Tag: vote

Anthony Albanese is sworn in as Australia’s prime minister

  CANBERRA, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s new centre-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took office Monday a few hours before flying out to attend an international summit in Tokyo. Albanese, who says Australia is willing to engage with the world on climate change, will join a summit Tuesday with the US, Japanese and Indian leaders, known as the Quad. The 59-year-old new prime minister was sworn in at a brief ceremony in Government House, Canberra. Other […]

Brazil’s Lula ties the knot months before presidential election

  SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the front-runner in Brazil’s October presidential elections, took a break from campaigning Wednesday to marry his fiancee and fellow Workers’ Party member, sociologist Rosangela da Silva. The former president posted a photo on Instagram Wednesday night in which he appears to be saying his vows to Da Silva while placing a wedding ring on her finger. Lula, 76, and Da Silva, 55, tied the […]

China’s President Xi congratulates Marcos, says he is confident of ‘stronger’ China-Philippines ties

  (Eagle News) — China’s President Xi Jinping has sent his congratulatory message to the Philippines’ president elect former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr on his election as president, adding to the list of world leaders who recognized the landslide win of the son of the late president Ferdinand Marcos. China and the Philippines are neighbors facing each other across the sea and partners through thick and thin, China’s Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

At least 355 defective vote counting machines found as Comelec completes delivery of VCMs, ballots

Testing and sealing of VCMs to end Saturday, May 7, 2022, says Comelec commissioner Garcia   (Eagle News) – At least 355 vote counting machines have been found to have some problems as the Commission on Elections finished the distribution of these machines as well as the ballots to be used in the national and local elections on Monday, May 9. Comelec commissioner George Garcia said that in the course of the testing and sealing […]

Trump-backed candidate wins nomination for key US Senate race

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — J.D. Vance, a Republican candidate for the US Senate who had received former president Donald Trump’s endorsement, has won his party’s hotly-contested primary in Ohio, US media projected Tuesday. Like many Republicans, the 37-year-old was initially critical of Trump during the latter’s rise in politics — at one point even calling him “America’s Hitler” — but later became an ardent supporter, emulating the former president’s firebrand style of populism. […]

Relief, not joy, at low-key Macron election party

by Adam Plowright © Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — At Emmanuel Macron’s election party Sunday in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, the atmosphere was restrained, the victory speech short and most people felt relief, rather than a desire to celebrate wildly. After a campaign shadowed by the war in Ukraine and with far-right leader Marine Le Pen achieving a historic high score, few seemed in the mood to revel in the French leader’s […]

World leaders welcome Macron’s French election win

  PARIS, France (AFP) — Western leaders rushed to congratulate France’s centrist President Emmanuel Macron on his re-election and defeat of far-right leader Marine Le Pen in elections Sunday. Here are some of the main reactions: – European Union – “We can count on France for five more years,” European Council President Charles Michel wrote on Twitter. “I am delighted to be able to continue our excellent cooperation,” tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der […]

Mexican president wins recall vote marked by low turnout

  by Sofia Miselem Agence France Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday easily won a divisive referendum he promoted on whether he should step down or complete his term — a vote marked by low turnout. With an approval rating of nearly 60 percent, Lopez Obrador’s presidency had never appeared seriously at risk, and the left-wing populist was himself one of the vote’s biggest cheerleaders. The 68-year-old […]

Conservative Yoon wins tight South Korean presidential race

The opposition conservative Yoon Suk-yeol won South Korea’s presidential election early Thursday, propelling a political novice and avowed anti-feminist to the helm of Asia’s fourth largest economy. After a bitter, hard-fought election campaign Yoon, formerly a top prosecutor who has never held elected office, was declared winner as rival Lee Jae-myung from the incumbent Democratic Party conceded defeat. “This is a victory of the great South Korean people,” Yoon told cheering supporters, who were chanting his […]