Tag: politics

Three Peru police generals, others arrested in alleged graft plot

LIMA, Peru (AFP) — Authorities in Peru arrested three police generals and three other people on Monday for alleged involvement in the corruption case against ousted president Pedro Castillo, the interior ministry said. A “mega-operation” netted the six who are suspected of involvement of “irregular promotions” in the police force, said a ministry statement. Three of the six are active police generals suspected of having approved promotions, with Castillo’s alleged blessing, in exchange for money. […]

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Final verdicts in Suu Kyi junta trial set for Friday

Yangon, Myanmar (AFP) A Myanmar junta court will give its verdicts on five remaining charges in the 18-month trial of jailed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, a legal source told AFP. Suu Kyi has been a prisoner since the military toppled her government in February last year, ending the Southeast Asian nation’s brief period of democracy. The Nobel laureate, 77, has already been found guilty on 14 charges ranging from corruption to […]

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Facebook agrees to pay $725 million to settle privacy suit

  San Francisco, United States (AFP) Facebook parent Meta has agreed to pay $725 million to settle a long-running lawsuit that accused the social network of allowing third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, to access users’ private data. The amount was disclosed in a court filing late on Thursday. “The proposed settlement of $725,000,000 is the largest recovery ever achieved in a data privacy class action and the most Facebook has ever paid to resolve a […]

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Fiji govt accused of stoking fear to stay in power as troops deployed

SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — Fiji’s opposition on Friday accused the government of sowing “fear and chaos” in a bid to stay in power, as the military began deploying to the streets of the capital Suva. AFP reporters witnessed a small number of military vehicles on patrol, a day after Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced their mobilization to maintain “law and order”. The scene was otherwise calm with people going about last-minute holiday shopping. Formal naval […]

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‘Shame of Apurimac’: Peru region disavows homegrown president

by Patrick FORT Agence France-Presse ABANCAY, Peru (AFP) — Apurimac, a poor, Indigenous-majority region in Peru’s rural south, is the birthplace of the country’s brand new president, Dina Boluarte. It has also been the epicenter of violent protests against her political takeover. Twenty-one people have died in countrywide unrest sparked by the ouster early this month of leftist Pedro Castillo, under whose tumultuous 16-month leadership Boluarte was vice president. Six of the deaths were recorded […]

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Five ways TikTok is seen as threat to US national security

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Many in the United States see TikTok, the highly popular video-sharing app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, as a threat to national security. The following is a look at five reasons why: – Data sharing – TikTok — like its rivals Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube — thrives on data and there seems to be no limit to how much young users are willing to share about themselves on the super addictive […]

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TikTok under pressure as US lawmakers push government ban

by Thomas URBAIN Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The US Congress is on the cusp of approving a nationwide ban on using TikTok on government devices because of perceived security risks — thrusting the hugely popular video-sharing platform into a delicate position over Washington’s ties to China. After a Senate vote last week, the US House of Representatives could this week adopt a law prohibiting the use of TikTok on the professional […]

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Russian space chief praises US after ISS coolant leak

  Moscow, Russia (AFP) The head of Russian space agency Roscosmos on Tuesday praised Russia-US cooperation at the International Space Station following a major coolant leak from a Soyuz crew capsule. “Say hello to the entire American team. They proved themselves to be very worthy in this situation and lent us a helping hand,” Borisov said, speaking to the Russian crew on board the ISS. “But I hope we will manage on our own” in […]

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US lawmakers release $1.7 trillion spending bill to avert shutdown

Washington, United States (AFP) US lawmakers early Tuesday released the text of a $1.7 trillion funding bill which Congress hopes to pass within days to avert a government shutdown. The bill includes $858 billion in defense funding and will also provide $44.9 billion in emergency assistance for Ukraine. It also includes $772.5 billion for non-defense discretionary programs, including $118.7 billion for Veterans Affairs medical care, a 22 percent increase, and provides $40.6 billion to help US […]

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Jordan to host MidEast summit in bid to defuse regional tensions

by Acil Tabbara Agence France-Presse AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) — Jordan hosts a Middle East summit Tuesday bringing together regional and international players hoping to help resolve regional crises, particularly in neighboring Iraq. The “Baghdad II” meeting, which will also include officials from France and the European Union, follows an August 2021 summit in Iraq’s capital organized at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron. Iraq only recently arrived at a fragile compromise government after a […]

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Japan approves major defence overhaul on China threats

  Tokyo, Japan (AFP) by Kyoko HASEGAWA / Sara HUSSEIN Japan’s government approved a major defence policy overhaul Friday, including a significant spending hike, as it warned China poses the “greatest strategic challenge ever” to the country’s security. In its largest defence shake-up in decades, Japan vowed to up security spending to two percent of GDP by 2027, reshape its military command, and acquire new missiles that can strike far-flung enemy launch sites. “Fundamentally strengthening […]

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Counterstrikes and controversy: Japan’s defence overhaul

  Tokyo, Japan (AFP) by Katie Forster Japan has laid out plans to expand its defence capabilities drastically over five years. The new security strategy marks a major shift, as Japan confronts China’s growing military might. – Why are the changes controversial? – Japan’s constitution, drafted by the United States after World War II, does not officially recognise the military, so moves to bolster its capacity are highly sensitive. The constitution limits spending on the […]

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