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TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday called for better ties with South Korea in talks with President Moon Jae-in, the first in months between leaders of the countries. Suga, who took office last week, said he told Moon in a phone call that the countries must repair their “difficult” bilateral relations, which are mired in a long-running dispute over issues dating back Japan’s occupation of the Korean peninsula. “To […]
by Michel COMTE OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a grand plan Wednesday to address social inequalities laid bare by the coronavirus pandemic and create one million jobs during recovery, while also extending emergency measures for a second wave of Covid-19. In the so-called throne speech, read by Governor General Julie Payette at a joint sitting of MPs and senators, Trudeau’s government vowed to eliminate homelessness, hasten Canada’s fight against climate […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US House of Representatives adopted a budget bill Tuesday to avoid an imminent government shutdown and extend funding through early December, after Democrats reached a deal with the White House and Republicans. The bipartisan text would still need the Senate’s backing and President Donald Trump’s signature before it could enter into force. “We have reached an agreement with Republicans,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement following a […]
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that China must be held accountable by the world for its actions over the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recorded message played to the annual meeting of the UN, Trump accused Beijing of allowing the coronavirus to “leave China and infect the world.” “The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions,” he said. Trump, who faces a […]
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canada’s conservative opposition leader Erin O’Toole tested positive for the new coronavirus on Friday, his office announced, one day after another federal party leader did, too. Both O’Toole and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet were “feeling well” and were self-isolating, according to statements. Each had had close contact with staffers who tested positive for the Covid-19 illness. O’Toole said he is “very relieved that his wife and children have tested […]
BRASILÍA, Brazil (AFP) — An unprecedented coalition of 230 environmental groups and Brazilian agrobusiness companies have sent an open letter to President Jair Bolsonaro urging him to fight deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition brings together a disparate group of members ranging from the World Wildlife Fund to the world’s biggest meat processing company, JBS, which has itself been accused of contributing to deforestation. The coalition sent Brazil’s far-right […]
by Hiroshi HIYAMA / Sara HUSSEIN TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Yoshihide Suga became Japan’s new prime minister on Wednesday, with the former chief cabinet secretary expected to stick closely to policies championed by Shinzo Abe during his record-breaking tenure. Suga, 71, won an easy victory in a parliamentary vote, where his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds a commanding majority. He bowed deeply as lawmakers applauded his win, but made no immediate comment. He is […]
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday asked the Senate for a referendum on whether to prosecute five of his predecessors over allegations including corruption. Lopez Obrador’s proposed “people’s consultation” targets Carlos Salinas, Ernesto Zedillo, Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderon and Enrique Pena Nieto, whose terms in power stretched from 1988 to 2018. He accused them of presiding over “excessive concentration of wealth, monumental losses to the treasury, privatization of […]
by Kyoko HASEGAWA / Sara HUSSEIN TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s ruling party on Monday elected chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga its new leader, making him all but certain to replace Shinzo Abe as the country’s next prime minister. Suga easily won the vote, taking 377 of the 534 valid votes cast by Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers and regional representatives, significantly ahead of his two rivals. Given his party’s legislative majority, he is expected to […]
by Kyoko HASEGAWA / Sara HUSSEIN TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s ruling party votes Monday for its next leader, with top government adviser Yoshihide Suga all but certain to win and replace Shinzo Abe as the country’s new prime minister. Chief cabinet secretary Suga is heavily tipped to win the Liberal Democratic Party ballot, with a parliamentary vote Wednesday set to elevate him to the country’s top job. Even before he formally announced his run, […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s two major opposition parties merged Thursday and elected a new leader as they try to strengthen their standing ahead of a possible snap national election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will pick a successor to outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next week, and several top political figures have suggested the next leader may call a quick election. The opposition parties and several independent lawmakers formally cemented an alliance in response, […]
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Washington’s top diplomat urged Southeast Asia on Thursday to cut ties with Chinese companies helping build islands in the South China Sea, weeks after the US blacklisted two dozen firms working in the disputed waters. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s comments came at a regional Asian summit overshadowed by the US-China rivalry over a range of issues, from trade to the coronavirus. Tensions are also simmering over the South China […]
