LIMA, Peru (AFP) — At least 12 people died Monday in Peru as anti-government protesters trying to overrun an airport clashed with security forces, officials said. The violence took place in the southeastern city of Juliaca, in the Puno region, an official in the local ombudsman’s office told AFP. The office gave an earlier death toll of nine. The protesters were demanding the departure of President Dina Boluarte, who took over after the ouster and […]
Tag: politics
Brazil patrols government buildings retaken from rioting Bolsonaro supporters
BRASÍLIA, Brazil (AFP) — Brazilian security forces locked down the area around Congress, the presidential palace and the Supreme Court Monday, a day after supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the seat of power in riots that triggered an international outcry. In stunning scenes reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 invasion of the US Capitol building by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, backers of Bolsonaro broke through police cordons and overran the seats of power […]
Why Indonesia is moving its capital to the rainforests of Borneo
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia is relocating its capital city from Jakarta to a site more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away in the rainforests of Borneo Island. The project is set to launch at the end of President Joko Widodo’s term in 2024. Here’s why Southeast Asia’s largest economy is moving its administrative center to Nusantara, a lush, biodiverse region home to the world’s oldest rainforests. – Sinking city – Jakarta is sinking at […]
US in crisis amid once-in-a-century political standoff
by Frankie TAGGART Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US House of Representatives plunged deeper into crisis Thursday as Republican favorite Kevin McCarthy failed again to win the speakership — entrenching a three-day standoff that has paralyzed the lower chamber of Congress. McCarthy, a favorite of his party’s establishment but a bete noire of the far right, has made sweeping concessions to quell a rebellion of around 20 hardliners blocking his bid to […]
Macron and France brace for stormy January
by Adam PLOWRIGHT Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Addressing the nation on New Year’s Eve, French President Emmanuel Macron put the country on alert for another period of political turbulence. The 45-year-old, speaking from the Elysee palace, acknowledged the “anxieties” of many people amid rocketing food prices, worries about the war in Ukraine and lingering concern about Covid-19. But he vowed to press ahead with plans to push back the retirement age, starting later […]
China, Philippines vow ‘friendly’ handling of maritime spats
Beijing and Manila on Wednesday vowed to resolve maritime disagreements through consultation, during a visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos to the Chinese capital amid heightened tensions over the hotly disputed South China Sea. Marcos and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping both called for “friendly consultation to appropriately resolve maritime issues,” at a meeting on Wednesday, China’s state-owned broadcaster CCTV said. China and the Philippines are at odds over the South China Sea, with Beijing […]
Philippines’ Marcos vows to ‘strengthen’ China ties on Beijing trip
Beijing, China (AFP) Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Wednesday he hoped to strengthen ties with Beijing on his first state visit to China since taking office. China and the Philippines are at odds over the hotly disputed South China Sea, with Marcos expected to sign a deal in Beijing this week to establish direct communication on maritime issues. Manila considers it “of primary importance to… strengthen the relationship between China and the Philippines”, Marcos said […]
Chaos as US House adjourns without choosing speaker
by Frankie TAGGART Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The new US Congress was plunged into disarray Tuesday as renegade right-wing Republicans blocked favorite Kevin McCarthy from becoming speaker of the House of Representatives in a series of humiliating votes seen as a rebuke to the party establishment. The California congressman needed a simple majority to be elected as Washington’s top legislator, who presides over House business and is second in line to the […]
Lula returns vowing to rebuild, reunify Brazil
by Ramon SAHMKOW Agence France-Presse BRASÍLIA, Brazil (AFP) — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office Sunday for a third term as Brazil’s president, vowing to fight for the poor and the environment and “rebuild the country” after far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro’s divisive administration. The 77-year-old veteran leftist, who previously led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, took the oath of office before Congress, capping a remarkable political comeback for the metalworker-turned-president less than five years […]
Incitement, gold bars, walkie talkies: the charges against Myanmar’s Suu Kyi
Yangon, Myanmar (AFP) Myanmar’s junta has thrown the book at Aung San Suu Kyi since it ousted her government last year, charging the democracy figurehead with a clutch of offences from illegally possessing walkie talkies to corruption. She has been found guilty of every charge so far in proceedings that critics and rights groups have slammed as a sham designed to banish the military’s most famous opponent from the political scene. AFP takes a […]
Fears of extremist campaign after attack on US power substations
Investigators probing vandalism at electricity substations in the western US state of Washington on Tuesday appealed for public help in tracking down those responsible for attacks that have fueled concerns of a right-wing extremist campaign. Local police gave no information on who they suspected was behind the vandalism, which knocked out power on December 25 for some 14,000 in Tacoma, a port city area south of Seattle. Tacoma Public Utilities, which owns two of the […]
North Korea’s ruling party begins key annual meeting
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea’s ruling party has kicked off a major annual meeting with economic policy on the agenda, state media reported Tuesday. Instead of a New Year’s Day speech, leader Kim Jong Un in recent years has used the year-end plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea as a platform to outline policies in key areas such as diplomacy, security and the economy. This year’s meeting began on Monday with […]
