November 28, Thursday, 2024

1. Japan’s Diet convened for an extraordinary session on Thursday. Key issues for debate are political funds reform and a draft supplementary budget for a new economic stimulus package. The session will be the first full-fledged debate since the governing coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito lost their majority in last month’s Lower House election. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru told reporters that taking into account the Lower House election results, he will manage Diet proceedings by listening more carefully than before to the opinions of other parties.
2. US President-elect Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have both stressed on social media that they had a positive conversation on pending issues, including immigration. 3. European leaders have announced their plans to ramp up support for Ukraine ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump taking power in Washington. The two-day Nordic-Baltic Summit began in Sweden on Wednesday. Heads of government from countries that border Russia, including Finland, Latvia and Estonia, are taking part. They said in a joint statement that their “transatlantic bond is indispensable” and that they will supply more ammunition for Ukraine.