Utopia Talk / Politics / Presidential/PM Bios

jergul large member	Fri Mar 16 06:44:13 Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of the United States. He believes the United States has incredible potential and will go on to exceed even its remarkable achievements of the past. His campaign slogan for President was, “Make America Great Again,” and that is exactly what he is doing. Donald J. Trump defines the American success story. Throughout his life he has continually set the standards of business and entrepreneurial excellence, especially in real estate, sports, and entertainment. Mr. Trump built on his success in private life when he entered into politics and public service. He remarkably won the Presidency in his first ever run for any political office. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance, Mr. Trump followed in his father’s footsteps into the world of real estate development, making his mark New York City. There, the Trump name soon became synonymous with the most prestigious of addresses in Manhattan and, subsequently, throughout the world. Mr. Trump is also an accomplished author. He has written more than fourteen bestsellers. His first book, The Art of the Deal, is considered a business classic. Mr. Trump announced his candidacy for the Presidency on June 16, 2015. He then accepted the Republican nomination for President of the United States in July of 2016, having defeated seventeen other contenders during the Republican primaries. On November 8, 2016, Mr. Trump was elected President in the largest Electoral College landslide for a Republican in 28 years. Mr. Trump won more than 2,600 counties nationwide, the most since President Ronald Reagan in 1984. And he received the votes of more than 62 million Americans, the most ever for a Republican candidate. These voters, in delivering a truly national victory and historic moment, rallied behind Mr. Trump’s commitment to rebuilding our country and disrupting the political status quo that had failed to deliver results. Mr. Trump won, in part, because he campaigned in places Republicans have had difficulty winning—Flint, Michigan, charter schools in inner-city Cleveland, and Hispanic churches in Florida. He went there because he wanted to bring his message of economic empowerment to all Americans. Millions of new Republicans trusted Mr. Trump with their vote because of his commitment to delivering prosperity through a reformed tax code, an improved regulatory environment, and better trade deals. President Trump’s victory has brought Americans of all backgrounds together, and he is committed to delivering results for the Nation every day he serves in office. President Trump has been married to his wife, Melania, for twelve years, and they are parents to their son, Barron. Mr. Trump also has four adult children, Don Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany, as well as nine grandchildren. ============= Biography of Russian presidential candidate Vladimir Putin MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russia will hold its presidential elections on Sunday, March 18. Eight candidates are running for the highest office in the Russian Federation. Among them is the incumbent head of state, Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad (currently St. Petersburg) on October 7, 1952. His father Vladimir Putin (1911-1999) had been a submariner before World War II. In 1941 he was drafted into the Red Army. First, he served in a mobile internal security battalion of the NKVD (People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs - the then equivalent of the Interior Ministry), and then in the 330th infantry regiment of the Red Army’s 86th division. Suffered a serious injury in November 1941. After the war worked as a foreman at the Yegorov Industrial Plant in Leningrad. Mother, Maria Shelomova (1911-1998), a general worker, survived the Nazi siege of Leningrad. Read also The Biography of Russian President Vladimir Putin: A Story of True Leadership In 1975, Putin graduated from the Department of Law (International Law Branch) of the Leningrad State University. Underwent a retraining course of KGB operatives in Leningrad (1976) and in Moscow (1979) at the Dzerzhinsky Higher School of the KGB of the USSR. In 1985, graduated from the Andropov Institute of the KGB of the USSR (currently the Academy of the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR). Academic degree - Candidate of Sciences (Law). In 1997, defended a dissertation entitled Strategic Planning of the Mineral and Resources Base Reproduction in the Context of Emerging Free Market Economy Relations (St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region) at the St. Petersburg Mining Institute. Upon graduation from the Leningrad State University was assigned to a position in the KGB of the USSR. His first job was in the secretariat and then in the counter-intelligence unit of the KGB Office for Leningrad and the Leningrad Region. After a course of studies in Moscow was transferred to Department N. 1 (foreign intelligence) of the KGB Office for Leningrad and the Leningrad Region. In 1985, was given an assignment at the KGB office in the German Democratic Republic. Worked in Dresden up to 1990. Held positions of a senior operative, assistant and senior assistant to the chief of a section. Returned to the Soviet Union in January 1990. Starting from February 1990 worked as a foreign affairs assistant to the Leningrad State University’s rector and then, as an adviser to Leningrad’s Mayor Anatoly Sobchak. In June 1991, Putin was appointed to chair the foreign relations committee of St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office. In August 1991, together with other officials of the mayor’s office came out against the State Committee on the State of Emergency. On August 20, 1991, the next day after the introduction of the state of emergency resigned from the state security service. Read also Putin prefers to stay mum on how he escaped assassination attempts Putin says its too early for him to retire Putin to celebrate New Year with family and friends Putin goes quadricycling, rafting, and spearfishing on two-day Siberian adventure vacation In 1992, took the position of St. Petersburg’s deputy mayor while retaining the post of the foreign relations committee chief. In March 1994, when Sobchak took over as the head of the city’s administration, Putin was appointed his first deputy. Later, when the posts of the head of the city administration and mayor were merged, Putin’s position was renamed to deputy mayor, chairman of the city’s foreign relations committee. After Sobchak lost the mayoral election in St. Petersburg in June 1996 Putin quit his post. In August 1996, he was transferred to a position at the Russian presidential property directorate in the capacity of its deputy chief (his immediate superior in that capacity was Pavel Borodin). Supervised the directorate’s department of law and foreign property-related matters. Moved to Moscow together with his family. Starting from March 1997 - deputy chief of the presidential staff, chief of the presidential Main Control Directorate. In May-July 1998 - first deputy chief of the presidential staff (at that moment the presidential staff was led by Anatoly Chubais and then Valentin Yumashev). July 1998 - August 1999 - director of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Putin’s predecessor in that capacity was Nikolai Kovalyov. Simultaneously, from March to August 1999 - the Russian Security Council’s secretary. On August 9, 1999, President Boris Yeltsin said he had made a decision to dismiss the Sergey Stepashin-led government and asked the State Duma to endorse Vladimir Putin as Russia’s new prime minister. On the same day Putin was appointed first deputy chairman of the Russian government and at the same time as acting head of the Cabinet of Ministers. On August 16, 1999, the State Duma approved of Putin’s appointment as prime minister (he received the support of 233 legislators of the 439 who participated in the voting). Putin’s first weeks and months in office as number one in the Russian government saw Chechen militants’ intrusion into Dagestan and a string of terrorist attacks in Russian cities (Buinaksk, Volgodonsk and Moscow) and the start of a counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus. On December 31, 1999, President Boris Yeltsin declared his resignation thus placing presidential duties in Putin’s hands. On March 26, 2000 Russia saw an early presidential election with eleven candidates taking part. Putin emerged the winner to have collected 52.94% of the votes in the first round. Communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov was second with 29.21%. The inauguration of the newly-elected president took place on May 7, 2000. On March 14, 2004 Putin was elected for a second term to have received 71.31% in the first round (Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov was the runner-up with 13.69%). The inauguration followed on May 7, 2004. From May 8, 2008 to May 7, 2012, Putin was Russia’s prime minister (his appointment was supported by 392 legislators of the 448). His predecessor was Viktor Zubkov. In 2008-2012 Putin led the national party United Russia (without being the party’s member). On September 24, 2011, the then President Dmitry Medvedev asked the national congress of the United Russia party to nominate Putin for Russia’s president again. In the March 4, 2012 election Putin was elected president by a 63.6% majority vote in the first round. Communist Gennady Zyuganov was second with 17.18%. Putin took office on May 7, 2012. Starting from 2012 the presidential term of office was extended to six years under an amendment to the Constitution introduced on December 30, 2008. Since June 12, 2013 Putin has been the leader of the non-governmental movement All-Russia People’s Front. Commander-in-chief of Russia’s Armed Forces and chairman of the State Council, Security Council, Military-Industrial Commission and other advisory bodies under the presidential office. Chairman of the board of trustees of the Russian Geographic Society (since 2010) and the Lomonosov Moscow State University (since 2013). Income declared in 2016 - 8.858 million rubles ($152,000). Military rank - Colonel, retired. Holder of nearly 20 Russian and foreign decorations and awards. Honorary doctor of a number of Russian and foreign academies and universities. In 2007, Time magazine named Putin Person of the Year. Gallery 5 photo © Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS Putin takes icy plunge into waters of Lake Seliger In 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Putin featured on top of the Forbes list of most powerful persons. In 1999, in cooperation with Vasily Shestakov and Aleksey Levitsky co-authored a book titled Learning Judo with Vladimir Putin. Command of foreign languages - German and English. Divorced. In 1983-2014 was married to Lyudmila Putina (b. 1958, maiden name Shkrebneva, university degree in philology, Romance languages). Daughters: Maria (born in 1985) and Katerina (born in 1986). Both graduated from the St. Petersburg State University. Hobbies: Alpine skiing, ice hockey, fishing. Holder of the master of sports title in judo and sambo wrestling. Champion of Leningrad in sambo (1973) and judo (1975). In 2006, was nominated honorary president of the European Judo Union. In 2010, was awarded honorary certificate of Doctor in Judo of South Korea’s Yongin university. Black belt in karate. In November 2014 the international organization Kyokushin-kan karate-do awarded to Putin eighth Kyokushin-kan dan. In 2013, obtained honorary ninth dan in Korea’s martial art taekwondo. In 2017, the US cable TV channel Showtime aired Oliver Stone’s documentary The Putin Interview, based on more than two dozen rendezvous with the Russian president filmed over a period of two years. On December 6, 2017, Putin announced that he will contest another presidential term. He declared his election plans at a meeting with veterans and workers of the automobile plant GAZ. The Russian Central Election Commission registered his candidacy on February 6, 2018. More: http://tass.com/society/994471 ============= heresa May is Britain's first female Prime Minister since Margaret Thatcher. Previously, she was one of the longest serving home secretaries in British history. Who Is Theresa May? Following the resignation of David Cameron, Theresa May became Britain's first female PM since Margaret Thatcher and the first to lead the country out of the European Union after its historic Brexit referendum, which was held in June 2016. May is a member of the Conservative Party and originally voted to stay in the EU, despite having reservations. Prior to her taking the top office, she had served as home secretary since 2010 and was elected MP (Member of Parliament) of Maidenhead in 1997. Early Life and Career Theresa Mary May was born on October 1, 1956 in Eastbourne, Sussex. Her father was a vicar for the Church of England and her mother was a housewife. May attended state-run primary and grammar schools and briefly went to Catholic school. She studied geography at St. Hugh's College at Oxford University and earned her B.A. in 1977. It was during this time she had met her husband Phillip May and the two married in 1980. After graduation, May spent the next 20 years working in the financial sector before making her way into the education and political sectors in the mid '80s and '90s. She was elected as Conservative MP (Member of Parliament) of Maidenhead in 1997, describing herself as a "One-Nation Conservative." Political Career In 2002 May was appointed as the first female Chairman of the Conservative Party and was famously quoted as saying it must no longer be known as the "Nasty Party." She served in a number of Shadow Cabinets before becoming Home Secretary in 2010, and also became the Minister for Women and Equalities, a post she vacated in 2012. As the longest-serving Home Secretary in six decades, she was known for her work on police reform and pursuing stricter drug and immigration policies. 'Brexit' and PM Candidacy To the shock of the world and to almost half of its own citizens, the U.K. voted to exit the European Union in June 2016 — an event which is referred to as the "Brexit" (Britain Exit) referendum. (May originally voted to remain in the E.U., although she was known to be a "Euroskeptic.") After Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation, May announced her candidacy for the Conservative Party and quickly emerged as its frontrunner, receiving 50 percent of the Parliamentary votes alone amid the other candidates. On July 7, 2016 it appeared that she and fellow Conservative leader Andrea Leadsom would both be in contention to become the country's next PM, but within days, Leadsom, who voted for Britain to leave the E.U., pulled out of the running due to distasteful remarks she made about why she would make a better PM. With no one contesting her candidacy, May was set to be sworn in as the first post-Brexit female Prime Minister. On July 11, 2016, she made a televised announcement surrounded by Members of Parliament and her husband Philip, about seeing Brexit through: "During this campaign, my case has been based on three things. First, the need for strong, proven leadership to steer us through what will be difficult and uncertain economic and political times. The need, of course, to negotiate the best deal for Britain in leaving the EU and to forge a new role for ourselves in the world. Brexit means Brexit. And we are going to make a success of it." May continued: "Second, we need to unite our country. And third, we need a strong, new positive vision for the future of our country. A vision of a country that works, not for the privileged few, but that works for every one of us. Because we’re going to give people more control over their lives. And that’s how, together, we will build a better Britain.’" Prime Minister May was sworn in as Britain's second female Prime Minister on July 13, 2016 and the Queen's 13th prime minister following ceremonial overtures. On May 29, 2017, Prime Minister May officially told Parliament that she had invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, legislation triggering the legal process to set Brexit in motion. "This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back. Britain is leaving the European Union,” she said. “We are going to make our own decisions and our own laws. ... We are going to take control of the things that matter most to us. And we are going to take this opportunity to build a stronger, fairer Britain — a country that our children and grandchildren are proud to call home." The United Kingdom’s ambassador to the European Union Tim Barrow delivered a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, notifying the EU that the U.K. was leaving the union. Shortly afterward, on June 8, an early general election resulted in the loss of her Conservative Party's Parliamentary majority. In November, the PM faced additional troubles with the resignation of two cabinet ministers — Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel and Secretary of State for Defence Sir Michael Fallon — in the span of seven days. The shake-up was reported to have sparked concern that the Conservative Party was headed for further disarray, including a possible change in leadership. In early December, a report surfaced that MI5, the British domestic intelligence agency, had foiled a terrorist plot to assassinate May. According to the report, two men were planning to use improvised explosives to blow up the gate at the prime minister's residence and to kill her in the ensuing chaos. The two suspects were arrested in late November. On December 13, May suffered another setback in the ongoing Brexit process. After requesting maximum leeway to negotiate with EU leaders over terms of departure, Parliament rejected her request by voting that any final deal to withdraw be submitted via legislation. As a result, the prime minister was viewed to have diminished leverage heading into her discussions with the EU. Having previously butted heads with Donald Trump, May sought to present a more unified front with the American president when the two met at the World Economic Form in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2018. Following Trump's praise of their "great relationship," May cited the importance of maintaining a strong alliance. "We face the same challenges across the world, and as you say we’re willing to go and to defeat those challenges and meet them," she said. In early February, May was set to chair the first of two Brexit meetings with senior ministers to outline the parameters of a relationship between the U.K. and E.U. With businesses applying pressure on the government to provide a clear strategy, the cabinet aimed to hash out differences on whether to go for a "clean" separation and strike new trade deals, or to retain close access to the single market. Personal Life May has been married to her financier husband, Philip May, since 1980. The couple have spoken publicly about their inability to have children due to May's health issues. In 2012 May was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Outside of political life, May has a reputation for her style and fondness for shoes. She reportedly wore leopard print heels when she made her "Nasty Party" speech in 2002. May is an Anglican and worships regularly. She has stated that her faith "is part of me. It is part of who I am and therefore how I approach things."
hood Member	Fri Mar 16 07:34:14 "Donald J. Trump defines the American success story. Throughout his life he has continually set the standards of business and entrepreneurial excellence" This is some weird alternate timeline fanfic.
jergul large member	Fri Mar 16 07:37:07 whitehouse.gov was the source. So its authorative.
Rugian Member	Fri Mar 16 08:06:09 I'm not sure why I read through these. But to recap: Trump's biography does a good job summarizing the career of a man who has enjoyed five decades of nearly uninterrupted successes. It's concise, easily read, and gets the point across. Job well done. Putin's biography is long and rambling. It's filled with boring career factoids that the average person couldn't care less about. The wall of text seems primarily designed to obscure the fact that Putin is an authoritarian shithead who turned Russia into a failed petrostate. May' s biography reads like a cry for help, as if she's just now realizing that the sole role of her premiership is to act as the Tories' sacrificial lamb and hold on to the Brexit grenade until it inevitably blows up in her face. Between that read and her recent coughing fit, Im feeling bad for her now.
jergul large member	Fri Mar 16 08:21:23 Ruggy The Russian stuff is actually part of a series giving the bios of all presidential candidates. OSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russia will hold its presidential elections on Sunday, March 18. Eight candidates are running for the highest office in the Russian Federation. Among them is Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the longtime leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). Vladimir Zhirinovsky was born in the city of Alma-Ata of the then Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (currently the Republic of Kazakhstan) on April 25, 1946. In 1970 he graduated from the history and philology department of the Institute of Oriental Languages (starting from 1972 the Institute of Asia and Africa Studies). Specialty - Turkey and Turkish Language. In 1977 he graduated from the evening instruction branch of the Department of Law at Moscow State University. Dr. Sc. (Philosophy). On April 24, 1998 he defended a doctoral dissertation entitled The Past, Present and Future of the Russian Nation (The Russian Question: Socio-Philosophical Analysis) at the Moscow State University. In 1969 Zhirinovsky underwent internship as a translator/interpreter in Turkey at foreign trade offices of the USSR State Committee for External Economic Ties. In 1970-1972 he served in the Soviet Army. In 1975-1977 he was a foreign students relations official at the dean’s office of the department of economics of the Higher School of Trade Union movement. In 1977-1983 Zhirinovsky worked at the Foreign Legal Collegium (an organization that provided legal aid for Soviet citizens and organizations in foreign civil cases) of the USSR Ministry of Justice. In Decembe 1989 he participated in a meeting of the initiative group for setting up the Liberal Democratic Party of the Soviet Union (LDPSU). The LDPSU platform incorporated the Program of the Social-Democratic Party of Russia, which Vladimir Zhirinovsky drafted earlier. The LDPSU’s constituent congress took place in Moscow on March 31, 1990. Zhirinovsky was elected the party’s leader to have retained the post for 27 years running. In April 1992, the LDPSU was reformed into the all-Russia socio-political organization Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and in December 2001 it obtained the status of a political party. On June 12, 1991 he participated in Russia’s first presidential election to place third with 7.81% of the votes after the runner-up Nikolai Ryzhkov (16.85%) and front-runner Boris Yeltsin (57.3%). In October 1993 supported Russian President Boris Yeltsin in his conflict with the Russian parliament, the Supreme Soviet. Zhirinovsky took part in the Constitutional Conference of 1993 for drafting Russia’s new constitution. He was a member of all seven State Dumas. He has been in the lower house of parliament since 1993. A member of the LDPR faction in the lower house of parliament. On December 12, 1993 he was elected to Russia’s 1st State Duma from the LDPR. On December 17, 1995 he was elected to the 2nd State Duma from the LDPR and took the position of the faction’s leader. In 1996 Zhirinovsky participated in the June 16 Russian presidential election as one of the ten contenders for the post of the head of state to place fifth with 5.7% of the votes, failing to qualify for the runoff. On July, 3 Boris Yeltsin was elected president by a 53.82% majority vote. On December 19, 1999 he was elected to the 3rd State Duma from the Zhirinovsky Bloc. The bloc was formed after the Central Election Commission refused to register the LDPR’s list, because some federal candidates presented wrong information about their property. In January 2000, Zhirinovsky was elected deputy of the State Duma speaker Gennady Seleznyov. His son, Igor Lebedev, became the leader of the LDPR faction in the State Duma. On March 26, 2000 he participated in the Russian presidential election to receive 2.7% of the votes and place fifth among the eleven candidates. Russian Prime Minister, Acting President Vladimir Putin was elected the head of state by a 52.94% majority vote. On December 7, 2003 and December 2, 2007 he was elected member of the 4th and 5th State Dumas. In 2003-2011 Zhirinovsky was one of the deputies of State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov. On March 2, 2008 he participated in a presidential election for the fourth time to take third place (9.35%) among four candidates. Dmitry Medvedev was first (70.28%) and Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, second (17.72%). On December 4, 2011 he was elected member of the 6th State Duma from the LDPR (he was number one on the party’s list). In the State Duma Zhirinovsky led the LDPR faction. On March 4, 2012 he participated in another presidential election alongside four other candidates to take fourth place. Vladimir Putin received 63.6% of the votes to be elected president. On September 18, 2016 he was elected to the 7th State Duma on the LDPR list. He leads the party’s faction in the lower house of parliament. On December 20, 2017 the LDPR congress unanimously nominated Zhirinovsky as its presidential candidate. The Russian Central Election Commission registered his candidacy on December 29, 2017. Military rank - Colonel (retired). Honored Lawyer of Russia (2000). Zhirinovsky is the author of more than 500 books and other publications. He speaks English, French, German and Turkish. In 1971 he married to Galina Lebedeva. Their son Igor Lebedev (born 1972) is a Russian State Duma member More: http://tass.com/politics/994493
Paramount Member	Fri Mar 16 13:25:26 ”In 2017, the US cable TV channel Showtime aired Oliver Stone’s documentary The Putin Interview, based on more than two dozen rendezvous with the Russian president filmed over a period of two years. ” You should watch this documentary if you haven’t already. It was good.
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