
Speaking to reporters in Florida, the post will be vacant after Zakaria's dismissal
US President Donald Trump told reporters in Florida that a social media post in which he said he approached UFC CEO Dana White to become his press secretary was "a joke." The post has been vacant since former press secretary Zakaria was replaced.
AI-generated summary
The post of presidential spokesperson has been vacant since former press secretary Zakaria was fired in October over allegations of falsifying his background.
On the 8th, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he was ``joking'' about a social media post in which he said he had asked Dana White, CEO of the mixed martial arts organization UFC, to be his press secretary. He spoke to reporters in the southern state of Florida. The post has been vacant since former press secretary Zakaria was fired in October over allegations of falsifying his background.
Martial arts organization head asked to be press secretary; supporter White declines? - U.S. president
In a post on Monday, Trump wrote that White, an old friend and supporter of his, "will be a one-of-a-kind press secretary." Bearing in mind the opposition Democratic Party's landslide victory in the midterm elections, he also wrote that he had requested that a UFC athlete be brought in as an assistant to protect people from the "insane leftists."
It is unclear whether White was actually approached, but CNN reported that he declined the offer. Mr. Trump said he planned to meet with Mr. White on the 9th, but said the meeting was for "a different reason than the press secretary appointment."

The Liberal Democratic Party's executive branch is expected to decide on the punishment of four members, including former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who abstained from voting on the consumption tax reduction bill at the plenary session of the House of Representatives on the 9th. It appears that the party has determined that certain measures are necessary to prevent rebellion within the party.

At a press conference on the 9th, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara categorically denied the report that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had been drinking at a dinner with Liberal Democratic Party leaders just before her absence from last month's G7 summit video conference, saying it was ``based on assumptions and conjecture.'' The meeting was held on the evening of October 2nd, and the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs attended on his behalf. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yusuke Nakanishi, who was present, admitted in the Diet that alcoholic beverages had been served, and another attendee revealed that the prime minister had also consumed alcohol.

US President Trump has hinted at a three-way meeting with President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with the APEC summit to be held in Shenzhen, China, in the middle of this month. Nuclear disarmament and military operations against Iran are expected to be on the agenda, and while Russia has expressed interest, China has not made its stance clear.

On the 8th, Israeli President Herzog instructed former military chief of staff Eisenkot, leader of the centrist opposition party Yashar, to form a new government. In the October 27 general election, Netanyahu's ruling party won only 53 seats, and Eisenkot received 67 nominations. The government is expected to be formed within 28 days, and the focus will be on a change of government by the anti-Netanyahu camp.

Celebrating 80 years since the promulgation of the Japanese Constitution, a proposed amendment to explicitly enshrine the Self-Defense Forces in the Constitution is becoming more realistic. Koji Yamazaki, a former Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, argues that a clear statement will clarify the position of the bill and boost morale, while Kyoji Yanagisawa, a former deputy chief cabinet secretary, argues that the unconstitutionality argument has already been settled and that even if it is clearly written, nothing will change legally.

A national rally was held in Tokyo on the 8th calling for the immediate return of all abductees by North Korea. Takuya Yokota, representative of the families' association, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi were in attendance, and appealed to the victims' parents to fight together with a strong resolve for a solution while they are still alive.