Vance and Walz agree to a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 hosted by CBS News

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Vance and Walz agree to a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 hosted by CBS News

2024-08-16 11:28 Last Updated At：11:31

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance have agreed to debate each other on Oct. 1, setting up a matchup of potential vice presidents as early voting in some states gets underway for the general election.

And Vice President Kamala Harris has forecast the scheduling of a second debate between Donald Trump and herself, although that matchup appeared to be contingent on the GOP nominee participating in an already scheduled Sept. 10 debate with Harris.

CBS News on Wednesday posted on its X feed that the network had invited both Vance and Walz to debate in New York City, presenting four possible dates — Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 — as options.

Walz reposted that message from his own campaign account, “See you on October 1, JD.” The Harris-Walz campaign followed up with a message of its own, saying Walz "looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.”

Vance posted on X that he would accept the Oct. 1 invitation. He also challenged Walz to meet on Sept. 18.

Officials with the Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Vance’s acceptance of the earlier debate that he said would be on CNN or whether Walz would participate in that one as well.

Representatives for CNN confirmed that Vance had accepted the network's debate invitation.

“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan of “Face the Nation” will moderate the Oct. 1 debate, according to the network.

Whether or not Walz and Vance would debate before the Nov. 5 general election had been in question. In just the past several weeks, President Joe Biden left the campaign and Democrats selected Harris to lead their ticket.

Vance has largely kept his focus trained on Harris, whom he would have been set to debate before Biden's departure from the race. Vance has lobbed critiques against Walz, including questioning the retired Army National Guardsman's service record.

Trump has said he wanted Vance to debate Walz on CBS, which had been discussing potential dates for that meeting.

The debate is expected weeks after the Sept. 10 top-of-the-ticket debate recently solidified between Trump and Harris on ABC News.

Trump has said he negotiated several other debate dates, on three different networks. Fox News has also proposed a debate between Harris and Trump to take place on Sept. 4, and NBC News is angling to air one on Sept. 25.

During an appearance in Michigan, Harris said she was “happy to have that conversation” about an additional debate.

On Thursday, Harris' campaign said Trump had “accepted our proposal for three debates,” meaning one between the vice presidential running mates in addition to two presidential debates. Provided that Trump follows through on participating in the Sept. 10 ABC debate, Harris-Walz spokesperson Michael Tyler said that "the American people will have another opportunity" to see Harris and Trump on the debate stage in October, without mentioning a specific date or network.

Neither campaign immediately responded to a message seeking comment on whether a date or network had been agreed to for a second presidential debate.

AP Media writer David Bauder in New York contributed to this report.

Head of Myanmar's military government visits Thailand in rare overseas trip

2025-04-03 19:22 Last Updated At：19:31

BANGKOK (AP) — The head of Myanmar’s military government arrived in Thailand on Thursday for a regional summit, making a rare international trip as his country recovers from a devastating earthquake that killed thousands.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has been shunned by much of the West for overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung Saan Suu Kyi and subsequent brutal repression. He has not been allowed to participate in meetings of another regional organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, since the army seized of power in February 2021 and began violently suppressing opposition.

He is one of several regional leaders visiting Bangkok for a three-day summit of nations in the Bay of Bengal region.

It was Min Aung Hlaing's first to a country other than his government’s main supporters and backers — China, Russia and Russian ally Belarus — since he attended a regional meeting in Indonesia in 2021.

He was greeted upon arrival at the airport by Thai Labor Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

He was expected to attend an official dinner for leaders of the seven-member Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, which includes Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The meeting comes as Myanmar is still searching for survivors in the rubble left by a massive earthquake last week. The magnitude 7.7 quake toppled thousands of buildings, collapsed bridges and buckled roads. The death toll rose to 3,085 on Thursday, with more than 4,700 people injured and over 300 missing, the military said in a statement.

It worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis due to Myanmar’s civil war. More than 3 million people had been displaced from their homes and nearly 20 million were in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said BIMSTEC members discussed disaster management during ministerial meetings on Thursday. Thailand postponed the meeting from last year after then-prime minister Srettha Thavisin was suddenly removed from his post by a court.

The earthquake killed at least 22 people in Bangkok, mostly due to the collapse of a high-rise building under construction.

The general’s visit drew condemnation and criticisms from his opponents. The shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, established by elected lawmakers who were barred from taking their seats, said it strongly condemed the inclusion of Min Aung Hlaing at the summit. It said he doesn't have the legitimacy to represent Myanmar.

The NUG said it urges BIMSTEC to "immediately revoke the military junta’s participation in the summit and related meetings.”

Activist group Justice for Myanmar said in a statement that the invitation for Min Aung Hlaing to attend the meeting “legitimises and emboldens a military junta that the people of Myanmar have been resisting for over four years, and tarnishes BIMSTEC’s reputation as a regional body.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied Thursday that the invitation had tarnished Thailand’s reputation.

“I think the inverse would occur if we don’t adhere to what the charter says and enshrined in the charter it says that Thailand has the responsibility to invite the leaders of all BIMSTEC leaders,” said ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura.

Among other leaders attending the summit are Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to the Bangladesh government, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.