Vietnam’s president resigns in latest twist of anti-graft campaign shaking its fast-growing economy

BANGKOK — Vietnam’s president resigned in the latest episode of the ruling Communist Party’s “blazing furnace” anti-corruption campaign, and Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan was named acting president. The appointment is Xuan’s second stint as acting president after she stepped in when Vo Van Thuong’s predecessor resigned in early 2023. The turmoil among top … Read more

France’s president pounds a punching bag on camera, and Europe notices

LONDON — The teeth clench. The brow furrows. The bicep bulges. In moody black and white, photos of French President Emmanuel Macron pounding a punching bag arched eyebrows across Europe on Thursday after his official photographer posted them to social media in what was widely received as the latest round in his drive to toughen … Read more

Uganda’s president appoints son as top commander of the army, raising succession concerns

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday appointed his son as top commander of the military, a controversial move in a country where many have long believed Museveni is grooming his eldest child for the presidency. Museveni’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has recently been holding rallies around the country, in violation of a … Read more

Reactions as Vladimir Putin secures a fifth term as Russia’s president after tightly controlled vote

Vladimir Putin secured an unprecedented fifth term as president of Russia Monday, as the election commission announced the results of a vote in which he faced no serious challenges and which happened amid the strictest crackdown on opposition and free speech since Soviet times. Putin claimed his overwhelming margin was proof that Russians had placed … Read more

Croatia’s top court rules that the president can’t run in the parliamentary election unless he quits

ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatian’s president can’t run for prime minister, take part in the upcoming parliamentary election or campaign in favor of an opposition party unless he resigns immediately from his current post, according to a ruling on Monday from the country’s top court. President Zoran Milanović on Friday called a parliamentary election for April … Read more

Former Vice President Mike Pence will not endorse Trump in 2024

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrives to speak at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas on Oct. 28, 2023. Steve Marcus | Reuters WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he would not endorse his former boss for president in the 2024 election. Pence revealed the decision … Read more

the president is doing fine.

We asked ChatGPT and Claude to judge President Joe Biden’s cognition based on talks with Robert Hur. Special counsel Hur interviewed Biden over his handling of classified documents. After analyzing Hur’s interview transcript, the AI chatbots said the US president sounded fine. President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities may be better than some say they are — … Read more

Poland’s president calls on NATO allies to raise spending on defense to 3% of GDP

WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s president on Monday called on other members of the NATO alliance to raise their spending on defense to 3% of their gross domestic product as Russia puts its economy on a war footing and pushes forward with its invasion of Ukraine. President Andrzej Duda made his call in remarks directed at … Read more

President Biden signs $460 billion spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 7, 2024.  Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $460 billion spending bill into law, averting a partial government shutdown that would … Read more

Pakistan Lawmakers Pick Asif Ali Zardari as President Again

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s lawmakers elected Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday as the country’s president for the second time. He is the widower of assassinated former premier Benazir Bhutto and the father of former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Zardari secured 411 votes from national and provincial lawmakers. His opponent, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is backed by … Read more