Petro Poroshenko has apparently won the Ukrainian election with about 56% of the vote, which, if valid, will mean that there is no need for a run-off election. Poroshenko is a very wealthy person but has pledged to end the civil war, but also to move closer to the West. What is unclear is how strong his commitment to ending corruption in Ukraine is. The uprising in January that led to the overthrow of the previous government was stimulated by a widespread belief in Ukraine that the rich oligarchs in the country were running the country to the detriment of the ordinary citizens. Poroshenko is susceptible to those suspicions.
The initial results of the voting for the European Parliament suggest that anti-Union parties scored big successes in Great Britain, France, Greece, and Denmark. Only in Greece was a left-wing party successful; in the three other countries, the parties are considered right-wing. The majority in the European Parliament will still be solidly pro-Union, but the election results indicate a sharp erosion of support for the status quo. The Union is paying the price for the five years of sluggish economic growth in Europe, and there are no indications that that economic growth will pick up any time soon.
Chinese and Japanese fighter planes came within meters of each other in the disputed airspace over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. The incident is a stark reminder of how dangerous the situation has become. Both sides are digging in their heels, and playing a game of chicken with each other to test each other’s resolve.
World Politics News 
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