" by the Canadian government. It is also home to one of the most southerly colonies of the Atlantic puffin.

It has no permanent inhabitants, save for a rotating crew of Canadian Coast Guards who man a single lighthouse built there in1832 by Canada.

The Canadian government lists two tour groups that are permitted to visit the island — Canadian company SeaWatch Tours, and the US-based Bold Coast Charter Company.

On its website, Bold Coast states that it operates tours to "Machias Seal Island - Largest Puffin Colony on the Maine Coast". It adds that its operations are authorised by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

It also acknowledges that ownership of the island has been long under dispute, with both the United States and Canada claiming sovereignty.

In Senate order papers to be discussed on Tuesday, Senator Quinn asked Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which he says is the administrator of the land, why it issues a permit to an American company "that actively describes Machias Seal Island as part of the state of Maine".

He also asked why the company is listed on the government website "given Canada's sovereignty over the New Brunswick Island".

The US considers Machias Seal Island its territory.

The BBC has contacted both the Canadian government and Bold Coast Charter Company for comment.

The island is the only land disputed by Canada and the US, though an international court ruling in 1984 gave both countries the right to fish in its waterway. Both Americans and Canadians have operated on and around the island since, though the US has long accused Canada of unfair trade action in the local lobster fishery.

President Donald Trump's decision to implement tariffs, including on Canada, to help boost investment and manufacturing in the US, and past comments about Canada as the "51st state" has caused wider friction between the two countries.

It is because of these comments that Senator Quinn believes Canada should assert its sovereignty over Machias Seal Island and ask that Bold Coast recognise it.

"That's unacceptable in this day and age, especially with where we are with our neighbours to the south," he told local news outlet Global.

"We're being pushed in so many ways, and yet here's a porous point in our border that nobody's paying attention to," Senator Quinn said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8e2kxp3m7o
 
Until someone starts a 2026 election thread, I guess this will go here.

Exclusive

Anti-Trump former Republicans have a multimillion-dollar plan to save House Democrats​

The anti-Trump Save America Movement is making its first play in electoral politics.

no paywall

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www.politico.com
 
This is a very interesting article from the NYT about the CIA and the cold war of the 1960s. Paywalled, but worth finding a workaround.

How Did the C.I.A. Lose a Nuclear Device?​

A plutonium-packed generator disappeared on one of the world’s highest mountains in a hush-hush mission the U.S. still won’t talk about.

www.nytimes.com

How Did the C.I.A. Lose a Nuclear Device?

A plutonium-packed generator disappeared on one of the world’s highest mountains in a covert mission that the U.S. will not talk about.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
The 1st gun massacre in 30 years has struck Australia. :eek:
(USA seems to have them weekly like Brown University a few days ago)

A father and son duo opened fire on Jews celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach in Sydney.

www.nbcnews.com

Bondi Beach shooting: Islamic State flags found in suspect’s car after shooting that killed 15

At least 15 people are dead after a mass shooting at Australia’s famous Bondi Beach on Sunday. Follow live updates.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com

Naveed Akram, 24, who is hospitalized, and Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed during the incident, were identified by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Click to expand...

A hero named Ahmed al Ahmed tackled one of the shooters and wrestled away a gun.
He is recovering in the hospital from getting shot.

The guns were owned legally by the father.
The Prime Minister has vowed to look over current gun laws to tighten them up if needed.
 
www.nzherald.co.nz

'They froze': Slow police response questioned

'It’s beyond my understanding as to why it took so long to handle' - witness.
www.nzherald.co.nz www.nzherald.co.nz

^ reporting that police already at the scene for the event were slow to act

I guess it's either good but also a little disheartening that it took some rando to eventually (after 20 minutes of firing) sneak up on one shooter from behind and grab the gun. We can use more men like Ahmed.

Kaitzilla said:
The Prime Minister has vowed to look over current gun laws to tighten them up if needed.
Click to expand...
what further tightening is there to do? Other than basically shut down gun clubs entirely because their members are pretty much the only civilians allowed to have them...

Obviously that other mass shooting in 1996(?) which led to gun restrictions did nothing to prevent this.
 
Klaus Hergersheimer said:
Obviously that other mass shooting in 1996(?) which led to gun restrictions did nothing to prevent this.
Click to expand...
I don't really care about gun control all that much like I did when I was a liberal as a teen, but this is rather poor logic. A quick image search brings up plenty of graphs showing a decline in gun deaths in Australia after the 96 law.
 
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