Oecd e leaders meeting

In his first trip to Asia since taking office, President Joe Biden laid out conditions for meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. "With regard to whether I would meet with the leader of North Korea, that would depend on whether he was sincere and whether he was serious," Biden told reporters on Saturday as he appeared alongside South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at a press event. MORE: Biden embarks for Asia with a heavy focus on China and North Korea Biden campaigned on taking a tougher stance on the North Korean leader than his predecessor. Former President Donald Trump frequently praised Kim, once saying he had a "great and beautiful" vision for his country. Trump and Kim held three high-profile meetings during his presidency. Biden said last year he'd only meet with Kim so long as he committed to a discussion about dismantling North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Yoon, South Korea's newly elected president, reaffirmed Saturday that their shared goal is the … [Read more...] about Biden says meeting with Kim Jong Un would depend on North Korean leader’s seriousness

Newsnight: PM grappling with major Sue Gray report issue Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Labour's deputy leader called on the Prime Minister to "urgently explain" why the meeting had taken place. She said public confidence in the process had already been depleted and people deserve to know "the truth". Related articles Ambulances rush to store as 'people collapsing' Cost of living crisis leaves hard up British pensioners facing DEATH Ms Rayner said: "Boris Johnson must urgently explain why he held a secret meeting with Sue Gray to discuss her report despite claiming her investigation was completely independent. "Public … [Read more...] about Angela Rayner orders Boris Johnson to ‘urgently explain secret meeting’ with Sue Gray

Lord Plumb, who has died aged 97, was a plain-speaking Warwickshire farmer who became president of the National Farmers’ Union, Conservative leader in the European Parliament and, from 1987 to 1989, president of the Strasbourg assembly. Shrewd and personable, Henry Plumb showed great political skill channelling farmers’ anger over price reviews from Conservative and Labour governments alike, and trying to make a positive contribution to Europe despite noises off from Margaret Thatcher . During his nine-year presidency of the NFU, he developed the knack of calming hostile farmers by straightening their ties when they got too angry and too close – an option not available with the Prime Minister. Their relationship came under strain when she blocked his invitation to the Queen to visit Strasbourg; by 1989, when Plumb stated that political and monetary union were “inevitable”, she reckoned he had “gone native”. At Strasbourg, the concern was that Plumb – who had previously … [Read more...] about Lord Plumb, president of the National Farmers’ Union through the 1970s who later led the European Parliament – obituary

Boris Johnson on Wednesday opened the door to increased immigration from India to the UK in exchange for a trade deal, as he prepared to meet Narendra Modi , the country's prime minister. Speaking from his plane, the Prime Minister said he hoped to strike a trade deal "by the end of the year" and that he had "always been in favour of having people come to this country". He suggested more relaxed rules for Indian immigrants could be offered by the Government in exchange for a speedy deal that allows the two countries to trade without tariffs. "We have a massive shortage in the UK, not least in experts in IT and programmers," Mr Johnson said. "We're short to the tune of hundreds of thousands in our economy. "We need to have a professional approach but it has to be controlled." His comments come after ministers announced they would loosen visa restrictions for Indian students earlier this year. Easier immigration is a key demand of Mr Modi in trade negotiations, and could … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson opens door to increased immigration from India in exchange for trade deal

Ukraine's bid to join the European Union has left the bloc struggling to square its support for Ukraine with the concerns of western member states, many of which are skeptical of enlargement and wary of setting a precedent of "fast-track" membership. Member states appear largely open to eventual Ukrainian membership, but division between east and west has arisen as to exactly how and when this might happen. The road to Brussels is long and, at times, painful for aspirants. The journey can typically take around a decade, involving labyrinthine negotiations and structural national reforms. The shortest process was for Austria, Finland, and Sweden—all took nearly five years to meet the criteria. Negotiations to expand into eastern Europe took more than 10 years. The existential threat from Russia prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his top officials to call for an accelerated process, an appeal which appears to have fallen flat. The EU has acted with … [Read more...] about Ukraine’s EU application is splitting Europe in two

VLADIMIR Putin had cancer in the past but "licked it" his pal film director Oliver Stone has claimed. The Oscar-winning filmmaker's claim comes amid rumours the Russian President has been ill for the past five years and is constantly surrounded by a team of doctors. Stone was granted unprecedented access to the Kremlin leader over a two year period, for two in-depth interviews between 2015 and 2017. Speaking in a new podcast Stone said that the Russian President had suffered from cancer and that he believed he had overcome it. “Remember this, Mr Putin has had this cancer and I think he’s licked it,” he told podcast interviewer Lex Fridman. “But he’s also been isolated because of Covid.” READ MORE ON PUTIN 'PARANOID PUTIN' Inside the 'madness and paranoia' of Vladimir Putin's 'isolated bunker' SICKLY VLAD Putin has been ill for FIVE years & ex-MI6 spy says he's losing grip on power Concerns about Putin's … [Read more...] about Putin HAS had cancer but ‘licked it’, film director pal Oliver Stone reveals amid claims tyrant has been ill for 5 years

Lush green meadows have replaced the familiar white blanket of snow as the Davos cohort makes a comeback to the scenic Swiss Alpine town after a hiatus of more than two years. The annual gathering of the rich and powerful that was forced into the virtual world by the COVID-19 pandemic returns in its physical form at a time when a devasting war in Ukraine and coronavirus outbreaks in China are stoking recession fears amid soaring prices, fueling steep increases in global hunger and poverty. "The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos this year will be the most timely and consequential annual meeting since the creation of the forum over 50 years ago,'' WEF founder Klaus Schwab told reporters ahead of the meeting. "The return of war, epidemics and the climate crisis, all those disruptive forces have derailed the global recovery," Schwab said. "Those issues must be confronted in Davos; the global food crisis, in particular, needs our immediate attention." More than … [Read more...] about Russia-Ukraine war takes center stage at Davos World Economic Forum

Turkey on Wednesday vetoed a Nato decision on whether to accept Finland and Sweden into the military alliance in the first official vote on membership. At a “classified” meeting of Nato ambassadors in Brussels, the Turkish representative stopped a vote on their applications , which had been officially submitted earlier in the day, according to sources with knowledge of the discussion. The meeting was called in the hope of agreeing an accelerated accession process in order to head off Russian threats of aggression aimed at the Nordic nations. But the delay has thrown into doubt whether Nato will be able to approve the first stage of Finland and Sweden’s applications before a meeting of its leaders in Madrid on June 28. A source told The Telegraph that Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato secretary general, has taken wider talks “offline” and will instead focus on smaller meetings in order to overcome Ankara’s opposition. The Turkish veto came hours after Mr Stoltenberg … [Read more...] about Turkey blocks Sweden and Finland’s bids to join Nato

Kate Middleton releases photographs to mark 40th birthday Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top royal stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The Duchess of Cambridge celebrated her 40th birthday last Sunday, January 9 as a small family affair at her and her husband Prince William’s Anmer Hall estate with family and friends. Royal expert, Christopher Anderson, said: “They did a video call. They wished her a happy birthday. [It was] very private. Harry and Meghan were not about to post anything the way they did two years ago.” The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had previously displayed "their affection" for Kate, but the dynamic of the Royal Family has changed, the "Brothers and Wives: inside the Private Lives of … [Read more...] about Meghan and Harry enjoy ‘very private’ moment with Kate on 40th birthday

Nadhim Zahawi grilled on cost of living by Trevor Phillips Get pensions news and advice plus latest money alerts for FREE now SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Hundreds of demonstrations have been organised by the People’s Assembly Against Austerity, with thousands taking to the streets to vent their fury at the Government’s failure to support workers and their families. The demonstrators brandished placards emblazoned with slogans such as "stop the rot", "Tories out" and "tax the rich". The sharp rise in energy prices and cuts in wages and pensions, compounded by the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has left households across the UK unsure whether they will be able to make ends meet. Related articles … [Read more...] about ‘Boris OUT’ Furious lefties storm streets of London and demand: ‘Tax rich stop the rot!’