May 23, Monday, 2022 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1.The leaders of Japan and the US have committed to boosting regional defense. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio met with President Joe Biden amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Kishida said, “I announce my resolve to secure a larger defense budget, and President Biden strongly supported this. We also agreed to expand and deepen our Japan-US cooperation to ensure security.”
2.Tuesday’s Quad meeting will be a major test for Australia’s new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who is attending the summit less than a week after taking office.
Speaking in his first news conference as prime minister, he said his government would stand up for Australian values and he singled out China.
3.Russian commanders have found victories in Ukraine have not come easy. On Monday, they marked three months since they invaded. They’ve killed thousands of civilians. But military success has eluded them. The Russians have launched a series of assaults on Sievierdonetsk, one of the last cities in the region under Ukrainian control. But, once again, they’re facing determined resistance.