Tag: politics

Thais vote overwhelmingly for democracy parties, reject military

By Lisa MARTIN with Thanaporn Promyamyai BANGKOK, May 15, 2023 (AFP) – Thai voters have delivered a clear rejection of nearly a decade of military-aligned rule, election results showed Monday, backing two pro-democracy opposition parties. The Move Forward Party (MFP), the newest force in Thai politics that channelled the energy of youth-led pro-democracy protests in 2020, secured the most votes. Led by charismatic 42-year-old Pita Limjaroenrat, the MFP wants to reform Thailand’s strict royal insult […]

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Erdogan defends Putin against election meddling claims

ISTANBUL, May 12, 2023 (AFP) – President Recept Tayyip Erdogan on Friday defended Russia’s Vladimir Putin from allegations of meddling in Turkey’s crucial weekend election. Erdogan’s secular rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Thursday accused unnamed Russian actors of spreading “deep fakes” and other disinformation aimed at swaying the outcome of Sunday’s vote. The Kremlin “strongly” denied the allegation and Erdogan stood up for Putin at a televised campaign appearance on Friday. “Mr. Kemal is attacking Russia, […]

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Debt ceiling talks postponed until next week: W.House

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 (AFP) – Crunch talks between US President Joe Biden and senior Republicans have been postponed until early next week to allow staff to continue working, the White House said in a statement Thursday. A source familiar with the meetings between Democratic and Republican leaders said this was a positive development and that talks between the two sides were progressing, making Friday not the right moment for the leaders to meet. But […]

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US braces for migration surge with thousands of forces at border

BROWNSVILLE, United States, May 10, 2023 (AFP) – The United States on Wednesday was readying its response to an expected surge of migrants seeking to enter, with officials saying 24,000 law enforcement personnel have been deployed to the Mexican border. President Joe Biden has acknowledged that the border will be “chaotic for a while” with the expiration of Covid pandemic rules that had forbidden virtually all asylum claims there. Tens of thousands of people are […]

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‘Chaotic for a while’ at US border as rules change: Biden

By Paula RAMON EL PASO, United States, May 10, 2023 (AFP) – The US border with Mexico will be “chaotic for a while,” President Joe Biden acknowledged Tuesday, days before pandemic-era rules that have made claiming asylum at the frontier all but impossible are due to end. Tens of thousands of people are massing at border crossing points awaiting the expiration of Title 42 overnight Thursday into Friday. Thousands have already entered the United States, […]

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China says to expel Canada’s top diplomat in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — China said Tuesday it was expelling Canada’s consul in Shanghai in a tit-for-tat move after Ottawa said it was sending home a Chinese diplomat accused of trying to intimidate a Canadian lawmaker critical of Beijing. Beijing’s foreign ministry labelled Jennifer Lynn Lalonde “persona non grata” in an English statement published online, adding “China reserves the right to further react”. Lalonde was told to leave China by May 13. “China strongly condemns […]

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US readies for migrant influx as Covid-era border rules lapse

By Moises AVILA with Paula RAMON in EL PASO, Texas and Herika MARTINEZ in CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico BROWNSVILLE, United States (AFP) — The United States is girding for the arrival of thousands of migrants this week, with the expiry of pandemic-era rules that have made claiming asylum at the border all-but impossible. The country’s deep divisions over immigration are expected to be laid bare as a wave of people try to get a foothold in a […]

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Convoy carrying ASEAN diplomats ‘attacked’ in Myanmar

YANGON, May 8, 2023 (AFP) – A convoy of diplomats travelling in Myanmar came under fire from an unknown armed group, a military official and a diplomat said Monday. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a military coup deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s administration in February 2021. On Sunday a convoy of several vehicles travelling in Taunggyi township in eastern Myanmar’s Shan State was attacked by an unknown armed group, a foreign diplomat based in […]

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Trump denies rape allegation in video testimony played in court

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump described his rape accuser as “mentally sick” in a videotaped deposition that was played for jurors in his sexual assault and defamation civil trial Thursday. “She’s a liar and she’s really a sick person. I think she’s sick, mentally sick,” Trump said of former American columnist E. Jean Carroll. He made the comments in October when he sat for a deposition in Carroll’s lawsuit against the ex-president. […]

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Biden administration warns China hopes for US debt ‘chaos’

WASHINGTON, United States — The Biden administration on Thursday warned that superpower rival China would “love” to see Washington fail to extend the national debt ceiling and push the country into the “chaos” of default. “They love to see chaos in the American system,” senior White House economics official Shalanda Young told reporters. “They love to see that we can’t do our basic jobs.” Republicans in Congress and President Joe Biden’s Democrats are running out […]

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Thai PM front-runner hails new baby as ‘secret power’

By Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI Agence France-Presse BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — One of the front-runners in Thailand’s general election hailed her newborn son as her “secret power” Wednesday as she presented the baby to the media after giving birth just two weeks before polling day. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, vowed to get back on the campaign trail for the May 14 vote after giving birth on Monday. The 36-year-old has been first or […]

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French mass in May 1 show of anger against Macron pension reform

PARIS, May 1, 2023 (AFP) Hundreds of thousands of people on Monday massed in France on labour day to vent their anger against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, with unions vowing not to stop fighting even after the changes were signed into law. Unions had been hoping for a vast turnout across France for the May 1 protests to further rattle Macron, who has been greeted by pot-bashing and jeers as he toured the country […]

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