Tag: politics

Thousands of Salvadorans protest against corruption

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AFP) — Thousands of people protested Sunday in El Salvador’s capital against corruption and what they see as a drift towards authoritarianism, days after the United States announced sanctions against a close aide of President Nayib Bukele. Bukele has drawn criticism for making bitcoin legal tender in the country, suggesting the volatile cryptocurrency will help revitalize its struggling economy, and for legal reforms which critics say are attacks on the independence […]

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China brands US democracy ‘weapon of mass destruction’ following US-organized Summit for Democracy

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China branded US democracy a “weapon of mass destruction” on Saturday, following the US-organised Summit for Democracy which aimed to shore up like-minded allies in the face of autocratic regimes. China was left out of the two-day virtual summit — along with countries including Russia and Hungary — and responded by angrily accusing US President Joe Biden of stoking Cold War-era ideological divides. “‘Democracy’ has long become a ‘weapon of […]

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Facebook misidentified thousands of political ads: study

PARIS, France (AFP) — Facebook misidentified tens of thousands of advertisements flagged under its political ads policy, according to a study released Thursday, which warned that the failure could lead to political manipulation. Researchers at Belgium’s KU Leuven university and New York University examined 33.8 million Facebook ads that ran on the social media site between July 2020 and February 2021. “This is the first known study to quantify the performance of Facebook’s political ad […]

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Biden convenes more than 100 nations for world ‘democracy’ summit

by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden, who took office amid the biggest US political crisis in decades, hosts representatives of more than 100 countries for a democracy summit Thursday that is drawing fire from China and Russia. The event, held by video link because of the coronavirus pandemic, is billed by the White House as US leadership in an existential struggle between democracies and powerful autocracies or dictatorships. “Make no […]

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Biden calls for carbon neutral federal government by 2050

WASHINGTON D.C., United States (AFP) – President Joe Biden is to sign an order Wednesday to make the federal government carbon neutral by 2050 via a panoply of clean-energy initiatives including electric vehicles and environmentally friendly buildings. The executive order, announced by the White House, directs the government to replace its fleet of gas-guzzling vehicles with electric cars and trucks by 2035 and ensure federal buildings are carbon-free by 2045. “The president is building on […]

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Myanmar junta jails Suu Kyi for four years

Myanmar’s junta jailed ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday for four years for incitement against the military and breaching Covid rules, a government spokesman told AFP, the first of a series of possible sentences that could see the Nobel laureate imprisoned for decades. Suu Kyi, 76, has been detained since the generals staged a coup and ousted her government on February 1, ending the Southeast Asian country’s brief period of democracy. She has […]

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Austerity, far right, feminism: Merkel’s ambivalent legacy

by Hui Min NEO Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – Crises have a knack for felling leaders. Not Chancellor Angela Merkel. During 16 years in power, the veteran navigated Germany through the 2008 financial turmoil and ensuing eurozone debt crisis, the 2015 refugee influx and then the coronavirus pandemic. While largely admired at home and abroad even in the final days of her reign, the legacy she leaves behind is marked both by light and […]

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Thousands block roads in Serbia to protest mining project

BELGRADE, Serbia (AFP) – Thousands of demonstrators blocked major roads across Serbia Saturday as anger swelled over a government-backed plan to allow mining giant Rio Tinto to extract lithium from the Balkan nation. In the capital Belgrade, protesters swarmed a major highway and bridge linking the city to outlying suburbs as the crowd chanted anti-government slogans while some held signs criticising the mining project. Smaller protests were held in other Serbian cities, with small scuffles […]

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CNN fires Chris Cuomo over help he gave to governor brother

CNN fired veteran anchor and correspondent Chris Cuomo, the cable news channel said Saturday, amid an investigation into his involvement with helping defend brother Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, against sexual misconduct allegations. Chris Cuomo had been suspended from CNN over the matter just days before his termination. “We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review, and have terminated him, effective immediately,” a statement posted to CNN’s official communications Twitter account […]

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Biden opens winter battle against Covid-19

by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden announced Thursday a winter campaign against Covid-19, with new testing requirements for travelers and a surge in vaccination efforts. Biden has brought steady leadership after the chaotic Donald Trump years, but the mutating coronavirus continues to defy him, helping drive his approval ratings deep underwater. Urging the nation — in particular his political rivals — to unite behind the strategy, Biden unveiled a […]

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Google to halt election ads ahead of 2022 Philippines vote

  MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Google will stop carrying election ads in the Philippines ahead of the May 2022 presidential vote, the internet giant said Wednesday, similar to action it has taken in the United States. Alarm has been raised in recent years by governments and election watchdogs over the use of targeted political advertising, especially disinformation campaigns to sway voters. The updated policy goes into effect on February 8, covering ads on Google, YouTube […]

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Lowering the queen’s flag — Barbados becomes a republic

by Kareem Smith Agence France-Presse BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AFP) – The Caribbean island nation of Barbados will on Monday night sever centuries-old ties to the British monarchy, ditching Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and declaring itself the world’s newest republic. The Royal Standard flag that represents the queen will be lowered in the capital Bridgetown and — at midnight (0400 GMT) — the current governor-general, Dame Sandra Mason, will be inaugurated as the first president. […]

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