Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up two days of talks on Friday, with numerous economic deals but no big breakthrough on the territorial row that has overshadowed ties since World War Two. In total the two leaders signed 68 agreements, many focusing on energy development deals.The Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a $1 billion investment fund to promote economic cooperation between the two countries.
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Macedonian's nationalist VMRO-DPMNE led by ex-Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski has won 51 of 120 seats in parliament in Sunday's election. The opposition Social Democrats won 49 seats in a tightly fought affair. The State Election Commission said the conservative coalition led by Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE (photo) won 38.06 percent of the vote, slightly ahead of the left-leaning coalition, headed by opposition leader Zoran Zaev's Social Democrats, which took 36.69 percent.
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President Laurent Kabila’s second term is scheduled to end on the 20 th December, and is barred from serving again by the constitutions. However, no dates have been set for future elections, and no preparation for a poll has been take. The country is experiencing a rapid rise in violence, mostly between rebel groups and government soldiers. To try and find a solution, leaders and representatives from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) met in Libreville, Gabon. This follows a power sharing deal under a national dialogue, struck between President Kabila and a fringe opposition politician that seems to guarantee the current President’s tenure until at least late 2017.
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After the death of the 78 year old President Karimov, who presided over rife human rights abuses, including the slaughter of protestors by security forces in the city of Andijan in 2005, elections have been held to coronate the new president Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mr Mirziyoyez took home 88.6% of the vote, not far off the 90% victories Mr Karimov used to enjoy. There was no genuine opposition, and there is no free press. The incoming president, whilst a very direct heir of Mr Karimov, has made noises about reformed Uzbekistan’s economy, perhaps loosening currency controls to weaken the black market that permeates the country and enriches a few.
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The constitutional referendum to reform the composition and power for the Parliament of Italy was defeated, with the No camp collecting 59.1% of the votes cast. This is alongside a relatively high turnout of 65.5%. The Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi (of the centre-left Democratic Party) campaigned on a promise to resign if the country rejected his constitutional amendment. Italy’s largest ceremonial head of state, President Sergio Mattarella, told the prime minister to stay on until parliament had approved the 2017 budget. This could be achieved within the next week, after which, the president said, Renzi would be free to tender his resignation.
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The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, has unexpectedly resigned. The leader of the centre-right party has said that he does not see himself as a career politician and had ‘nothing left in the tank’. Having been prime minister of eight years, Mr Key is credited with helping boost New Zealand’s economy through tax cuts and free trade deals.
The candidate for the far right, Norbert hofer of the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPO), has lost a fierce battle to become president of Austria to the former leader of the Greens and now independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen. The first Presidential elections were held in April, with second round run off in May. The results of the second vote were annulled and a re-vote took place in early December.
Thailand's newly-proclaimed King Vajiralongkorn - his name means "adorned with jewels or thunderbolts" - was born on 28 July 1952, the first son and second child of Queen Sirikit and King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had succeeded to the throne unexpectedly six years previously. After decades of uncertainty over royal succession, the birth of a male heir was seen as vital for the monarchy, at a time when its primacy in Thailand's political hierarchy was uncertain. The absolute monarchy had been overthrown in 1932, followed by an abdication in 1935, and 11 years in which the country had no sitting king. Although a constitutional monarch, he will wield considerable power - for example, it is almost impossible for anyone in Thailand to reject the express wishes of the monarch.
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The opposition candidate Adama Barrow wins the 2016 presidential election, defeating the long-term incumbent Yahya Jammeh. This is the first peaceful and smooth transfer of political power since Gambia achieved independence from Britain in 1965. President Jammeh himself took power in a coup in 1994. Barrow won more than 45.5% of the vote, leading an alliance of seven opposition parties (the largest of its kind since independent). Jammeh took 36.7% of the vote, third-party candidate Mama Kandeh took 17.8%. There is further evidence of democratic success in these elections, with a turnout of around 65% of Gambia registered voters, out of a population of 1.9 million.
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In response to the fifth and largest nuclear test by North Korea to date, the UN Security Council has voted to further tighten sanctions. The motion was unanimously approved after months of diplomatic wrangling over how best to respond to the latest nuclear test in September and the regimes repeated defiance of international sanctions and diplomatic pressure. The new sanctions target North Korea’s hard currency reserves by placing a cap on coal exports, cutting them by at least 62%. The sanctions also ban the exports of non-ferrous metals and sanction a further 11 government officials, as well as 10 entities linked to the country’s nuclear weapons program.
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