Tag: president

New Sri Lanka president sworn in eyeing unity government

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in Thursday as president of the crisis-hit South Asian nation, as officials said he was looking to form a unity government to manage the turmoil. The 73-year-old veteran politician, who was overwhelmingly elected as head of state in a parliamentary vote Wednesday, took his oath of office before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, his office said. Live coverage of the swearing-in at […]

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after president flees

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Crisis-hit Sri Lanka declared an indefinite nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday, hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, the prime minister’s office said. “Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country,” Dinouk Colombage, spokesman for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, told AFP. Police said they were also imposing an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which […]

Fleeing Sri Lankan president’s cash in court, succession battle begins

  by Amal JAYASINGHE Agence France Presse COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Millions of rupees in cash left behind by Sri Lanka’s president when he fled his official residence was handed over to a court Monday after being turned in by protestors, police said as a succession battle got under way. Protesters discovered 17.85 million rupees (about $50,000) in crisp new banknotes but turned it over to police following Saturday’s storming of the Presidential palace. […]

Sri Lanka’s president to quit after chased from home

  by Amal Jayasinghe with Faisal Kamal in Galle Agence France Presse COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lankan protesters refused to budge from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence on Sunday after storming his home, forcing him to flee with the navy and to announce his resignation. The dramatic events on Saturday were the culmination of months of protests by people enraged by the South Asian island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis and the Rajapaksa clan’s incompetence […]

“I will deliver, no excuses for me,” says 17th PHL president Marcos Jr., as he calls for unity

“We are here to repair a house divided,” says President Marcos Jr during inauguration speech as he promises to make the Philippines a “land of plenty”   (Eagle News) — President Ferdinand Romualdez “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., took his oath on Thursday, June 30, as the 17th president of the country, promising to deliver on his promises of a better Philippines amid the uncertainty of a continuing conflict in Ukraine and the throes of the still […]

Historic moment: Marcos Jr welcomed at Palace by outgoing Pres. Duterte before inauguration as 17th PHL president

Departure honors given to PHL’s outgoing President Duterte as he leaves Malacanang Palace   (Eagle News) – President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., was welcomed to the Malacanang Palace, the Philippines’ seat of power, by no less than outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday morning, June 30, 2022. Marcos Jr., stepped into Malacanang as the incoming president of the country, at around 10:30 a.m., just before his inauguration as the 17th President of the Philippines. Marcos, […]

President of Panama announces blood cancer diagnosis

  PANAMA CITY, Panama (AFP) — The President of Panama Laurentino Cortizo said on Monday that he has blood cancer, although the 69-year-old said he feels well and is in “good spirits.” In late May, Cortizo’s doctors detected “a decrease in hemoglobin and white blood cell count” during routine testing, the president said in a televised statement. Specialists recommended that a bone marrow biopsy be performed, and samples were sent to a US laboratory, and […]

President Duterte visits INC Executive Minister before term ends

(Eagle News) — Two weeks before his term ends, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte paid a courtesy call on Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo on Tuesday afternoon, June 14. President Duterte arrived at the INC Central Office in Quezon City accompanied by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, around 3 p.m., The President expressed his gratitude to the INC Executive Minister and the Iglesia Ni Cristo as a whole for the Church’s support for […]

Bolivian ex-president Anez sentenced to 10 years in prison

  LA PAZ, Bolivia (AFP) — Bolivian ex-president Jeanine Anez was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison, more than a year after her arrest for an alleged plot — dismissed as fictional by many — to oust her rival and predecessor Evo Morales. Anez, who has been held in pre-trial detention since March 2021, has consistently denounced what she calls political persecution. The former interim leader will serve 10 years in a women’s prison […]

“Wish me well, pray for me,” says Marcos Jr after proclamation; Sara Duterte also proclaimed as VP

Historic proclamation of first majority president and vice-president in the post-1986 era, says Congress   (Eagle News) — “Wish me well. Pray for me. I want to do well for this country.” This was the statement of Philippine president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., shortly after he was proclaimed as the 17th president of the country. His running mate, presidential daughter, Sara Duterte, was also proclaimed as the country’s next vice-president at the end of a […]

Congress finishes nat’l canvass: final votes show Marcos with 31.6M votes, Sara with 32M votes

Proclamation of Marcos Jr as 17th PHL president, Sara Duterte as next VP of the country, set at 5 p.m. (Eagle News) — Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, announced the successful completion of the national canvass of votes for president and vice-president for the May 9, 2022 elections, paving the way for the proclamation of the winning candidates. The canvassing of the votes was terminated at around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May […]

Palace commends Robredo camp for decision not to delay nat’l canvassing of votes for president, VP

  (Eagle News) – Malacanang commended Vice-President Leni Robredo’s camp for “expediting” the canvassing of votes for president on Tuesday, May 24, after her legal counsel stood up to express the stand that they would not interpose any objections nor delay the ongoing canvassing of votes. In a statement, the Palace said this pronouncement from Robredo’s camp was a “positive development.” “The decision of the camp of Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo to expedite […]