Philippine President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has supported an investigation into whether the government should take over the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. The move comes amid concerns over the national security implications of the company, which is partly owned by China.
US President Joe Biden cancelled his planned visit to Australia, following a decision to reduce the length of his Asia trip in order to focus on negotiations with the Republican party over raising the federal debt ceiling. His decision forced the cancellation of the Quad leaders summit, scheduled for 20 October in Sydney. The meeting would have brought together presidents Biden and Fumio Kishida of Japan, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss regional security and other issues.
Five individuals have gone on trial in Germany charged with planning a far-right coup and plotting to kidnap the country’s health minister. Four men and a 75-year-old female have been accused of founding or being members of a terrorist organisation and treason. The group, which referred to itself as United Patriots, is linked to the Reich Citizens scene, that rejects Germany’s post-war constitution. Prosecutors claim the group used explosives to plan nationwide blackouts before plotting to kidnap Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, a prominent advocate of strict coronavirus measures. Although there were no serious indications that the group was in any position to launch the coup, prosecutors said the group’s procurement of weapons and money showed they were “dangerous criminals who wanted to implement their plans”. Neither the group’s names nor their nationalities were made public at their request.
The Council of Europe has created a register of damages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as part of efforts to force Moscow to compensate victims after the conflict. Housed in The Hague, the register will allow victims to report harm suffered in the conflict. The record is "intended to constitute the first component of a future international compensation mechanism", according to a council document. Among the attendees was Ursula von der Leyen, European Union Commission President who said it was an "enormously important judicial element to have this register of damages".
Russia and Iran signed a deal on Wednesday for the financing and construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, a key component of the international North-South Transport Corridor connecting India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, and other countries via rail and sea. The agreement was signed by the two countries' presidents, Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi, via video-link.
A French appeals court has upheld a one-year prison sentence for ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy following his conviction in 2021 for corruption and influence peddling. He was found guilty of trying to bribe a magistrate for information about a legal case in which he was involved. This marked the first time that a former French president had been convicted of corruption and handed a prison sentence. The 68-year-old Sarkozy has denied wrongdoing and has appealed the ruling. His lawyer said that he will take the case forward to France’s highest court and insisted that he is innocent. Sarkozy will not have to serve his sentence until a final ruling is made. If he is definitively convicted, he could ask to serve his sentence at home. The ex-president was convicted in another legal case in 2021, relating to illegal campaign financing. Last week, prosecutors called for him to be sent to trial over allegations that he was involved in taking millions in illegal funding for his 2007 campaign, from the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has dissolved the nation's parliament in order to avoid being impeached over embezzlement accusations. Lasso will rule the country by decree for just under six months before holding a new presidential election, the constitutionally allowed time limit that avoids contested terms of rule. This decision marks one of the final moves for one of South America's last conservative heads of state, who has been facing declining approval ratings and an increase in violent crime and drug trafficking.
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his appeal for conviction for corruption and influence peddling, meaning he will now wear an ankle monitor. The Paris Court of Appeals upheld his three-year prison sentence, with two years to be suspended. Sarkozy was found guilty of attempting to bribe a judge. His lawyers claim he is innocent and announced plans to appeal the decision to France's highest court. Sarkozy is also facing separate charges for accepting illegal campaign payments from Libya during his 2007 election bid. He was found guilty of illegal campaign financing in 2021.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has dissolved the country's National Assembly and brought forward legislative and presidential elections, following an impeachment process launched against him that he denies. A majority of lawmakers backed the resolution, but Lasso said his administration had changed a corrupt contract to benefit the state. He has now declared a "grave political crisis" and invoked the "two-way death" allowing the calling of elections for both his post and assembly under certain circumstances. The president will remain in power for up to six months and rule by decree until the national electoral authorities set dates for the elections.
Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso has dissolved the opposition-controlled National Assembly and brought forward legislative and presidential elections following accusations of embezzlement at the state-owned oil transportation company Flopec. Lasso denies the allegations and can now govern by decree for up to six months under the country's constitution. The National Electoral Council has seven days to call the elections, which must be held within 90 days. The elected officials will finish the terms of Lasso and the lawmakers he removed, which had been set to end in May 2025.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy believes that the United States will not default on its debt now that congressional leaders and President Joe Biden's administration are negotiating. McCarthy defended Republican proposals such as spending caps and work requirements, stating that both would help the US economy. He also confirmed that there would not be a discussion on taxes in the current negotiations with the White House on raising the US debt ceiling.
Biden off to Japan for Group of Seven summit, says there’s ‘work to do’ on global stage
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 17:05
US President Joe Biden has warned that there is “work to do” on the global stage, amid high-stakes negotiations in Washington over a federal default and geopolitical concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s assertiveness in the Pacific. Although Biden pledged to remain in contact with negotiators in the capital while travelling overseas, his trip has already been cut short. Speaking before leaving the White House, Biden stated that he had made “clear America is not a deadbeat nation”, amid concerns that a federal default would not just spark a deep recession but could also weaken its standing on the international stage.
President Joe Biden has gone to Japan for a summit with allied powers focusing on issues such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China’s actions in the Pacific. As he departed Washington on Wednesday, talks were ongoing to head off a federal default. Biden is pledging to remain in contact with negotiators in Washington while conducting international diplomacy. Biden had also planned to visit Papua New Guinea and Australia amid the showdown over raising the federal debt limit, but has scrapped these plans. The president is expected to attend the annual G7 summit in Hiroshima to discuss global economic issues, climate change and development.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso issued a decree dissolving the National Assembly on 12 January, ending impeachment proceedings against him. Lasso, who is applying the constitutional mechanism known as "two-way death," stated that he would rule by decree until a new National Assembly is sworn in. Lawmakers had accused Lasso of not intervening to end a contract between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company, with a final impeachment vote expected within five days before the president's action dissolved the assembly.
Dozens of academics and public figures across North America and Europe have signed an open letter calling for the release of Rached Ghannouchi, the jailed Tunisian opposition leader who was arrested last month on suspicion of plotting against state security. The lawyer of Ghannouchi, who was the speaker of parliament suspended by the country's president in July and has been sentenced in absentia to a year in prison, claims he was arrested due to public criticism of President Kais Saied, who has been conducting a wider crackdown against the nation's opposition. Several opposition figures have been detained in recent months, while Saied seeks to rule and legislate by decree and take control of the judiciary.
US President Joe Biden has cut his diplomatic visit to Asia short to participate in final negotiations over America's debt ceiling. His comments came ahead of meetings between Steve Ricchetti, a senior adviser to the president, and Shalanda Young, Director of the Office of Management and Budget with negotiators representing congressional Republicans. The United States is projected to run out of money to pay its bills by June 1 if Congress does not raise or suspend the debt limit, potentially causing a recession. The government reached the $31.4tn debt limit on Jan. 19.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has dissolved the country's National Assembly, invoking ‘la muerte cruzada’, a constitutional mechanism which allows the President to dissolve the Assembly and hold new elections. Elections will have to be held within three months and in the meantime, Lasso can rule by decree for up to six months. The dissolution comes as the Assembly was preparing impeachment proceedings against Lasso over alleged mismanagement.
US archives have found numerous instances in the past decade where classified materials have been mixed with non-sensitive records belonging to retired lawmakers and officials. These discoveries have raised concerns over data security and classification, with investigations ongoing into the mishandling of information found in records belonging to former president Donald Trump and others, and potential legislative changes being considered. The National Archives stated in a recent congressional testimony that the majority of the 80 calls it received over the mixed classification were made by libraries where former officials, including Senate veterans, had donated their records for future research. In each case, “essentially, each individual is serving as their own custodian with very limited oversight”.
Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso has dissolved the country's National Assembly, potentially deepening the country's political turmoil, after it started impeachment proceedings against him over allegations of mismanagement. In using the presidential power to disband the assembly, Lasso — who denies any wrongdoing in the matter — triggered the election of a new assembly and presidency, with winners serving out the remainder of officials' terms until May 2025. Lasso may choose to run in the presidential election and can rule by decree for six months. Critics of Lasso have condemned the move, and it could spark protests, though the president appears to have the support of the armed forces. The move is legal under Ecuador's 2008 constitution.
US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have named a select group to help broker a deal to raise the nation’s borrowing authority and avoid a default. They have appointed a team consisting of vulnerable Louisiana Republican Rep. Garret Graves, Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president and chief negotiator, Louisa Terrell, director of the White House’s Office of Legislative Affairs, and Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Negotiators have until 1 June to beat a deadline before the Treasury Department warns US authorities could default for the first time in history. Democrat and GOP aides have met each day but there have been concerns that there are too many people in the room. These select individuals are essential to closing a deal that would keep the nation in line with its obligations.
