What The World is FollowingIsraeli officials say Netanyahu has dissolved the War Cabinet Credit: Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP/File Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the influential War Cabinet tasked with steering the war in Gaza, Israeli officials said Monday, a move that comes days after a key member of the body bolted the government over frustrations surrounding the Israeli leader's handling of the war. The move was widely expected following the departure of Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief, earlier this month. Gantz's absence from the government makes Netanyahu more dependent on his ultranationalist allies to govern and the dissolution of the War Cabinet underlines that shift as the eight-monthlong war in Gaza drags on. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the change with the media, said that going forward, Netanyahu would hold smaller forums with some of his government members for sensitive issues surrounding the war. That includes his security Cabinet, where far-right governing partners who oppose ceasefire deals and have voiced support for reoccupying Gaza, are members. Germany
Germany's biggest industrial union said Monday it will seek a 7% pay increase for millions of workers in negotiations starting later this year, arguing that companies such as automakers and machinery manufacturers can afford it. The IG Metall union's leadership said it was recommending a hefty raise demand for 3.9 million workers in view of “a persistently high price level.” It said that companies have well-filled order books and that, even though prices are no longer accelerating as quickly as they were, one-time payments agreed in the last settlement have been eaten up by inflation. In the last round of pay talks, IG Metall and employers agreed in late 2022 to raises totaling 8.5% over two years plus one-time payments totaling about $3,200 each, meant to cushion the effect of sky-high inflation. The government, which wanted to address the impact of rising prices while preventing an inflationary spiral, was keen to promote such tax-free payments. IG Metall called for a 7% raise and a one-year deal this time. Russia-North Korea
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea for a two-day visit starting Tuesday, both countries announced, amid international concerns about their military cooperation. Putin is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for talks as they deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. It will be Putin's first trip to North Korea in 24 years. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Putin will pay a state visit on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kim's invitation. North Korean state media didn’t immediately provide details. Russia confirmed the visit in a simultaneous announcement. There are growing concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Putin’s war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program. |
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Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.