WASHINGTON, Oct 25, 2023 (AFP) – The US House of Representatives finally elected a new speaker on Wednesday, ending weeks of bitter Republican infighting that paralyzed Congress at a time of international and domestic crisis. Mike Johnson, a little-known ally of Donald Trump who spearheaded legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election, won the unanimous support of his party to lead the lower chamber of Congress, which has been at a standstill since Kevin McCarthy […]
Tag: house
Republicans fail yet again to pick US House speaker
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Oct 20, 2023 (AFP) – A damaging, weeks-long Republican leadership crisis deepened further Friday, leaving the paralyzed US legislature unable to perform even basic functions like funding the government and addressing growing national security concerns. In the 17 days since US House speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners from within his own party, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, […]
Race for US House speaker in chaos as Republican nominee drops out
By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Oct 13, 2023 (AFP) – The Republican nominee to lead the US House of Representatives dropped out Thursday after failing to find enough support to win a vote of the full chamber, plunging the paralyzed lower chamber of Congress deeper into crisis. Steve Scalise narrowly won a secret internal Republican ballot Wednesday to replace ousted speaker Kevin McCarthy, but it quickly became clear that he couldn’t get the 217 lawmakers needed […]
Britain’s Prince Harry loses home on royal estate: reports
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are being evicted from their home on the British royal family’s Windsor estate, leaving them without a UK base, reports said on Wednesday. The use of Frogmore Cottage was a wedding present from the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018, and they refurbished it at a reported cost of £2.4 million ($2.9 million). It has now been offered to Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s disgraced brother, reports in […]
Top US Republican says ‘clear we are going to take the House back’
Washington, United States | AFP | The top Republican in the US House of Representatives voiced confidence that his party will seize the lower chamber of Congress from President Joe Biden’s Democrats after Tuesday’s midterm elections. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, speaking to an election watch party in the early hours of Wednesday, struck a cautiously upbeat note as results showed Republicans were poised to flip the seats necessary to win control, albeit most likely […]
UK house prices hit record peak on pandemic: data
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — UK property prices hit a record peak last month as Britons sought more space during the pandemic, data showed Tuesday, with demand stimulated also by temporary tax cuts. The average sale price rose by 5.4 percent to a record £230,700 (270,000 euros, $320,000) in June from a year earlier, lifted also by a supply shortage, property listings website Zoopla said in a statement. That was almost a third higher than […]
P4.506-trillion nat’l budget for 2021 now ready for Duterte’s signature
Sotto, Velasco sign bill that includes funds for gov’t COVID response for next year (Eagle News) — Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have already signed the bill on the P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021 which is to be transmitted to Malacanang for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature by tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. Both Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco have already signed the General Appropriations Act […]
Pres. Duterte so fed up with House politicking, says Roque; airs Palace order to “pass budget first”
(Eagle News) – Malacanang called on lawmakers to set aside politics for now and pass first the critical proposed 2021 national budget amid the speakership fight that came to a head Monday noon, Oct. 12. Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte is so fed up with the politicking at the House of Representatives, using the word “tagam” to describe his feelings, about the speakership fight affecting the passage of the critical […]
House employee dies after testing positive for COVID-19
(Eagle News) — Another House employee who tested positive for COVID-19 has died. According to House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales, the employee passed away on Thursday, July 23, six days after he was hospitalized for exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. “We are deeply saddened to know that he passed away early this morning,” Montales said. He said the employee from the Bills and Index Service had been working from home since June 18 but had returned […]
Updated: House committee on legislative franchises rejects ABSCBN franchise renewal
70 voted yes for denial of franchise, only 11 voted for franchise grant (Eagle News) — With a majority vote of 70 from members of the House committee on legislative franchises, ABS CBN’s franchise renewal has been rejected on Friday, July 10. Only 11 members voted to give the media network a franchise. Voting happened after the technical working group of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises presented the committee resolution on the consensus […]
Lawmakers question alleged “dual allegiance” of ABSCBN chair in House hearing on franchise renewal
(Eagle News) – Several lawmakers continued questioning ABS CBN Chair Emeritus Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III if his chairmanship and management of a Philippine mass media entity is allowed under the Philippine Constitution. In the continuation of the House joint committee hearing on the ABS CBN franchise renewal on Monday, June 8, lawmakers questioned Lopez not only on his dual citizenship – being both a US and Philippine citizen – but also questioning him as to […]
House security officer tests positive for COVID-19
(Eagle News)–A security officer at the House of Representatives tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement on Sunday, April 19, House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales said the employee, whom he did not identify, was undergoing dialysis and last reported for work in January. He was admitted to a hospital for pneumonia on April 7. Four days later, he was discharged but was admitted again later after testing positive. Montales said the employee, however, has […]





