Tag: politics

Canada bans Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks

by Michel COMTE Canada will ban Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE from its 5G wireless networks due to national security concerns, officials said Thursday. The long-awaited move follows the United States and other key allies, and comes on the heels of a diplomatic row between Ottawa and Beijing over the detention of a senior Huawei executive on a US warrant, which has now been resolved. The United States has warned of the security implications […]

Biden attacks white supremacist ‘poison’ after racist shooting

    by Nicholas Kamm with Sebastian Smith in Washington © Agence France-Presse Buffalo, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday called out what he branded the “poison” of white supremacist ideology behind a deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, and said that racism is being stoked for political gain. Speaking in the city where a white teen is accused of murdering 10 African Americans in a neighborhood supermarket, Biden said, “What […]

Armenia police detain 300 at anti-government protests

  Yerevan, ARMENIA (AFP) — Police in Armenia on Tuesday detained nearly 300 opposition supporters who tried to block streets in the capital Yerevan, which has been gripped for a month by anti-government protests. Since mid-April, opposition parties have been staging rallies demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation over his handling of a territorial dispute with Azerbaijan. On Tuesday morning, hundreds of opposition supporters attempted to block streets across central Yerevan, an AFP journalist witnessed. […]

Sri Lanka’s new PM struggles to form unity government

by Amal JAYASINGHE and Sean GLEESON Sri Lanka’s new prime minister struggled Friday to forge a unity government and forestall an imminent economic collapse as opposition lawmakers refused to join his cabinet and demanded fresh elections. Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in late Thursday to navigate his country through the worst downturn in its history as an independent nation, with months of shortages and blackouts inflaming public anger. The 73-year-old insists he has enough support to govern […]

Myanmar junta to reopen borders to tourists

Myanmar’s junta will allow tourists to apply for visas after a break of more than two years, state media said Thursday, sparking calls by an activist group for foreign travellers to stay away. The country closed its borders to visitors in March 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to prevent infections rising. It was further isolated after the army toppled the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February […]

US congratulates Philippines’ Marcos

The United States said Wednesday it will seek close security ties with the Philippines under its next president, the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. In a phone call, US President Joe Biden congratulated Ferdinand Marcos Jr on his recent election win, the White House said late Wednesday Washington time. “President Biden underscored that he looks forward to working with the President-elect to continue strengthening the US-Philippine Alliance, while expanding bilateral cooperation on a wide […]

Solomons PM dismisses concerns over China maritime deal

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (AFP) —  The Solomon Islands’ prime minister dismissed criticism of a new maritime investment deal with China on Wednesday, saying there was nothing “sinister” in the draft agreement. The new agreement, a copy of which has been leaked to the media, comes after a controversial security pact was signed last month. The pact sparked alarm in Australia and the United States, which feared it could lead to Beijing securing a military foothold […]

US seeks ‘close partnership’ with Marcos despite ‘challenges’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States will seek close security ties with the Philippines under its next president, the son of late president Ferdinand Marcos, despite “challenges” due to historical baggage, a US official said Wednesday. “There are some historical considerations that probably make this — at least initially — there will be some challenges in the communication,” said Kurt Campbell, the top White House official on Asia. “But obviously (the) Philippines plays […]

Cardinal, pop star among latest Hong Kong security arrests: sources

An elderly Catholic cardinal critical of Beijing and a Cantonese pop star are among a group of veteran democracy advocates who have been arrested under Hong Kong’s national security law, legal and police sources said Wednesday. Those arrested were all trustees of a now-disbanded fund that helped finance demonstrators detained during massive democracy protests that swept Hong Kong three years ago. Retired cleric Cardinal Joseph Zen and singer Denise Ho were among those detained, a […]

Myanmar junta charges central bank ex-deputy governor with corruption

Myanmar’s junta has charged a former central bank deputy governor with corruption, state media reported Wednesday, the latest figure close to Aung San Suu Kyi’s ousted government to be  prosecuted by the military. Trained in the United States and Britain, Bo Bo Nge was appointed in 2017 as liberalisation swept the Southeast Asian nation after the former junta relaxed its grip on power. He was detained shortly after the coup last year as the military rounded […]

Marcos Jr heads for landslide as Philippines votes for new president

by Andrew Beatty with Mikhail Flores in Magarao Agence France-Presse BATAC CITY, Philippines (AFP) —  Millions of Filipinos thronged primary schools and other polling stations Monday to elect a new president, with the son of former president Ferdinand Marcos the favourite to win the high-stakes election. Nearly 40 years after the patriarch was deposed by a popular revolt and the family chased into exile, Ferdinand Marcos Junior looks set to complete their remarkable comeback from […]

Will Hong Kong reopen for business under new leader Lee?

by Holmes Chan and Su Xinqi © Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong’s next leader John Lee is inheriting a once vibrant Asian business hub mired in its third year of pandemic isolation but he may prioritize security over an economic reboot, business leaders and observers say. Lee, a former security chief, is expected to be confirmed Hong Kong’s next chief executive on Sunday by a committee of 1,463 elites after running […]