Tag: politics

North Korea threatens to ‘destroy’ US spy satellites

SEOUL, Dec 2, 2023 (AFP) – North Korea warned Saturday it would “destroy” US spy satellites if Washington tries “any attack” on its space asset, after Pyongyang launched its first military eye in the sky last week. A spokesman for the North’s defence ministry said it would consider such a move a “declaration of war”, according to a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The statement came after a US official’s remark […]

US House ousts ‘crook’ congressman in historic vote

By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, Dec 1, 2023 (AFP) – US lawmakers voted Friday to expel George Santos, the scandal-plagued politician who lied his way into Congress and has been indicted on charges of bankrolling his lavish lifestyle with stolen donor cash. One of the most colorful but controversial figures in the 234-year history of the House of Representatives, the New York Republican is only the third person to join Washington’s rogues gallery of ejected lawmakers […]

Hong Kong journalist group ‘concerned’ about reporter’s safety

HONG KONG, Dec 1, 2023 (AFP) – A Hong Kong journalist group said Friday it was “very concerned” about the safety of an award-winning defence reporter who was reportedly missing after attending a security forum in Beijing. Minnie Chan, a reporter with Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) specialising in defence and diplomacy issues in China, “became unreachable” after visiting Beijing to cover the Xiangshan Forum in late October, Japanese news agency Kyodo said, […]

Red vs. Blue: DeSantis and Newsom set to clash in televised debate

By Christopher Monterrosa, with Frankie Taggart in Washington ATLANTA, Nov 30, 2023 (AFP) – They are ambitious and relatively young leaders whose passionate views about running their large, powerful states offer contrasting ideals on how the deeply-polarized United States should be run. But Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom, his counterpart in Democratic California, will swap social media antagonism for an in-person televised debate Thursday that could be preview the White House race […]

Hong Kong man charged for wearing ‘seditious’ shirt

HONG KONG, Nov 29, 2023 (AFP) – Hong Kong authorities charged a 26-year-old man with sedition on Wednesday after police allegedly found “seditious wording” on a shirt he wore and on flags in his possession. China has tightened its grip on Hong Kong after the finance hub was rocked by huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019. The following year Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the city to quell dissent. Local […]

Luxon sworn in as new prime minister of New Zealand

WELLINGTON, Nov 27, 2023 (AFP) – Former airline boss Christopher Luxon formally took office as New Zealand’s prime minister Monday, vowing to tame inflation and bring down interest rates. Luxon took over six weeks after his conservative National Party won national elections, ending a six-year Labour Party reign ushered in by Jacinda Ardern. Luxon, 53, once chief executive of Air New Zealand, was sworn in as head of a new coalition government by New Zealand’s […]

Nicaragua bars pageant head after Ortega critic wins Miss Universe: media

SAN JOSÉ, Nov 26, 2023 (AFP) – Nicaraguan authorities have barred the director of the national beauty pageant from re-entering the country after a Nicaraguan woman seen as a symbol of opposition to the government was crowned Miss Universe, media reports and exiled opposition members said. Karen Celebertti and her daughter were detained upon their arrival at the Managua airport — days after seeing 23-year-old Sheynnis Palacios crowned as the first Miss Universe from Nicaragua […]

Madagascar President Rajoelina’s re-election contested

ANTANANARIVO, Nov 25, 2023 (AFP) – Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has won another term in office, the election commission said on Saturday, but his victory in a vote boycotted by most opposition candidates is already facing legal challenges. Rajoelina won 58.95 percent of the votes cast in the November 16 presidential election first round, according to the results presented by the poll body which need to be validated by the Constitutional Court. These results must […]

Kim Jong Un reviews satellite photos of US bases in Hawaii, S. Korea: state media

SEOUL, Nov 25, 2023 (AFP) – North Korean state media said Saturday leader Kim Jong Un reviewed images taken by his country’s new spy satellite of a US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and “major target” sites across South Korea. Pyongyang successfully put a military spy satellite into orbit this week, but Seoul said it was too early to determine if the satellite was functioning as the North claims. Experts have said putting […]

Dutch vote in election thriller

By Richard Carter with Jan Hennop in Enschede, the Netherlands THE HAGUE, Nov 22, 2023 (AFP) – Dutch voters cast ballots Wednesday in a cliffhanger election poised to usher in a new political era after Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s record 13-year stint in charge. Opinion polls suggest the result is far too close to predict, with any of four candidates — including one from the far-right — within striking distance of power in the EU’s […]

OPEC+ meeting postponed to November 30, sending prices falling

VIENNA, Nov 22, 2023 (AFP) – The ministerial meeting of the OPEC+ alliance originally scheduled for Sunday in Vienna has been rescheduled to Thursday, the Vienna-based Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced in a statement on Wednesday. The 13 OPEC members led by Saudi Arabia and their ten partners led by Russia were due to decide on their output policy amid slumping crude prices. The OPEC+ announcement caused global crude prices to shed […]

Taiwan’s presidential frontrunner picks US envoy as running mate

By Amber WANG TAIPEI, Nov 20, 2023 (AFP) – Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s former envoy to the United States and self-described “cat warrior”, was named Monday as the running mate to presidential frontrunner Lai Ching-te for the island’s January elections. The January 13 vote comes at a time when Beijing has intensified military and diplomatic pressure on the administration of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and China has blasted the pairing of Vice President Lai and Hsiao […]