Outta left field
The US, Russia, China, Ukraine, the EU, Switzerland, and Cameroon.
Hello,
Here are the five things you need to know today:
UNITED STATES. The Democrats sweep four key elections.
RUSSIA. CHINA. Ties deepen amid sanctions and threats.
UKRAINE. EUROPE. Kyiv looks unlikely to join the EU before 2030.
SWITZERLAND. A US deal may come too late to stop a drift to Europe.
CAMEROON. The world’s oldest leader faces an uncertain inauguration.
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UNITED STATES. Party crashers
The Democrats sweep four key elections.
Abigail Spanberger flipped Virginia’s gubernatorial race as Mikie Sherrill was elected New Jersey’s governor and Zohran Mamdani New York’s mayor. A Democrat-backed redistricting proposition passed in California. Voters blamed Trump.
INTELLIGENCE. While Mamdani is a socialist, Spanberger and Sherrill are moderates. National polls show that while Donald Trump’s approval rating is falling, and voters are keen to send him a message, a Democrat victory at next year’s midterms isn’t assured. The party will need to work on a brand beyond anti-Trumpism. Beyond progressive capitals, its wide ideological spectrum remains a turnoff to many independents, who might otherwise stay home.
FOR BUSINESS. Turnout was high but it’s too early to draw trends. Trump made some last-minute own goals, including calling Mamdani a “Jew Hater” and saying he would refuse to issue food stamps, before officials walked this back. An air crash in Kentucky, attributed by some to the shutdown’s effect on transport safety, didn’t help either. As stocks fell, including on fears that the AI boom had peaked, it was a bad day for Republicans. Dick Cheney died.
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RUSSIA. CHINA. Dealer’s choice
Ties deepen amid sanctions and threats.
Xi Jinping described deepening ties with Moscow as a “strategic choice” Tuesday as Russia’s prime minister visited Beijing. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said 99.1% of bilateral settlements this year had been made in rubles and yuan.
INTELLIGENCE. A week after Trump’s meeting with Xi, where they allegedly agreed to