Latest news with #WWIIVictoryDay
LeMonde
19-07-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
A day off or not? Making sense of France's public holidays
"The entire nation needs to work more, to produce more, so that the country's activity as a whole is greater over the year," said French Prime Minister François Bayrou on Tuesday, July 15, as he presented his 2026 budget. To increase the number of working days for the population, he notably proposed eliminating two public holidays, Easter Monday and May 8 – WWII Victory Day – while stating he was "open to other suggestions." How much would eliminating one or more public holidays benefit the government? Which workers get these days off? Have public holidays ever been eliminated before? Does France really have as many public holidays as the prime minister suggests? Does France have more public holidays than its neighbors? This widespread belief is actually a misconception: France does not have more public holidays than its neighbors. France has a total of 11 public holidays, which is slightly fewer than the European average of 11.8. There is also a special public holiday that commemorates the abolition of slavery in France's overseas departments and territories: April 27 in Mayotte; May 22 in Martinique; May 27 in Guadeloupe; June 10 in French Guiana; and December 20 in La Réunion. Additionally, employees in the departments of Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin, and Moselle receive two extra days off: December 26 and Good Friday, which falls two days before Easter Sunday.
Kyodo News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Xi seeks Middle East cease-fire in phone call with Putin
KYODO NEWS - 3 hours ago - 22:08 | World, All Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a cease-fire amid Iran-Israel tensions during phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, describing it as an "urgent priority," the Foreign Ministry said. Xi said the international community should make efforts to de-escalate the situation and that disputes should be resolved through negotiations rather than force, stressing the need to protect civilians, according to the Chinese ministry. In an apparent reference to the United States, Xi said "major powers that have a special influence on the parties involved in the conflict" should strive to cool down the situation, rather than the opposite, the ministry said. Putin expressed Moscow's readiness to mediate a possible settlement of the conflict, according to Russia's Tass news agency. Israel said last week that it had begun striking nuclear facilities and military targets in Iran, claiming that its regional archrival is nearing the acquisition of a nuclear weapon. The strike triggered retaliatory attacks from Tehran. Tensions in the region have been further fueled by speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump may join Israel in striking Iran. Xi specifically urged Israel to agree to a cease-fire as soon as possible to prevent further escalation, the Chinese ministry said. Related coverage: China, Russia leaders' statement avoided wording that could irk Japan Xi to visit Russia from May 7 to attend WWII Victory Day ceremony Putin agrees to halt Ukraine energy site strikes but no cease-fire
Kyodo News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Xi seeks Middle East cease-fire in phone call with Putin
KYODO NEWS - 7 minutes ago - 22:08 | World, All Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a cease-fire amid Iran-Israel tensions during phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, describing it as an "urgent priority," the Foreign Ministry said. Xi said the international community should make efforts to de-escalate the situation and that disputes should be resolved through negotiations rather than force, stressing the need to protect civilians, according to the Chinese ministry. In an apparent reference to the United States, Xi said "major powers that have a special influence on the parties involved in the conflict" should strive to cool down the situation, rather than the opposite, the ministry said. Putin expressed Moscow's readiness to mediate a possible settlement of the conflict, according to Russia's Tass news agency. Israel said last week that it had begun striking nuclear facilities and military targets in Iran, claiming that its regional archrival is nearing the acquisition of a nuclear weapon. The strike triggered retaliatory attacks from Tehran. Tensions in the region have been further fueled by speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump may join Israel in striking Iran. Xi specifically urged Israel to agree to a cease-fire as soon as possible to prevent further escalation, the Chinese ministry said. Related coverage: China, Russia leaders' statement avoided wording that could irk Japan Xi to visit Russia from May 7 to attend WWII Victory Day ceremony Putin agrees to halt Ukraine energy site strikes but no cease-fire
France 24
04-06-2025
- General
- France 24
Ukraine claims to have attacked the Kerch bridge linking Russia with Crimea
00:40 19/05/2025 UNSC uncovered Russia's global 'disinformation campaigns' and cyber attacks on foreign governments Europe 02/05/2025 Wagner: Russian Goldmining in CAR bypasses international sanctions and funds mercenary expansion Europe 01/05/2025 Vladyslav Greziev warns 'never trust Russians': 'They don't want peace deals, nor an end to the war' Europe 05/04/2025 Russian strike on Zelensky's home city kills 19 people, including 9 children RUSSIA 01/04/2025 Russia accuses Ukraine of firing on energy sites RUSSIA 30/03/2025 Ukraine accuses Russia of 'war crime' after 111 Russian-launched missiles in overnight attack RUSSIA 09/05/2024 Putin accuses the West of fueling conflicts on WWII Victory Day RUSSIA 09/05/2024 Russia's celebration of victory in World War II, a key pillar of Putin's rule RUSSIA 07/05/2024 Putin begins his fifth term as President, more in control of Russia than ever RUSSIA
Japan Forward
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Confront the CCP's Historical Lies and Seek Liberation
このページを 日本語 で読む President Xi Jinping's Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is now rewriting history on a global scale. This manipulation was displayed during Russia's WWII Victory Day ceremony on May 9. Let's take a closer look at China's historical fabrication, its serious implications for Japan, and potential countermeasures. During his state visit to Russia, Xi became the first Chinese leader to order the People's Liberation Army to take part in Russia's victory parade. President Vladimir Putin praised the occasion, noting it featured the largest number of foreign troops ever to participate in the event. In response, Xi said, "China and Russia will uphold the correct history." He went on to boast that the CCP led the Chinese people, fought alongside the Soviet Union to defeat Japan, and contributed to the global fight against fascism. In truth, however, the CCP's contribution to the "anti-Japan resistance" was virtually nonexistent. Haiying Yang is a cultural anthropologist and professor at Shizuoka University The CCP, founded in 1921, shifted its strategy to armed struggle following intense internal disputes. It established bases in the mountainous regions of southern China and formed a regime known as the Chinese Soviet Republic. When China's Kuomintang (KMT) forces overran these strongholds, the remnants of the CCP began a retreat in 1934. They attempted to flee westward through Sichuan and Tibet toward Soviet territory. Along the way, they engaged in looting and arson, even as they suffered casualties in clashes with Tibetan forces. Mao Zedong later admitted that he had "snatched a few supplies from the Tibetans." Mao and his group initially characterized their escape to the north as a strategic withdrawal. However, they later rebranded it with the noble-sounding name of the Northward Resistance Against the Japanese. In reality, the group had little knowledge of how far Japanese forces had advanced and lacked a clear understanding of Manchukuo, which had been established for over two years. Without accurate perception, they referred to Manchukuo simply as the Northeast. Therefore, when the Maoists settled in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, in late autumn of 1935, they remained apprehensive about potential attacks from neighboring Inner Mongolia. Mao issued the "Proclamation of the Chinese Soviet Republic" in 1931, publicly asserting that the Inner Mongolians had the same right to secession as the Ukrainians and the peoples of the Caucasus. He also declared that if the Mongolian people chose to remain within Chinese territory in the future, it would be under a federal system. Mao's CCP forces did not advance eastward from Yan'an to confront the Japanese on the front lines. Instead, they focused on expanding their power and undermining the KMT forces. In northern Shaanxi and the Ordos Plateau of Inner Mongolia, they cultivated poppies and trafficked refined opium into KMT-controlled areas and Mongolia. This opium trade weakened the KMT's will to fight and brought poverty to Mongolian society. The CCP forces ambushed retreating KMT troops from the front lines, treating them as if they were allies of the Japanese. In the territories the CCP occupied, they executed wealthy farmers, labeling them as "the exploiting class of landowners." The confiscated land was then handed over to hoodlums and vagrants to bolster the CCP's support base. By the time the eight-year war against Japan ended, much of the country had been turned into revolutionary bases for the party. This is the true extent of the CCP's so-called "anti-Japan resistance." After the war, the CCP mobilized Japanese technicians from the Manchukuo Film Association to produce numerous anti-Japanese films. The titles, such as "Railway Guerrilla Unit," clearly reveal that the CCP forces were not engaged in large-scale, modern warfare against the Japanese. Allied forces of the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic, which had advanced into Manchukuo and Inner Mongolia, were effectively aligned. The Soviet Union guided the CCP forces into Manchukuo and handed over the high-quality arms and ammunition left behind by the Japanese military. This enabled the CCP to gain the upper hand in the Chinese Civil War and ultimately brought Mao Zedong to power. The Mongolian People's Republic sought to liberate its fellow Inner Mongolians, hoping to unify all of Mongolia north of the Great Wall. For Mongolia, this was a war of national liberation. Yet that aspiration was cut short, as Inner Mongolia was to be occupied by China under the secret terms of the Yalta Agreement, signed by the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union in the spring of 1945. Today, the Xi administration no longer acknowledges the southward advance of the Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic, concealing the true nature of anti-fascist history. At Xi's invitation, Putin is scheduled to visit Beijing this fall to attend China's Victory Day parade. Because the CCP played no real role in resisting Japan during the war, "anti-Japan" has instead become a national policy and a tool for preserving its grip on power today. Japan is not only defenseless against the CCP's historical fabrications, but influential Diet members have taken a conciliatory stance, repeatedly visiting Beijing to beg for giant pandas. Even after these delegations returned, Chinese state vessels continued to intrude into the waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, insisting they have a unilateral claim to the territory. The CCP's aim in targeting the Senkakus is to turn its historical distortions into reality. Japan's current administration has failed to confront China's historical revisionism and its attempts to reshape the international order. Worse still, on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the government is again engaged in "re-examining the earlier war." It's a process that risks culminating in yet another apology, with no effort to break free from the spell of self-flagellation. Such self-flagellation not only hinders Japan's healthy development but risks enabling the CCP's aggressive encroachment. Countermeasures must be urgently devised. RELATED: ( Read this in Japanese .) Author: Haiying Yang このページを 日本語 で読む
