Senegal’s special cybersecurity division (DSC) arrested Gadiaga over his remarks during a July 4, 2025, broadcast about Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. On July 14, 2025, a judge opened a judicial investigation and charged Gadiaga with spreading false news, immoral speech, insulting a person exercising the prerogatives of the head of state, and receiving or soliciting donations in order to engage in propaganda likely to disturb public order, his lawyer, El Hadji Omar Youm, told news outlets.

During the broadcast on private television channel Télé Futurs Médias (TFM), Gadiaga responded to criticism from a ruling party official by saying that the party should not give lessons in ethics because its leader, Sonko, had been “convicted of sexual abuse.” Sonko was sentenced in absentia in June 2023 to two years in prison for the “corruption of youth.” 

In April, Sonko said his opponents were using journalists and “so-called news commentators” to spread false news and defame authorities.

“These charges represent an escalation in the government’s punitive attitude toward the media and promote a dangerous conflation between the press and the political opposition,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative. “Senegalese authorities must release news commentators Badara Gadiaga, Abdou Nguer, and Bachir Fofana, and refrain from reprisals against the media for their criticism. Alleged press offenses should not be criminalized.”

On July 10, Sonko alluded to the TV debate during a meeting with his party’s leadership and recommended that party members “stop going to television stations that fight [the party]. …I fight those who fight me, and let those who use their tools to fight me know that I will go to the end.” He also called for a boycott of “television stations that fight him.”

L’Observateur, a newspaper owned by the same parent company as TFM, Groupe Futurs Médias, responded to Sonko’s comments with an editorial saying: “We are not a media affiliate of a party, nor a propaganda battalion, nor an instrument of validation. We are a newsroom.”

Separately, deliberation of the trial of commentator Bachir Fofana, detained for allegedly spreading false news, has been postponed to July 16, and another commentator, Abdou Nguer, has remained in prison since April on various charges.

CPJ’s calls to Sonko’s office and the justice ministry went unanswered.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

In an unprecedented legal move in Aotearoa New Zealand, a national Palestine solidarity advocacy group has filed a referral against the prime minister, three other ministers in the coalition government and two business leaders, alleging complicity with Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza.

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) has accused the six individuals of complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by “assisting Israel’s mass killing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza”.

The PSNA movement has led 90 consecutive weeks of protest at multiple locations across New Zealand in the country’s biggest humn rights campaign since the war began in October 2023.

• READ MORE: ‘Horrific scenes’ in Gaza as Israel kills dozens of aid seekers
• UN Special Committee finds Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza consistent with genocide, including use of starvation as weapon of war
• Australian Prime Minister referred to ICC for complicity in genocide

In a statement, PSNA co-chairs John Minto and Maher Nazzal said the referral “carefully outlines a case that these six individuals should be investigated” by the Office of the Prosecutor for their knowing contribution to Israel’s crimes in Gaza.

“The 103-page referral document was prepared by a legal team which has been working on the case for many months,” said Minto and Nazzal.

“It is legally robust and will provide the prosecutor of the ICC more than sufficient documentation to begin their investigation.”

The six people named in the referral documentation are Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, Minister for Defence and Space Judith Collins, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, and businessmen Rocket Lab chief executive Sir Peter Beck and Rakon Limited chief executive Dr Sinan Altug.

Spy satellites
According to PSNA, Rocket Lab launches spy satellites from Māhia, which PSNA claims Israel uses go target civilians in Gaza, while Rakon exports military-grade crystal oscillators to the US “to be put in missiles which Israel can deploy in Gaza and elsewhere”.

“This is a grave step which we have not taken lightly,” Minto and Nazzal said.

“The government’s ongoing and meaningful support for Israel, despite its horrendous war crimes, is not only egregious to most New Zealanders, but is also criminal conduct under international law.”

The PSNA referral follows an open letter by one of the country’s largest environmental organisations two days ago that called on the government to impose sanctions on Israel amid mounting criticism in New Zealand over war crimes allegations against the state over its 20-month war.

Greenpeace Aotearoa’s executive director Dr Russel Norman, a former Green Party co-leader, said in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Luxon and Foreign Minister Peters that he was expressing grave concerns about the “ongoing genocide in Gaza being carried out by Israeli forces, and the ongoing failure of the New Zealand government to impose meaningful sanctions on Israel.”

Norman cited a statement by the UN Human Rights Office last week that “at least 410 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to fetch from controversial new aid hubs in Gaza”.

The office said this was “a likely war crime”.

‘Killing field’
He also cited Ha’aretz, a respected Israeli newspaper, quoting an Israeli soldier describing the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHC) aid hubs as a “killing field”.

In March last year, Sydney law firm Birchgrove Legal referred a case to ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan consisting of 92 pages of documented evidence, alleging that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and several other high level local politicians were complicit in the Gaza genocide.

The case was lodged under article 15 of the Rome Statute and although Albanese claimed it had “no credibility”, two months later the ICC announced that it had agreed to investigate Albanese as part of its ongoing “Situation in the State of Palestine” investigation.

In January 2015, the Palestinian government lodged a claim with the ICC regarding war crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territories since 13 June 2014.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, leading international scholars and the UN Special Committee to investigate Israel’s practices have all condemned Israel’s actions as genocide.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for the war crimes of starvation as a weapon and crimes against humanity.

‘Letter of demand’
The New Zealand referral to the ICC followed a “letter of demand” issued to the government last year actions that a “reasonable government” would take to prevent and punish the crime of genocide, and the actions a government should take to avoid criminal complicity with Israel.

“For 20 months these political and business leaders have supported Israel to commit crimes which have shocked the human conscience,” Minto and Nazzal said.

“This has brought shame on the whole country.”

It is understood that this is the first time that New Zealand political or business leaders have been referred to the ICC for investigation.

There were no immediate responses. However, a growing number of such cases are being filed around the world.

In July 2024, the UN’s highest global court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion declaring that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza and East Jerusalem, was illegal.

It called on Israel to halt all settlements and withdraw settlers from the territory. The court is also investigating Israel over a case brought by South Africa alleging genocide.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

The man in the video ridicules Pakistanis for celebrating an apparent ‘victory’ in the flare-up which saw intense cross-border missile strikes. He states that Pakistan has attained victory, not with regard to technological advances, but with their capacity to tell lies. He further lampoons Pakistan by calling out news agencies and their propensity to spread misinformation. The video is embedded with a caption which reads: “Pakistani influencer exposes Pakistani army and media with brutal satire, reveals ground reality.’

Verified X user Chota Don (@choga_don) posted the viral video, claiming that the man speaking on camera was from Pakistan. This tweet has gathered 10 Lakh views and more than 3,500 re-shares. (Archive)

Dheere dheere Pakistanio ko realise ho rha h, kya hua tha unke sath pic.twitter.com/5riyw82TcL

— Chota Don (@choga_don) May 25, 2025

The same claim was amplified by several other X users. (Archived links: 1, 2, 3, 4)

The official Instagram handle of the Rajasthan unit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also posted the viral video.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by RSS Rajasthan (@rssrajasthanorg)

Fact Check

We ran a reverse image search on one of the key-frames from the viral video, which led us to this Instagram reel, uploaded by comedian and model, Anil Singh, on May 19. This is the same video that went viral.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ANIL SINGH (@anil_singh_0009)

By going through his profile, we could discern that the original reel, which featured Singh performing a comic monologue in character, was part of a series of sketches that lampoon political rhetoric in the subcontinent. In this particular video, he plays the character of a Pakistani man.

A link provided in his Instagram bio led us to his YouTube channel, where it is mentioned that Anil Singh is from India.

So, to sum up, an Instagram reel uploaded by an Indian model and content creator by the name of Anil Singh, has gone viral, with users on social media claiming that he is a Pakistani civilian admitting to the deplorable state of affairs in Pakistan.

There is more, and this is where it gets interesting.

Republic TV Ran The Video as Confession of a Pakistani Man

In a blatant case of reporting without any verification, Republic Bharat aired this satirical reel, falsely presenting it as a real confession by a Pakistani civilian.

The clip, originally intended as a comedic skit, was stripped of its context, and repurposed as a confession during a prime-time broadcast, named ‘Yeh Bharat ki Baat Hai’, on May 23.

The comedian, Anil Singh, posted another Instagram reel on May 24, which showed footage of the Republic Bharat broadcast of May 23, which had been aired at 8:56 PM. The anchor, Syed Suhail, says: “Toh Pakistan yeh jashn isliye mana raha hai ki unke awaam ko bata sake – hum haare nahi hai, jeete hai. Lekin awaam unki sab janti hai. Suniye uni ke zubaani kya keh rahi hai – Pakistan jeeta hai ya haara.” (Translation: “Pakistan is celebrating in order to show its people that they didn’t lose, but won. However, their people know the truth. Listen to what they themselves are saying – did Pakistan win or lose?”)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ANIL SINGH (@anil_singh_0009)

Alt News was able to locate the timestamp of the episode where the satirical reel was broadcast, but the section has since been edited out (starting at the 3:40 timestamp).

Anil Singh uploaded another Instagram reel on May 26 which called attention to a corrigendum issued by Republic Bharat, on the May 24 broadcast of the same show. The anchor, Syed Suhail, clarifies that the man shown on the Instagram reel was no Pakistani, and asserts that the show had made no insinuation towards the testimony being that of a Pakistani’s. This is, however, a false claim. The anchor clearly said what he was going to show was a statement from “पाकिस्तान की अवाम” (the common people of Pakistan).

He then ends by issuing an apology, considering that audiences might have leapt to false ideas about that person’s nationality.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ANIL SINGH (@anil_singh_0009)

The post Republic used Indian creator’s satiric reel on prime time; claimed Pakistani civilians were slamming their country appeared first on Alt News.

This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Prantik Ali.

Updated May 28, 2025, 11:40 a.m. ET

BANGKOK – The Thai prime minister said Wednesday she spoke to her Cambodian counterpart to reduce tensions after Cambodia said one of its soldiers was killed in a brief gunfight with Thai troops at a sensitive border region.

The 10-minute shootout at Hill 496 comes after weeks of mounting tension. The neighbors have a history of armed confrontation at disputed border areas.

Cambodia said one of its soldiers, Sgt. Suan Roan, 48, was killed during the fight, and the body has been transported from the border for a funeral, The Associated Press reported. The Thai army said it suffered no casualties.

Tension has risen in recent weeks after Thai soldiers accused their Cambodian counterparts of burning a Thai-built friendship gazebo in the Chong Bok area of Thailand’s northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province, where the Thai, Cambodian and Lao borders meet. There have also been disturbances at the ancient shrine of Ta Moan Thom, in Surin province to the west. Both Thailand and Cambodia claim the site.

Following Wednesday’s clash, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said both countries were determined to prevent tensions from boiling over.

“[I] have talked to Prime Minister Hun Manet. [The incident] was minor. We have understanding and will ease the tension and will prevent the reoccurrence,” she told reporters.

Thai soldiers were directed to stay alert despite top level negotiations, the Thai army said in a statement, adding that Cambodia fired the first shot and all Thai soldiers were safe.

(Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

In a post on Facebook, Cambodian Senate president and former prime minister Hun Sen expressed condolences to the family of the fallen soldier, and said a peaceful border “should never witness such incidents.”

“I strongly condemn any individual, entity, or authority that made the decision to carry out such an act of aggression, which resembles the incursions that occurred between 2008 and 2011 at the Preah Vihear temple,” Hun Sen wrote.

In 2011, there was a deadly clash between Thai and Cambodia forces over an ancient temple at Preah Vihear, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The U.N.’s International Court of Justice granted sovereignty over the area to Cambodia in 2013.

This March, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet threatened to use military force if the Thai military sent soldiers to Ta Moan Thom temple site.

The incomplete boundary demarcation there led to a confrontation between Cambodian soldiers who visited the temple last month and Thai soldiers who are stationed nearby, according to independent online news outlet CamboJa.

RFA Khmer contributed reporting. Edited by Mike Firn and Mat Pennington.

Updated with Hun Sen’s comment.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Pimuk Rakkanam for RFA.

Abdelfattah has spent nearly a decade in prison and now faces an additional two years of detention—despite Egyptian legal provisions that should have guaranteed his release last September. On May 20, the journalist’s 69-year-old mother, Laila Soueif, resumed a near-total hunger strike in protest.

On March 4, CPJ led a joint letter signed by 50 prominent human rights leaders, Nobel laureates, writers, and public figures, urging President el-Sisi to issue a presidential pardon for Abdelfattah.

Read the full letter in English here.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Prime Minister Mark Carney won Canada’s election this week in what many observers are calling an embrace of Canadian nationalism and rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump. Carney is a former central banker who became prime minister in March after Justin Trudeau stepped down. He is largely expected to continue the policies adopted by his centrist Liberal predecessor, who supported aligning Canadian law with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the cornerstone of international rights for Indigenous peoples, but also faced criticism for his support for the Trans Mountain oil pipeline. 

Carney’s Conservative opponent Pierre Poilievre embraced a major expansion of domestic oil and gas development and voted against the 2021 bill to ensure Canadian laws are consistent with the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  

“I am very proud to say that I oppose this bill,” Poilievre said at the time. One study found that if Poilievre won, Canada’s emissions would increase, whereas Carney’s win means the country’s emissions will continue to fall — albeit not low enough to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

Indigenous Climate Action, an advocacy group for Indigenous peoples and climate justice in Canada, said in a statement that Carney was considered the “lesser of two evils” compared to his Conservative opponent but that the organization is concerned that both Carney and Poilievre promised to speed up extractive energy projects in the name of Canadian sovereignty.

“So-called Canadian sovereignty shouldn’t come at the expense of Indigenous sovereignty, nor should it be an excuse to violate our inherent rights,” the organization said. “True climate justice can only be achieved when Indigenous Peoples are given the rightful power to determine the fate of our lands and territories.”

Prior to his election, Carney had a track record of climate advocacy: In 2019, he became the United Nations’ special envoy for climate action and finance, with the goal of drumming up private financing to help countries prevent the earth from warning more than 1.5 degrees. A decade ago, he said the “vast majority of reserves are unburnable” if the world is to avoid the worst-case scenarios of climate change.

Carney’s rhetoric has since shifted. One of his first decisions after replacing Trudeau was to remove the federal carbon tax on fossil fuel usage that was widely criticized for increasing the cost of living, despite data indicating rebates reached more than 80 percent of Canadians. The issue had become a political liability for the Liberal party and scrapping the tax ahead of the election undercut what had become a rallying cry for his opponent. Carney has also promised to fast-track resource development projects to decrease Canada’s reliance on energy imports.

“Build, baby, build,” Carney said in his victory speech this week, a play on Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” motto that refers to ramping up oil production. For Carney, “build, baby, build” expresses his commitment to shoring up Canadian infrastructure, including building half a million affordable housing units and expanding domestic energy production. 

Read Next

In Canada, Indigenous advocates argue that mining companies violate the rights of nature

Taylar Dawn Stagner & Joseph Winters

“It’s time to build new trade and energy corridors working in partnership with the provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples,” he said in the same speech. “It’s time to build Canada into an energy superpower in both clean and conventional energy.” 

Both Carney and Poilievre embraced constructing energy corridors, but it’s not clear what pipelines or other projects would comprise the corridor Carney has championed. 

Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, an advocacy organization for Canada’s First Nations, said she is optimistic Carney’s administration will involve Indigenous communities with planning and decision-making as he pursues his aggressive energy development goal.  

“They’re going to have to make sure that they work with First Peoples on whose land Canada is made,” Nepinak said. “First Nations aren’t anti-development but they do want to do things in a balanced and sustainable way because we don’t have another planet to send our children to. We always try to think to the generations ahead: Are we ruining what we have?” 

Carney’s campaign has been full of promises to that effect. “A Mark Carney-led government will: work in full partnership with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis to advance and realize the rights of Indigenous peoples through a distinctions-based approach,” according to his website. A Mark Carney-led government will “support Indigenous-led processes for advancing self-determination,” it continued, and “implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.” The website frequently described Indigenous peoples as partners and promised to expand funding and services for them. In March, Carney doubled federal infrastructure financing for Indigenous communities from $5 billion to $10 billion.

Read Next

Canada to phase out single-use plastic

Joseph Winters

Carney has also promised to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts, and “enshrine First Nations’ right to water into law.” He pledged to add at least 10 new national parks or marine conservation areas and 15 new urban parks, and make national park access free this summer. He’s also promised to create new programs to support Arctic Indigenous guardianship over ecosystems and Indigenous climate adaptation.

Carney’s ability to enact his agenda might be hampered by the fact that, unlike with his predecessor Trudeau, the Liberal party did not win a majority of seats in Parliament this week, which will require the party to work with others to pass legislation.

“When the Liberals won a majority under Justin Trudeau in 2015, the government was able to implement major climate policy, like the carbon pollution pricing system and regulations restricting methane,” the Canadian nonprofit news site The Narwhal reported. Carney’s climate goals include making Canada “a world leader in carbon removal and sequestration,” and compared to Trudeau, his platform has been described as “more carrot, less stick.” 

The newly-elected Carney is now facing pressure from energy developers to be friendlier to the oil and gas industry than Trudeau was, as well as calls from environmentalists to take a hard stance against burning more fossil fuels.

“We stopped a far-right government from taking power,” said Amara Possian, Canada team lead at 350.org. “But the real work lies ahead as we build a future where our climate is protected and our communities thrive.”

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline ‘Build, baby, build:’ Canada’s new prime minister wants to make the country into an ‘energy superpower’ on May 2, 2025.

This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Anita Hofschneider.

The press conference after his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni revealed the extent of his descent into a chaotic state ─ he hardly knew she was there.

Usually, the press conference that occurs after a meeting between two “heads of state” concentrates on the results of the discussion between the two executives. The U.S. president may field most of the questions, but a healthy, alert, and empathetic executive makes certain that the foreign minster is also addressed and is given equal time to reply to questions. Not with Trump; he continually answered questions, while Giorgia Meloni sat quietly aside until an Italian correspondent asked a question of the Italian Prime Minister. Trump unashamedly lied and insulted people in Ms. Meloni’s presence; displaying characteristics that shock foreign dignitaries and embarrass the American people.

A question on price rises from a CNN reporter stirred Trump into his act. After berating the reporter with an abusive remark, “if you were truthful, which you are not,” Mr. Veracity casually stated, “I learned that gasoline hit $1.98 in some states.” Knowing that the lowest charge in my area is about $3.30/gallon, I hastened to ask Gemini to tell me the state with the lowest gas price. Answer: Mississippi at $2.53/gallon and national average at $3.34/gallon. Mr. Veracity continued with his audacious remarks, careless statements, and mathematical ignorance.

“When I came into office they hit me with the price of eggs. Fake news like you, you’re fake. Eggs had gone up 87 percent and we did an unbelievable job and eggs are now down 92 percent.” Medium sized eggs had a price tag of $5-$6/dozen, which by Trump’s figures would now be about 40 cents to 55 cents for a dozen, a price from 50 years ago.

“Tariffs are making us rich, losing trillions and now we are making money, taking in billions of dollars. I took in more than 700 billions of dollars from China.” The economic whiz still does not know that the importer pays the tariff and always increases the price and passes the duty charge on to the consumer. (Note: In rare cases, over a long time, tariffs may increase the value of the currency and indirectly lower the price the importer pays for the merchandise. In this case the importer might not raise the price. This rarity has not happened.) Nobody asked how he (personally) “took in more than 700 billions of dollars from China,” when the total income from tariffs was only $80B in 2019 and not all were duties on goods from China.

Trump’s obsession with Joe Biden grows and grows. “We’re getting criminals out of this country who Biden allowed to enter. Hundreds of thousands of criminals and murders, drug dealers. Opened jails all over the world and they came here. Biden did that.” The disturbing fixation on Biden continued.

“When Biden came in, oil went through the roof. That is what caused the problem. If Biden were in power, oil would be 7 or 8 dollars/gallon.“ Not only does former U.S. President, Joe Biden, have the keys to the jails in Latin America, he controls OPEC and determines the price of oil. Seems Trump’s mental gymnastics confused the price of oil with the price of gasoline.

All Biden’s administration was good at was “stealing elections.” No need to be concerned, now, “We have a real president who understands what it is all about. I had the strongest economy by far.”

In Donald Trump’s world, the meager GDP growth during his term in office represented the best U.S. economy of all time. COVID-19 in the year 2020 reduced the average GDP, but the other years did not show spectacular growth.

Bill Clinton 1993–2001 4.0%
George W. Bush 2001–2009 2.4%
Barack Obama 2009–2017 2.3%
Donald Trump 2017–2021 2.3% (2.46% in 2017, 2.97% in 2018 2.47% in 2019)
Joe Biden 2021–2025 3.2%

Driven by animosity and never by charity, the “liar-in-chief” ridiculed federal laws, created an unnecessary upheaval in the financial community, undermined an agency that gains credibility by having a neutral appearance, and insulted an independent agency’s leader who was not there to defend himself.

In response to a question regarding Federal Reserve actions, Trump replied:

I don’t think he (Federal Reserve Chairperson Jerome Hayden “Jay” Powell) is doing the job, too late, always too late…. If I ask Powell to leave, he’ll be out of there, real fast….Only things gone up are interest rates because they are playing politics; Federal Reserve are not smart people.

“Didn’t you nominate him,” asked a press member. “I can’t complain because we had the greatest economy,” the wise man answered.

Trump later retracted his remark of having the capability of firing Powell, who, by a previous Supreme Court decision ─ the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor decision from the Supreme Court, finding the president cannot fire leaders of independent federal agencies over policy disagreements ─ challenged Trump’s statement. He could not retract the obvious attempt to force an independent agency to behave as if dependent upon him and to have the public lose faith in the agency that regulates the money supply and has its name on all currency.

After disposing of the people that most annoy him, Trump turned to the nation that most annoys him ─ Iran ─ with his biggest whopper, deciphered by anyone who can read. “I terminated the Iran deal and you can see they haven’t been able to do anything.” Yes, it is true, Iran has not been able to do “anything”; they have been able to do “everything.”

Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, claiming “it failed to curtail Iran’s missile program and regional influence.” Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement reached between Iran and the major world powers prevented the Islamic State from developing the centrifuges to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. Imposing restrictions on its nuclear activities and allowing international inspections of the nuclear facilities froze Iran’s nuclear activities for ten years

The treaty would have expired in 2025 and been either renegotiated or Iran could re-start its nuclear activities. After JCPOA was scrapped, Iran developed a massive number of ballistic missiles, increased its regional influence, allied with Russia and China, and enriched trace amounts of uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels. Iran has done everything that Trump claimed he would prevent. In the year 2025, they were not starting from scratch but, due to Donald Trump, were nearly finished having atomic weapons. Added benefits ─ Iran is able to negotiate with increased leverage and does not have to give up anything ─ let the powers bomb the facilities and suffer a little destruction in the process.

The serial mendacities, self-aggrandizements, character assassinations, and petty resentments, where Trump elevates himself by judging and demeaning others, type him as slightly deranged. His relation to the eccentric scriptwriter in Mario Vargas Llosa’s novel made its complete appearance, with Pedro Camacho Trump showing he had gone berserk by vilifying an admired and deceased president. The real life Pedro Camacho Trump recited the most sickening, psychopathic, and unhinged statement ever uttered in normal society: “Carter died a happy man, know why, because he was not the worst president, Joe Biden was.”

The men in white would have done the nation a favor by hauling the soon-to-be ex-president away to his preferred rest home ─ Mar-a-Lago. Hm, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wore white for the occasion.

This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Dan Lieberman.

A Dakar court judge charged Zik Fm editor-in-chief Simon Pierre Faye with spreading false news on April 14 and released him under judicial control. On the same day, the Dakar gendarmerie questioned for several hours online broadcaster Source A TV’s journalists Omar Ndiaye and Fatima Coulibaly, and freelance news commentator Abdou Nguer, over their comments on the death of a local official. Nguer’s lawyer told local media that the gendarmes detained the journalist on false news charges related to a TikTok post that does not belong to him. The post called for an autopsy of the official. Ndiaye and Coulibaly were released without charges.

“Senegalese authorities must drop all charges against journalist Simon Pierre Faye, release news commentator Abdou Nguer, and end their judicial harassment of journalists,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa Representative. “Authorities should instead focus their efforts on advancing promised reforms to decriminalize press offenses.”

Police arrested Faye on April 10 for a post on his outlet’s Facebook page, later deleted, republishing another article on the alleged distrust of President Faye’s leadership.

Responding to a parliamentarian’s question about Faye’s detention, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said that “penal policy will now be zero tolerance” for spreading “false news.”

CPJ has documented detentions of Senegalese journalists on false news charges, an offense punishable by one to three years in prison. In his campaign, President Faye promised to replace imprisonment for press offenses with fines. 

Separately, on April 13, police and gendarmes stopped and questioned Al Jazeera Qatar journalist Nicolas Haque and his camera operator, Magali Rochat, upon their arrival in the southern Ziguinchor city, where they sought to report on the return of people displaced by the region’s conflict. The journalists were sent back to Dakar the day after, Haque told CPJ.

CPJ’s email to the government’s information and communications office was not answered.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

But the claim is false. The video, recorded before Ishiba became the leader, shows Ishiba discussing a step down of former prime minister, Fumio Kishida.

The video was shared on X on March 16.

The 26-second clip shows what appears to be a speech made by Ishiba at a press conference.

The video was accompanied by subtitles in Chinese attributed to Ishiba that read: “The Taiwan Strait is China’s territorial waters. Shigeru Ishiba knows that China’s military and economy vastly outperform Japan and that direct confrontation with Beijing will destroy regional peace and edge Tokyo toward disaster. He believes cooperating with China is important for Japan’s development and that the risk outweighs the reward.”

(Douyin and X)

Sino-Japan relations have long been complicated by territorial disputes, historical grievances, and economic competition.

In recent months, however, signs have indicated that both countries are trying to normalize relations.

In December, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya visited Beijing, marking a significant step in diplomatic engagement. Discussions included security issues, economic cooperation, and the potential easing of China’s restrictions on Japanese seafood imports.

Additionally, China expanded its visa-free entry program to include Japan, aiming to boost tourism and economic exchanges.

But the claim about the clip is false.

Original clip

AFCL used three different AI text-to-speech services (Taption, TurboScribe, and Memo AI) to transcribe the clip of the speech uploaded by Chinese social media users.

A search for one of the transcribed phrases found it was included in a speech Ishiba made on Sep. 27, 2024, a few days before he became the leader of Japan.

(Taption, TurboScribe, Memo AI and Tokyo Shimbun)

A separate keyword found that the clip shared by Chinese social media users was taken from the longer version of the video published by Japanese online media The Page on Sep. 27.

The Japanese daily Tokyo Shimbun published a transcript of the speech here.

(YouTube and Douyin)

A review of the original clip and the transcript shows that Ishiba was discussing a step down of the former leader Kishida, not the Taiwan Strait.

“An important reason Prime Minister and President [referring to the leader of Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP] Kishida chose to voluntarily step down during this presidential election was to put a stop to all the distrust against the Liberal Democratic Party. I join my comrades in paying a heartfelt tribute to Prime Minister and President Kishida for his significant achievements in domestic and foreign affairs over the past three years. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister and President, for your dedication,” said Ishiba.

Kishida announced on Aug. 14 that he would not seek re-election as president of the ruling LDP in the upcoming leadership vote scheduled for September. This decision effectively meant he would step down as prime minister, as the LDP president traditionally serves in that role.

Following his announcement, the LDP held its leadership election on Sep. 27, 2024, in which Ishiba emerged victorious. Ishiba officially assumed the office of prime minister on Oct. 1, 2024, succeeding Kishida.

During the February 2025 summit between Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

They opposed any unilateral actions to change the status quo by force and supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.

Taiwan welcomed the joint statement, appreciating the strong stance on regional security.

Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Taejun Kang.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Dong Zhe for Asia Fact Check Lab.

The letter highlights the urgency of Abdelfattah’s case as he began a hunger strike in prison on March 1, 2025. His 69-year-old mother, Laila Soueif—a respected Egyptian professor—conducted a hunger strike for more than 150 days, which led to severe health deterioration and hospitalization. 

On March 4, CPJ led another joint letter, signed by 50 prominent human rights leaders, Nobel Prize laureates, writers, and public figures, calling on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to grant a presidential pardon to Abd El Fattah.

Read the full letter in here.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

Vietnam’s trade surplus with the U.S. rose to a record US$123 billion last year, figures released in February showed. Vietnam had the fourth-largest surplus with the U.S. in 2024, behind only China, the European Union and Mexico, all of which are now facing tariffs on their exports to America, imposed by the Trump administration.

“The prime minister emphasized that the Vietnamese government always pays attention to creating favorable conditions for the activities of U.S. businesses and investors in Vietnam, affirming that Vietnam wishes to build a balanced, stable, harmonious and sustainable economic-trade-investment cooperation relationship with the U.S.,” Vietnam’s government said, reporting on a meeting between the prime minister and U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper in Hanoi on Thursday.

Chinh asked Knapper for U.S. help in creating “favorable conditions for Vietnam to import high-tech equipment from the U.S.,” and said Vietnam was “actively reviewing import tariffs on goods from the United States, encouraging increased imports of key US products that Vietnam needs, especially agricultural products, liquefied gas and high-tech products.”

The prime minister’s comments build on those he made at the beginning of March during a meeting with U.S. business leaders in Hanoi. He told representatives of about 40 companies that Vietnam was considering imports of U.S. aircraft, arms and medicines, among other goods.

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Vietnam and the U.S. raised bilateral relations to the highest level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023. As part of the agreement, the U.S. committed to investing US$2 million to build up Vietnam’s semiconductor industry.

Knapper on Thursday reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to training chip industry workers and said Washington was also interested in helping Hanoi access essential minerals and develop its nuclear power industry, according to the Vietnam government. The U.S. embassy did not comment on the meeting.

While cutting its trade surplus with the U.S. may help Vietnam avoid duties on its exports like those faced by China, which has been hit with 20% tariffs, it has not escaped entirely. On Wednesday, the Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from all countries. The U.S. is Vietnam’s third-biggest export market for steel.

Edited by Taejun Kang.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Mike Firn for RFA.

Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has survived a vote of no confidence after weeks of political turmoil.

In a vote today, she defeated the motion by 34 votes in favour and 15 against.

The motion was prompted by a split in the ruling FAST Party, which saw Fiame leading a minority government.

• READ MORE: Other Samoan crisis reports

But in a shock move today, FAST members voted alongside Fiame’s faction to register a resounding defeat against Opposition Leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s motion.

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Papalii Lio Masipua, had granted the opposition’s formal request for a vote of no confidence against Fiame on Friday.

Tuilaepa, who is also the head of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), confirmed that the Speaker approved the motion in writing and allowed five members from the opposition bench to speak on it.

According to Samoa’s constitutional requirements, the MP who commands the majority of MPs should be elected as Prime Minister or continue as Prime Minister.

‘Another desperate attempt’
However, the Samoan government stated Tuilaepa’s move was “another desperate attempt to stir political drama” ahead of the no-confidence vote.

Political upheaval hit Samoa just three days into 2025 when the chair of the ruling FAST party and Samoa’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries La’auli Leuatea Schmidt confirmed he was facing criminal charges.

On January 10, Mata’afa removed La’auli’s ministerial portfolio and subsequently removed three of her Cabinet ministers.

But La’auli remained chair of the FAST Party, and went on to announce the removal of the prime minister and five Cabinet ministers from the ruling party.

This decision was reportedly challenged by the removed members.

Fiame then removed 13 of her associate ministers.

Laauli acknowledged the challenge of holding a vote of no confidence, but refrained from disclosing the party’s position, stating they would wait until Tuesday.

First female prime minister
Fiame is Samoa’s first female prime minister. She had heritage — her father, Fiame Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinu’u, was the country’s first prime minister.

She took office following the April 2021 election, but that devolved into political crisis.

The caretaker HRPP government locked the doors to Parliament in an attempt to stop the then prime minister-elect from being sworn into office following her FAST Party’s one-seat election win.

Two governments claimed a mandate to rule, and the United Nations urged the party leaders to find a solution through discussion.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the country had a new government after it judged the impromptu swearing-in by the newcomer FAST party on May 24 was legitimate under the doctrine of necessity.

It took until July for the incumbent, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, to concede.

Fiame went to school and university in Wellington, New Zealand, but her studies were interrupted in 1977 when she returned to Samoa to help with court cases around the succession of her father’s titles following his death in 1975.

In 1985, she was elected as MP for Lotofaga, the same seat held by her father and then her mother after his death.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has survived a vote of no confidence after weeks of political turmoil.

In a vote today, she defeated the motion by 34 votes in favour and 15 against.

The motion was prompted by a split in the ruling FAST Party, which saw Fiame leading a minority government.

• READ MORE: Other Samoan crisis reports

But in a shock move today, FAST members voted alongside Fiame’s faction to register a resounding defeat against Opposition Leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s motion.

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Papalii Lio Masipua, had granted the opposition’s formal request for a vote of no confidence against Fiame on Friday.

Tuilaepa, who is also the head of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), confirmed that the Speaker approved the motion in writing and allowed five members from the opposition bench to speak on it.

According to Samoa’s constitutional requirements, the MP who commands the majority of MPs should be elected as Prime Minister or continue as Prime Minister.

‘Another desperate attempt’
However, the Samoan government stated Tuilaepa’s move was “another desperate attempt to stir political drama” ahead of the no-confidence vote.

Political upheaval hit Samoa just three days into 2025 when the chair of the ruling FAST party and Samoa’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries La’auli Leuatea Schmidt confirmed he was facing criminal charges.

On January 10, Mata’afa removed La’auli’s ministerial portfolio and subsequently removed three of her Cabinet ministers.

But La’auli remained chair of the FAST Party, and went on to announce the removal of the prime minister and five Cabinet ministers from the ruling party.

This decision was reportedly challenged by the removed members.

Fiame then removed 13 of her associate ministers.

Laauli acknowledged the challenge of holding a vote of no confidence, but refrained from disclosing the party’s position, stating they would wait until Tuesday.

First female prime minister
Fiame is Samoa’s first female prime minister. She had heritage — her father, Fiame Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinu’u, was the country’s first prime minister.

She took office following the April 2021 election, but that devolved into political crisis.

The caretaker HRPP government locked the doors to Parliament in an attempt to stop the then prime minister-elect from being sworn into office following her FAST Party’s one-seat election win.

Two governments claimed a mandate to rule, and the United Nations urged the party leaders to find a solution through discussion.

The Court of Appeal ruled that the country had a new government after it judged the impromptu swearing-in by the newcomer FAST party on May 24 was legitimate under the doctrine of necessity.

It took until July for the incumbent, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, to concede.

Fiame went to school and university in Wellington, New Zealand, but her studies were interrupted in 1977 when she returned to Samoa to help with court cases around the succession of her father’s titles following his death in 1975.

In 1985, she was elected as MP for Lotofaga, the same seat held by her father and then her mother after his death.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Early last month, a former Cambodian opposition politician, Lim Kimya, was shot dead in the streets of Bangkok. The Thai police are still investigating the crime, but we know that several suspects are tied to elite Cambodian politics, including one who was an advisor to Hun Sen, the ruling party chief and former prime minister. Sam Rainsy, the exiled opposition leader, is convinced that Prime Minister Hun Manet, who took over from his father in 2023, and Hun Sen were personally behind the assassination.

(Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP)

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party, or CPP, denies this. On Jan. 20, Hun Manet gave the government’s most effusive statement of denial thus far. “If we were truly behind this assassination,” Hun Manet said, “we would have taken sufficient measures to hide the killers. Instead, we handed over the killer to Thailand at the request of that country’s authorities, which proves that we are not involved in this assassination.”

That may not have been the clincher that Hun The Younger thought it was. One might enquire as to how Hun Manet knows what the ruling party would have done had it contracted an assassination. Moreover, it could have been an incompetent operation. And many hitmen are paid not only to kill but also to do the years in prison after having given a false reason for the crime. The social commentator Kem Ley was shot dead at a Phnom Penh petrol station in 2016, apparently over a personal debt — a very dubious motive.

Respect or violence?

Nevertheless, let’s accept Hun Manet’s reasoning. Yet much comes down to what he means by being “behind the assassination.” Sam Rainsy and some others are convinced it was a direct order from the very top. Yet the government’s own laws make illegal “incitement to commit a felony or disturb social security.”

(Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP)

So I ask: can anyone who has listened to Hun Sen over the past few years think that he doesn’t want political opponents to be killed? Put differently, suppose you’re an enterprising upstart who wants to please his political masters or a recent convert to the CPP cause. If you had even only given a cursory glance over Hun Sen’s comments, would you think that the most powerful man in the land, who has ruled for more than four decades, wants you to treat political opponents with utmost respect and toleration or would you think he wants you to treat them with utmost violence?

He was talking about something different, but Sok Eysan, the CPP’s greying spokesperson, noted in November that “statements from the party’s leader [Hun Sen] often translate into action.” Indeed, Cambodian politics often resembles working towards the Samdech. So let’s take a few examples of Hun Sen’s statements over the past few years. Last June, an audio recording was leaked of him imploring supporters to “smash” and “destroy” opposition activists. “You must smash this force to a point that they no longer disturb us,” he told his underlings. According to another account, he reportedly said that “we must crush and suppress the color revolutionaries one by one to maintain peace for the people.”

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In 2023, Hun Sen was almost kicked off of Facebook after live-streaming a speech in which he warned opposition supporters that he would rally CPP folk to “beat you up” and “send people to your place and home.” “Either you face legal action in court, or I rally CPP people for a demonstration and beat you guys up,” he stated. Per a different translation, he stated: “There are only two options. One is to use legal means and the other is to use a bat.” The same year, speaking about activists who allege he has close ties to Vietnam, Hun Sen proclaimed: “You cannot escape [prison] because you are a fish in a barrel. I can break your neck to eat any time I want to.”

Ahead of the 2017 local elections, he said if there were any protests, “the armed forces will crack down on them immediately … If war happens, let it be.” That same year, in an even more overt statement, he warned his political opponents: “you should prepare your coffins.”

In a speech to troops in 2019, he called on the military to “destroy ... revolutions that attempt to topple the legitimate government,” adding he is “not afraid to issue an order.” “Better to see the death of four or five people rather than the death of tens of thousands and millions,” he claimed. As for anyone in the military who is disloyal, he added, “they must be destroyed.” He then noted: “I am the one who steers the wheel.”

Statements = action

Only, he isn’t apparently at the helm when opponents and critics are destroyed (even figuratively). But this hasn’t stopped Hun Sen’s underlings from aping his terminology. For instance, five days before Kem Ley was shot dead in 2016, a general called on the military to “eliminate and dispose of [anyone] fomenting social turmoil.” All this must be coupled with the escalation of legal terminology. The government wants to pass legislation now that would brandish political opponents as “terrorists,” on top of Hun Sen’s claims that his opponents are “traitors.”

So, according to his own spokesperson, Hun Sen’s statements “often translate into action.” And Hun Sen isn’t shy about admitting the immense power he wields in the country. Thus, would a reasonable person listening to these aforementioned comments think that Hun Sen hasn’t committed “incitement to commit a felony or disturb social security?”

Granted, Hun Sen and his ilk could say that they were just being evocative; that when they say “smash” and “destroy” and “eliminate” and “suppress,” they only mean it figuratively. Okay, one can figuratively “smash” an opposition movement or even metaphorically prepare one’s coffins.

But what about the warning to “use a bat” or to “beat you up?” Frequently, Hun Sen has specifically referenced physical violence as a comparison to legal prosecution. There is no way other than the literal to interpret him saying that it would be justified to “eliminate” five people in 2019 or 200 people in 2017 to safeguard the rest of society. Worse, his recommendations of violence are unspecific. He never says who should constitute the five or 200 people who could be “eliminated” for the sake of the greater good. He never says who specifically he thinks needs to be “crushed.”

What is an underling supposed to think? That political opponents and activists, who the most powerful person in Cambodia says are “traitors” and “terrorists,” aren’t really a threat to the nation? That they should be tolerated? That one should not eliminate a few individuals to save the nation?

So I ask Hun Manet: do you think your father has incited violence or not?

David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and the Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of RFA.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by David Hutt.

The Cook Islands will not pursue membership in the United Nations and the Commonwealth due to its inability to meet the criteria for UN membership and existing relationship with New Zealand, which fulfils Commonwealth membership requirements.

Prime Minister Mark Brown has clarified that the Cook Islands is not qualified for UN membership, a long-standing government proposal that has remained uncertain.

In an exclusive interview with Cook Islands News, Brown was asked to provide an update on the government’s plans for a UN membership.

• READ MORE: Other Cook Islands reports

“That’s old news now, I mean we’ve been around the block with that a few years, and a few times,” Brown said.

“So that’s again another one, we haven’t pursued that. There are a number of criteria that the UN requires for membership and according to them, we don’t meet those requirements.”

Cook Islands has maintained diplomatic ties with the UN since the 1990s. It is not currently a member of the UN.

Earlier this year, the Cook Islands government applied for membership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a first step on the road to becoming a member of the UN.

Cook Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs Tingika Elikana then told RNZ that the decision to become a UN member would ultimately need to be decided by the general population of the Cook Islands through a referendum.

The Cook Islands is part of the realm of New Zealand, which makes Cook Islanders also New Zealand citizens. If the Cook Islands joins the United Nations as a separate member to NZ, it would potentially forfeit its citizenship rights under the current treaty which binds the nations.

“I don’t think short-term elected politicians should decide on that. I think a referendum would need to be run and then we will enter into discussions with New Zealand,” Elikana then said.

When asked about the possibility of joining the Commonwealth, an international association of 56 member states, primarily comprised of former British territories, Brown said the government would not be making another effort to try and become a member.

“We did enquire a number of years ago about it, but the understanding was because we’re part of the realm of New Zealand, that is considered our membership in the Commonwealth, even though we don’t have any place at the table, and we don’t speak at the Commonwealth,” Brown explained.

“So, they consider that our realm relationship is where we are in terms of Commonwealth membership.”

Cook Islands News understands the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has written to the Commonwealth Secretariat about the country’s membership.

Brown confirmed that a letter had already been submitted to the Commonwealth for that purpose, but he was uncertain whether a response had been received.

“But from what I understand, that is the response that we’ve had from officials at the Commonwealth, is that they consider us through New Zealand as part of the realm of New Zealand as already being covered in the Commonwealth, even though we don’t have a seat or a voice there.”

When asked if this would be considered the government’s final attempt to gain Commonwealth membership, the Prime Minister responded “yes”.

“I think so, I mean I’ve got to weigh it up as well with what benefit we get from being part of the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting),” he said.

Brown added that there were areas where the Cook Islands did receive support from the likes of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

“We have had support from the likes of the Commonwealth Secretariat in the past with things like technical assistance that they provided for us in the early stages of our development of our Seabed Minerals Authority office.”

Republished with permission from the Cook islands News.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

“The protection of journalists is a hallmark of democratic societies. Georgian authorities’ failure to address the extensive and shocking police violence against journalists covering ongoing mass protests signals a clear departure from democratic values,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Georgian authorities must hold police officers to account for brutalizing members of the press and publicly commit to uphold journalist safety during the protests.”

Since November 28, CPJ has documented the following incidents of police violence and detentions of journalists:

• Guram Rogava, a reporter with pro-opposition broadcaster Formula TV, was repeatedly punched in the head and knocked to the curb by a riot police officer on November 28. The journalist face and neck bones were fractured in the attack and he was hospitalized.
• Three or four riot police also beat Aleksandre Keshelashvili, a reporter with independent news website Publika, for several minutes. They repeatedly struck him in the head, kicked him when he fell, and took his two cameras, the journalist told CPJ. Police detained Keshelashvili at the Tbilisi police station around three hours before allowing him to go to hospital, where he underwent an operation for a broken nose.
• Davit Tsagareli, a reporter with the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Georgian service, was reporting live when an officer punched him in the stomach, causing him to fall to the ground.
• Nanuka Kajaia, a reporter with pro-opposition broadcaster TV Pirveli, was conducting a live interview a short distance from the protests when police appeared to target her camera crew with a water cannon.
• Police reportedly pushed George Tchumburidze, a camera operator with the RFE/RL-affiliated Current Time TV, from a ledge as he was filming them detain protesters.
• Police officers grabbed Giorgi Shetsiruli, a camera operator with TV Pirveli and one of them elbowed him forcefully in the neck, knocking him to the ground, according to the journalist, who spoke with CPJ.
• An officer grabbed Publika journalist Natia Amiranashvili’s cell phone while she was filming police arrest protesters and stomped on it.
• Around 10 officers struck, kicked, and pushed Aka Zarkua, a journalist with the RealPolitika news site, on November 29, according to video footage of the incident and a Facebook post by the journalist.
• A riot police officer threw Publika journalist Ana Mskhaladze’s cell phone to the ground, punched her in the head and fled with her phone.
• Giorgi Gamgebeli, a freelance photographer, told CPJ that riot police repeatedly beat, dragged, and kicked him over the course of several minutes and took his camera. Gamgebeli sustained a severely sprained leg and a split lip in the attack.
• Officers chased and struck Formula TV reporter Nutsa Bakhutashvili on the back on November 30. 
• Police arrested Giorgi Chagelishvili, a reporter for the independent news outlet Mautskebeli, while he was reporting on protests on December 1. Police detained Chagelishvili for around 48 hours and a court fined him 2000 lari ($700) on December 3 for allegedly disobeying police, which he denies, Mautskebeli co-founder Giorgi Arobelidze told CPJ.
• An officer shoved Amiranashvili forcefully against a wall as she was running to film police chase protesters, according to footage of the incident shared by the journalist with CPJ.
• Nino Ramishvili, a journalist for independent investigative outlet Studio Monitor, was filming police beat a protester on December 2 when officers demanded that she delete her footage and then confiscated her phone.

Additionally, Mariam Gaprindashvili, a reporter for TV Pirveli, was struck on the head by an unknown object on November 29, sustaining a cut to her forehead. Gaprindashvili told CPJ she was hospitalized for over 24 hours, received six stitches and was diagnosed with a concussion.

Georgia has seen protracted mass protests since the ruling Georgian Dream party declared a  victory in the October 26 elections, which opposition parties deny. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s November 28 announcement that Georgia was suspending EU accession talks sparked even more demonstrations and a police crackdown, with local press freedom groups alleging “systematic, planned and intentional” police aggression against journalists.

Georgia’s Special Investigation Service, a government body responsible for investigating alleged crimes by law enforcement officers and crimes against journalists, stated on November 30 that it was investigating reports of police violence against protesters and members of the media.

CPJ emailed the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and sent a message via Facebook to the Special Investigation Service for comment but did not receive any replies.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

The legal action followed the use of a photo of Fico on the cover of a book authored by Bárdy, entitled “Fico-Obsessed with Power.”

Bárdy was the editor at Aktuality when Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak was shot and killed on February 21, 2018. Kuciak is widely believed to have been targeted in retaliation for his corruption reporting. Despite the hitmen and intermediaries receiving lengthy prison sentences, the businessman accused of masterminding the crime, after threatening the journalist, was twice found not guilty. 

Read the full letter.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

Since the LDP holds a parliamentary majority, the next party leader will  replace Fumio Kishida as prime minister. Kishida announced his intention to step down in August. 

“We must believe in the people, speak the truth with courage and sincerity, and work together to make Japan a safe and secure country where everyone can live with a smile once again,” Ishiba said in a brief speech to lawmakers after the party vote.

The LDP chose Ishiba as Japan grapples with increasing security threats and risk of war in the region, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and China’s growing military assertiveness.

The 67-year-old Ishiba, who said changes in the security environment were the reason he announced his candidacy, has been strong on deterrence.

The former defense minister expressed his desire to create an “Asian version of NATO” and bring equality to the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

“Ukraine is not a member of NATO. It is not hard to imagine that this prompted President [Vladimir] Putin’s decision,” he said, stressing the need to build a collective security system in Asia, at a news conference on Sept. 10, referring to the Russian leader’s decision to send troops into Ukraine.

While Ishiba does not question the importance of the security alliance with the U.S., he has said Japan needs to play a greater role in the alliance and have a larger say in how American troops are deployed in Japan. 

For instance, he wrote in his 2024 memoir that “Japan is still not a truly independent country” because of the “asymmetry” of its dependence on America for its security.

Ishiba also announced he would consider revising the SOFA, or Status of Forces Agreement, which sets the rules for U.S. military operations in Japan. The agreement was concluded when the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was revised in 1960 and has remained unchanged.

Ishiba said that as LDP president, and thus prime minister, he would seek to establish a base in the U.S. to train Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.

He argued that SOFA should be at the same level as an agreement that would be established upon the creation of such an SDF base in the U.S.

“If we are going to revise SOFA, it has to be something that will strengthen the alliance and improve the regional security environment,” said Ishiba. 

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Ishiba is known as a strong backer of Taiwanese democracy while also calling for deeper engagement with China.

He wrote in his memoir that conflating the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan was driven by emotion, not a pragmatic assessment of Chinese threats and the impact on Japan.

The nail-biter party election consisted of two rounds. In the first round, the  368 LDP members in the legislature and 368 rank-and-file members cast  ballots. In a second runoff round between the top two candidates, 415 votes were cast.

Ishiba came second, after economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, in the first round but he beat Takaichi in the runoff by 21 votes.

“I want to protect Japan, protect the people, protect the local regions, and want to be the LDP that follows the rules,” Ishiba said after the first vote.

He will be officially announced as prime minister at a special legislative session on Oct. 1.

Edited by Mike Firn.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Taejun Kang for RFA.

Since the LDP holds a parliamentary majority, the next party leader will replace Fumio Kishida as prime minister. Kishida announced his intention to step down in August.

“We must believe in the people, speak the truth with courage and sincerity, and work together to make Japan a safe and secure country where everyone can live with a smile once again,” Ishiba said in a brief speech to lawmakers after the party vote.

The LDP chose Ishiba as Japan grapples with increasing security threats and risk of war in the region, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and China’s growing military assertiveness.

The 67-year-old Ishiba, who said changes in the security environment were the reason he announced his candidacy, has been strong on deterrence.

The former defense minister expressed his desire to create an “Asian version of NATO” and bring equality to the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

“Ukraine is not a member of NATO. It is not hard to imagine that this prompted President [Vladimir] Putin’s decision,” he said, stressing the need to build a collective security system in Asia, at a news conference on Sept. 10, referring to the Russian leader’s decision to send troops into Ukraine.

(Hiro Komae/via REUTERS)

While Ishiba does not question the importance of the security alliance with the U.S., he has said Japan needs to play a greater role in the alliance and have a larger say in how American troops are deployed in Japan.

For instance, he wrote in his 2024 memoir that “Japan is still not a truly independent country” because of the “asymmetry” of its dependence on America for its security.

Ishiba also announced he would consider revising the SOFA, or Status of Forces Agreement, which sets the rules for U.S. military operations in Japan. The agreement was concluded when the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was revised in 1960 and has remained unchanged.

Ishiba said that as LDP president, and thus prime minister, he would seek to establish a base in the U.S. to train Japan’s Self-Defense Forces.

He argued that SOFA should be at the same level as an agreement that would be established upon the creation of such an SDF base in the U.S.

“If we are going to revise SOFA, it has to be something that will strengthen the alliance and improve the regional security environment,” said Ishiba.

RELATED STORIES

US, South Korea, Japan to finalize trilateral secretariat establishment

‘Too early’ for an Asian NATO: US official

Front-runner for next Japanese leader eyes better North Korean ties

Ishiba is known as a strong backer of Taiwanese democracy while also calling for deeper engagement with China.

He wrote in his memoir that conflating the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan was driven by emotion, not a pragmatic assessment of Chinese threats and the impact on Japan.

The nail-biter party election consisted of two rounds. In the first round, the 368 LDP members in the legislature and 368 rank-and-file members cast ballots. In a second runoff round between the top two candidates, 415 votes were cast.

Ishiba came second, after economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, in the first round but he beat Takaichi in the runoff by 21 votes.

“I want to protect Japan, protect the people, protect the local regions, and want to be the LDP that follows the rules,” Ishiba said after the first vote.

He will be officially announced as prime minister at a special legislative session on Oct. 1.

Edited by Mike Firn.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Taejun Kang for RFA.

“As Jewish New Yorkers we vehemently condemn Prime Minister Netanyahu’s assault on Lebanon and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. We will continue to raise our voices in dissent until the United States government stops arming Israel and Palestinians are able to live with the full freedom and dignity they deserve,” said Jay Saper of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Netanyahu’s visit to New York comes a week after pagers and walkie talkies were detonated across Lebanon, killing at least 70 and maiming thousands of people. Only a few days after the attacks, Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes, killing over 500 people in a single day — one of the highest daily death tolls of any war in recent history — and injuring another 1,600.

“Netanyahu is not welcome in New York,” said actor and activist Rowan Blanchard.

Netanyahu’s visit also marks nearly a year of a relentless bombing of Gaza that has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, which has led the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for the prime minister’s crimes against humanity.

“Our world leaders have done nothing to stop Netanyahu and his genocidal administration from murdering over 15,000 children and several times more adults. As he plans to escalate the slaughter, we must be the ones to stop him,” said Munir Marwan of

Palestinian Youth Movement.

The protesters blockaded the Israeli motorcade route outside of the Midtown Manhattan headquarters of the United Nations, bringing traffic to a halt near the East River. They wore red shirts that read “Stop Arming Israel” and unfurled banners that read

“Stop the Genocide” and “No War Criminals Welcome in NYC.” They chanted “Stop Bombing Gaza.”

The arrests kick off what is expected to be a daylong protest of Netanyahu, with hundreds anticipated outside the United Nations later in the afternoon. Netanyahu’s last visit to the United States, when he addressed a joint session of Congress on July 24, was also with massive protests in the streets and one of the largest sit-ins in the history of Congress that led to the arrest of over 200 people.

This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.

During America’s invasion of Vietnam, the U.S. Government argued that if Vietnam would be taken over by communists, then all non-communist nations would become “falling dominoes”; and, so, America had to prevent that. Denmark’s Prime Minister is presenting her own “falling dominoes” theory against not communism, but instead Russia.

She said that “My suggestion is, let us end the discussion about red lines [of Russia]. … It has been a mistake during this war to have a public discussion about red lines,” which are “simply giving the Russians too good a card in their hands.” In other words: Russia’s enemies must ignore the warnings that Russia has issued against any NATO country that will allow its long-range missiles to be fired from Ukraine into the Kremlin (Russia’s central command) or other sites that are crucial for Russia’s national security against NATO. She said simply “I think that the restrictions on the use of weapons should be lifted.” In other words: ignore Russia’s national-security concerns altogether. (What precisely she meant by saying “It has been a mistake during this war to have a public discussion about red lines,” was not clarified: Should that “discussion” be only private, and the public not be allowed to know anything about it; or should there simply not be any consideration given by U.S.-and-allied Governments to Russia’s national-security needs. When she said that for NATO to consider Russia’s red lines would be “simply giving the Russians too good a card in their hands,” she was indicating the latter, which would mean that even private discussions about that matter among NATO nations would be “a mistake.” In other words: she was saying that she is an absolutist against considering Russia’s national-security needs — even privately within NATO.)

She turned on its head Russia’s statements of what the U.S. and its allies call “Putin’s red lines”: The “most important red line has been crossed already. And that was when the Russians entered Ukraine [on 24 February 2022]. So I will not accept this premise, and I will never allow anyone from Russia to decide what is the right thing to do in NATO, in Europe or in Ukraine.” So: NATO must never negotiate with Russia. Russia must simply accept what NATO does. (Her statement that the war in Ukraine started on 24 February 2022 instead of on 20 February 2014, has been contradicted both by Ukraine’s President Zelensky and by NATO’s Secretary General Stoltenberg.)

She also broadened her unconcern about the national-security needs of Russia, so as to encompass as being enemies also countries that do not stand with NATO against Russia: “What we see now is a Russia that is getting closer to North Korea and to Iran. And I don’t think that Russia would be able to have a full-scale war inside Europe without help from China, unfortunately. So this is not a European conflict, this is a global conflict.”

When the Bloomberg interviewer asked her about whether the U.S. Government shares the views that she was expressing about allowing Ukraine to fire deep into Russia the weapons that NATO countries are supplying to Ukraine, she refused to answer: “Frederiksen declined to comment on what the US position was on, for instance, the use of the 19 F-16 fighter jets given by Denmark.” (I have covered elsewhere what U.S. President Biden’s position on this is.)

Bloomberg News pointed out that, “Frederiksen, 46, is leader of the Social Democrats and has been prime minister since 2019.”

Shakespeare at around the year 1600 originated the phrase “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Eric Zuesse.

In a 5-4 verdict that dissolved Srettha’s government, which was in power for 11 months, the court said he was responsible for vetting his cabinet nominations. It ruled he was aware of the past conviction of ally Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer who had been detained for six months in 2008 for contempt of court.

For the time being, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai is expected to serve as acting prime minister. If Phumtham is unavailable, the role would fall to second Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit. 

“The facts show that the respondent [Srettha] knew or should have known about various circumstances of the second respondent [Pichit] throughout, but still proposed to appoint the second respondent as minister in the Prime Minister’s Office,” the court ruled.  

“This demonstrates that the respondent lacks obvious honesty and integrity,” the verdict said, noting he did not comply with ethical standards.

The current cabinet is expected to continue in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed – Parliament is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Friday to elect a prime minister.

Srettha, a member of the Pheu Thai Party and Thailand’s first civilian prime minister after almost a decade of military rule, did not attend the court session on Wednesday but responded to the verdict during a news conference at Government House in Bangkok.

“I accept the ruling and confirm that throughout my time in this position, I worked with integrity,” he said. “I’m not looking at whether I’ll be disqualified or not, but I’m sad that I’ll be removed as a prime minister without ethics. I’m confident that I am an ethical person.”

Pichit, Srettha’s problematic appointee, had resigned on May 21 to avoid impacting the administration’s work, despite maintaining that he was fully qualified to serve. 

“To allow the country to move forward and not affect the prime minister’s administration of state affairs, which needs to proceed with continuity, I am not clinging to the position,” Pichit said in his resignation letter. 

Srettha’s successor must come from a list of candidates put forward ahead of the 2023 general election by parties that won at least 25 parliamentary seats. 

This narrows the field to potential candidates from several parties. These include Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chaikasem Nitisiri from Pheu Thai; Anutin Charnvirakul from the Bhumjaithai Party; Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan from the Palang Pracharath Party; former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha; and Pirapan Salirathavibhaga from the United Thai Nation Party, and Jurin Laksanawisit from the Democrat Party.

Paetongtarn is the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was forced from office by a military coup in 2006 and spent years in self-exile before returning to Thailand last year. Following his return, Thaksin spent six months in a prison hospital on corruption charges.

Prayuth, a former army chief who took power after leading a 2014 military coup that overthrew then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister, had announced he was leaving politics after losing power in the 2023 election. Despite that announcement, Prayuth is a candidate because his party named him ahead of the vote.

‘Snack bag case’

Srettha, a former real estate tycoon, was elected prime minister in August 2023 after the Pheu Thai Party formed a coalition government despite finishing second in the election. The Move Forward Party, which won the most seats, was unable to form a government because of opposition from military-appointed senators over its stance on reforming lèse-majesté, the strict law against royal defamation. 

The case against Pichit, known as the “snack bag case,” dates to 2008, when, while serving as a lawyer for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife in a land purchase matter, he was accused of attempting to bribe court officials with 2 million baht (U.S. $57,156).  

He allegedly placed the money in a paper grocery bag, pretending it was a snack for a court officer. This led to Pichit being found in contempt of court and serving a six-month prison sentence. 

In mid-May, 40 senators petitioned the Constitutional Court to rule on termination because of Pichit’s appointment. On May 23, the Constitutional Court agreed to consider the petition. 

“We must thank the Constitutional Court for ruling that Srettha is removed from the position of prime minister due to dishonesty and severe ethical misconduct in nominating Pichit, who had issues, despite knowing about his qualification problems from the start,” petitioner Somchai Sawaengkarn, a former senator, told reporters after learning of the verdict.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, criticized the ruling. 

“Thailand’s dark era of destroying democracy through unaccountable rulings of the conservative, elite controlled Constitutional Court continues with the dismissal of PM Srettha Thavisin. The absurdity is palpable! Watch foreign investors head for exits,” he posted.

Party disbanded

In the 2023 election, the Move Forward Party won 153 seats – the most of any party – and nominated Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister. 

His nomination failed when he could not secure backing from the former Senate, whose 250 members were allowed to vote along with the 500 members of the lower house. The senators claimed they would not support his party’s proposal to amend Article 112, also known as lèse-majesté.

Because of the controversy over Article 112, Pheu Thai, which had formed a post-electoral alliance with Move Forward, broke off ties with it and then formed a coalition that successfully nominated Srettha to serve as prime minister.

The Constitutional Court ruled against Srettha six days after it had ordered the Move Forward Party dissolved and banned Pita and 10 other leaders from politics for a decade because of their campaign to undo the royal defamation law. Two days later, remaining members reconstituted as the People’s Party.

After Wednesday’s ruling, the new party held a news conference to express concern and disagreement with it. 

“While the People’s Party affirms that political office holders should have ethics and integrity, ethics is a matter that different people interpret differently,” Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list MP of the People’s Party, told reporters. 

The ruling against Srettha is the fourth such action by the court in 16 years, according to media reports.

Samak Sundaravej, who took office after Thaksin, was forced from office in 2008 because the court ruled he had hosted four cooking shows after taking office. Later that year, the court forced out Somchai Wongsawat after finding him guilty of electoral fraud.

In 2014, the court found Yingluck guilty of abuse of power and forced her out at the same time as the Prayuth-led coup.

Potential power shuffle

Assistant Professor Olarn Thinbangtieo, a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and Law at Burapha University, pointed out that the ruling would shake the stability of the old power group, adding the new prime minister might not come from Pheu Thai’s list. 

“In principle, Pheu Thai would nominate Paetongtarn as PM. However, what needs to be watched is how well Pheu Thai can maintain political stability with its current coalition partners,” Olarn told BenarNews. “They will need to consolidate power to keep the majority vote in hand. There’s a chance that the next PM might not come from Pheu Thai if the Shinawatra family assesses that Paetongtarn is not ready. 

“If the coalition parties become difficult, Pheu Thai might reverse course and join hands with the People’s Party, which would also give them a majority. But in the long run, this decision will shake the unity of the old power group because they are now facing a tough battle with the People’s Party, which has widespread support.” 

Jon Preechawong in Bangkok contributed to this report. 

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Nontarat Phaicharoen for BenarNews.

In a 5-4 verdict that dissolved Srettha’s government, which was in power for 11 months, the court said he was responsible for vetting his cabinet nominations. It ruled he was aware of the past conviction of ally Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer who had been detained for six months in 2008 for contempt of court.

For the time being, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai is expected to serve as acting prime minister. If Phumtham is unavailable, the role would fall to second Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit.

“The facts show that the respondent [Srettha] knew or should have known about various circumstances of the second respondent [Pichit] throughout, but still proposed to appoint the second respondent as minister in the Prime Minister’s Office,” the court ruled.

“This demonstrates that the respondent lacks obvious honesty and integrity,” the verdict said, noting he did not comply with ethical standards.

The current cabinet is expected to continue in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed – Parliament is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Friday to elect a prime minister.

Srettha, a member of the Pheu Thai Party and Thailand’s first civilian prime minister after almost a decade of military rule, did not attend the court session on Wednesday but responded to the verdict during a news conference at Government House in Bangkok.

“I accept the ruling and confirm that throughout my time in this position, I worked with integrity,” he said. “I’m not looking at whether I’ll be disqualified or not, but I’m sad that I’ll be removed as a prime minister without ethics. I’m confident that I am an ethical person.”

(MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP)

Pichit, Srettha’s problematic appointee, had resigned on May 21 to avoid impacting the administration’s work, despite maintaining that he was fully qualified to serve.

“To allow the country to move forward and not affect the prime minister’s administration of state affairs, which needs to proceed with continuity, I am not clinging to the position,” Pichit said in his resignation letter.

Srettha’s successor must come from a list of candidates put forward ahead of the 2023 general election by parties that won at least 25 parliamentary seats.

This narrows the field to potential candidates from several parties. These include Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chaikasem Nitisiri from Pheu Thai; Anutin Charnvirakul from the Bhumjaithai Party; Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan from the Palang Pracharath Party; former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha; and Pirapan Salirathavibhaga from the United Thai Nation Party, and Jurin Laksanawisit from the Democrat Party.

Paetongtarn is the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was forced from office by a military coup in 2006 and spent years in self-exile before returning to Thailand last year. Following his return, Thaksin spent six months in a prison hospital on corruption charges.

Prayuth, a former army chief who took power after leading a 2014 military coup that overthrew then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister, had announced he was leaving politics after losing power in the 2023 election. Despite that announcement, Prayuth is a candidate because his party named him ahead of the vote.

‘Snack bag case’

Srettha, a former real estate tycoon, was elected prime minister in August 2023 after the Pheu Thai Party formed a coalition government despite finishing second in the election. The Move Forward Party, which won the most seats, was unable to form a government because of opposition from military-appointed senators over its stance on reforming lèse-majesté, the strict law against royal defamation.

The case against Pichit, known as the “snack bag case,” dates to 2008, when, while serving as a lawyer for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife in a land purchase matter, he was accused of attempting to bribe court officials with 2 million baht (U.S. $57,156).

He allegedly placed the money in a paper grocery bag, pretending it was a snack for a court officer. This led to Pichit being found in contempt of court and serving a six-month prison sentence.

In mid-May, 40 senators petitioned the Constitutional Court to rule on termination because of Pichit’s appointment. On May 23, the Constitutional Court agreed to consider the petition.

“We must thank the Constitutional Court for ruling that Srettha is removed from the position of prime minister due to dishonesty and severe ethical misconduct in nominating Pichit, who had issues, despite knowing about his qualification problems from the start,” petitioner Somchai Sawaengkarn, a former senator, told reporters after learning of the verdict.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, criticized the ruling.

“Thailand’s dark era of destroying democracy through unaccountable rulings of the conservative, elite controlled Constitutional Court continues with the dismissal of PM Srettha Thavisin. The absurdity is palpable! Watch foreign investors head for exits,” he posted.

Party disbanded

In the 2023 election, the Move Forward Party won 153 seats – the most of any party – and nominated Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister.

His nomination failed when he could not secure backing from the former Senate, whose 250 members were allowed to vote along with the 500 members of the lower house. The senators claimed they would not support his party’s proposal to amend Article 112, also known as lèse-majesté.

(Sakchai Lalit/AP)

Because of the controversy over Article 112, Pheu Thai, which had formed a post-electoral alliance with Move Forward, broke off ties with it and then formed a coalition that successfully nominated Srettha to serve as prime minister.

The Constitutional Court ruled against Srettha six days after it had ordered the Move Forward Party dissolved and banned Pita and 10 other leaders from politics for a decade because of their campaign to undo the royal defamation law. Two days later, remaining members reconstituted as the People's Party.

After Wednesday’s ruling, the new party held a news conference to express concern and disagreement with it.

“While the People’s Party affirms that political office holders should have ethics and integrity, ethics is a matter that different people interpret differently,” Parit Wacharasindhu, a party-list MP of the People’s Party, told reporters.

The ruling against Srettha is the fourth such action by the court in 16 years, according to media reports.

Samak Sundaravej, who took office after Thaksin, was forced from office in 2008 because the court ruled he had hosted four cooking shows after taking office. Later that year, the court forced out Somchai Wongsawat after finding him guilty of electoral fraud.

In 2014, the court found Yingluck guilty of abuse of power and forced her out at the same time as the Prayuth-led coup.

Potential power shuffle

Assistant Professor Olarn Thinbangtieo, a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and Law at Burapha University, pointed out that the ruling would shake the stability of the old power group, adding the new prime minister might not come from Pheu Thai’s list.

(LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP)

“In principle, Pheu Thai would nominate Paetongtarn as PM. However, what needs to be watched is how well Pheu Thai can maintain political stability with its current coalition partners,” Olarn told BenarNews. “They will need to consolidate power to keep the majority vote in hand. There’s a chance that the next PM might not come from Pheu Thai if the Shinawatra family assesses that Paetongtarn is not ready.

“If the coalition parties become difficult, Pheu Thai might reverse course and join hands with the People’s Party, which would also give them a majority. But in the long run, this decision will shake the unity of the old power group because they are now facing a tough battle with the People’s Party, which has widespread support.”

Jon Preechawong in Bangkok contributed to this report.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Nontarat Phaicharoen for BenarNews.

People can exercise freedom of expression – but they shouldn’t use their freedoms to organize mass demonstrations, Hun Manet told a group of businesspeople at an event in Phnom Penh Aug. 2.

“I don’t want to see this type of situation happening in Cambodia,” he said, adding that he aims to prevent instability in Cambodia – “especially in Phnom Penh.”

“Therefore, on behalf of the Royal Government – and witnessed by the diplomatic officers here today – don’t accuse the government of being a dictator if it takes legal action against those who attempt to burn the fire and push for Bangladesh-like demonstrations here in Cambodia,” he said.

Mass protests in Bangladesh began last month against quotas in civil service jobs and spiraled into violence when security forces tried to subdue university students. On Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.

Hun Manet was named prime minister in August 2023 after his father, Hun Sen, stepped down after decades in power.

Last December, Hun Manet made similar remarks after his first 100 days in office, saying it would be better for critics to call him an authoritarian leader than for people to think he’s incapable of leading the country. 

‘Color revolution’ fears

Under Hun Sen, Cambodia’s government often cracked down on government critics, using threats or court cases to sideline opponents. 

Additionally, Hun Sen often accused foreign governments of trying to foment a “color revolution” – or anti-government protest movement – in Cambodia.

In Phnom Penh, authorities continue to regularly deny permits for public marches or protests, and police have often arrested activists to prevent or stop demonstrations.

Because elections are tightly controlled in Cambodia, the only way to change the government is to demonstrate in the streets, exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy told Radio Free Asia. 

“I believe that what is happening in Bangladesh generates hope for Cambodian people,” he said. “Hun Sen’s regime and the Bangladesh regime are alike. They are dictatorial regimes.” 

Hun Sen, 72, retains influence as president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party and as president of the Senate. He also posts frequently on social media and continues to make public speeches.

Last month, police arrested three activists and one other man who angered Hun Sen by making critical comments in a Facebook video about a longstanding economic cooperation agreement with Vietnam and Laos.

In his speech, Hun Sen warned against making comments about the potential loss of Cambodian territorial integrity to Vietnam – a sensitive political issue that has led to the arrests of numerous opposition activists.

Hun Manet tried to assure people about the 1999 agreement, known as the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Triangle Development Area, in an Aug. 3 public appearance.

“The cooperative agreement for the development of the triangle zone will not make us lose our country or our territory. This is a guarantee,” he said at a university graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh.

Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country after weeks of student-led protests against government nepotism, corruption and repression. The demonstrations have been met with lethal police force, resulting in over 300 deaths. Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s first president, had led the country since 2009. Though the protests were initially focused on nepotism in the quota system for government jobs, the violent crackdown expanded protesters’ demands, including calling for Hasina’s ouster. It was “amazing” to see this demand fulfilled in “just two days,” says our guest Taqbir Huda, a researcher at Amnesty International. Bangladesh’s military has agreed to hand power to an interim government, though Huda warns that the country’s previous history of military rule could pose a danger to maintaining democracy.

This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he wants New Zealand to be a partner of choice in the Pacific, as other countries make moves in the region.

Luxon is in Niue ahead of bilateral talks with Premier Dalton Tagalagi, and to celebrate 50 years of free association between the two countries.

Niue is self-governing, but part of New Zealand’s realm. Its citizens are NZ citizens, and New Zealand provides it with aid when asked.

• READ MORE: Other Niue reports

Luxon said it was special to make Niue the first Pacific Island nation he has visited since taking office.

“I think the relationship’s in good heart. I think there’s a lot more for us to do together,” Luxon said.

Upon landing at Hanan International Airport, Luxon was greeted with an embrace from the Premier and a rousing takalo reception.

Later at the High Commission, Luxon and Tagalagi celebrated the King’s Birthday — Niue is 23 hours behind New Zealand, on the other side of the International Dateline — and toasted the relationship.

‘Rely heavily on support’
“I know that we rely heavily on your support. But we’re doing our very best to help ourselves also,” Tagalagi said.

The Speaker of Niue’s Assembly Hima Douglas said the relationship had given Niue peace, security and tranquility.

“When we look back, Prime Minister, we could not have asked for a better country to look after Niue. We could not have asked for a better development partner,” he said.

But as Niue celebrated the past, it was also looking to the future.

MP Emani Fakaotimanava-Lui told RNZ Pacific he wanted to see Niue generating its own finances.

“It would be best for Niue to look at how we can grow with New Zealand towards the next 50 years, possibly to be self-sustaining. Not to be dependent on New Zealand,” he said.

“Every time we need cash, we’re coming to the New Zealand government to ask can we get this money, can we get that money.”

Always a trusted partner
Luxon said he wanted Niue to understand New Zealand would always be a trusted partner.

“I think it’s about us betting really clear about the core infrastructure that sets Niue up for success. And doing what we can as New Zealand to support Niue, one of our realm countries, to make sure it is set up for success with a platform it needs to go forward.”

Bilateral talks between Luxon and Tagalagi will take place later today.

Luxon said the two would discuss the future of the relationship and how it sits in an increasingly contested region, as other nations start to woo the Pacific.

China has become Niue’s second largest trading partner, and has supported Niue with more investment.

“There’s… more strategic competition, whether it’s China, whether it’s the US, whether it’s other powers as well,” Luxon said.

“But this is the Pacific family and we prioritise the centrality of the Pacific Island Forum, we want that to be the regional architecture that deals with challenges within the region. But this is a fantastic region, and it has huge opportunity, and we want to be a trusted partner and a partner of choice.”

This afternoon Luxon heads to Fiji for the next stop on his Pacific mission, with geostrategic choppy water set to rear its head again.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

The council has faced criticism for its handling of the selection process. There was little transparency in how the list was reduced from over 60 to just five, while rumors about efforts made by members of the economic elite to influence the vote swirled. On May 24, the US Embassy in Haiti issued a statement noting that the US was looking “forward to a transparent process that gives Haiti a Prime Minister and transitional government selected on the basis of technical merit and impartiality.”

On May 27, the Montana Accord and Fanmi Lavalas, two sectors represented on the council, released statements urging transparency in the selection process. They both called for the publication of the political accord agreed to by council members, which has been repeatedly delayed, prior to any decision on the choice of PM. Two decrees, one with the text of the political accord and the other requiring a 5/7 majority for key decisions, were published in Le Moniteur just hours before the announcement of Conille.

While Conille’s nomination has been welcomed by myriad political and civil society actors in Haiti, all of those interviewed for the job by the council, whose seven voting members are all men, were themselves men. “The rejection of the only woman in the last stage of this process is a disappointment for the women’s sector,” said Marie Denise Claude, a former minister for the status of women.

With some two decades of experience working inside the UN system, Conille is a choice that will be sure to please the international community. He worked for former US President Bill Clinton following the 2010 earthquake and was named prime minister by Haitian President Michel Martelly in late 2011. However, he resigned just months later after clashing with Martelly over an investigation into corruption in post-quake government contracts.

The council, together with the new prime minister, will now move forward with forming a new government.

MSS, With No Clear Ground Rules, Faces Delays as Kenyan President Travels to Washington, DC

On May 22, just a day ahead of President William Ruto’s arrival in Washington, DC, for a formal state visit, the Miami Herald reported that the planned deployment of Kenyan police to Haiti as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission had been delayed. Officials from both governments had previously indicated that the initial deployment would coincide with Ruto’s visit. However, an advance team that traveled to Haiti found that the base, which is being constructed by the US military, was not yet complete and that equipment was still inadequate. “The latest we’ve heard is that’s not possible,” a congressional aide told the paper. “They are running into some stark realities in terms of equipment logistics.”

The delay, however, was not simply due to equipment. As the Miami Herald reported, the Kenyans had “yet to provide the U.N. Security Council with the necessary paperwork before the mission is allowed to begin.” The mission was authorized by the Security Council in October 2023, and while it is explicitly not a UN mission, the council did request that Kenya provide certain documents about the intervention.

“The council said that the mission could not deploy until its leaders provide them with key details. Council members want the mission to adhere to international law and that rules are in place to address issues such as human rights violations and past problems that have arisen with previous foreign interventions into Haiti,” the Miami Herald reported. “The delay in delivering a documented plan reflects broad skepticism that the mission is ready to go.”

“We know specifically that they do not have rules of engagement established,” a congressional aide said. Furthermore, there is no clear timetable or end goals, the paper reported.

Speaking alongside President Biden, however, Ruto assured the media that all documents had been completed and that the mission would move forward within a matter of weeks. A court challenge in Kenya seeking to stop the deployment is still ongoing, but Ruto has previously pledged to move forward regardless of its outcome.

Biden also promised continued US support for the mission. In recent weeks, the Pentagon has flown dozens of planeloads of equipment into the country, is actively building a base and medical facility for the MSS, and has begun procurement for basic supplies, including food services, bulk water, and even toiletries in anticipation of the force’s arrival. The Pentagon also awarded a no-bid contract to GardaWorld to provide armed security to protect the new facilities.

The US has been a vocal proponent of the intervention since October 2022. However, it has refused to directly contribute troops and instead has sought to find another country to lead. “We concluded that for the United States to deploy forces in the hemisphere just raises all kinds of questions that can be easily misrepresented about what we’re trying to do,” the US president said. “So we set out to find a partner or partners who would lead the effort that we would participate in.”

“We want to do all we can, without us looking like America once again is stepping over and deciding this is what must be done,” Biden declared. Laura Richardson, the head of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), previously noted that there would be a limited number of US military personnel on the ground in Haiti.

Officials have claimed that the initial deployment would now take place sometime in mid-June.

On the same day as the meeting between Biden and Ruto, two US missionaries were killed in Haiti, prompting the White House and State Department to issue public statements stressing the urgency of deploying the MSS as soon as possible. “The security situation in Haiti cannot wait. That is why yesterday, President Biden reiterated our commitment to support the expedited the [sic] deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to bolster the Haitian National Police’s capabilities to protect civilians, restore the rule of law, and pave the way to democratic governance,” the White House said the following day.

The looming intervention was also the subject of a Quincy Institute event with former US Special Envoy to Haiti Dan Foote; Samar Al-Bulushi, a Quincy Institute Non-Resident Fellow and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at University of California, Irvine; and me.

Congressional Fight Over MSS Funding Continues

As previous round-ups have detailed, there remains a political fight in the US over tens of millions in State Department funding for the MSS, which Republicans have held up over questions regarding how the funds would be used. In early May, through the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), the Biden administration authorized the transfer of $60 million in military equipment to Haiti to support the MSS. On May 17, House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) wrote to Secretary of State Blinken criticizing the action and again questioning the administration’s support for the MSS.

“The president’s unprecedented use of PDA in this context is extremely questionable,” they wrote. “Plainly stated, the administration is rushing to fund an undefined and indefinite engagement in Haiti without Congressional approval.”

“Prior international interventions over a long period of time in Haiti have been dismal failures, leaving the Haitian people worse off than before. We cannot use U.S. taxpayer dollars to support an open-ended, poorly conceived mission,” Risch said during a congressional hearing with Blinken last week.

The Biden administration has repeatedly pushed back on Republican criticism, claiming that it had provided all necessary information on the MSS. The Miami Herald report on the lack of clear planning documents, however, indicates that key questions remain unanswered.

Nevertheless, many Democrats have targeted their focus on Republican opposition. On May 22, the same day as the Herald report, 42 House Democrats and 10 Democratic Senators wrote to McCaul and Risch, urging them to unblock the funding for the MSS.

“As Members of Congress, we have a shared responsibility—to assess how U.S. taxpayer dollars will be used to support the MSS. After more than 90 briefings by the State Department on the proposed use of funds, we believe that the burden of persuasion has been met,” the members wrote.

However, as the Miami Herald report makes clear and as previous round-ups have explained, the congressional funding for the MSS is not a primary factor in the deployment delay. Further, the questions asked by Republicans appear to be remarkably similar to those raised by the UN Security Council — the body that authorized the MSS in the first place.

The deaths of the two American missionaries has further propelled Haiti into domestic politics. Natalie Lloyd, who was killed along with her husband and a Haitian colleague near the orphanage where they all worked, was the daughter of Republican Missouri state legislator Ben Baker. “Haiti is totally out of control. Find the killers NOW!!!,” former president Donald Trump posted on social media. He later spoke on the phone with Baker.

US Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) wrote a letter to the Biden administration blaming the US Embassy in Haiti for not doing more to protect the slain couple. “On the night they were besieged by gangs, my office urgently requested help from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. The Embassy informed us it was ‘too dangerous’ to send police to aid the Lloyds. Now they are dead,” he wrote.

TPC Tries to Take Charge of MSS, but Who Will Ultimately Call the Shots?

On May 21, the TPC met with the high command of the Haitian National Police (HNP) to discuss preparations for the MSS. “Haiti, through the Haitian National Police, will have overall control over the operation of this mission on the ground,” it said. “Whether it concerns the composition, objectives, rules of engagement and health control of the troops, everything will be coordinated and supervised by the Haitian police authorities.”

The political accord signed by TPC members calls for the creation of a National Security Council that will define and oversee international support, including the MSS. On May 22, the TPC announced that it had held a meeting to move forward with the new entity, although it does not yet formally exist.

Despite the rhetoric, it is clear that the main power behind the MSS has been and continues to be the United States. “The real country backing the Kenyans with materials and support is the United States,” Louis Gerard Gilles, a member of the TPC, told the Washington Post.

“If we’re saying this is to support the Haitian authorities but the Haitian authorities are not fully empowered or functional, how can we be moving forward with this deployment and surging resources on the ground?,” I am quoted as asking in the Post article. “Nobody knows who is ultimately calling the shots.”

During his remarks with President Biden, Ruto declared that the Kenyan forces would “break the back” of the gangs. This assertion seemed to contradict a statement made days earlier by TPC member Leslie Voltaire, who had stated that the Kenyan forces would “not fight against gangs unless they are attacked.”

“Nobody favors amnesty,” Voltaire told the Washington Post. However, the paper reported, “he plans to suggest the creation of a truth and justice committee and a system that would encourage gang members to demobilize, appear before victims ‘and repent.’” This plan is in line with the text of the political accord agreed to by the TPC, which includes the creation of a truth, justice, and reparations commission.

After the killing of the two Americans, US Ambassador to Haiti Dennis Hankins gave an interview on local radio declaring that gangs would have a choice between the “cemetery or jail.”

PNH Leadership Questioned

Amid the ongoing debates about the MSS, its deployment, and how it will interact with local police, various organizations have called for a change in the police hierarchy, AlterPresse reports.

The Office of Citizen Protection called for “changes at the high command level of the police institution,” noting numerous allegations of complicity between police and armed groups. This call follows statements from two major police unions, the National Union of Haitian Police Officers (SYNAPOHA) and Haitian National Police Union (SPNH-17), urging changes in HNP leadership, specifically the director general, Frantz Elbe.

SPNH-17 also criticized the MSS. “What we’re seeing is the international community working with a few sectors with no clear plans on what they’ll do and how,” the union said in a statement. “We believe only the Haitian police can provide long term security for Haiti.”

Speaking to NPR, a police officer said that there had been little communication with the Kenyans and that the police were receiving inadequate support from the state. He also claimed that politicians and business owners had been directly arming certain police units.

“When the gangs attacked the rich areas of Port-au-Prince, the business owners gave us ammunition to fight them,” the officer claimed.

“The gangs, he says, were created by the powerful to protect their business interests,” NPR’s Eyder Peralta reported. “On many occasions, he says, he has witnessed police commanders giving gangs a heads-up on their operations. And now that the powerful have lost control of the gangs, he says, they are using the police as their new armed wing.”

Asked if the MSS would be able to take on the armed groups, the officer said, “No, because you first have to deal with the people who gave them the guns to begin with.”

Allegations of private sector financing of police operations have focused on the Temporary Anti-Gang Unit (UTAG), an elite, French-trained police unit. A France24 reporter recently embedded with the unit on a patrol of downtown Port-au-Prince.

“Most people have fled. So we don’t need to know if they’re armed or not … we just fire,” an officer told the reporter, who later in the segment interviewed civilians still living in the neighborhood.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch questioned whether, with regard to the MSS, enough was being done to ensure compliance with human rights obligations. “Members of the UN Security Council should demand on all troop-contributing countries to implement a robust human rights due diligence policy, including an independent oversight mechanism, involving Haitian civil society, to monitor and report on the conduct of the Haitian National Police and MSS personnel,” the organization said.

“Haitians deserve robust measures to ensure full compliance with international law and respect for their human rights, and transparency about them,” HRW concluded.

Armed Groups Increasingly Involved in Drug Trade, Preparing for MSS Arrival

In a feature article and accompanying multimedia piece, the New York Times detailed how one of the capital’s most powerful armed groups “5 Segonn,” led by Johnson Andrè a.k.a. “Izo,” was trying to transform itself into a cartel-like militia.

“Haitian gangs appear to be using weapons also used by the Gulf Clan, a Colombian cartel, which operates along the country’s Caribbean coastline and uses neighboring countries to traffic cocaine. President Gustavo Petro of Colombia said last month that thousands of military weapons had been stolen and sold to armed groups, like cartels, and may have gone to Haiti,” the Times reported.

The article noted that Dimitri Hérard, a former high-ranking member of the presidential guard under Jovenel Moïse and Michel Martelly who had been jailed over his alleged role in the assassination of Moïse, had recently started working directly with Izo. “Mr. Hérard is now helping organize and advise Izo’s gang and may be providing connections to larger criminal organizations in the region, including drug cartels, according to a senior regional intelligence official and the two Western diplomats.”

Hérard was implicated in a major 2015 drug bust, with witnesses reporting that he had helped remove drugs from the port prior to the arrival of police. The New York Times reported that Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, the self-declared spokesperson of the Viv Ansanm coalition of armed groups, was also involved in that case.

“Most of the drugs in the case disappeared. Witnesses were intimidated by Haitian government officials, including by Jimmy Chérizier, a police officer, according to Keith McNichols, a former Drug Enforcement Administration officer who worked on the case,” the paper reported.

Separately, AyiboPost reported on how various armed groups are preparing for the deployment of the MSS. Images obtained by the Haitian news outlet show the construction of a wharf in territory controlled by Izo. “Having a greater maritime capacity gives the gang more options to move its soldiers, weapons and drugs,” someone familiar with the group’s operations, told the outlet.

This first appeared on CEPR.

The post Haiti: Transitional Presidential Council Selects Prime Minister appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Jake Johnston.

The first prime ministerial candidate has been announced in Solomon Islands and it is not Manasseh Sogavare.

The man of the hour is Jeremiah Manele, the MP for Hograno/Kia/Havulei constituency in Isabel Province, who served as minister of foreign affairs in the last government.

Manele’s candidacy was announced by caretaker Prime Minister Sogavare in a news conference in Honiara on Monday night.

• READ MORE: Other Solomon islands election reports

Sogavare downplayed not putting his hat in the ring this time, saying it was a collective decision.

He said he was “deeply honoured” to be handing over the reins to a highly capable leader.

“Jeremiah Manele is no stranger,” Sogavare said.

“Manele was a career public servant rising up through the ranks of the public service and was once upon a time secretary to the prime minister before assuming elected office.

“He last held the senior position of minister of foreign affairs and external trade in the last government.

“He has been groomed for this position.”

In accepting the nomination, Manele called for unity and said stability was the key to transforming Solomon Islands.

“I am able and willing to carry this awesome responsibility in leading our nation forward,” he said.

“I am well aware of the challenges and I know that at times it can be burdensome and lonely; but I am confident that I am comforted by the sound policies that we have and the solidarity in our coalition.”

If Manele is successfully elected, he will be the country’s first prime minister from Isabel Province.

Explainer – entering the final straight
Nominations for prime minister will close at 4pm today. The election of the prime minister is scheduled to take place at 9.30am local time on Thursday, May 2, at Parliament House.

However, even after prime ministerial nominations close, there is still a high chance of more movements of MPs to and from the established coalitions.

And if history is anything to go by, there could even be a breakaway coalition formed ahead of the prime ministerial election on Thursday.

This is partly enabled by Solomon Islands’ weak political party legislation which does not prescribe any penalties or restrictions for MPs wanting to resign from or join political parties.

This means MPs who want to play both sides for political or personal gain can switch back and forth multiple times with impunity.

But another underlying driver for this behaviour — and the reason prime ministerial elections are such fraught affair in Solomon Islands — is the huge disparity in both income and benefits between MPs who end up in government compared to those who end up in opposition.

There is also one more variable to consider which is that, besides the government and the opposition, the Solomon Islands constitution provides a space for independent MPs who do not want to be affiliated with either side of the house.

It is unclear at this stage what bearing such a grouping could have on the election of the prime minister. However, in 2019 when Sogavare came to power, 15 MPs abstained from voting in the prime ministerial election.

How voting in the prime ministerial election is conducted
According to the constitution, the election of the prime minister will be presided over by the Governor General and conducted by secret ballot.

If at any point a candidate receives an absolute majority of votes they shall be elected prime minister.

Should no candidate receive an absolute majority of votes at the first ballot, a further ballot shall be held with the candidate receiving the least number of votes in the first round being eliminated.

If there are several candidates who were tied for last place in the first round then the Governor General shall decide by lot which one of those candidates shall be eliminated.

This process is repeated until all candidates bar two have been eliminated at which point only one further ballot shall be conducted to decide the election between these two candidates.

At this ballot, the candidate with the most votes shall be elected prime minister.

If they are again tied only one more ballot will be conducted and if the result is the same the Governor General will countermand the election and the election procedure will begin anew.

Analysis – the players
Manele is the prime ministerial candidate for one of two major coalition groupings in Honiara lobbying to form the next government of Solomon Islands.

The make-up of the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation (CNUT) Manele now heads, which claimed to have the support of 28 out of the 50 MPs in Parliament, is pretty much identical to the composition of the former government.

It includes:

• Our Party, which despite losing half of its former members of parliament at the polls, still emerged as the single largest political party in parliament with 15 MPs. Interestingly, Sogavare, in his remarks to the press, said they now had only 12 MPs, which if true, indicated they have suffered some resignations in the past week.
• The People’s First Party, which secured three seats in the election, included among its ranks multi-millionare businessman Chachabule Rebi Amoi. The party now claim to have recruited three additional MPs which would bring up their total number of MPs to six.
• And the Kandere Party, whose sole MP, Jamie Lency Vokia, made a return to parliament this year having stood his wife Ethel Lency Vokia as a proxy in the last parliament, after he lost his North East Guadalcanal seat in 2020 when he was found guilty of bribing voters in an election petition.

Manele’s coalition also has a powerful independent lobby group spearheaded by the West Honiara MP and casino owner Namson Tran, making it quite a formidable opponent.

The other coalition of parties loosely resembles the former opposition group in Parliament, but has yet to settle on its own name, let alone announce its prime ministerial candidate.

However, based on the political party leadership, the three most likely to be nominated are:

• The former opposition leader Mathew Wale, whose Democratic Party emerged from the election with 11 MPs.
• Populist MP Peter Kenilorea Jr, the son of Solomon Islands’ first prime minister, whose United Party secured six seats in the election.
• And former prime minister Rick Hou, whose Democratic Alliance Party is one of two minor parties in this coalition each with a single MP in the current parliament.

The other minor party was the Umi for Change Party, represented by first time MP Daniel Suilea Waneoroa, whose election victory was one of the David and Goliath stories of the 2024 election — given he not only unseated the incumbent (now former) North Malaita MP Senly Filualea, but also staved off the likes of another former MP, Jimmy Lusibaea.

In a statement marking the signing of their coalition agreement over the weekend, the parties called on independent MPs, 11 of whom made it into parliament, to join them and help bring in a new government.

“We appeal to all newly elected independent MPs voted on a mandate for change to join us. Let us take back Solomon Islands,” the statement said.

At the time the statement was released, this yet-to-be-named coalition claimed to have the support of 20 MPs.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

From the outset, the premise of Ten Years to Save the West is confused.  She declares the work is not a political memoir so much as “a call to action for fellow conservatives who believe in our nation and our way of life and who share my frustration at what has been going wrong with our politics and governance.”  But the aggrieved memoirist, rather than a sound political thinker, dominates the narrative.

In Ten Years to Save the West, Truss gives us what The Daily Telegraph describes as a “romp”.  Certainly, it is not like other prime ministerial accounts more likely to induce a mild coma or soporific escape.  She did have a mere 49 turbulent days in Number 10, a time so short it did not enable her to move in her furniture.  During that spell, she managed to tank the British economy and cripple the Tory party.  In a span of just over a month, her policies pushed 13% of Tory voters towards Labor.

Truss never tires of telling us that everything was stacked against her.  In all the ministerial positions she occupied in government, she claims to have been a radical stymied by a host of forces.  She faced opposition in the education portfolio.  As environmental secretary, she battle Tory colleagues afflicted with “climate fever” while fighting off the Marxist climate lobby.  She might have secured a UK-US Free Trade Agreement with the Trump administration were it not for her wretched colleagues.

Whatever undercooked notions she had – a loose collection of economic musings that came to be called Trussonomics – she laments the “sheer power of the administrative state and its influence on the markets and the wider polity”.  But she has the order the wrong way around.  The very markets that she sees as the state’s salvation – at least in terms those operating in them – had no confidence in her.  It was her Tory idol, Margaret Thatcher, who endorsed the view that the state had a minimal role to play when it came to meddling in finance and money markets.  Release the forces, cut back the state’s fetters.  The libertarian Truss got exactly what she deserved.

With stunning incoherence, Truss is convinced that those forces at work were all infected by a left-wing virus, from the administrative wonks and lever pullers in White Hall to humble teachers and charity workers.  Not that questionable, eccentric, even idiotic policies don’t find an audience in self-defeating bureaucracy.  They always do, and always will.  As an example of the latter Truss cites environmental policies that led to the construction of a “bat bridge” at considerable increased cost to expanding one of the local roads under her charge.

The shrill, unhinged analysis by Truss in this half-manifesto, half-lament, is mysteriously capable of identifying the left-wing virus in such conservative institutions as the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of England, the Treasury, and the Office for Budget Responsibility, bodies that found her promises of indulgent unfunded tax cuts in the September 2022 budget unworkable, even dangerous.  Throughout, she draws on the thesis of former US president Donald Trump of the “Deep State” that managed to hold her “at gunpoint”, one made up of a progressive and Marxist alliance that hates growth and cherishes decline.

A few observations, at a pinch, should be taken seriously.  The poor trappings of a British PM’s office are noted.  Truss makes the point that discharging its heavy burdens are made nigh impossible by institutional impediments.  The modern British prime minister “is treated like a president but has nothing like the kind of institutional support for the office that we would expect in a presidential system”.  But Truss tends to spoil such observations with trivial whines: that she had to do her own hair and make-up.

She also complains about the media saturated, short-term horizon that characterises the workings of Downing Street.  This is a tad rich coming from the same individual who made such extensive use of social media in her various postings, be it jogging in New York or driving a tank in military gear in Estonia.  During her stint as Foreign Secretary, she uploaded upwards of 700 pictures or more a day in what came to be derided as Instagram diplomacy.

The warnings for Truss’s demise were many.  Many came from close to home.  Her husband, Hugh O’Leary, predicted that her stint as prime minister would “all end in tears” though “accepted that this was the moment I was expected to run and that if I didn’t, people would say I had bottled it”.  She even writes of her Norfolk constituency political agent’s harsh assessment: “I should run – but he thought it would be best if I came second”.  The late Queen Elizabeth II, whose discussions with the prime minister of the day are, according to convention, never disclosed, is documented as giving the following advice: “Pace yourself.”  Truss concedes that she “should have listened”.

This grossly, at times embarrassingly uneven thesis of Western doom and necessary salvation, wrapped up in personal resentment, is unlikely to do much to change matters in the corridors of power.  But its occasional slips of candour and frequent revelations of sharp incompetence suggest that Truss’s 49 days in office were 49 days too many.

This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.

His whole fall from grace as deputy-prime minister was all the more revealing for being instigated by his politically insatiable mentor, Mahathir bin Mohammed, Southeast Asia’s wiliest, and most ruthless politician.  Eventually, that old, vengeful fox had to relent: his former protégé would have his day.

Anwar is in no mood to take sides on spats between the grumbly titans who seek their place in posterity’s sun.  And why should a country like Malaysia do so?  During last year’s visit to Beijing and the Boao Forum in Hainan, he secured a commitment from Chinese President Xi Jinping on foreign investment amounting to RM170.1 billion ($US35.6 billion) spanning 19 memoranda of understanding (MOU).  Greater participation in Malaysia’s 5G network plan by Chinese telecommunications behemoth Huawei was assured some weeks later.

In the Financial Times, the Malaysian PM levelled the charge against the United States that Sinophobia had become a problem, a fogging fixation.  Why should Malaysia, he asked, “pick a quarrel” with China, a country that had become its foremost trading partner?  “Why must I be tied to one interest?  I don’t buy into this strong prejudice against China, this China-phobia.”

Much of this middle-of-the-road daring was prompted by comments made by US Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been saddled with the task of padding out ties between Washington and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).  Rather than being diplomatic, the Veep has been irritatingly teacherly.

Last September, during her visit to the US-ASEAN summit in Jakarta, Harris beat the drum on the issue of promoting “a region that is open, interconnected, prosperous, secure, and resilient.”  Such openness was always going to be subordinate to Washington’s own interests.  “We have a shared commitment to international rules and norms and our partnership on pressing national and regional issues”.  An international campaign against “irresponsible behaviour in the disputed waters” would be commenced.

During her trip to the Philippines last November, Harris made the focus of concern clear to countries in the region.  “We must stand up for principles such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, unimpeded lawful commerce, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and throughout the Indo-Pacific.”

The subtext for those listening was so obvious as to be scripted in bold font: Our values first; China’s a necessarily distant second.  This coarse directness did not fall on deaf ears, and Anwar was particularly attentive.  He had already found the views voiced by Harris at Jakarta about Malaysia’s leanings towards Beijing as “not right and grossly unfair”.

In remarks made during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held at the current ASEAN summit, being hosted in Melbourne, Anwar expressed much irritation in being badgered by the United States and its allies on the subject of taking sides.  The virus of Sinophobia had been doing the rounds, causing sniffles and rumbles.  “[M]y reference to China-phobia is because the criticism levied against us for giving additional focus on China; my response is, trade investments is open and right now, China seems to be the leading investor and trade into Malaysia,” Anwar observed.  Malaysians, for the most part, “do not have a problem with China.”

Labouring, even flogging the “fiercely independent” standing of Malaysia, Anwar went on to state that his country remained “an important friend of the United States and Europe and here in Australia, they should not preclude us from being friendly to one of our important neighbours, precisely China.”

Nothing typifies this better than Malaysia’s policy towards the supply and manufacturing of semiconductors.  The emergence of a China Plus One Strategy, notably in the electronic supply chain, has seen companies diversify their risk through investing in alternative markets to mitigate risks.  Keep China on side but do so securely.  Anwar has established a task force dedicated to the subject, while also courting such entities as US chipmaker Micron Technology.  Last October, the company promised an investment of US$1 billion to expand its Penang operations, in addition to the previous allocation of $US1 billion to construct and fully equip its new facility.  In business, such promiscuity should be lauded.

Anwar’s concerns were solid statements of calculated principle, and inconceivable coming out of the mouth of an Australian politician.  Albanese, for his part, has tried to walk the middle road when it comes to security in the Indo-Pacific, even as China remains Australia’s largest trading partner.  He does so in wolf’s clothing supplied by Washington, with various garish labels such as “AUKUS” and “nuclear-powered submarines”.  For decades, Australia’s association with ASEAN has been ventriloquised, the voice emanating from the White House, Pentagon or US State Department.

Canberra’s middle road remains cluttered by one big power, replete with US road signs and tolls, accompanied by hearty welcomes from the US military industrial complex and its determination to turn Australia into a forward defensive position, a garrison playing war’s waiting game.  To his credit, Anwar has avoided the trap, exposing the inauthentic position of his Australian hosts with skill and undeniable charm.

This content originally appeared on Dissident Voice and was authored by Binoy Kampmark.

A Russian metals tycoon's assets in a company that produces a key component in making steel have reportedly been nationalized days after President Vladimir Putin criticized his management of his company.

Yury Antipov, 69, the owner of Russia’s largest ferroalloy company, was also questioned by investigators in Chelyabinsk, the Urals industrial city where his company is based, and released on February 26, according to local media.

Earlier in the day, the government seized his shares in Kompaniya Etalon, a holding company for three metals plants that reportedly produce as much as 90 percent of Russia’s ferroalloy, a resource critical for steelmaking.

Russia’s Prosecutor-General Office filed a lawsuit on February 5 to seize Etalon, claiming the underlying Soviet-era metals assets were illegally privatized in the 1990s. It also said the strategic company was partially owned by entities in “unfriendly” countries.

While campaigning for a presidential vote next month, Putin criticized Antipov on February 16 without naming him during a visit to Chelyabinsk, whose working-class residents are typical of the president’s electoral base.

Putin told the regional governor that the Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Plant, the largest of Etalon’s five metals factories, had failed to reduce dangerous emissions as agreed in 2019 and the asset would be taken over even though the court had yet to hear the case on privatization.

“I think that all the property should be transferred to state ownership and part of the plant -- [where there is ecologically] harmful production -- should be moved outside the city limits,” Putin told Governor Aleksei Teksler.

In a closed hearing, a Chelyabinsk court approved the transfer of Etalon’s assets to the state, a move potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Antipov ranked 170 on Forbes 2021 list of richest Russians with a net worth of $700 million.

The nationalization of a domestic company owned by a Russian citizen is the latest in a series of about two dozen by the state since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Prosecutors have based their cases on illegal privatization, foreign ownership, criminal activity, or a combination of the three. A rare-metals producer whose owner had been critical of the war effort was among the other assets seized. l

The seizures contradict Putin’s repeated promises in the nearly quarter century he has been in power that he would not review the controversial 1990s privatizations. In return, businessmen were expected to be loyal to the Kremlin and stay out of politics, experts say.

That unofficial social contract had more or less functioned up until the war. Now businessmen are also expected to contribute to the war effort and support the national economy amid sweeping Western sanctions, experts say.

The current trend of state seizures has spooked Russian entrepreneurs and raised questions about whether that social contract is still valid.

U.S. Ties

Antipov began his business career in the 1990s selling nails, fertilizer, dried meats, and other goods. In 1996 he and his business partner plowed their profits into the purchase of the Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Plant and subsequently purchased four more metals plants in the ensuing years.

The plants sold some of their output in the United States, where the firm had a trading company.

Antipov received full control of the metals holding in 2020 when he split with his business partner. That year he put 25 percent of the company each in the names of his wife and two eldest sons, Sergei and Aleksei Antipov, according to Russian business registration records.

In 2022, the metal assets were transferred to the Etalon holding company, whose ownership was hidden. Ferroalloy prices surged in 2022 as the war triggered a spike in commodity prices.

A hit piece published by The Moscow Post in December -- six weeks before prosecutors launched the privatization case -- claimed Antipov paid himself a dividend of more than $300 million from 2021-2023 using a structure that avoids capital gains taxes. RFE/RL could not confirm that claim. The Moscow Post is a Russian-language online tabloid that regularly publishes compromising and scandalous stories.

According to public records, Antipov’s two sons own homes in the United States and may be U.S. citizens. Sergei Antipov founded the trading company around the year 2000 in the U.S. state of Indiana. If he and his brother together still own 50 percent of the company, prosecutors could potentially have grounds for seizure.

Russia has changed some laws regulating the purchase of large stakes in strategic assets since its invasion of Ukraine.

One is a 2008 law that requires foreign entities to receive state permission to buy large stakes in strategic assets. An exception had been made for foreign entities controlled by Russian citizens.

Under the change, a Russian citizen with dual citizenship or a residence permit in another country may be considered a “foreign” owner and must receive permission to own an asset.

Nationalization is among the punishments for failure to do so. Thus, if Antipov’s two sons are U.S. citizens or if they have U.S. residency permits, their combined 50 percent stake in the company could be seized.

This already happened to a Russian businessman from St. Petersburg. His business was determined to be strategic and seized after he received foreign residency.

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

Feleti Teo was the only candidate nominated for prime minister, allowing the Pacific island country’s governor-general to declare him elected, Tuvalu’s state TV said Monday, citing government secretary Tufoua Panapa.

It said the government and opposition ranks in the 16-member Parliament won’t be clear until later this week when an oath taking ceremony takes place. Tuvalu held its election in late January, but it has taken a month for all members of Parliament to gather from across the far-flung archipelago in the capital atoll Funafuti.

Teo, over the past two decades, has had leading roles in key regional organizations such as the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the Pacific Islands Development Forum, the Forum Fisheries Agency and the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat. He is a former attorney general of Tuvalu.

Teo’s election bodes well for the new government, according to Meg Keen, director of the Pacific Island Program at the Lowy Institute, an Australian think-tank.

He will be an astute navigator, she said, of relations with countries that have interests in the region. 

“He is well respected both in Tuvalu and the region. He brings to the office a deep understanding of the geopolitics of the region and the critical climate and resource issues affecting Tuvalu’s sovereignty and survival,” Keen told BenarNews, a news service affiliated with Radio Free Asia.  

“We can expect that Tuvalu’s voice will be well projected at home and in the region.”

Teo was congratulated on social media site X by lawmaker and former foreign minister Simon Kofe. It was the first time in Tuvalu’s history that a prime minister had been nominated unopposed, Kofe said. 

Tuvalu, home to about 11,000 people, is one of the dwindling number of nations that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of Beijing. Last month, another Pacific island nation, Nauru, severed ties with Taiwan, reducing its diplomatic allies to 12 countries. Among Pacific island nations, Palau and the Marshall Islands also recognize Taiwan.

China’s government has courted Pacific island nations for the past two decades as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, gain allies in international institutions and challenge U.S. dominance. Beijing regards Taiwan, a democracy and globally important tech manufacturing center, as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland.

Kofe, in a radio interview last month, said views on diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and a security treaty with Australia, which was signed in November last year, are likely to influence groupings in the new Parliament. 

The treaty between Tuvalu and Australia, called the Falepili Union, requires Tuvalu to have Australia’s agreement for “any partnership, arrangement or engagement with any other state or entity on security and defence-related matters.” Its expansive scope and lack of consultation was criticized during the election campaign.

Tuvalu also is seeking U.S. $1.3 billion from international donors for a land reclamation plan that would double the size of Fongafale, the most populated island, by reclaiming 3.6 square kilometers (1.4 square miles) from its lagoon. 

Tuvalu says half of Fongafale would be inundated during the high tide by 2050. Its projections for sea-level rise are based on the most pessimistic scenario for greenhouse gas emissions developed by the United Nations’ climate panel.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Stephen Wright for BenarNews.

The February 25 elections were widely expected to solidify the position of the country's authoritarian leader, Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Only four parties, all of which support Lukashenka's policies, were officially registered to compete in the polls -- Belaya Rus, the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Party of Labor and Justice. About a dozen parties were denied registration last year.

Polls opened for the general elections at 8 a.m. local time and closed at 8 p.m.

According to the Central Election Commission, as of 6 p.m., voter turnout was 70.3 percent.

Results are expected to be announced on February 26, the commission said.

Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has claimed her victory over Lukashenka in the 2020 presidential election was stolen, described the elections as a "farce" and called for a boycott.

"There are no people on the ballot who would offer real changes because the regime only has allowed puppets convenient for it to take part," Tsikhanouskaya said in a video statement from her exile in Lithuania, where she moved following a brutal crackdown on protests against the 2020 election results. "We are calling to boycott this senseless farce, to ignore this election without choice."

In a separate message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tsikhanouskaya said on February 25 that her video address to the Belarusian people about the elections and Russia's invasion of Ukraine had been displayed on 2,000 screens in public spaces throughout Belarus. The action, she said, was organized by a coalition of former police and security forces officers.

The U.S. State Department blasted what it called a "sham" election, held amid a "climate of fear."

"The United States condemns the Lukashenka regime's sham parliamentary and local elections that concluded today in Belarus," it said in a statement.

"The elections were held in a climate of fear under which no electoral processes could be called democratic. The regime continues to hold more than 1,400 political prisoners. All independent political figures have either been detained or exiled. All independent political parties were denied registration."

"The Belarusian people deserve better,” it said.

The general elections were the first to be held in Belarus since the 2020 presidential election, which handed Lukashenka a sixth term in office. More than 35,000 people were arrested in the monthslong mass protests that followed the controversial election.

On the occasion, Lukashenka told journalists after voting that he plans to run again for president in 2025.

"Tell them (the exiled opposition) that I'll run," the state news agency BelTa quoted Lukashenka as saying.

Ahead of the voting in parliamentary and local council elections, the country's Central Election Commission (CEC) announced a record amount of early voting, which began on February 20. Nearly 48 percent of registered voters had already voted by February 24, according to the CEC, eclipsing the nearly 42 percent of early voting recorded for the contentious 2020 presidential election.

Early voting is widely seen by observers as a mechanism employed by the Belarusian authorities to falsify elections. The Belarusian opposition has said the early voting process allows for voting manipulation, with ballot boxes unprotected for a five-day period.

The Vyasna Human Rights Center alleged that many voters were forced to participate in early voting, including students, soldiers, teachers, and other civil servants.

"Authorities are using all available means to ensure the result they need -- from airing TV propaganda to forcing voters to cast ballots early,” said Vyasna representative Pavel Sapelka. “Detentions, arrests, and searches are taking place during the vote.”

The Belarusian authorities stepped up security on the streets and at polling stations around the country, with Interior Ministry police conducting drills on how to deal with voters who might try to violate restrictive rules imposed for the elections.

For the first time, curtains were removed from voting booths, and voters were barred from taking pictures of their ballots -- a practice encouraged by activists in previous elections in an effort to prevent authorities from manipulating vote counts.

Polling stations were guarded by police, along with members of a youth law-enforcement organization and retired security personnel. Armed rapid-response teams were also formed to deal with potential disturbances.

Lukashenka this week alleged without offering proof that Western countries were considering ways to stage a coup and ordered police to boost armed patrols across the country in order to ensure "law and order."

For the first time, election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were denied access to monitor the vote in OSCE-member Belarus.

In the run-up to the vote, rights organizations uncovered violations pertaining to how local election committees were formed. An expert mission organized by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and Viasna said in late January that the lower number of local election committees and their compositions could indicate higher control by the authorities over the election process and an effort to stack the committees with government loyalists.

Following the vote, Belarus is expected to form a new, 1,200-seat All-Belarus Popular Assembly that will have broad powers to appoint judges and election officials and to consider amendments to the constitution. The new body will include elected local legislators, as well as top officials, union members, and pro-government activists.

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

Many received all of the 120 votes during an extraordinary session chaired by Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly on Wednesday, local media reported. 

Many, 41, is the youngest son of Cambodian People’s Party president Hun Sen, 71, who stepped down as prime minister after last year’s national elections in favor of eldest son Hun Manet, 45.

The presumably proud father was not in the country to witness Many’s appointment.

Hun Sen was in Bangkok visiting Thaksin Shinawatra at the former Thai prime minister’s private residence after traveling “gangsta style,” according to Human Rights Watch Deputy Asian Director Phil Robertson. 

“So much for ‘good governance’ or ‘human rights’ in the Mekong sub-region,” Robertson posted on X.

Thaksin was released from the Police General Hospital on Sunday, after being held there due to ill health for six months on corruption charges following his return from exile. 

Hun Sen provided Thaksin with sanctuary during his 15-year exile, allowing him to visit frequently as a special advisor to Cambodia.

His son’s appointment was not unexpected. On Feb. 16, exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy said  Hun Many’s elevation to deputy prime minister would show, “this regime is a feudal clan, as far away from public accountability as any in the world.”

Hun Sen was Cambodia’s prime minister from 1985 to 2023, the longest-serving premier in the country’s history.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Taejun Kang.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Mike Firn for RFA.

Tonga’s monarch has purportedly meddled in the Pacific island country’s young democracy by withdrawing his consent for the prime minister to continue in one of his ministerial roles.

King Tupou VI withdrew his confidence in Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, in his capacity as armed forces minister, and also for the country’s foreign affairs minister, according to an undated letter from the monarch’s advisory council to the Cabinet that has circulated online.

Tongan news site Matangi Tonga reported Monday that Tonga’s deputy prime minister had confirmed the letter was authentic. In the ornate language of the palace, the letter says, “His Majesty, was pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to withdraw His confidence and consent” to the appointment of Sovaleni as armed forces minister.

It’s unclear if Tupou VI is acting in accordance with Tonga’s constitution, which says that cabinet ministers can be removed by the king on the prime minister’s recommendation or a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

Tonga in 2010 amended its constitution to remove many of the monarchy’s powers and allowed elections after more than 150 years of absolute rule, a change that occurred with the cooperation of the monarch at the time, Tupou V.

Some experts have said the reforms were incomplete as the monarch, defined as a sacred person in Tonga’s constitution, retains significant authority such as a veto over government legislation. About a third of Parliament’s members are nobles elected by the small group of Tongans who have noble titles.

The shift of powers to an elected Cabinet followed riots in 2006 that devastated the capital Nuku’alofa and were sparked by frustration at lack of economic and democratic progress in the country of 100,000 people. Chinese-owned businesses were a particular target during the unrest.  

Tonga’s government hasn’t publicly responded to Tupou VI’s letter. On Tuesday, the website of the prime minister’s office posted a 40-minute video from Sovaleni in which he discusses progress the government has made in various areas. 

Tonga’s Foreign Affairs Minister Fekita 'Utoikamanu, the country’s only female cabinet minister, is one of four ministers that can be nominated by the prime minister without being an elected representative.

Sovaleni, who survived a no-confidence motion in Parliament in September last year, is reportedly overseas for medical treatment. 

Tonga’s small economy, reliant on aid from Australia and New Zealand and one of the most indebted to China in the Pacific, is still struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and a tsunami in 2022.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Stephen Wright for BenarNews.

"I have the great honor to be here today, to reward you, because you have such a difficult and decisive mission on your shoulders, to repel the enemy and win this war," Zelenskiy told soldiers on February 4 following his visit to Robotyne, a southern village in the Zaporizhzhya region that was one of the few successes by Ukrainian forces during last year’s counteroffensive.

The presidential office released video of Zelenskiy handing out medals to troops of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which led the advance on Robotyne, a village with a prewar population of about 450 people.

While there, Zelenskiy appointed Ivan Federov -- mayor of now-occupied Melitopol who was once abducted by Russia -- as head of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya region.

Fedorov was abducted in March 2022 when he refused to cooperate with Russians troops, triggering local protests and calls by Zelenskiy for his immediate release. He was released five days later.

Zelenskiy faces a growing political storm amid reports he is poised to push out the country’s top military commander, General Valeriy Zaluzhniy.

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Polls show that Zaluzhniy is as popular, if not more so, than Zelenskiy, and some experts fear that, were Zelenskiy to oust Zaluzhniy, it would demoralize some of Ukraine's troops and undermine national unity.

There has been no official word from Zelenskiy’s office about his intentions in regard to Zaluzhniy’s position, although numerous media reports have said the president has informed his U.S. allies of an impending move.

In remarks to Italian TV late on February 4, Zelenskiy said, without being specific, that he is considering “replacing a number of state leaders," not only in the military.

"It is a question of the people who are to lead Ukraine," he told told RAI television when asked about reports that he is about to fire Zaluzhniy.

"A reset is necessary. I am talking about a replacement of a number of state leaders, not only in the army sector. I am reflecting on this replacement. It's a question for the entire leadership of the country."

"I have in mind something serious that does not concern a single person but the direction of the country's leadership."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said the search-and-rescue operation at the site of a deadly building attack in the Russian-occupied city of Lysychansk has been completed.

Rescuers early on February 4 recovered more bodies from the rubble of the building in eastern Ukraine that was hit by apparent artillery fire, bringing the death toll to 28.

The Emergency Situations Ministry said in a post to Telegram that a child was among the bodies recovered from the rubble of the building, which it said housed a bakery and a restaurant. Another 10 people were rescued.

Moscow-imposed officials in the Luhansk region, which is nearly entirely controlled by Russia, initially blamed a Ukrainian drone strike for the attack, but later shifted explanations, asserting it was actually Ukrainian artillery. The claim could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian officials have made no comment on the incident.

Russia took control of Lysychansk in July 2022 after months of fierce fighting.

Nearly two years into Russia’s mass invasion of Ukraine, the battlefield along the nearly 1,200-kilometer front line stretching from northeast Ukraine to the south-central region of Kherson has largely frozen. After an unsuccessful counteroffensive last fall, Ukrainian troops have turned to rebuilding their forces, and shoring up defenses.

Russia, for its part, has continued to push forward in several, localized offensives: near Kupyansk in the north, and around the industrial city of Avdiyivka, to the south.

Both sides have also launched longer-range attacks this winter, using long-distance precision artillery, drones, and air-launched cruise missiles.

Ukraine has increasingly used its drone arsenal to target industrial sites within Russia itself. On February 3, an apparent Ukrainian drone strike hit one of the largest oil refineries in Volgograd, about 400 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border.

Firefighters put out the blaze after several hours, and it was unclear the extent of the damage at the refinery, which is owned by Lukoil, and is one of the largest in Russia. It produces gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, and fuel for ships.

In Ukraine’s Sumy region, the military administration there said Russian forces had shelled the region in 16 separate attacks the previous day.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian and Ukrainian services, Reuters, and AP

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

"I have the great honor to be here today, to reward you, because you have such a difficult and decisive mission on your shoulders, to repel the enemy and win this war," Zelenskiy told soldiers on February 4 following his visit to Robotyne, a southern village in the Zaporizhzhya region that was one of the few successes by Ukrainian forces during last year’s counteroffensive.

The presidential office released video of Zelenskiy handing out medals to troops of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which led the advance on Robotyne, a village with a prewar population of about 450 people.

While there, Zelenskiy appointed Ivan Federov -- mayor of now-occupied Melitopol who was once abducted by Russia -- as head of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya region.

Fedorov was abducted in March 2022 when he refused to cooperate with Russians troops, triggering local protests and calls by Zelenskiy for his immediate release. He was released five days later.

Zelenskiy faces a growing political storm amid reports he is poised to push out the country’s top military commander, General Valeriy Zaluzhniy.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Polls show that Zaluzhniy is as popular, if not more so, than Zelenskiy, and some experts fear that, were Zelenskiy to oust Zaluzhniy, it would demoralize some of Ukraine's troops and undermine national unity.

There has been no official word from Zelenskiy’s office about his intentions in regard to Zaluzhniy’s position, although numerous media reports have said the president has informed his U.S. allies of an impending move.

In remarks to Italian TV late on February 4, Zelenskiy said, without being specific, that he is considering “replacing a number of state leaders," not only in the military.

"It is a question of the people who are to lead Ukraine," he told told RAI television when asked about reports that he is about to fire Zaluzhniy.

"A reset is necessary. I am talking about a replacement of a number of state leaders, not only in the army sector. I am reflecting on this replacement. It's a question for the entire leadership of the country."

"I have in mind something serious that does not concern a single person but the direction of the country's leadership."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said the search-and-rescue operation at the site of a deadly building attack in the Russian-occupied city of Lysychansk has been completed.

Rescuers early on February 4 recovered more bodies from the rubble of the building in eastern Ukraine that was hit by apparent artillery fire, bringing the death toll to 28.

The Emergency Situations Ministry said in a post to Telegram that a child was among the bodies recovered from the rubble of the building, which it said housed a bakery and a restaurant. Another 10 people were rescued.

Moscow-imposed officials in the Luhansk region, which is nearly entirely controlled by Russia, initially blamed a Ukrainian drone strike for the attack, but later shifted explanations, asserting it was actually Ukrainian artillery. The claim could not be independently verified.

Ukrainian officials have made no comment on the incident.

Russia took control of Lysychansk in July 2022 after months of fierce fighting.

Nearly two years into Russia’s mass invasion of Ukraine, the battlefield along the nearly 1,200-kilometer front line stretching from northeast Ukraine to the south-central region of Kherson has largely frozen. After an unsuccessful counteroffensive last fall, Ukrainian troops have turned to rebuilding their forces, and shoring up defenses.

Russia, for its part, has continued to push forward in several, localized offensives: near Kupyansk in the north, and around the industrial city of Avdiyivka, to the south.

Both sides have also launched longer-range attacks this winter, using long-distance precision artillery, drones, and air-launched cruise missiles.

Ukraine has increasingly used its drone arsenal to target industrial sites within Russia itself. On February 3, an apparent Ukrainian drone strike hit one of the largest oil refineries in Volgograd, about 400 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border.

Firefighters put out the blaze after several hours, and it was unclear the extent of the damage at the refinery, which is owned by Lukoil, and is one of the largest in Russia. It produces gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, and fuel for ships.

In Ukraine’s Sumy region, the military administration there said Russian forces had shelled the region in 16 separate attacks the previous day.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian and Ukrainian services, Reuters, and AP

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

Papua New Guinea’s prime minister says he is confident he can retain power in the wake of the recent riots.

Prime Minister James Marape claims he has the direct support of more than 50 MPs from his own party as well as coalition partners in the 111-seat Parliament.

The Black Wednesday riot claimed the lives of more than 20 people and the Chamber of Commerce is estimating the cost to businesses at more than one billion kina mark (NZ$ 440 million).

But despite the departure of several back benchers from the government’s ranks, Marape has been seen busy working to strengthen his coalition support and placate the public.

RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Scott Waide said the deadly riots could not have come at a worse time for Marape, with the protection of new governments in PNG against leadership challenges coming to an end next month.

“A lot of people feel that he’s being supported, with the government ranks there’s not enough people talking about his removal. That’s the general sentiment that many people have expressed,” Waide said.

“He’s articulated a figure between 51 and 54. He’s basically satisfying coalition members so the defence minister has been changed, he’s tried to appease the public by removing Ian Ling-Stuckey as treasury minister and taken over.

“The United Resource Party that belongs to William Duma has been given a few portfolios, so a lot of political movement to shore up the numbers to satisfying the coalition partners and appease the public.”

Chamber president Ian Tarutia said this figure could increase.

The National newspaper reports that the business group has compared the impact of the rioting and looting to a natural disaster and they want the government to respond with that in mind.

They have already sought an immediate capital injection of up to one billion kina.

Marape has promised a relief package for businesses, which would include a loan scheme, tax holiday and start-up capital.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Papua New Guinea’s prime minister says he is confident he can retain power in the wake of the recent riots.

Prime Minister James Marape claims he has the direct support of more than 50 MPs from his own party as well as coalition partners in the 111-seat Parliament.

The Black Wednesday riot claimed the lives of more than 20 people and the Chamber of Commerce is estimating the cost to businesses at more than one billion kina mark (NZ$ 440 million).

But despite the departure of several back benchers from the government’s ranks, Marape has been seen busy working to strengthen his coalition support and placate the public.

RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent Scott Waide said the deadly riots could not have come at a worse time for Marape, with the protection of new governments in PNG against leadership challenges coming to an end next month.

“A lot of people feel that he’s being supported, with the government ranks there’s not enough people talking about his removal. That’s the general sentiment that many people have expressed,” Waide said.

“He’s articulated a figure between 51 and 54. He’s basically satisfying coalition members so the defence minister has been changed, he’s tried to appease the public by removing Ian Ling-Stuckey as treasury minister and taken over.

“The United Resource Party that belongs to William Duma has been given a few portfolios, so a lot of political movement to shore up the numbers to satisfying the coalition partners and appease the public.”

Chamber president Ian Tarutia said this figure could increase.

The National newspaper reports that the business group has compared the impact of the rioting and looting to a natural disaster and they want the government to respond with that in mind.

They have already sought an immediate capital injection of up to one billion kina.

Marape has promised a relief package for businesses, which would include a loan scheme, tax holiday and start-up capital.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

An additional 25 people were injured in the strike on the suburb of Tekstilshchik, including two teenagers, said Denis Pushilin, who accused the Ukrainian military of firing the shells.

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He blamed Ukraine for the attack, calling it a "horrific" artillery strike on a civilian area.

Ukrainian shelling of a separate neighborhood in the city killed one person, Pushilin said, bringing the total number of dead in occupied Donetsk to 28.

According to Aleksei Kulemzin, Donetsk city's Russian-installed mayor, Ukrainian forces bombarded a busy area where shops and a market are located.

Pushilin announced a day of mourning on January 22 in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, the name given to the part of the region Russia says it has annexed.

Kyiv has not commented on the event, and the claims of the Russian-installed officials in Donetsk could not be independently verified.

The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed the strike on Ukraine and described it as a “terrorist attack.”

“These terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime clearly demonstrate its lack of political will toward achieving peace and the settlement of this conflict by diplomatic means,” it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, saying that thousands of people would still be alive today if Moscow had not launched the war but did not mention the strike against occupied Donetsk.

"Russia must feel and realize forever that the aggressor loses the most as a result of aggression," he said, adding that on January 21 more than 100 Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages in nine regions had been shelled and, unfortunately, there were dead and wounded.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemns all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including today’s shelling of the city of Donetsk in Ukraine,” according to a UN spokesperson, adding that all such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law.

The Donetsk regional military administration, meanwhile, said one person was killed and another was wounded as a result of shelling by Russian troops of Kurakhovo on January 21.

Vadym Filashkin accused the Russian troops of aiming at residential buildings, adding that a 31-year-old man died at the scene.

A kindergarten and several private houses were damaged by the impact, and a fire broke out, which the rescuers have already extinguished, Filashkin said on Telegram.

Earlier on January 21, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a missile attack on the occupied Crimea.

Russian anti-aircraft missiles allegedly shot down three missiles over the Black Sea near the western coast of the Russian-occupied peninsula, the ministry said on Telegram.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of the Ukrainian peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014, said at the time that air-defense forces had "shot down an aerial target" over the Black Sea.

Prior to the statement, an RFE/RL correspondent reported an air raid and three explosions in Sevastopol.

On the front line, Russian forces took control of the village of Krokhmalne in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on January 21.

Ukrainian forces confirmed that the settlement had been occupied, but Volodymyr Fityo, spokesman for Ukrainian Ground Forces Command, said Kyiv’s troops had been pulled back to pre-prepared reserve positions.

He said Krokhmalne had a population of roughly 45 people before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. “That’s five houses, probably,” he was quoted as saying by Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske. “Our main goal is to save the lives of Ukraine’s defenders.”

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

An additional 25 people were injured in the strike on the suburb of Tekstilshchik, including two teenagers, said Denis Pushilin, who accused the Ukrainian military of firing the shells.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

He blamed Ukraine for the attack, calling it a "horrific" artillery strike on a civilian area.

Ukrainian shelling of a separate neighborhood in the city killed one person, Pushilin said, bringing the total number of dead in occupied Donetsk to 28.

According to Aleksei Kulemzin, Donetsk city's Russian-installed mayor, Ukrainian forces bombarded a busy area where shops and a market are located.

Pushilin announced a day of mourning on January 22 in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, the name given to the part of the region Russia says it has annexed.

Kyiv has not commented on the event, and the claims of the Russian-installed officials in Donetsk could not be independently verified.

The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed the strike on Ukraine and described it as a “terrorist attack.”

“These terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime clearly demonstrate its lack of political will toward achieving peace and the settlement of this conflict by diplomatic means,” it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, saying that thousands of people would still be alive today if Moscow had not launched the war but did not mention the strike against occupied Donetsk.

"Russia must feel and realize forever that the aggressor loses the most as a result of aggression," he said, adding that on January 21 more than 100 Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages in nine regions had been shelled and, unfortunately, there were dead and wounded.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemns all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including today’s shelling of the city of Donetsk in Ukraine,” according to a UN spokesperson, adding that all such attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law.

The Donetsk regional military administration, meanwhile, said one person was killed and another was wounded as a result of shelling by Russian troops of Kurakhovo on January 21.

Vadym Filashkin accused the Russian troops of aiming at residential buildings, adding that a 31-year-old man died at the scene.

A kindergarten and several private houses were damaged by the impact, and a fire broke out, which the rescuers have already extinguished, Filashkin said on Telegram.

Earlier on January 21, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a missile attack on the occupied Crimea.

Russian anti-aircraft missiles allegedly shot down three missiles over the Black Sea near the western coast of the Russian-occupied peninsula, the ministry said on Telegram.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of the Ukrainian peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014, said at the time that air-defense forces had "shot down an aerial target" over the Black Sea.

Prior to the statement, an RFE/RL correspondent reported an air raid and three explosions in Sevastopol.

On the front line, Russian forces took control of the village of Krokhmalne in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on January 21.

Ukrainian forces confirmed that the settlement had been occupied, but Volodymyr Fityo, spokesman for Ukrainian Ground Forces Command, said Kyiv’s troops had been pulled back to pre-prepared reserve positions.

He said Krokhmalne had a population of roughly 45 people before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. “That’s five houses, probably,” he was quoted as saying by Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske. “Our main goal is to save the lives of Ukraine’s defenders.”

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

CHISINAU -- Moldova has paused a recruitment effort to funnel construction workers to Israel, alleging that Israelis have put Moldovans in "high-risk conflict zones," withheld passports, and committed other abuses while plugging gaps in their workforce brought on by the current war in the Gaza Strip.

The Labor Ministry confirmed to RFE/RL's Moldovan Service this week that Chisinau had "temporarily postponed" the latest round of recruitment under the bilateral agreement following the accusations by Moldovan citizens, but said it could resume once Israel confirmed the practices were stopped and "security and respect" for Moldovan nationals were ensured.

Israel has faced an acute labor squeeze since hundreds of thousands of reservists and other Israelis were called up to fight and thousands of Palestinians were denied access to jobs in Israel after gunmen from the EU- and U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas carried out a massive cross-border attack that killed just over 1,100 people, most of them Israeli civilians, on October 7.

"As a result of the deterioration of the security situation in the state of Israel, workers from the Republic of Moldova were employed to work in high-risk conflict zones, some citizens had their passports withheld by employers, complaints were registered about the confiscation of workers' luggage, as well as Israeli authorities carried out activities of direct recruitment of Moldovan workers, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which is contrary to the provisions of the agreement," the ministry said in a January 17 response to an RFE/RL access-to-information request.

The ministry did not accuse the Israeli state of perpetrating the abuses. It said Moldovan officials have reported the "violations" to Israel and asked it to put a stop to them and "ensure the security and respect of the rights of workers coming from the Republic of Moldova," one of Europe's poorest countries with a population of some 3.4 million.

The Moldovan Embassy in Tel Aviv said some 13,000 Moldovans were in Israel before the current war broke out. Many work at construction sites or provide care for the elderly, inside or outside the auspices of the recruitment agreement.

Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to RFE/RL's request for comment on the Labor Ministry's accusations.

Since the war erupted in early October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has sought to extend worker visas and attract more foreign labor from around the world, including by raising its quota on foreign construction workers by roughly half, to 65,000 individuals.

It appealed publicly for 1,200 new Moldovan workers for the construction sector, including blacksmiths, painters, and carpenters.

Speaking in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, the director of the Foreign Workers Administration, Inbal Mashash, named Moldova, along with Thailand and Sri Lanka, as countries where Israeli hopes were highest for more guest workers.

The bilateral Moldovan-Israeli agreement on temporary employment in "certain sectors" including construction in Israel was signed in 2012 and has been amended on multiple occasions, including in December.

In addition to setting up training and procedures to regulate and steer labor flows, it imposes restrictions that include a ban on Israeli companies recruiting on Moldovan territory.

In its decade-long existence, some 17,000 Moldovans have worked in Israel under the auspices of the agreement through 28 rounds of recruitment. At the last available official count, in 2022, there were about 4,000 participating Moldovans.

"The [29th] recruitment round will resume once the above-mentioned irregularities are eliminated and we receive confirmation from the Israeli side of the necessary measures being taken to ensure security and respect for the rights of employed [Moldovan] citizens on the territory of the state of Israel," the Moldovan Labor Ministry said.

From the early days of the current war, Moldovans have spoken out about family concerns and the pressures to pack up and leave Israel, but most appear to have stayed.

As rumors spread of pressure on Moldovan construction workers to stay in Israel after a January 5 pause announcement, Labor Minister Alexei Buzu confirmed there were problems but focused on the accusation that Israeli firms were improperly recruiting Moldovans outside the program or for repeat stints.

A failure to comply with some provisions brings "a risk that other commitments will be ignored [or] will not be delivered at the time or according to the expectations described in the agreement," he said.

Buzu stopped short of leveling some of the most serious accusations involving Moldovan workers being sent to work in 'high-risk conflict zones" or having their passports or belongings taken from them.

Reuters has reported that the worker shortage is costing Israel's construction sector around $37 million per day.

Moldova's National Employment Agency (ANOFM) is responsible for implementing the Israeli-Moldovan recruitment agreement. The Labor Ministry said the agency had already lined up construction recruits and scheduled professional exams for the end of December before the postponement.

The ministry said a similar agreement on the home-caregiver sector between Moldova and Israel -- the subject of negotiations in December -- had “not yet been signed."

The Hamas-led surprise attack on October 7 sparked a massive response from Israel including devastating aerial bombardments and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which was home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the latest fighting displaced most of them.

The Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say 24,700 people have been killed in the subsequent fighting and 62,000 more injured.

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

CHISINAU -- Moldova has paused a recruitment effort to funnel construction workers to Israel, alleging that Israelis have put Moldovans in "high-risk conflict zones," withheld passports, and committed other abuses while plugging gaps in their workforce brought on by the current war in the Gaza Strip.

The Labor Ministry confirmed to RFE/RL's Moldovan Service this week that Chisinau had "temporarily postponed" the latest round of recruitment under the bilateral agreement following the accusations by Moldovan citizens, but said it could resume once Israel confirmed the practices were stopped and "security and respect" for Moldovan nationals were ensured.

Israel has faced an acute labor squeeze since hundreds of thousands of reservists and other Israelis were called up to fight and thousands of Palestinians were denied access to jobs in Israel after gunmen from the EU- and U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas carried out a massive cross-border attack that killed just over 1,100 people, most of them Israeli civilians, on October 7.

"As a result of the deterioration of the security situation in the state of Israel, workers from the Republic of Moldova were employed to work in high-risk conflict zones, some citizens had their passports withheld by employers, complaints were registered about the confiscation of workers' luggage, as well as Israeli authorities carried out activities of direct recruitment of Moldovan workers, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which is contrary to the provisions of the agreement," the ministry said in a January 17 response to an RFE/RL access-to-information request.

The ministry did not accuse the Israeli state of perpetrating the abuses. It said Moldovan officials have reported the "violations" to Israel and asked it to put a stop to them and "ensure the security and respect of the rights of workers coming from the Republic of Moldova," one of Europe's poorest countries with a population of some 3.4 million.

The Moldovan Embassy in Tel Aviv said some 13,000 Moldovans were in Israel before the current war broke out. Many work at construction sites or provide care for the elderly, inside or outside the auspices of the recruitment agreement.

Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to RFE/RL's request for comment on the Labor Ministry's accusations.

Since the war erupted in early October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has sought to extend worker visas and attract more foreign labor from around the world, including by raising its quota on foreign construction workers by roughly half, to 65,000 individuals.

It appealed publicly for 1,200 new Moldovan workers for the construction sector, including blacksmiths, painters, and carpenters.

Speaking in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, the director of the Foreign Workers Administration, Inbal Mashash, named Moldova, along with Thailand and Sri Lanka, as countries where Israeli hopes were highest for more guest workers.

The bilateral Moldovan-Israeli agreement on temporary employment in "certain sectors" including construction in Israel was signed in 2012 and has been amended on multiple occasions, including in December.

In addition to setting up training and procedures to regulate and steer labor flows, it imposes restrictions that include a ban on Israeli companies recruiting on Moldovan territory.

In its decade-long existence, some 17,000 Moldovans have worked in Israel under the auspices of the agreement through 28 rounds of recruitment. At the last available official count, in 2022, there were about 4,000 participating Moldovans.

"The [29th] recruitment round will resume once the above-mentioned irregularities are eliminated and we receive confirmation from the Israeli side of the necessary measures being taken to ensure security and respect for the rights of employed [Moldovan] citizens on the territory of the state of Israel," the Moldovan Labor Ministry said.

From the early days of the current war, Moldovans have spoken out about family concerns and the pressures to pack up and leave Israel, but most appear to have stayed.

As rumors spread of pressure on Moldovan construction workers to stay in Israel after a January 5 pause announcement, Labor Minister Alexei Buzu confirmed there were problems but focused on the accusation that Israeli firms were improperly recruiting Moldovans outside the program or for repeat stints.

A failure to comply with some provisions brings "a risk that other commitments will be ignored [or] will not be delivered at the time or according to the expectations described in the agreement," he said.

Buzu stopped short of leveling some of the most serious accusations involving Moldovan workers being sent to work in 'high-risk conflict zones" or having their passports or belongings taken from them.

Reuters has reported that the worker shortage is costing Israel's construction sector around $37 million per day.

Moldova's National Employment Agency (ANOFM) is responsible for implementing the Israeli-Moldovan recruitment agreement. The Labor Ministry said the agency had already lined up construction recruits and scheduled professional exams for the end of December before the postponement.

The ministry said a similar agreement on the home-caregiver sector between Moldova and Israel -- the subject of negotiations in December -- had “not yet been signed."

The Hamas-led surprise attack on October 7 sparked a massive response from Israel including devastating aerial bombardments and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which was home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the latest fighting displaced most of them.

The Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say 24,700 people have been killed in the subsequent fighting and 62,000 more injured.

This content originally appeared on News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and was authored by News - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

He met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Hun Manet and Pham Minh Chinh signed a cooperation agreement between the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and another agreement in the areas of science, technology and innovation, the ministry said in a statement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to visit Hanoi this week, according to Reuters. 

Hun Manet traveled to Beijing in October to attend China’s Belt and Road Initiative conference. In September, he addressed the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

On Sunday, the 46-year-old was named vice president of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, or CPP – a move that allows him to meet with his Vietnamese counterparts on an equal level, according to Men Nath, a Norway-based representative of the Cambodia Watchdog Council.

“If he went to Vietnam just as a permanent member of the party, it would not be insufficient,” he said.

Border issues and immigration

Cambodia’s National Assembly officially selected Hun Manet as prime minister on Aug. 22. The formality took place about a month after the CPP swept a general election in which the country’s only viable opposition party wasn’t allowed to compete.

Just a few days later, longtime Prime Minister Hun Sen announced at a July 26 news conference that he would step down as prime minister and would begin a transition to Hun Manet, his eldest son. 

After driving the Khmer Rouge from power in 1979, Vietnam administered Cambodia for more than a decade, appointing Hun Sen prime minister in 1985 and maintaining tens of thousands of troops on the ground. 

Over the years, Hun Sen’s opponents have often attempted to paint him as a tool of the Vietnamese. He remains the head of the CPP.

Unresolved border issues between Cambodia and Vietnam, former French colonies from the 1860s to 1954, have regularly inflamed nationalist sentiment. The disputed border has sparked incidents in the past, with the construction by Vietnam of military posts in contested areas quickly challenged by Cambodian authorities in Phnom Penh.

Cambodian activists also cite the fact that nearly 1.3-million ethnic Khmer people live in a part of Vietnam that was once southeastern Cambodia. They have faced serious restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and movement.

RFA was unable to reach foreign ministry spokesman An Sokhoeun or government spokesman Pen Bona for comment on Hun Manet’s visit.

Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

• The Israeli Cabinet voted to approve a four-day cease-fire with Hamas. The Israeli government said that under the deal, Hamas is to free 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue its war against Hamas, even if a temporary cease-fire is reached with the Islamic militant group.
• The White House says it is considering redesignating Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a “terrorist” group after they claimed the seizure of a commercial ship in the Red Sea that they say is affiliated with Israel.
• North Korea claims its 3rd attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit has been successful.
• The U.S. government dealt a massive blow to Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, which agreed to pay a roughly $4 billion settlement today as its founder and CEO, Changpeng Zhao, pleaded guilty to a felony related to his failure to prevent money laundering on the platform.
• Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, the judge overseeing the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump and others, declined to revoke the bond of Harrison Floyd, one of former President Trump’s co-defendants in his 2020 election subversion case today, allowing him to remain free on bond ahead of a future trial. However, McAfee said he plans to modify the bond conditions for Floyd after prosecutors complained about his social media posts that mentioned witnesses and co-defendants.

The post Israeli Cabinet approves hostage deal cease-fire with Hamas, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue its war against Hamas, even if a temporary cease-fire is reached – Tuesday, November 21, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

• President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon for a State Dinner at the White House; during an earlier meeting with Albanese, Biden condemned retaliatory strikes against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and argued for a two-state solution.
• Republican Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana has been elected Speaker of the House.
• The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that it is on the verge of running out of fuel in the Gaza Strip, forcing it to sharply cut back relief operations.
• Former President Donald Trump  fined $10,000 after a judge ruled he violated a limited gag order at his civil fraud trial in New York.
• Union autoworkers say they have reached a deal with Ford, a breakthrough that could end strikes against Detroit automakers
• Economists and lawmakers joined together today to call on the United States to lead the way in dismantling a system of international trade court systems, which allow corporations to blackmail nations and overturn democratically instituted policies.

Guests are seated as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon for a State Dinner at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The post President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon for a State Dinner at the White House – Wednesday, October 25, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

A Fiji court on Thursday found former strongman prime minister Frank Bainimarama not guilty of perverting the course of justice, cauterizing a potentially divisive case in a Pacific island country that has suffered four coups since the late 1980s.

Bainimarama and former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho had been accused of stopping a police investigation into complaints of financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific, which is headquartered in Fiji.

“I want to thank the many prayers from relatives and friends that have been said on our behalf,” a relaxed and smiling Bainimarama said as he left a Suva courthouse surrounded by supporters following the ruling. “Truth will prevail,” he said in a video livestreamed by his political party.

Qiliho, who stood next to Bainimarama outside the courthouse, was found not guilty of abuse of office.

Bainimarama’s 16 years in power ended in December after his Fiji First Party dropped below 50% of the vote in national elections, allowing opposition parties to form a coalition government led by former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. Both men are former coup leaders – Rabuka in the late 1980s and Bainimarama in 2006.

A purge of Bainimarama appointees from important public positions followed the first change in government in Fiji since Bainimarama’s coup, along with a slew of investigations into alleged abuses of office and the removal of restrictions on the media. 

A senior minister in Bainimarama’s government, former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, was charged in May with abuse of office.

State prosecutors had alleged that Bainimarama and Qiliho, who was suspended in January, had “arbitrarily and in abuse of the authority of their respective offices, terminated an active police investigation” in 2020.

However, the judge, Seini Puamau, said prosecutors failed to make a compelling case that Bainimarama had advised Qiliho to end the police probe.

“He never made any suggestions to Commissioner Qiliho for him to stop the investigation,” she said. “He simply thought the commissioner had more important things on his plate” than personally handling the university investigation while Fiji was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

Puamau also said that a state witness, former acting police commissioner Rusiate Tudravu, had an axe to grind following his dismissal from the Fiji Police Force for a reason unrelated to the court case.

Nothing in his evidence pointed to Bainimarama directing him or anyone else to stop the investigation, she said. Qiliho, meanwhile, had not been aware the investigation had ended until he was questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department in 2022, Puamau said. 

Fiji, a linchpin nation in a region increasingly contested by major powers, had a burgeoning relationship with China under Bainimarama. Ties have been strained under Rabuka, who put a police cooperation agreement with China under review and reasserted the importance of maintaining a close security relationship with the United States and countries such as Australia and New Zealand. 

Fiji’s ties with China had blossomed after New Zealand, Australia and other countries sought to punish Bainimarama and his government for the 2006 coup.

Bainimarama left office grudgingly and stayed in the official prime minister’s residence for several weeks after Rabuka was confirmed as Fiji’s new leader by a vote in parliament.

He was suspended from parliament in February for three years after accusing the country’s president of failing to follow the constitution, which gives the military a guardian role over the nation’s politics, but remains leader of FijiFirst.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Reg Smith and Stephen Wright for BenarNews.

Aotearoa New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is correct to condemn Hamas killing Israeli civilians in its attacks on Israel this week.

The killing of civilians or taking them hostage is a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention and should be universally condemned.

However, the Labour government has been deathly silent on the war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians under Labour’s watch these past six years.

• READ MORE: War on Hamas: Gaza health ministry appeals for ‘safe corridor’ amid heavy bombardment
• Gaza-Israel war: Death toll rises as Israeli attacks continue to pound Gaza – live updates
• What is Hamas? A simple guide to the armed Palestinian group
• Systemic NZ misreporting on Israeli occupation of Palestine and Palestinian resistance
• Al Jazeera coverage of the war
• Other Palestine reports

Under his prime ministerial watch this year, Chris Hipkins has looked the other way while Israel has built more illegal Israeli settlement homes on Palestinian land; killed more than 250 Palestinian civilians; supported Israeli settler pogroms against Palestinian towns and villages across the occupied West Bank and encouraged highly-provocative Israeli ministerial and settler incursions into the Al Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

Why does he only wake up when Israelis are killed? Why does he think Israeli lives are more important than Palestinian lives?

The Prime Minister’s pro-Israel stance is one-sided and blatantly racist.

New Zealand, along with other Western countries, bears heavy responsibility for the deaths of Palestinians and Israelis in recent days because we have never held Israel to account for its crimes against the Palestinian people.

We have given Israel a free pass to murder and abuse Palestinians and this led to the inevitable tragedy last weekend.

It is precisely the attitude of Western leaders such as our Prime Minister which has meant so many lives have been lost.

The Prime Minister has the blood of Palestinians and Israelis on his hands.

John Minto is national chair of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).

The besieged Gaza Strip
The Palestinian enclave — home to about 2.3 million people — has been under an Israeli air, land and sea blockade since 2007, reports Al Jazeera.
More than 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced and thousands have taken shelter in UN schools as Israeli attacks intensify, forcing Palestinians to flee their homes.

Buildings, mosques and offices have been targeted as Netanyahu promised “mighty vengeance” for the deadly attacks that has sent shockwaves across Israel.

Harrowing images from inside Gaza have emerged with 19 members of a family killed when an air strike on Sunday hit their residential building. More than 60 percent of Gaza’s population are refugees who were ethnically cleansed from their homes currently in Israel.

Israel has maintained a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since 2007, a year after Hamas was democratically elected into power. The voting came nearly two years after Israeli troops and settlers withdrew from the enclave.

The blockade gives Israel control of Gaza’s borders, and Egypt has stepped in to enforce the western border.

Israel has stated it has blocked the borders to protect its citizens from Hamas, but the act of collective punishment violates the Geneva Conventions and has long been considered illegal by groups including the International Committee of the Red Cross.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Aotearoa New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is correct to condemn Hamas killing Israeli civilians in its attacks on Israel this week.

The killing of civilians or taking them hostage is a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention and should be universally condemned.

However, the Labour government has been deathly silent on the war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians under Labour’s watch these past six years.

• READ MORE: War on Hamas: Gaza health ministry appeals for ‘safe corridor’ amid heavy bombardment
• Gaza-Israel war: Death toll rises as Israeli attacks continue to pound Gaza – live updates
• What is Hamas? A simple guide to the armed Palestinian group
• Systemic NZ misreporting on Israeli occupation of Palestine and Palestinian resistance
• Al Jazeera coverage of the war
• Other Palestine reports

Under his prime ministerial watch this year, Chris Hipkins has looked the other way while Israel has built more illegal Israeli settlement homes on Palestinian land; killed more than 250 Palestinian civilians; supported Israeli settler pogroms against Palestinian towns and villages across the occupied West Bank and encouraged highly-provocative Israeli ministerial and settler incursions into the Al Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem.

Why does he only wake up when Israelis are killed? Why does he think Israeli lives are more important than Palestinian lives?

The Prime Minister’s pro-Israel stance is one-sided and blatantly racist.

New Zealand, along with other Western countries, bears heavy responsibility for the deaths of Palestinians and Israelis in recent days because we have never held Israel to account for its crimes against the Palestinian people.

We have given Israel a free pass to murder and abuse Palestinians and this led to the inevitable tragedy last weekend.

It is precisely the attitude of Western leaders such as our Prime Minister which has meant so many lives have been lost.

The Prime Minister has the blood of Palestinians and Israelis on his hands.

John Minto is national chair of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).

The besieged Gaza Strip
The Palestinian enclave — home to about 2.3 million people — has been under an Israeli air, land and sea blockade since 2007, reports Al Jazeera.
More than 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced and thousands have taken shelter in UN schools as Israeli attacks intensify, forcing Palestinians to flee their homes.

Buildings, mosques and offices have been targeted as Netanyahu promised “mighty vengeance” for the deadly attacks that has sent shockwaves across Israel.

Harrowing images from inside Gaza have emerged with 19 members of a family killed when an air strike on Sunday hit their residential building. More than 60 percent of Gaza’s population are refugees who were ethnically cleansed from their homes currently in Israel.

Israel has maintained a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since 2007, a year after Hamas was democratically elected into power. The voting came nearly two years after Israeli troops and settlers withdrew from the enclave.

The blockade gives Israel control of Gaza’s borders, and Egypt has stepped in to enforce the western border.

Israel has stated it has blocked the borders to protect its citizens from Hamas, but the act of collective punishment violates the Geneva Conventions and has long been considered illegal by groups including the International Committee of the Red Cross.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Sato Kilman has been voted out through a motion-of-no-confidence in the country’s Parliament in Port Vila today.

The motion was carried by a show of hands, with 27 votes, in the absence of the government bench which had vacated the floor in protest ahead of the motion being moved.

Charlot Salwai was then nominated as the sole candidate for Prime minister and was duly-elected by secret ballot with 29 votes in the absence again of the MPs on the other side of the House.

• READ MORE: Vanuatu PM Kilman loses majority and faces defeat in Friday vote
• Other Vanuatu politics reports

Salwai was previously prime minister from February 2016 until the general election in 2020.

Immediately after the vote, Salwai took his oath and was installed as the new prime minister of the Republic of Vanuatu.

In his acceptance speech, Salwai apologised to the Vanuatu public for the ongoing “political crises” which have seen four prime ministers elected now in the the space of three years.

He also thanked police for keeping the peace and thanked citizens for respecting the law and each other.

Salwai, who is the leader of the Reunification Movement for Change Party, thanked all of the MPs who voted for him and in particular the leaders of the three major political parties in this coalition government — Ishmael Kalsakau Ma’aukoro from the Union of Moderate Parties, Jotham Napat of the Leaders Party, and Ralph Regenvanu of the Graon Mo Jastis Party.

Salwai said Vanuatu was facing many challenges economically, socially and environmentally with climate change, and he acknowledged the added impacts that political instability were having on local businesses and society at large.

“It has not yet been 12 months since the initial establishment of the government of honourable Ma’aukoro which he led following the snap election in October of 2022 yet today is the second time that we have changed the government,” Salwai said speaking in Bislama.

“I say sorry to the last government but we exist in this system of democracy where when the weight of the number of members moves to one side a change of government follows.”

Following the Prime Minister’s speech, Parliament was adjourned until 8:30am on Tuesday, October 10.

Government walk-out
The ousted prime minister Sato Kilman only came to power last month in a similar leadership challenge mounted against the then prime minister Kalsakau.

The current Parliament was elected through a snap election in 2022 which was triggered by then prime minister Bob Loughman before a challenge against his leadership could be mounted.

The walk-out staged this afternoon by the now former government MPs came about after they had argued unsuccessfully against the validity of today’s sitting.

This is in light of an ongoing Court of Appeal case for one of their members, Bruno Leingkone, whose seat had been vacated by the Speaker last week on the basis that the MP had missed three consecutive Parliament sittings without the express consent of the Speaker’s office while receiving medical care in South Korea.

The now opposition grouping were also trying to argue that because of the appeal case today’s vote-of-no-confidence should have been conducted as if the 52 member house were at full complement.

This would have raised the threshold for an absolute majority which is required to unseat a prime minister.

Uncertain future
Despite the one-sided affair in Parliament this afternoon, the political instability in Vanuatu is likely to continue with only a handful of MPs required to shift the balance of power.

Before staging their walk-out, members on the other side of the House had also indicated they would likely challenge the legality of this afternoon’s proceedings in court.

The immediate challenge facing the newly elected prime minister in forming his cabinet over the weekend will be keeping everybody in his new coalition government happy as he allocates portfolios.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

The summit in Washington, the second in a year between President Joe Biden and leaders of Pacific island nations, was part of U.S. efforts to counter China’s inroads in the region that include a burgeoning relationship with the Solomon Islands. 

“They must respect Pacific leaders and change their strategies of meeting with Pacific leaders,” Sogavare said Wednesday after returning to the Solomon Islands from New York, where he spoke last week at the annual United Nations General Assembly.

Sogavare, who often echoes Beijing’s talking points, said he returned to the Solomon Islands rather than attending the Washington event so he could give attention to pressing domestic issues. 

The island nation of some 700,000 people was represented at the two day summit, which ended Tuesday, by Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele and Colin Beck, permanent secretary of the foreign affairs ministry.

“At least we have our representatives there. We were always given three minutes to talk and we will be sitting down only to listen to them lecturing us of how good they are,” Sogavare told reporters at a press conference at Honiara’s international airport.

A Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition they weren’t named, had said it was disappointing that Sogavare did not attend the summit, Reuters reported. 

At the summit, Biden called on Congress to approve an additional U.S. $200 million of assistance for Pacific island nations, the latest move in his administration’s push to counter Chinese influence in a region crucial to U.S. defense.

U.S. interest in Pacific island nations was galvanized in early 2022 after Beijing and the Solomon Islands signed a security pact that the U.S. and allies such as Australia fear could lead to a Chinese military presence in the region. 

Since then the U.S. has agreed to increase its financial and economic assistance for Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau – three North Pacific countries that delegate their defense to Washington under longstanding compacts of free association. Subject to budget appropriations, the three nations would receive more than U.S. $7 billion over 20 years.

The first Pacific Islands-U.S. summit in September last year announced plans for more than U.S. $800 million in assistance to island nations over a decade. The figure included nearly tripling the payments tied to a tuna fishing treaty with Pacific nations to a total of U.S. $600 million between 2023-33.

Sogavare said his Cabinet will meet from Thursday to determine what bills to submit to parliament during the remainder of its sessions this year.

“I have a commitment and dedication to tackling domestic matters, especially with approximately 10 weeks remaining in the parliamentary calendar,” he said.

Under Sogavare, the Solomon Islands switched its diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 2019. His government has capitalized on the U.S.-China rivalry by securing more development assistance for a country that grapples with lack of roads, hospitals and jobs. 
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Charley Piringi for BenarNews.

“Congratulations!” said the flashing billboard ad at the busy, iconic intersection in the center of Manhattan.

Also included in the ad was an image showing Hun Manet in a business suit, with his hands folded together in the traditional Khmer sampeah greeting. Another image showed him in uniform from his days as a cadet at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy.

The ad was paid for by a Cambodian-American businessman named David Soth, Hun Manet said on his Telegram channel. Other billboards with similar images and messages were also displayed around New York over the weekend, he said.

“Thanks to little brother David Soth for coordinating with the advertising company to post welcome pictures of me on a billboard in some of New York City’s major areas, especially in Time Square for free and without asking anyone,” Hun Manet wrote. “This is your kind heart for me, as well as the Royal Government of Cambodia.”

It was unclear where Soth resided in the United States. The billboard included the text: “CPP Chapter of San Francisco, CA.”

CPP stands for the Cambodian People’s Party – the political party that has ruled the country since the 1980s when Hun Manet’s father, Hun Sen, first became prime minister.

Hun Sen handed power to his son last month after the ruling party claimed victory in an election that did not include the main opposition Candlelight Party. The CPP won 120 of the 125 available seats in the July 23 parliamentary election.

Speech at the United Nations

Hun Manet spoke to the U.N. General Assembly in English on Friday as Cambodian-Americans and former opposition party leaders protested his appearance from outside the U.N. building.

The prime minister’s office issued a statement on Monday confirming that the billboards weren’t paid out of the national budget. 

Um Sam An, a senior official from the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, said he believes that money spent placing the ads promoting Hun Manet will eventually come at the expense of “the blood and sweat of the people.”

“Why is a Cambodian leader so special that a company would do this for free?” he asked Radio Free Asia. “It’s never like that. The money could come from an individual, or from the government budget.”

RFA could not immediately reach government spokesman Pen Bona for comment on Monday. 

But Jean-Francois Tan, a delegate minister to the prime minister, told reporters after arriving in Cambodia from the United States that the billboards were not intended to gain recognition from any world leader. 

“If the accusation intends to say that Cambodia needs to use this image to convince the international community or other foreign delegations present at the U.N. General Assembly to recognize Samdech Hun Manet, it is not true,” he said, using an honorific.

Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

The Palestinian Authority has called the opening of Papua New Guinea’s Israeli embassy in Jerusalem an “aggression” and a “violation” of international law.

In a statement, Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates termed the embassy opening as “an aggression against the Palestinian people and their rights” and “a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions”.

On Tuesday, PNG Prime Minister James Marape inaugurated the embassy in West Jerusalem, becoming only the fifth country to set up a diplomatic mission in the city.

• READ MORE: Palestine slams Papua New Guinea’s embassy in Jerusalem as ‘aggresion’
• Papua New Guinea opens Israel embassy in West Jerusalem
• Citing ‘God of Israel,’ PNG becomes 5th nation to open Jerusalem embassy

In 2018, the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a move that was followed by Honduras, Guatemala and Kosovo.

The Palestinian ministry said it would use all political, diplomatic and legal means to “pursue these countries over their unjustified aggression against the Palestinian people and their rights.”

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Jordan have also condemned the move.

Religion behind the move
According to the Times of Israel, Marape was explicit that the opening of the embassy was down to religious motivations.

The country opened its embassy “because of our shared heritage, acknowledging the creator God, the Yahweh God of Israel, the Yahweh God of Isaac and Abraham,” the newspaper quoted Marape as saying.

“You have been the great custodian of the moral values that were passed for humanity,” Marape told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attended the ceremony opening.

“Many nations choose not to open their embassies in Jerusalem but we made the conscious choice. This has been the universal capital of the nation and people of Israel.

For us to call ourselves Christians, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognising that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and nation of Israel.”

Marape also asked Israel to open an embassy in Port Moresby, and offered to provide the land for the mission.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Israel would bankroll the embassy.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

The Palestinian Authority has called the opening of Papua New Guinea’s Israeli embassy in Jerusalem an “aggression” and a “violation” of international law.

In a statement, Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates termed the embassy opening as “an aggression against the Palestinian people and their rights” and “a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions”.

On Tuesday, PNG Prime Minister James Marape inaugurated the embassy in West Jerusalem, becoming only the fifth country to set up a diplomatic mission in the city.

• READ MORE: Palestine slams Papua New Guinea’s embassy in Jerusalem as ‘aggresion’
• Papua New Guinea opens Israel embassy in West Jerusalem
• Citing ‘God of Israel,’ PNG becomes 5th nation to open Jerusalem embassy

In 2018, the US moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a move that was followed by Honduras, Guatemala and Kosovo.

The Palestinian ministry said it would use all political, diplomatic and legal means to “pursue these countries over their unjustified aggression against the Palestinian people and their rights.”

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Jordan have also condemned the move.

Religion behind the move
According to the Times of Israel, Marape was explicit that the opening of the embassy was down to religious motivations.

The country opened its embassy “because of our shared heritage, acknowledging the creator God, the Yahweh God of Israel, the Yahweh God of Isaac and Abraham,” the newspaper quoted Marape as saying.

“You have been the great custodian of the moral values that were passed for humanity,” Marape told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attended the ceremony opening.

“Many nations choose not to open their embassies in Jerusalem but we made the conscious choice. This has been the universal capital of the nation and people of Israel.

For us to call ourselves Christians, paying respect to God will not be complete without recognising that Jerusalem is the universal capital of the people and nation of Israel.”

Marape also asked Israel to open an embassy in Port Moresby, and offered to provide the land for the mission.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Israel would bankroll the embassy.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Four-time Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman has been elected to the top job for a record fifth time in Port Vila, ousting Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau’s nine-month reign as the leader of government.

Kilman received a total of 27 votes, while Kalsakau got 23 votes.

Kilman, 65, was the deputy Prime Minister in Kalsakau’s government before being removed in May. At the time Kalsakau had stated that Kilman’s dismissal was for “stability of the coalition government”.

• READ MORE: Other Vanuatu political crisis reports

“Mr Speaker first and foremost I want to say a big thank you to the members of Parliament and the political parties that supported the change in government. Thank you,” he said.

“But thank you even more for standing your ground and for ensuring that democracy prevails in Vanuatu.”

Earlier on Monday, Vanuatu’s highest court — the Court of Appeal — dismissed an appeal against the removal of Kalsakau.

Last month, the opposition grouping, led by former prime minister Bob Loughman, brought a motion of no-confidence against Kalsakau.

Appeal to courts
They garnered 26 of the 49 votes cast but the parliamentary Speaker ruled they had not reached what he considered the minimum 27 required for a successful motion in the 52-member House.

Loughman’s group appealed to the courts, which last week ruled in their favour, but the Speaker appealed that decision.

That appeal was dismissed today bringing an end to Kalsakau’s tenure and triggering the election of the new Prime Minister.

Sato Kilman was sworn in as Prime Minister immediately after the vote on Monday evening.

He is expected to announce the composition of the cabinet of his new coalition government later this week.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Hun Manet, 45, spoke to lawmakers after the vote. He thanked his father Hun Sen for clearing the way for him and also attacked opposition parties and other dissidents. 

“The election results reflect a strong denial from the voters against those unethical groups that  are convincing Cambodians to walk away from democracy and the rule of law, and to incite people to fall into their ambitions that are vicious and dangerous to the country,” he said. 

Hun Sen was seen wiping away tears after the vote. After ruling the country since 1985, the 71-year-old announced just three days after the July 23 election that he would resign as prime minister and would hand over the prime minister role to his eldest son.

On Tuesday, Hun Sen was officially appointed to his new roles as president of the Senate and the Supreme Privy Council to King Norodom Sihamoni. 

He will also retain power behind the scenes as president of the CPP, which overwhelmingly won last month’s elections – in no small part because authorities kept the main opposition Candlelight Party from participating on a technicality.

‘Still the decision-maker’

Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy told Radio Free Asia that Hun Manet’s ascension represented only symbolic change.

“Hun Sen is still the decision-maker,” he said. “He will continue to protect the system. His son takes the position to make his government look good.”

The new Assembly also voted on Monday for a new cabinet, which includes 10 deputy prime ministers, 18 senior ministers and 22 ministers. 

Many of the new ministers are the adult children and relatives of the outgoing generation of government officials “who established the corrupt system,” Sam Rainsy said.

“Hun Sen is buying people to allow their children to take their fathers’ positions to secure his impunity,” he said.

‘They send people to attack me’

Last month’s election was condemned by the United States, France, Australia and others as neither free nor fair because of the exclusion of the Candlelight Party, as well as for efforts to neutralize the political opposition through threats, arrests and other means. 

In the run-up to the election, dozens of opposition activists were persuaded to publicly switch their allegiance to the CPP. 

But one activist who refused, and is now seeking asylum in Thailand, said that three men struck him in the face and tried to drag him into a car this week. Phorn Channa told RFA that he escaped with help from a bystander. 

“I got off my motorbike and was attacked,” he said. “I fled to a house for help but people shouted so the suspect fled.”

He said that Heng Suor – now the newly appointed minister of Labor – had previously tried to convince him to join the CPP. He said he declined because he believed that only an opposition party could bring democracy to Cambodia and respect for human rights.

“I thought when I arrived in Thailand I would be safe, but it is not safe,” he said. “They send people to attack me. I am very concerned. This shows that the Cambodian government is brutal. They are trying to harm democrats wherever we go.”

RFA couldn’t reach Heng Suor for comment on Tuesday. 

Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony in Kandal province, Hun Sen said even his wife – Hun Manet’s mother – didn’t know about the plan to appoint the 45-year-old four star general as prime minister this month. Hun Sen had previously said that he would continue as prime minister until 2028.

But on July 26, he announced on state television that a new Hun Manet-led government would be formed on Aug. 22, after the National Election Committee officially reports election results. 

The news came three days after preliminary results showed Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party winning 120 of 125 seats in the tightly controlled parliamentary election.

On Thursday, Hun Sen said he was worried that infighting among senior CPP ministers could result in bloodshed if a smooth and timely transition to a new government wasn’t made. But his plan to wield influence behind the scenes as head of CPP should maintain stability, he said.

“I warn you that if my son’s life is endangered, the possibility of returning to be the prime minister is that I have to come back and work,” he said. “I have to return to be the prime minister for a while. After that, I will choose who can be the next prime minister.”

Still a few days left

The abrupt transfer of power may be a sign that key CPP officials still don’t support Hun Manet's prime minister candidacy, said Um Sam An, a former opposition party member of parliament.

Longtime CPP leaders like Interior Minister Sar Kheng and Defense Minister Tea Banh are also planning to step down this month.

Um Sam An said Hun Sen has appointed Sar Kheng, Tea Banh and others to the Supreme Council of the King – which has no real authority over government affairs – to keep them out of power. But failing to share some influence could eventually exacerbate divisions within the CPP, he said.

“The fact that Hun Sen consolidates power alone may result in armed conflicts that prevent the transfer of power,” Um Sam An said. “Sar Kheng may join hands with Tea Banh to prevent that transfer of power.”

“So, there are still a few days left, and Hun Sen is still worried,” he said.

Sar Kheng, Tea Banh and Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An were also recently promoted to vice president positions of the CPP. Hun Sen has said he will serve as president of the Senate.

CPP spokesman Sok Ey San said he didn’t know yet who the CPP would appoint as president of the National Assembly. He added that the ruling party has no internal divisions.

Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Edited by Matt Reed.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

Hun Manet’s message on Thursday came a day after his father announced he would hand over the prime minister position next month.

The 45-year-old posted a photo along with the message that shows Hun Sen dressed in a military uniform and standing in a jeep at a 2019 anniversary celebration for the Royal Cambodian Army Command’s headquarters. 

Hun Manet, who until recently served as deputy commander of Cambodia’s armed forces, is also dressed in uniform in a second jeep following just behind Hun Sen.

“My father’s word that I will always remember and be determined to apply in all circumstances: ‘When you become the prime minister of Cambodia, you must maintain peace to ensure the development and tranquility of the people,’” Hun Manet wrote.

Hun Manet’s statement is welcome, but “peace” doesn’t just refer to “no war,” said Ny Sokha, the president of the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) NGO. It must also include respect for human rights, social justice and social equality, he said.

“Determination is not enough. It needs real practice so that people can believe in him,” he told RFA. “We are waiting to see what priority issues he will address after he officially becomes the new prime minister of Cambodia.”

Peace and the political opposition

Hun Sen, 70, has served as prime minister since 1985. He told reporters on Wednesday that a new Hun Manet-led government would be formed on Aug. 22, after the National Election Committee officially reports the results from Sunday’s election. 

Preliminary results show the ruling Cambodian People’s Party winning 120 of 125 seats in the National Assembly in the July 23 vote, which included Hun Manet as a first-time candidate for parliament from Phnom Penh. Critics have said the tightly controlled election was neither free nor fair.

Hun Sen was a signatory to the 1991 Paris Peace Accords and often touts his “win-win” initiative to persuade the remaining bands of Khmer Rouge guerillas to lay down arms in the 1990s.

He has also methodically co-opted all political opposition over the years, and he often points out that his long reign as prime minister has brought peace and economic development to Cambodia after decades of civil war. 

In the months leading up to last Sunday’s election, Hun Sen persuaded dozens of opposition activists to switch their allegiance to the CPP, while others were threatened with legal action.

“Now Hun Sen uses the word peace to arrest and put people in prison,” Chea You Horn, the president of the Khmer Association of Victoria in Australia, told Radio Free Asia last month.

Men Sothavrin, a former parliamentarian from the now-banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, said Hun Manet appears to be copying his father’s dictatorship style. 

“Hun Manet must show that he is different from his father and never repeat his father’s dictatorship,” he said. “He must reinstate genuine multi-party democracy and respect human rights, especially political rights, freedom of press and expression.”

Translated by Chandara Yang. Edited by Matt Reed.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

Fiji’s prime minister has canceled an official visit to China after he tripped while looking at his mobile phone and injured his head. 

Addressing Fijians from his official residence while still wearing a blood-stained shirt, Sitiveni Rabuka said in a video posted online that he fell on the steps of a government building on Wednesday and hit his head against a door.

“I’ve just come back from the hospital where I had a dressing put on my head for a small accident I had this morning,” he said. “I do not know whether my head hurts more than the door or the door hurts more than my head.”

Rabuka was due to leave on an official visit to China on Thursday that coincides with a period of heightened rivalry between Washington and Beijing in the Pacific.

Fiji’s relations with China have burgeoned over several decades, but have been less cordial since Rabuka was elected prime minister in December, ending 16 years of rule under Frank Bainimarama. 

The Pacific island country’s ties with China had particularly blossomed after Australia, New Zealand and other countries sought to punish it for Bainimarama’s 2006 coup that ousted an elected government. It was Fiji’s fourth coup in three decades. Rabuka orchestrated two coups in the late 1980s.

Rabuka has said a police cooperation agreement with China, signed in 2011 by Bainimarama’s government, may not be consistent with Fiji’s democracy, and has put it under review. 

His government also elevated the status of Taiwan’s representation in Fiji, but reversed that step after strong protests from China, which views the democratic island as a renegade province. 

An update on the deferment of my trip to China due to an injury that I sustained earlier today due to a misstep at the entrance to the New Wing of Government Buildings. pic.twitter.com/SYKrRUQPHF

— Sitiveni Rabuka (@slrabuka) July 25, 2023

“I have had to inform China that I will not be able to undertake that trip that was coming up tomorrow night,” Rabuka said in the video. “I’m sure there will be other invitations later on.”

Rabuka said there would likely be speculation about the canceled trip but emphasized nothing was wrong. 

China, over several decades, has become a substantial source of trade, infrastructure and aid for developing Pacific island countries as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and build its own set of global institutions. 

Last year, China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, alarming the United States and its allies such as Australia. The Solomons and Kiribati switched their diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taiwan in 2019.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare visited China earlier this month and was feted by its leaders. Sogavare, in turn, heaped praise on his hosts including the “visionary” leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping in a public relations win for Beijing.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Tonga, Australia and New Zealand this week as Washington continues efforts to strengthen its relationships in the region.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Stephen Wright for BenarNews.

minister as soon as three weeks after Sunday’s parliamentary elections.

“I am walking on the right path to secure country stability for younger generations,” he said in the interview with China’s Phoenix TV that aired on Thursday. “I have sacrificed my power. Hun Sen has sacrificed power for peace for a long time.”

Until recently, it was widely believed that the 70-year-old Hun Sen would continue as prime minister through 2028, when the next general election is scheduled to take place. He said publicly in 2021 that Hun Manet would one day follow him as prime minister. 

“This is the closest we’ve had yet to a definitive public confirmation about the timing of the handover of power,” author and journalist Sebastian Strangio wrote on Twitter.

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party, which currently holds all 125 seats in the National Assembly, is expected to sweep Sunday’s vote. 

The National Election Committee in May blocked the main opposition Candlelight Party from appearing on the ballot, citing inadequate paperwork.

Hun Manet is listed as the CPP’s top candidate from Phnom Penh. On Friday – the last day for official campaigning – he led a large parade of party supporters through the streets of the capital. 

“Within three or four weeks, Hun Manet can become the prime minister,” Hun Sen told Phoenix TV. “We will wait and see how people respond. After that Hun Manet is able to work.” 

New blood incoming

The CPP has ruled Cambodia since 1979. Recent appointments and promotions in several government ministries indicated that the sons and daughters of longtime officials would be assuming new leadership roles after the election.

CPP spokesman Sok Ey San confirmed to Radio Free Asia on Friday that a post-election government cabinet will be “90 percent new blood,” with only a few ministers staying on.

“The new blood will be working with the old blood,” he said.  

Finland-based political analyst Kim Sok told RFA that the new cabinet will continue to be controlled by Hun Sen.

“Hun Sen knows that Hun Manet can’t work with the current ministers so he removes the existing ministers so his son can easily control them,” he said.

Hun Sen has said in the past that he would retain influence behind the scenes as head of the CPP after stepping down as prime minister.

West Point graduate

Hun Manet, 45, is a graduate of the elite United States Military Academy at West Point. He holds a masters in economics from New York University and another graduate degree from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

He traveled with his father to Beijing in February to attend meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy said at the time that Hun Sen was trying to cement personal ties with the Chinese Communist Party so that Beijing would support a handover of power to Hun Manet.

Sam Rainsy told RFA on Friday that Hun Manet will have no legitimacy as prime minister. He repeated a recent plea to voters to destroy their ballots on Sunday to show their support for the opposition.

In March, Hun Manet was promoted to the rank of four-star general. He recently suspended his role as deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Force to run for the Assembly. 

“I trained him to be able to work. If he can’t be a prime minister he can do something else for the sake of the country,” Hun Sen said in the Phoenix TV interview.

Changes to the Constitution last year did away with a requirement that the Assembly vote to approve a newly designated prime minister, a move believed aimed at easing the transition to Hun Manet.

“Hun Manet can become the prime minister or not based on the Constitution,” the prime minister told Phoenix TV. “No one has the right to stop Hun Manet when he doesn’t breach any law.”

Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

• President Biden welcomes Indian Prime Minister with a pomp filled state visit.
• Divided House Republicans send an impeachment resolution against President Biden to committee.
• Senate Democrats beat back an effort to overturn a rule on gun braces.
• Brazil’s largest meat producer accused of “cattle laundering” to hide extent of grazing in the Amazon.
• San Francisco activists protest cuts in housing and for children in Mayor’s budget plan.
• A lithium mining company sues Native American protestors.

Image by: Ms Sarah Welch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The post President Biden rolls out economic and military agreements during Indian Prime Minister’s visit; Republicans at odds with each other over impeachment resolution for President Biden; Lithium mining company sues Native American protestors: The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays – June 22, 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

“Since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, there has been an increasing crackdown on India’s media,” said CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg. “Journalists critical of the government and the BJP party have been jailed, harassed, and surveilled in retaliation for their work. India is the world’s largest democracy, and it needs to live up to that by ensuring a free and independent media–and we expect the United States to make this a core element of discussions.”

On Wednesday, June 14, CPJ convened an online panel, “India’s Press Freedom Crisis,” with opening remarks and moderation by Ginsberg alongside panelists Geeta Seshu, founding editor of the Free Speech Collective watchdog group; Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of the Kashmir Times newspaper; and Shahina K.K., senior editor for Outlook magazine.

The panelists discussed the deterioration of press freedom over the last decade, with Seshu detailing the rise in censorship and “vicious” attacks on the media, while Shahina shared her ongoing battle to fight terrorism charges filed nearly 13 years ago by the Karnataka state government, then led by Modi’s BJP party, in retaliation for her investigative reporting.

Bhasin spoke about the “effective silence” that Kashmiri journalists have dealt with since the Modi government unilaterally revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special autonomy status in 2019, with multiple cases of reporters being detained and interrogated.

CPJ calls on the U.S. government to urge India to act on the following press freedom violations:

• The ongoing detention of six journalists–Aasif Sultan, Gautam Navlakha, Sajad Gul, Fahad Shah, Rupesh Kumar Singh, and Irfan Mehraj–in retaliation for their work. All have been targeted under draconian security laws. Shah faces trial on spurious terrorism charges in relation to a 2011 article published by his online magazine The Kashmir Walla. The other five journalists remain in pretrial detention.

• The harassment of the domestic and foreign media, including routine raids and retaliatory income tax investigations launched into critical news outlets. In February, income tax authorities raided the BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai after the government censored a critical documentary on Modi by the broadcaster. Foreign correspondents say they have faced increasing visa uncertainties, restricted access to several areas of the country, including Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, and even threats of deportation in retaliation for critical reporting in recent years.

• The media crackdown in Kashmir, including the use of preventative detention, terrorism and criminal cases, travel bans, raids, and summons for questioning in retaliation for journalists’ work. In 2020, the government enacted a stringent media policy outlining powers for authorities to accredit the media, distribute government advertisements, and determine what constitutes “fake news.”

• Ongoing impunity in cases of killed journalists. At least 62 journalists have been killed in India in connection with their work since 1992. India ranked 11th on CPJ’s 2022 impunity index, with unsolved cases of at least 20 journalists killed in retaliation for their work from September 1, 2012, to August 31, 2022.

• Digital media restrictions, including using the IT Rules, 2021, to censor critical journalism, including the BBC documentary on Modi. India led the world in internet shutdowns for the fifth year in 2022, impeding press freedom and the ability of journalists to work freely.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

Sitiveni Rabuka, who became Fiji’s prime minister after an election in December broke strongman Frank Bainimarama’s 16 year hold on power, has emphasized shared values with democracies such as U.S. ally Australia and New Zealand. His government also has accorded a higher status to Taiwan’s representative office in Fiji, but has not fundamentally altered relations with Beijing. 

“When we came in [as the government] we needed to look at what they were doing [in the area of police cooperation],” Rabuka told a press conference during an official visit to New Zealand’s capital Wellington. “If our values and our systems differ, what cooperation can we get from that?”

The agreement signed in 2011 has resulted in Fijian police officers undertaking training in China and short-term Chinese police deployments to Fiji. Plans for a permanent Chinese police liaison officer in Fiji were announced in September 2021, according to Fijian media.

“We need to look at that [agreement] again before we decide on whether we go back to it or we continue the way we have in the past – cooperating with those who have similar democratic values and systems, legislation, law enforcement and so on,” Rabuka said.

China, over several decades, has become a substantial source of trade, infrastructure and aid for developing Pacific island countries as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and build its own set of global institutions. 

Beijing’s relations with Fiji particularly burgeoned after Australia, New Zealand and other countries sought to punish it for Bainimarama’s 2006 coup that ousted the elected government. It was Fiji’s fourth coup in three decades. Rabuka orchestrated two coups in the late 1980s. 

Last year, China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, alarming the U.S. and its allies such as Australia. The Solomons and Kiribati switched their diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taiwan in 2019.

The Chinese embassy in Fiji has said that China has military and police cooperation with many developing nations that have different political systems from China.

“The law enforcement and police cooperation between China and Fiji is professional, open and transparent,” it said in May. 

“We hope relevant parties can abandon ideological prejudice, and view the law enforcement and police cooperation between China and Fiji objectively and rationally.”

China also provides extensive training for Solomon Islands police and equipment such as vehicles and water cannons. 

Solomon Islands deputy police commissioner Ian Vaevaso said in a May 31 statement that 30 Solomon Islands police officers were in China for training on top of more than 30 that were sent to the Fujian Police College last year. 

Rabuka has expressed concerns about police cooperation with Beijing since being elected prime minister. 

“There’s no need for us to continue, our systems are different,” Rabuka said in January, according to a Fiji Times report.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Stephen Wright for BenarNews.

But there have long been concerns about what happens when that mix of ammonium phosphate, emulsifiers, and colorants finds its way into water. Some environmentalists worry spraying the stuff on forests does more harm than good. The main chemical in retardant — ammonium phosphate — is known to poison fish and other aquatic life, including vulnerable species like Chinook salmon. Some research suggests the slurry also could spur the growth of weeds that threaten native plants. Now, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics — a nonprofit that represents current and former Forest Service employees — is suing the Forest Service over its use. They allege that the federal agency has been violating the Clean Water Act by dumping the flame-stopping chemicals into waterways. 

For firefighters and some foresters, the lawsuit presents its own threat. Curbing use of fire retardants would “have a catastrophic effect on California’s ability to protect communities and infrastructure,” said Ken Pimlott, former director of Cal Fire, the country’s second biggest retardant-sprayer after the Forest Service. More than half the retardant in the country is dumped in California, where a record 4.3 million acres burned in 2020. “I don’t think people fully understand the implications” of the lawsuit, Pimlott said.

As climate change fuels more intense wildfires and threatens more people and property across the West, the lawsuit has exposed a tension between stemming those blazes and protecting lakes and streams. The Forest Service’s defenders — including city officials from Paradise, California, where a 2018 wildfire killed 85 people — say a ruling against the agency could risk lives, houses, and critical infrastructure in a region where a third of the population is vulnerable to wildfires. Critics argue that a decision in the agency’s favor could enable more pollution, continued harm to fish, and further violations of federal clean water law. Dana Christensen, a U.S. district judge in Montana, heard oral arguments in the case last month. He could rule any day. 

Firefighters use retardants mostly in the West, where the area charred by wildfires has doubled in the past four decades. Across the region, grasslands and forests are drying out as temperatures rise — about half the West’s increase in aridity has been linked to human-caused warming. Fires are starting earlier, burning hotter, and lasting longer. Nationwide, blazes in the past two decades have been on average four times larger and three times more frequent than in the two decades prior. At the same time, more people are moving into rural, fire-prone areas: The number of structures destroyed by western wildfires has tripled over the past 20 years. 

“That’s a web of a combination that’s causing a heck of a lot of problems,” said Daniel Leavell, a longtime firefighter and fire specialist at Oregon State University. 

As fire season gets worse, retardants become more important, the Forest Service has argued in court. Fire engines and hotshots aren’t enough to fight the most intense fires, especially in remote places, which aircrafts dumping water and retardant can reach more quickly, said Alex Robertson, the Forest Service’s director of fire and aviation for Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, in a court filing. 

That year, the Forest Service poured 52 million gallons of fire retardant onto forests and shrubland across the country. Air tankers, which can hold 8,000 gallons of retardant, usually use it as a line of defense instead of water, which is primarily poured directly onto flames. Firefighters paint a line of the retardant where they anticipate a fire is headed, aiming to slow fires by carpeting and cooling plants prone to combustion.

During a record fire season in the Pacific Northwest in 2021, “the use of fire retardant became a game changer” because it bought time for ground crews, Robertson said. 

But retardant also winds up in waterways, where it can have deleterious effects. In 2002, a Forest Service plane accidentally dropped roughly 2,000 gallons of it into the Fall River near Bend, Oregon, killing almost all the fish — some 20,000 — along a four-mile stretch. Although a chemical, sodium ferrocyanide, that’s no longer used by the Forest Service was reportedly to blame for that disaster, there are still environmental concerns over the stuff the agency uses today. The solution, not to be confused with the PFAS-laden foam that has contaminated drinking water across the country, is mainly water, but about 10 percent ammonium phosphate and 5 percent a secretive blend of thickeners, which help it stick to plants, and dyes, which make it visible to fire crews. Ammonia is considered the most toxic component of the slurry; it can cause internal organ damage in fish. In 2009, about 50 endangered steelhead trout washed up near Santa Barbara, California with ammonium levels 100 times higher than normal after nearby fire retardant use.

Concerned about such pollution, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics has sued the Forest Service twice before over its use of retardant, making the current case the group’s third retardant-related lawsuit against the agency. After each of those lawsuits, the U.S. District Court in Montana held that the federal government had violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act by failing to properly assess the environmental consequences of aerial fire retardant. Following the second lawsuit, in 2011, the Forest Service said it would mandate that airplanes avoid dumping retardant within 300 feet of lakes, rivers, and streams, unless there’s an immediate danger for human life or property. 

Still, between 2012 and 2019, the Forest Service poured more than 750,000 gallons of retardant into water. “The only way to prevent accidental discharges of retardants to waters is to prohibit its use entirely,” the Forest Service’s national fire and aviation director, Jerome Perez, said in a court filing this spring.

Earlier this year, the Forest Service asked the Environmental Protection Agency to devise a Clean Water Act permit specifically for aerial retardant use. But that process will take at least two and a half years. In the meantime, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics wants the court to impose a 600-foot barrier between retardant drops and waterways — an outcome that Christensen, the judge overseeing the lawsuit, said “is probably not going to happen” because 600 feet, much as the current 300-foot rule, is a “magic number” without a clear scientific basis.

Beyond the question of pollution, a key piece of the lawsuit is whether fire retardants even work. There’s some thought that they are actually less useful now that fires are burning in drier, hotter, and windier conditions. Firefighters swear that the red slurry is effective, but Andy Stahl, director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, doesn’t buy it. Even if the chemicals in retardants are known to slow flames in a lab, Stahl says they aren’t very good at stopping fires in the real world. 

“Retardant is effective in precisely the situations where it’s not needed. It’s effective when the wind isn’t blowing,” Stahl said. “There are no homes being threatened in a lab.” 

While there’s anecdotal evidence that retardants keep fires from spreading, some research backs up the skepticism (although there are few studies on the issue). There’s a correlation, for example, between a rise in the use of fire retardants and an increase in fire-caused structure damage, according to Philip Higuera, a fire ecologist at the University of Montana. That’s seemingly because under the most extreme (and increasingly common) fire conditions, “fire suppression tactics are least effective,” Higuera said in a deposition. 

Aerial retardants are also ineffective on fires in dense forests, because they don’t reach the ground, University of Washington fire ecologist Susan Prichard told Northwest Public Broadcasting. 

Still, firefighters say the slurry is an invaluable weapon in their arsenal. Both Pimlott and Leavell recounted seeing blazes halt at retardant lines. They acknowledged times when retardants, like water, couldn’t be used or simply didn’t slow fires. But “it can save lives and resources” if applied “in the right place at the right time,” Leavell said. 

A Forest Service spokesperson declined to comment, citing the ongoing lawsuit.

In March, two House representatives from California, Doug LaMalfa, a Republican, and Jimmy Panetta, a Democrat, introduced a bill that would exempt aerial fire retardants from the Clean Water Act. The landmark clean water law, passed in 1972, wasn’t written “at a time when we were seeing catastrophic fires burning at intensities unlike we’ve ever seen,” Pimlott said. “There are trade-offs here.”

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline A lawsuit to protect streams could take away a prime firefighting tool on May 16, 2023.

This content originally appeared on Grist and was authored by Max Graham.

Abdulhakim Idris, director of the Center for Uyghur Studies in Washington D.C., met with Ibrahim last Wednesday during an iftar gathering at an Islamic center in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur. Iftar is the meal eaten after sunset during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended on April 20.

“We learned earlier that Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, would attend this iftar, so I prepared a letter to give him which describes the current situation of the Uyghur people,” Idris told Radio Free Asia.

During the gathering, Ibrahim gave a speech in which he said he would protect all oppressed Muslims around the world, and expressed sympathy for Uyghurs, Idris said. In 2018, Ibrahim demanded that the Chinese government allow Uyghurs religious freedom and freedom of movement.

However, during a visit to China three weeks ago, Ibrahim took a more hands-off approach, saying the Uyghur issue was “the internal matter of the Chinese government.” 

Calls to the Malaysian prime minister’s office on Tuesday were not returned.

The governments of many Muslim-majority states have not spoken out about the Uyghur out of fear of angering China, with which many have significant trade and infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Idris stressed the precarious situation of Uyghurs in East Turkistan, the Uyghurs’ preferred name for Xinjiang, and asked the prime minister for help.

At the end of the meeting, he presented Ibrahim with a doppa, a traditional Uyghur skullcap, along with the letter and a copy of his book, Menace: China’s Colonization of the Islamic World & Uyghur Genocide.

Playing both sides?

Erkin Ekrem, vice president of the World Uyghur Congress and an associate professor of history at Hacettepe University in Turkey, said Ibrahim, as a seasoned politician, is likely playing both sides of the coin — one side with the Chinese and the other with the Uyghurs.

“He did not mention the Uyghur issue during his visit to China three weeks ago,” Ekrem told RFA. “He returned to Malaysia after expressing his desire to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.”

“The words he conveyed to the Uyghur delegation are nothing but a political tactic,” he said. “If they don’t do anything, then they could say, ‘We could not do much.’” 

China has said that the camps were vocation training centers meant to prevent religious extremism and terrorism in the restive region, and that they now are all closed. 

But Uyghurs held in the camps have presented credible evidence of torture, sexual assaults and forced labor, prompting the U.S. government and some Western parliaments to declare the abuse amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Ekrem for RFA Uyghur.

• Japan’s Prime Minister makes surprise visit to Ukraine
• Senate moves forward to debate canceling resolutions that authorized war against Iraq
• “Third Act” climate elders stage protest against major banks that finance fossil fuel projects
• San Francisco Supervisors overwhelmingly approve 25 million dollar police overtime supplemental funds
• State Board of Equalization could be headed for termination

Photo by KPFA Reporter Gil Martel

The post Japan’s Prime Minister pays unexpected visit to Ukraine; Workers strike at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest; Third Act protesters urge big banks to stop financing fossil fuel projects: Evening News March 21 2023 appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

A recent cash payment by Papua New Guinea for the release of three hostages held captive by armed gunmen in Southern Highlands province has set a “dangerous precedent”, says the opposition.

Deputy opposition leader Douglas Tomuriesa said in a statement that the Marape government had set a bad precedent in allowing ransom money to be paid to the kidnappers for the release of the three hostages late last month instead of eliminating the gunmen.

The shadow treasurer said that thankfully the three captives had been set free without any harm but he expressed sadness that such a bad precedent had been set for the country which was likely to spur similar hostage-taking incidents in future.

• READ MORE:  Port Moresby shows Jakarta how it’s done with 3 PNG hostages freed
• Other PNG hostage crisis reports

Tomuriesa said since the hostages were now free, Police Commissioner David Manning must ensure that the culprits would be brought to justice and face the full force of the law.

He said it was “shameful” that the Prime Minister had contradicted his Police Commissioner by initially denying that any ransom had been paid.

“I now demand the Prime Minister tell the truth and reveal the actual amount of ransom paid to the criminals and why a third party was involved,” Tomuriesa said.

One of three women captives was released on February 23 while the other two were released with Australia-based New Zealand academic Professor Bryce Barker on February 26 after K100,000 (NZ$46,000) had been paid, according to one news report.

“If all the government can do is pay ransom to terrorists, then PNG can forget about promoting tourism and foreign investment in the country as investors will view the country as too dangerous.

“By very quickly resorting to allowing payment of ransom money, the government has now realised that the PNG police and military are very ill-equipped to deal with a dangerous hostage-taking situation.

“The whole country will remain at risk unless the gunmen are made to surrender all their guns, including the high-powered machines stolen from the PNG Defence Force armoury.”

Tomuriesa said the government must now seek specialised training and assistance from friendly countries like Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or the United States to establish and train a special task force for the PNG police and military.

The special force would need to be capable of undertaking search and rescue operations should similar hostage-taking situations arise in future.

Republished from the PNG Post-Courier with permission.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Son Chhay, vice president of the Candlelight Party, has been ordered to pay the damages to the Cambodian People’s Party and the National Election Commission. The judgment, which was upheld by the Supreme Court last week, stems from comments he made last year following local commune elections, which he said was marred by irregularities.

In anticipation of that decision, Son Chhay wrote a letter to the prime minister on Feb. 13 in which he said he “didn’t have any intention of accusing the CPP or the NEC of stealing votes, and I didn’t mean to say the CPP is a thief that will steal votes in the future.”

He also said, “If the CPP and NEC thought I alleged them as thieves, I am sorry.”

Son Chhay’s letter, which Hun Sen posted on Telegram, did not contain an apology that was directed at the prime minister. But Hun Sen on Tuesday nonetheless implied that it did.

“We can’t accept this apology. We want to eliminate the culture of being blamed and insulted,” he wrote in his own statement on Telegram. “We can’t accept being accused of stealing votes. They asked [for] apologies from us many times but the same things are happening.”

He pointed out that exiled political opposition leader Sam Rainsy had apologized to him many times but his supporters continue to make accusations and make unfair criticisms.

“We want to end this culture,” he said. “We are using the court to make sure that bad people stop doing the same things.”

Sam Rainsy is a co-founder of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which was the previous main opposition party before the country’s Supreme Court dissolved it in 2017. He has been living in self-exile in France since 2015, when he fled a series of charges his supporters say are politically motivated.

Potential election impact

Sam Kuntheamy, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said he wants to see politicians think of the national interest and have productive discussions with each other that avoid political conflict. 

Alternatively, the defamation lawsuit that targeted Son Chhay could have a negative impact on the upcoming July election by discouraging debate, he said.

“NICFEC wants this case to be over and the compensation to be forgiven because the court already made its decision and he [Son Chhay] is already ‘sorry,’” he said.

CPP spokesman Sok Ey San said he supports Hun Sen’s rejection of Son Chhay’s statement. The defamation lawsuit is not a threat against the Candlelight Party and won’t affect the election, he said.

“We all can see whether the political environment is heated or calm. It doesn’t mean without the Candlelight Party, the election can’t proceed,” he said.

Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Matt Reed.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Khmer.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has described today’s Waitangi Day dawn service as moving and says he welcomes the shift away from a focus on politics.

Hundreds of people gathered before dawn to commemorate 183 years since Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed.

• LISTEN TO RNZ MORNING REPORT: ‘We should allow good honest conversation’ – PM Chris Hipkins
• ‘I didn’t mean to say the treaty is an experiment’ – Christopher Luxon
• Live: Hundreds gather for Waitangi Day commemorations
• Waitangi Day 2023 in pictures
• What the party leaders said at Waitangi

Hipkins said the national day had a greater focus on reflection and celebration than years ago.

The criticism that politicians had come to Waitangi in the past and used Māori as a way to increase their votes was a fair one, he said.

Hipkins said he saw his role as lighting the path forwards and not playing in the uncertain space where politicians could create fear and division.

“I think Māori have often been used as a way for politicians to whip up votes in other parts of the population and that’s something that I find abhorrent.”

Trend for less politics
Asked to compare this year’s Waitangi commemorations to previous years, Hipkins said in the last five years there had been a trend for less politics on Waitangi Day.

“I think there’s been a trend in the last five and a half years or so . . . for a bit less politics on Waitangi Day and a bit more reflection and a bit more commemoration and a little bit more celebration and I really welcome that.”

Hipkins said he first attended Waitangi commemorations at Waitangi about 15 years ago and overall he had always found it “to be a pretty positive experience”.

As prime minister his role was “to try and preserve a sense of unity and common purpose,” Hipkins said.

“It’s easy to create division when it comes to race relations and we’ve seen that in the past; governments have tried to to avoid that, it tends to have come from those who are not in government who are trying to get into government and I think that’s most unfortunate.”

National Party leader Christopher Luxon said New Zealand was an intelligent country that could engage in proper debates.

“I think what I’ve seen in reaction to some of our positions, say on co-governance, is you end up with some lazy sort of baseless accusations of racism frankly,” he said.

“Because that’s not what I’m doing, I’m having a conversation to say I’m interested in the ends of advancing all Māori and all non-Māori . . .  the means by which I do that may be different.”

The fact that National does not support co-governance of public services should not be misinterpreted as the party lacking ambition or aspirations for Māori in New Zealand, he said.

Open discussion needed
A lot of New Zealanders were scared to talk about the treaty and our history, we needed good honest relations to take place, Hipkins said.

“We have to create sort of safe spaces for people to say what they think. I think we get into dangerous territory when people stop saying what they think because they’re worried what the response to that might be and then you just perpetuate misunderstanding.

“I think when you create an environment where people can say what they think and other people can challenge that and people don’t have to feel offended or confronted by that.”

The signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi was a bold vision, Hipkins said.

“If we go to the spirit of what they were trying to accomplish, I think they were trying to accomplish an ability for us all to live here together, to all prosper together without conflict.”

The goal of the treaty was to try to avoid the conquest and conflict that occurred during settlement of some other countries during the mid-1800s, he said.

The history of Aotearoa shows this attempt was somewhat limited and conquest and conflict still followed, Hipkins said.

But the goal was a very noble one and the ongoing importance of the treaty recognises that it was a goal that was worth striving for, Hipkins said.

“I think when people say he aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata, when I was here with my mokopuna last year and we were the only ones here due to covid, and we had our own karakia.”

“Funnily enough, it was a similar bleak sort of a morning.

“You just can’t beat having so many people, a throng of people, hearing different voices, hearing the diversity, but feeling the unity that everybody is seeking.”

History was also made this today with the delivery of the first Muslim prayer at the dawn service, from Labour MP Ibrahim Omer.

“We look at Te Tiriti of Waitangi as being between Māori and European or Pākehā, but we really need to be thinking much, much more of the other ethnicities in our country that make up a multicultural tapestry of our nation,” he said.

“How we view it is that we have tangata whenua, or people of the land, and tangata Tiriti, which is the broad application of all people who have come here over time.”

Luxon defends ‘little experiment’ statement
Luxon spoke at Waitangi yesterday, but missed the dawn service today, instead opting to go to an event at the Takapuna Boat Club in Auckland.

One part of Luxon’s speech yesterday caused some controversy: “We started on the 6th of February 1840 as a little experiment, and look at us now — the 21st century success story able to tackle the challenges that come our way.”

Today, Luxon clarified that he did not mean to say that the treaty was an experiment.

“What we’ve done here in New Zealand is incredibly special, I mean if you think about the goodwill of those people who were here negotiating that treaty, it was unprecedented in many ways.”

Looking at what happened in other countries and how they have developed over time the treaty that had been done in New Zealand was incredibly special, he said.

“So it was a brave experiment to set up a treaty as a foundation for a whole new country, that didn’t happen if you think about it pre-1840 around the world.”

The intention was great, but the Crown did not honour its obligations and that was what a lot of New Zealand’s modern history had been about in terms of trying to deal with that issue, Luxon said.

Treaty settlements, Ngāpuhi and rangatiratanga
Asked about the concept of rangatiratanga, or the right of Māori to rule themselves, Hipkins said he was comfortable with the notion of “by Māori for Māori”.

In education there had been significant expansion of things like kura kaupapa Māori and in health some progress was being made in a by Māori for Māori approach, he said.

“I think the government can be a better partner, we can have a better relationship, we can work together better when it comes to all things Māori.”

Hipkins said the Ngāpuhi settlement was likely to be one of the most complex and difficult to achieve, but it was important to continue to approach it “with good faith and good will”.

“We’ve still got a process that we’re going through, what I can provide assurance about though is that the Crown will approach that with good faith and we want to get a settlement, so that’s a pretty good starting point.”

Luxon defended National’s goal that all treaty settlements should be completed by 2030.

Having a deadline made a government focus on getting that job done, he said.

“Treaty settlements are full and final, I mean the individual settlements are full and final, not to be opened up and discussed again.”

He acknowledged that everyone had a lot of work to do in terms of digesting the latest Waitangi Tribunal report on the Ngāpuhi claim.

On rangatiratanga, Luxon said there was one sovereign state here in New Zealand and it was the government.

Equity and equal opportunity
Equity and equal opportunity were two concepts that politicians needed to spend more time talking about, Hipkins said.

“Equal opportunity doesn’t guarantee an equal outcome, but equal opportunity also in itself isn’t necessarily equity because if you’re starting from a very different place then the opportunity in front of you might be the same, but your ability to take up that opportunity might be vastly different.”

For example, a child who starts school and already has a good base of education will be ahead of a child starting school with no education base, Hipkins said.

So treating them exactly the same in the classroom is not equity, although it might be equal opportunity, he said.

To try and address this in the education sector the government had just changed the way schools were funded to allow targeted additional funding to schools with equity challenges, and the same would be done for early childhood centres, he said.

National rejects co-governance of public services
Luxon said National was very supportive of co-management arrangements and it had led to better outcomes.

“But when it comes to the provision of national public services, from a government that’s accountable to all New Zealanders, and those services are designed to deliver to people in need, we think the better way is to have a single system of delivery.”

But there could be innovation within that system to ensure services were being delivered to those communities that needed it, he said.

Luxon said he was focused on outcomes which were targeted on the basis of need which could be delivered through many organisations which would do a much better job than central government would.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has put the “bread and butter” issue of inflation at the top of his government’s agenda for Aotearoa New Zealand, saying today’s figures confirm that is the right approach.

Opposition leader Christopher Luxon continues to cast the government as having done nothing about the cost of living, but Hipkins argues the government’s actions are making a difference.

Annual inflation numbers for the quarter out from Stats NZ today were unchanged at 7.2 percent, roughly in line with expectations.

• READ MORE: Sepuloni’s ‘historic’ appointment symbolic for NZ, say Pacific leaders
• Other NZ politics reports

There are signs inflation may have peaked, and some supermarkets are expecting drops in fruit and vegetable prices in coming weeks, but rate rises and recession are still expected.

Economists say there is unlikely to be much respite from rising costs this year.

Speaking in his first media briefing as prime minister after chairing Cabinet, Hipkins said the work on reprioritising policy to tackle the issue had “started in earnest”.

“We will be reining in some of our plans, putting them on a slower track, giving us more room to move and greater capacity to focus on the immediate priority issues facing New Zealand, particularly the cost-of-living pressures that have been caused by the global economic situation.”

Not unusual
He said the inflation numbers from today were not unusual in comparison to other global economies — but the government would continue to work to reduce it.

“Our overall rate of inflation: 7.2 percent here in New Zealand, 7.8 percent in Australia, 10.5 percent in the United Kingdom, the OECD average is 10.3 percent, the European Union is 11.1 percent,” he said.

“The Treasury is forecasting real government consumption will fall by about 8.2 percent over the next couple of years which they say indicates that fiscal policy is supporting monetary policy in dampening inflationary pressures — but there’s more to do and the fight must and will continue.

“New Zealand is not immune to those international pressures and they will continue to have an impact on our rate of inflation.”

Luxon was earlier visiting a budgeting service in Papakura, Auckland, and led his comments to reporters afterwards with a familiar litany of criticism, saying those using the service were the same people using foodbanks up and down the country.

“Again a third quarter of inflation sitting at 7.2 percent or thereabouts. It just speaks to a government that is causing huge pain and suffering for people because it has no plan and it’s not tackling the underlying issues of inflation,” he said.

“That then leads to higher levels of interest rates. Higher levels of interest rates ultimately then lead us through to a recession and a recession then leads us into unemployment. I see a government that has had no plan to tackle the underlying causes of inflation, and nothing they have done over the last nine months has made a single difference here.”

He was not buying Hipkins’ language about reprioritisation and renewed focus on the economy.

‘It’s just words’
“He can say whatever he wants, it’s just words. The reality is this is a government with Grant Robertson as a Finance Minister over the whole period of this government.

“Nothing’s changed, so the reality is he can say whatever he wants but I find it incredibly cynical that here we are six months, seven months out from an election and all of a sudden we’re miraculously gonna focus on the economy. Give me a break.”

Luxon listed National’s “five-point inflation-fighting plan” as their own solution to the problem:

• Not adding costs to businesses which will be passed on to consumers through higher prices
• Open up immigration settings to grow the productive economy
• Control government spending “incredibly well and tightly as we expect people to do in their household budgets”
• Inflation-adjusted tax thresholds
• Refocus the Reserve Bank solely on inflation

Hipkins argued the government had been doing its part to address the underlying causes, including at the petrol pump and the supermarket, and it was having an impact.

He listed fuel tax cuts, and changes to benefit rates as examples where the government had stepped in, and said while it was too early to see the results of changes to immigration from a month ago, he had heard positive feedback from businesses.

More changes
He said the government would not stop there and would continue to make changes — and May’s budget was not set in stone.

“There is an opportunity for us to make sure that the Budget reflects the priorities that I’ve set out,” he said, while drawing a line between carrying out the policy promises of this term of government — and campaigning for the next.

“In terms of our tax policy for the next election New Zealanders will know it well in advance of the election. I’m not going to announce a tax policy on day one.”

He signalled he would not forget other priorities — highlighting climate change as well as education, health and housing — but all of them were linked to cost-of-living pressures, he said.

“If you look at the inflationary figures today the cost of building a new house is one of the things that’s contributing to that.

“We’ve seen significant population growth and we haven’t built the right number of houses to keep up with that, that’s never going to turn around overnight but we’re making good progress.”

Luxon targeted the closure of the Marsden Point Oil Refinery as one area the government had not thought through the consequences of, however, with shortages of CO2 and Bitumen impacting some sectors of the economy.

Strategic assets
“There are some strategic assets that actually are important to New Zealand and actually in the context of more global uncertainty you want to make sure you’ve got resilience and you’ve got the backup to the backup to the backup.

“I’m used to running risk management scenarios . . . I get it, we want to move out of fossil fuels, but actually at the moment we’ve knocked off our gas sector and now we’re importing what, three times as much Indonesian coal as any year in a National government?”

“The ambition’s easy to state but actually if you don’t think through the detail of it you end up with these consequences that cause us a different set of problems.”

Hipkins certainly has a big job ahead of him in wrangling an inflation juggernaut powered in large part by similar rises in costs overseas.

While he refused to make any commitments on his first day in the job, he was confident New Zealand would soon see the effects.

“New Zealanders will certainly see over the coming weeks and months the evidence of the fact that we’ve made it our number one priority.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Following the surprise resignation of Jacinda Ardern on January 19, Aotearoa New Zealand already has a new Prime Minister and Labour Party leader: Chris Hipkins.

The handover from Ardern to Hipkins has been achieved with the same efficiency as the handover from Andrew Little to Ardern in 2017. But will it be as successful?

Hipkins entered Parliament in 2008 — along with Ardern. Under Ardern’s leadership, he held ministerial portfolios in education, police and public services, and was Leader of the House.

• READ MORE: ‘The shoes needing filling are on the large side of big’ – Jacinda Ardern’s legacy and Labour’s new challenge
• Ardern’s resignation as New Zealand prime minister is a game changer for the 2023 election
• Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership
• Carmel Sepuloni: New Zealand’s new Deputy Prime Minister
• More Jacinda Ardern reports

His role as education minister includes a (not altogether successful) centralisation of all the country’s polytechnics under one administrative umbrella — a form of restructuring typical of this Labour government.

He distinguished himself during the covid pandemic as a hard-working and competent leader who contributed a much-needed clarity and common sense. He is a dependable and intelligent politician who does not mind being an attack dog when it is called for.

As leader with Tongan Carmel Sepuloni as his deputy, however, Hipkins now faces an uphill battle, with his party trailing the opposition National Party in the most recent published polls. But he lacks Ardern’s charisma.

In 2017, there was an instant “Jacindamania” effect when she took the party leadership, and Labour’s polling shot up. One simply can’t imagine a “Chris-mania”, however. But maybe that’s not a bad thing right now.

Game over?
There are two ways this could go now. First, the nightmare scenario for Labour: the government continues to be sniped at over controversial and unpopular policies such as the Three Waters programme and the income insurance scheme, economic problems continue to damage household budgets, the opposition leaders (both National’s Christopher Luxon and ACT’s David Seymour) have a field day.

In head-to-head debates with Luxon once the election campaign begins, Hipkins lacks the fire that Ardern was able to show when she needed it, and becomes political roadkill at the ballot box on October 14.

Labour supporters wake up in a cold sweat.

Carmel Sepuloni: New Zealand’s new Deputy Prime Minister https://t.co/91TMUI2wud

— RNZ News (@rnz_news) January 22, 2023

With Labour’s ongoing slump in the polls, trailing National by around five or six percentage points, this scenario cannot be ruled out. Following defeat, Labour could go into the kind of spiral it endured after Helen Clark’s loss in 2008, with one unsuccessful leader after another.

We can recall the defeat of Labour’s Phil Goff in 2011 and David Cunliffe in 2014 when up against National’s John Key. And, to be fair, National suffered a similarly bad run after Bill English stood down in 2018 and until Luxon became leader in November 2021.

“Chris Hipkins has been part of a government that has spectacularly failed to get anything done and what New Zealanders need is a National government that is going to get things done.”https://t.co/w67vxckHaw

— RNZ (@radionz) January 21, 2023

A new hope?
So is there a dream scenario for Labour? With Ardern’s charismatic — and now rather polarising — personality heading for the exit, the party could turn things around.

New leadership licences a significant cabinet reshuffle and (more importantly) a refresh of policy. Labour could now neutralise (or even dump) some policy proposals that are presently causing public dissatisfaction.

Rather than Hipkins having somehow to fill Ardern’s shoes, he could follow his own path in his own trusty trainers.

An advantage he has is an apparent unanimity of support from his caucus. This suggests his team is focused on beating National rather than beating one another.

But can Labour win back the support of those middle-ground voters who have shifted to the centre-right? It appears many of those who have swung away from Labour actually liked Ardern.

And Ardern remained on top in preferred prime minister polls right up until days before she resigned.

We could infer from this that a leadership change on its own will not suffice to woo these voters back. The loss of Ardern could indeed precipitate a further drop in polling for Labour.

A policy reset
Late in 2022, Ardern had stated that the government’s focus this year would be the economy. And National will inevitably use the line that they (National) are the more competent when it comes to “managing the economy”.

If Labour is serious about winning the 2023 election, then, they need to convince enough voters of the following:

• they are addressing the real economic concerns that are affecting people presently;
• they have taken heed of people’s disquiet over some current policy changes and are prepared to revise them; and
• they are not going any further with controversial matters, especially co-governance with Māori, without first seeking a wider public understanding and consensus.

Hipkins is a competent and reliable person. If he has his party’s backing to revise or backtrack on policy, then he may have some success. With less focus on personalities this time around, his best hope may be to convince people his government is serious about resetting the country’s direction.

Dr Grant Duncan, associate professor, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Chris Hipkins says the opportunity to become Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand is the biggest privilege of his life and his eyes are wide open for the challenges that lie ahead.

Hipkins began a media briefing today by saying: “I can confirm that I have put my name forward to be the next leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and therefore the next Prime Minister of New Zealand.

“I am absolutely humbled and honoured,” Hipkins said about the Labour Party caucus choosing him. He was the only nominee to succeed Jacinda Ardern who announced her resignation this week after almost completing two terms as prime minister.

• READ MORE: Chris Hipkins: From Head Boy to Prime Minister
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“There is still a bit to go in this process. There is still a meeting tomorrow and a vote, and I don’t want to get too far ahead of that.

“I do want to thank them for the way the process has been handled. I do think we’re an incredibly strong team. We have gone through this process with unity and we will continue to do that.”

At 44, one of the group of strong young — but highly experienced — leaders in the ruling Labour Party, Chris Hipkins was the stand out choice to lead the party into the election on October 14.

The face of NZ’s covid-19 pandemic response from November 2020 onwards, he is currently serving as Minister of Education, Minister of Police, Minister for the Public Service and Leader of the House.

‘Incredibly optimistic’
Hipkins said he was “incredibly optimistic about New Zealand’s future”.

“I am really looking forward to the job. I am feeling energised and enthusiastic and I am looking forward to getting to the work.

“It’s a big day for a boy from the Hutt,” he told reporters.

Labour’s Chris Hipkins addresses the nation.         Video: RNZ New

“It’s an enormous privilege. It’s also an enormous responsibility and the weight of that responsibility is still sinking in.”

Hipkins said he would avoid comments on positions or policies today, because the process was not yet finished and he was not confirmed as Prime Minister yet.

Asked if Labour can win the election, Hipkins simply says, “Yes.”

He would not address speculation about who his deputy prime minister would be at this time.

Challenging situations
“I thoroughly enjoyed being a minister in Jacinda Ardern’s Cabinet. I think the New Zealand public have seen the work I have done.”

He said he had dealt with some challenging situations and he made mistakes from time to time.

Addressing the journalist Charlotte Bellis MIQ case, in which he disclosed some of her personal details, Hipkins said he had apologised to her and considered the case closed.

“There is nowhere else in the world that I would want to live and want to be raising my kids” than New Zealand, he said. The country was navigating economic turbulence but would come through it.

“The vast bulk of New Zealanders are very proud about what we achieved around covid,” Hipkins says.

“Yes, there’s a vocal minority that would like to rewrite history but actually I think New Zealand as a country would be proud of what we achieved through covid.”

“I acknowledge that the lockdown in Auckland was really hard,” he said.

“I think hopefully New Zealanders know me as someone who is up front, doesn’t mind admitting when they’ve made a mistake, and can laugh at themselves.”

‘I don’t intend to lose’
Asked if he would stay on as opposition leader if Labour loses the October election, Hipkins said: “I don’t intend to lose.”

“I am here to make sure that New Zealanders who go out there and work hard to make a better life for their famlies can succeed and do so. … That’s what Labour has always stood for and it’s absolutely why I’m in politics.”

He said there was already a reshuffle coming. He had a lot of conversations with his parliamentary colleagues about the position once Ardern resigned and he was very interested in keeping a consensus.

Asked about Ardern being “burned out”, Hipkins said: “I’ve had a good summer break, I’ve absolutely come back energised and refreshed and ready to get into it.”

Asked for a little detail about himself, he said: “I grew up in the Hutt, my parents came from relatively humble beginnings and worked really hard to give a good life to my brother and I.

“I like to cycle, I like to garden. Maybe I don’t have the best fashion sense in Parliament … but I am who I am.”

Asked about the abuse on social media that has been highlighted in the wake of Ardern’s resignation, he said: “I think there has been an escalation of vitriol and some politicians have been a subject of that more than others.”

‘Intolerable’ abuse
He calling some of the abuse Ardern had faced “intolerable”.

“I go into this job with my eyes wide open of knowing what I’ve stepped into.”

“No one’s perfect, and I don’t pretend to be,” Hipkins said.

“Jacinda Ardern has been an incredible Prime Minister for New Zealand. She was the leader for New Zealand at the time that we needed it,” he says, citing her many challenges.

“Jacinda provided calm, reassured leadership which I hope to continue to do. We are different people, though, and I hope that people will see that.”

Hipkins said that if Grant Robertson was happy to stay as finance minister, he was more than welcome to remain.

Asked if he was willing to be called “Prime Minister Chippy,” he said, “people will call me what they call me”.

Pivotal role
Hipkins said the Māori caucus would continue to play a pivotal role in government.

“I’ve got an amazing team to work with and I intend to absolutely make the most of that.

“It is the biggest responsibility and it is the biggest privilege of my life. All of the experiences that I’ve had in my life have contributed to this point.”

Asked if he believed he’d be prime minister one day, Hipkins said, “I don’t really believe in destiny in politics. I actually believe in hard work.”

Hipkins said he had talked to Ardern since the result became clear, and he would be sitting down with her soon as they needed to work out details of the transfer of power.

“I’ve had a lot of messages from my constituency. They’re happy to have the first PM from the Hutt I think for generations.”

Hipkins has also spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“There are so many messages on my phone,” he said.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. 

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand politician whose empathetic leadership style inspired people worldwide, said she will step down as prime minister of the South Pacific country.

Ardern, whose popularity in New Zealand has dimmed in the past year, on Thursday said leadership of the nation of five million people during a turbulent five years had drained her. Ardern’s resignation would take effect as soon as her political party elects a new leader. She also announced that New Zealand’s next election will be held in mid-October.

“I have given my absolute all to being Prime Minister but it has also taken a lot out of me. You cannot and should not do the job unless you have a full tank,” she said. “Having reflected over summer, I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. It’s that simple.” 

Ardern achieved global prominence for a brand of leadership that conveyed authenticity and humanity and was in stark contrast to the bombastic and erratic style of politicians such as former U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Her empathetic response to victims of a terrorist attack in 2019 that killed 51 Muslim worshippers in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch and rapid response in banning semi-automatic weapons was applauded internationally.

Ardern gave birth to her daughter while prime minister and made headlines by bringing the three-month-old Neve with her to the 73rd U.N. General Assembly in 2018, which U.S. news outlets dubbed “diaper diplomacy.” 

Her government’s strict lockdown response to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the immediate high death tolls experienced in other countries and resulted in a landslide election win in late 2020 for Ardern’s ruling center-left Labour Party. 

But the pandemic policies, including vaccine mandates that caused some people to lose their jobs, eventually caused frustration and social division, which along with the pandemic’s economic fallout contributed to waning popularity for Ardern and her government. 

Record low interest rates and increased government borrowing – intended to cushion people from the economic consequences of the pandemic – sparked a rapid rise in prices for homes, which were already unaffordable for some New Zealanders.

“As to my time in the job, I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused,” Ardern said in the televised announcement. “And that you can be your own kind of leader, one who knows when it’s time to go,” she said. 

Labour Party lawmakers will hold a leadership vote on Sunday. If no candidate gets two thirds support, the leadership contest will be decided by the registered members of the party, which the prime minister’s office said could be done no later than early February.

Leaders took to social media to praise Ardern. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Ardern had “demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.” 

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.

This story has been updated to add photograph.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Stephen Wright for BenarNews.

New Zealanders will have a new prime minister by February 7 and will go to the polls on October 14, after two-term Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation today to spend more time with her family.

“For me, it’s time,” she said, speaking from the Labour Party’s retreat. “I just don’t have enough in the tank for another four years.”

Ardern said she would stay on until April as a local MP.

Beyond that, I have no plan. No next steps. All I know is that whatever I do, I will try and find ways to keep working for New Zealand and that I am looking forward to spending time with my family again – arguably, they are the ones that have sacrificed the most out of all of us.

Ardern’s resignation will come as a shock to many New Zealanders, and especially to people overseas — given the international reputation she earned as prime minister over the past five years.

• READ MORE: Labour makes it easier to change leaders, but Jacinda Ardern has no reason to go — yet
• Jacinda Ardern’s defining legacy serving New Zealand during a crisis
• Other Jacinda Ardern articles

But this is less of a surprise for close watchers of New Zealand politics. Back in November 2021, I wrote in The Conversation: “Might Jacinda Ardern stand down?”, after Labour changed its rules to make it easier for the party’s leader to be replaced.

A game changing move before the election
Ardern’s rise to power in 2017 was a game changer in New Zealand politics. Now she’s surprised everyone again with today’s decision to stand down, this could be a game changer for the October election.

Ardern is still higher in the preferred PM polls, ahead of National’s Christopher Luxon. So it’s not imperative for Labour to change their leader.

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing her resignation on 19 January 2023.

But up until this moment, everyone has been picking a likely change in government to a rightwing National/Act coalition later this year.

Now that Labour is starting to trail in the polls, having a refresh of the leadership does not necessarily ruin the party’s chances of winning in October.

The social and economic fallout of the pandemic has been so profound that having a fresh new face could help Labour’s chances.

Former National Prime Minister John Key did a similar thing back in 2016, invoking the same “not enough in the tank” line as Ardern today, when he surprised everyone and stood down, handing over to Bill English.

English and National actually did well in the following year’s election, gaining 44 percent of the vote. It was only because of overall arithmetic that National was unable to form government and that Ardern went on to become prime minister.

With Jacinda Ardern announcing her resignation, who are the frontrunners for Labour leadership? https://t.co/BJgoU2B4qm

— RNZ News (@rnz_news) January 19, 2023

Ardern’s replacement could be known within days
Ardern made herself world famous for her management of the pandemic, and she did an extremely good job as a leader over that period.

But covid-19 also completely derailed her prime ministership, meaning she was stymied in pursuing many of the key social objectives such as child poverty and housing that she would have liked to put more effort into.

I know Ardern personally, and what you see on TV is what you get in real life. She is a genuine person and politician, and you can understand the reasons she has given about wanting more time with her fiancé and daughter.

My sense is that Labour knows who will take over. Front runners to be leader could include Minister of Justice Kiri Allan, who is a rising star and could be the first Māori PM, though she is relatively new to politics. Minister for Education and Leader of the House Chris Hipkins was a high-profile and hard-working MP during COVID, and he and Allan could make a formidable team.

Housing, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods is also an experienced and senior member of the party, so could also be in the mix.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson won’t be contesting the leadership, and Labour caucus has agreed that a vote will happen in three days’ time, on January 22.

A successful candidate will need more than 60 percent of the caucus vote, otherwise the party must go to a primary-style process with the Labour membership, which could be messy, so it will want to avoid that.

Dr Grant Duncan is an associate professor, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigns: Politicians and New Zealanders pay tribute https://t.co/16B1y6sDV3

— RNZ News (@rnz_news) January 19, 2023

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Tran Hong Ha and Tran Luu Quang terms last until 2026. Tran Hong Ha, who was born in Ha Tinh province in central Vietnam in 1963, had been Vietnam’s minister for natural resources and the environment.

Tran Luu Quang, born in 1967 in Tay Ninh province, near Ho Chi Minh City, was the head of the Haiphong Provincial Communist Party and has served various positions in the assembly.

They replace Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam. On Jan. 2, RFA reported that Vietnam’s Communist Party had removed the two from its Central Committee, a move that is usually followed by their loss of their government posts. 

The assembly approved their resignations on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported that the two were the most senior officials to be removed from their posts in Vietnam since 2017.

Party officials did not give a reason for their removal, but the dismissals come at a time when the Vietnamese government is immersed in a well-publicized anti-corruption campaign. 

Vu Duc Dam’s tenure included a bribery scandal involving the sale of substandard COVID-19 test kits to hospitals.

Pham Binh Minh, meanwhile, faced criticism for another bribery scandal, this one involving payments to repatriate citizens stranded abroad during the pandemic. He is a well-known figure outside of Vietnam, due to his years serving as the country’s foreign minister.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Staff.

Viphavanh, 72, submitted his resignation to the National Assembly earlier in the day. He took office in April 2021 following a general election. 

“In the current situation, our country is experiencing a lot of hardships. I’m not able to do this difficult job any further,” he said in a speech at the Lao National Assembly. He said he submitted his resignation to the president on Dec. 15, and the president granted his request.

The leadership change comes as the government tries to temper inflation that has reached nearly 40 percent, with people complaining that the price of some basic necessities have nearly doubled.

About 500,000 people, or 21% of the workforce, are unemployed due to the economic downtown and coronavirus pandemic, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

Minutes after Viphavahn’s speech, lawmakers of the country’s one-party government voted overwhelmingly for Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone to be the Southeast Asian nation’s new premier.  

President Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, has been the country’s president since March 2021.

In his acceptance speech, Siphandone, 56, said he was honored and very proud to be elected prime minister. He is the Soviet-educated son of Khamtai Siphandone, 92, a former president of Laos.

The country’s constitution permits prime ministers to hold up to two five-year terms.

Viphavanh’s resignation comes amid criticism that he granted too many concessions for mining exploitation, especially in the northern provinces of Xieng Khouang and Xaysomboun, a source with knowledge of the political scene said. When taxes from the operations failed to go into the state budget, the country’s debt jumped.

Viphavanh also failed to make headway cracking down on rampant corruption, the source said. 

The president of the State Audit Organization reported to parliament last week that 141 billion kip, or about U.S.$9 million, of tax revenue did not go into the state budget and that more than 1,430 companies, most of them Chinese, had not paid taxes to the Lao government for more than a year.

Finance Minister Bounchom Oubonpaseuth also told lawmakers that at least 53 employees from his ministry had been disciplined or fired for corruption in 2022.

Some Lao citizens said they hoped the new prime minister could solve the country’s current financial and economic woes, especially high inflation and the depreciation of the Lao currency, the kip.

But a retail store owner in Savannakhet province was not optimistic. “I don’t think the new prime minister is going to make any difference,” he said. “Whoever is at the top, it will be the same.”

Translated by Max Avary for RFA Lao. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By RFA Lao.

Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

• Russia attacks Ukraine with explosive drones, air and sea based missile in the biggest wave of military strikes in weeks.
• Benjamin Netanyahu returns as Prime Minister for an unprecedented 6th term. He leads the most right wing and religiously conservative government in Israel’s history.
• The first in a series of storms is hitting the San Francisco Bay Area – a flood watch will be in effect from Friday night into Saturday.
• Southwest Airlines promises to return to normal operations tomorrow following more than a week of travel chaos.
• President Biden signs the $1.7 trillion dollar spending bill to fund the government through the end of September.
• And soccer sensation Pele dies of cancer in Brazil at the age of 82.

Image: Pele plays in a 1963 match between Brazil and Italy via Wikimedia.

The post Russia attacks Ukraine in a wave of missile strikes; Netanyahu returns as prime minister leading most far-right conservative government in Israel’s history; Biden signs $1.7tn spending bill appeared first on KPFA.

This content originally appeared on KPFA - The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also called Prachanda, was sworn in on Monday as the head of Nepal’s new government in a deal reached with other political parties in the Himalayan country bordering India and China.

The former leader of a 10-year guerrilla insurgency launched in 1996 that killed more than 17,000, Prachanda, 68, replaces Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress Party as national leader.

Tibetans living in Nepal after escaping from Tibet will see little improvement in their status and rights as refugees under Nepal’s new government, which will remain in power until at least 2025, analysts and rights groups told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday.

“In Nepal and China’s relationship, there are two certainties. The first is Nepal’s One-China policy in terms of what Nepal offers China,” said Santosh Sharma, a foreign policy analyst and co-founder of the Nepal Institute for Policy Research, referring to China’s claim of sovereignty over Tibet. “Every political party and leader in power has adhered to this policy.”

“Secondly, Nepal will control the activities of Tibetan refugees to the extent they will not use Nepal as a launchpad for any political activities,” Sharma said. “And there has been agreement on this across the board no matter who was in power.”

Call to issue refugee cards

The United States and other Western countries have urged Nepal to issue identity cards to Tibetan refugees and grant them other rights, Sharma said. “But this will be a difficult thing to accomplish with Prachanda as prime minister compared to Deuba, who had a more favorable view of the West during his time in office.” 

In 1995, Nepal stopped issuing refugee cards for Tibetans who flee across the border from their homeland, which has been under Chinese control since 1951.

“I don’t think that Prachanda will raise the Tibetan refugee issue, and it may not be easy now for Western diplomats to come and visit like U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya did last year,” Sharma said.

Also speaking to RFA, Sangpo — a Tibetan working at the Human Rights Organization of Nepal — said he sees little hope for improvement in the status of Tibetan refugees living in Nepal under Prachanda’s leadership.

“Actually there is also a possibility that the Chinese communist government’s influence on Nepal will grow, which will further hinder the rights of Tibetans living in Nepal,” Sangpo said.

Nepal is seen by China as a partner in its Belt and Road Initiative to boost global trade through infrastructure development, and Nepal’s government has cited promises of millions of dollars of Chinese investment as a reason for restricting Tibetan activities in the country.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Written in English by Richard Finney. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by By Lobsang Gelek.

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has already started work to achieve the People’s Alliance-led coalition 100-day plan outlined in its manifesto.

He recognises that things such as cost of living, water and electricity outages are existing issues that can be solved after a thorough review and consultative process.

In its manifesto, the party had stated it would consult on price control on basic and zero-rated VAT food items.

• READ MORE: Christmas gift for Fiji: New political era balanced on a knife-edge
• Fiji’s new coalition cabinet ministers and assistant ministers
• Rabuka elected Fiji’s new PM, ending Bainimarama’s 16-year reign
• Other Fiji elections reports

During an interview with The Fiji Times, he also voiced plans to grow the economy to a level whereby the revenue and expenditure could “harmonise continuously”.

“We cannot immediately effect reductions because the revenue forecast has been done in the last budget,” he said.

“At the moment, we do not see any signs of any sudden increase in our revenue so we do not want to suddenly increase some of the expenditures and we’ll probably run out this budget according to the forecast, and then bring in those measures that we would like to achieve [with] the budget target for the full budget year.

“But that’ll be after the 100 days. Those that can be done within the 100 days, we’ll have to do.”

Rabuka said he had already met with the permanent secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office and expected an informal Cabinet sitting on Thursday where they would be briefed on the country’s economic situation.

Shayal Devi is a Fiji Times journalist. Republished with permission.

This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

Hakainde Hichilema
President of Zambia
Plot 1, Independence Avenue, 
Lusaka, Zambia

Sent via email

Dear President Hichilema,

We at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a global press freedom organization, and Paradigm Initiative, an African digital rights and inclusion advocacy organization, welcomed your pronouncements on August 16, 2021, as president-elect on guaranteeing press freedom, supporting independent journalism, and ensuring the safety of journalists. We urge you to act on those commitments and the following points to ensure Zambia’s press can work freely and without fear of reprisal. 

1. Zambia’s Cyber Security law

Is your government committed to repealing or reforming the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act to ensure journalism is not criminalized and that the press are guaranteed the privacy they require to do their work?

In March 2021, five months before your election as president, you promised to repeal the 2021 Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act as a top priority for your government. In August 2022, local media reported that your government began a process to amend that legislation. The Cyber Security law, which was passed before your administration took office, contains numerous sections that may be used to criminalize the press and undermine the privacy journalists need to work. These include:

• Sections 59, 65, and 69, which each indicate prison time and/or a fine for communications considered to be corrupting morals or harassment;
• Sections 27, 28, 29, and 39, which empower authorities to conduct surveillance, mandate service providers’ cooperation with communications interception, and require service providers to collect and retain personal information of their subscribers;
• Section 15, which grants authorities power to compel people to appear or hand over information related to an “alleged cyber security threat or alleged cyber security incident.” Those who do not comply may face up to two years in jail and/or a fine;
• Section 31, which criminalizes disclosure of “intercepted communication” without ensuring protection for journalistic reporting in the public interest;
• Section 77, which provides that someone with knowledge of a computer or data protection measures “shall permit” and “assist” authorities in accessing “any computer data” even if they have not, personally, been accused of a crime.

Local and international civil society groups have raised alarm over the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act. These concerns were reinforced in January 2022, when police investigated Kenmark Broadcasting Network (KBN TV) journalist Petty Chanda under Section 31 of the Act, which criminalizes the disclosure of intercepted communications. The investigation revolved around a January 18 TV broadcast of a leaked audio conversation in which Levy Ngoma, your political advisor, and Joseph Akafumba, the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Home Affairs, allegedly plotted to ban an opposition party from participating in a local election.

On May 31, 2022, Felix Chipota Mutati, Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science, said the government would review the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act and that “the internet must be used for the transformation of the country’s economy and not as a tool for spreading fake news, harassment and circulation of obscene materials.” Since then, the government has requested recommendations for reforms from civil society groups, including Paradigm Initiative.

2. Penal code reform

Will you make the necessary legal reforms to decriminalize defamation and ensure journalists do not face the looming threat of criminal investigation or prosecution for their work?

Zambia’s penal code contains sections criminalizing defamation and sedition, which have been used to prosecute the press. In April 2016, Joan Chirwa and Mukosa Funga of The Post were charged with defamation over an article about then president Edgar Lungu, as CPJ reported at the time. Those charges have yet to be dropped.

In April 2021, columnist Sishuwa Sishuwa was accused of sedition by Zambia’s then ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union, Emmanuel Mwamba, over an article that discussed the possibility of unrest in Zambia’s August 2021 general election. 

3. Investigation of journalist Humphrey Jupiter Nkonde’s death

Will you ensure your government treats the death of journalist Humphrey Jupiter Nkonde with the urgency it deserves and ensure the investigation is reopened?

In September 2019, journalist Humphrey Jupiter Nkonde disappeared and was found dead near the Chilengwa Na Lesa dam, in Zambia’s Copperbelt province, according to news reports and CPJ reporting from the time. According to an August 21, 2020, ruling, which CPJ reviewed, local magistrate Mary Goma said she was not satisfied with the previous police efforts to determine the circumstances of Nkonde’s death and ordered renewed investigation. However, CPJ has found that to date police have yet to move to investigate Nkonde’s death on claims that they have no leads on which to act.

4. Attacks by political supporters

Will you issue a direct and public call for political supporters to ensure the safety of journalists and refrain from harassing the press?

In May 2021, supporters of the then ruling Patriotic Front political party attacked two journalists—Francis Mwiinga Maingaila, a reporter at the news website Zambia 24, and Nancy Malwele, a reporter at the New Vision newspaper—as they sought to cover a clash between two factions of the party. Maingaila told CPJ that his belongings seized by the supporters had yet to be returned and he had received no update from police on their investigation into the attack. Also, Danny Mwale, the deputy spokesperson of the Zambia Police Service, told CPJ by phone that he did not know the status of the investigation and would follow up with additional information. He did not.