Politics Archives - Page 12 of 59

Joshua Wong exclaims, “I love Hong Kong,” as over 40 prominent democratic leaders are sentenced to long jail terms in a major trial.

20Nov

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Joshua Wong exclaims, “I love Hong Kong,” as over 40 prominent democratic leaders are sentenced to long jail terms in a major trial.

More than 40 of Hong Kong’s best known pro-democracy figures have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 10 years on subversion charges, in the biggest single blow to the city’s already shrinking political freedoms following Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on dissent. Among those handed sentences on Tuesday was Joshua Wong, a former student leader and poster child of the city’s once thriving pro-democracy movement, who shouted “I love Hong Kong” before he left the dock. All 45 defendants – including former high-profile lawmakers, activists, unionists and journalists – received prison sentences ranging from 50 months to 10 years in the largest single prosecution to date under a national security law imposed by Beijing four years ago. The total prison time

The NPP relies on a small Cabinet to maintain the proper appearance and deliver

19Nov

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

The NPP relies on a small Cabinet to maintain the proper appearance and deliver

The new 22-member Sri Lankan Cabinet of the Janatha Vimukti Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) coalition was sworn in on November 18 following its victory in the parliamentary election. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake retained the key ministries of Defence, Finance, Planning, and Digital Economy. Unlike previous Cabinets, the NPP has kept the Cabinet lean and got the optics right. Social media influencers, some politicians, and civil society leaders commended the formation of a relatively small Cabinet—the smallest in the past few decades. Soon after Dissanayake won the presidential election in September 2024, the NPP appointed only its members to the Cabinet—three in all—and the President dissolved parliament to call early elections. The Prime Minist

Why is the political opposition in Singapore growing?

18Nov

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Why is the political opposition in Singapore growing?

What began as a landmark opposition victory in a single-seat ward in 1981 has evolved over the past four decades into a movement that now controls three of Singapore’s constituencies and has eight members of parliament. The Workers’ Party secured a record 10 seats in the city state’s last election, leading to party chief Pritam Singh being officially named leader of the opposition – a role that had previously lacked formal recognition. This gradual expansion of the opposition party into the most formidable political rival of Singapore’s long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has come amid growing calls for increased political plurality. The PAP’s enduring influence was built upon the economic progress and social stability it has provided to Singaporeans, with the country co

In his final meeting with Biden, Xi stated that he will collaborate with Trump.

18Nov

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

In his final meeting with Biden, Xi stated that he will collaborate with Trump.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pledged to work with incoming President Donald Trump in his final meeting with current US leader Joe Biden. But president Xi also took the opportunity to state China’s objectives in what appears to be a message to Donald Trump and the next administration in Washington. In a robust readout of the meeting released afterwards, Beijing said President Xi had underscored that "a new Cold War should not be fought and cannot be won. Containing China is unwise, unacceptable and bound to fail". Xi also said a stable relationship between China and the United States was "critical to both parties and the world". The two met on Saturday on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru where they acknowledged "ups and downs"

Biden’s last meeting with Xi in Peru is threatened by Trump.

17Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Biden’s last meeting with Xi in Peru is threatened by Trump.

President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, closed the book on their diplomatic relationship Saturday, meeting for a final time amid uncertainty over what the next Donald Trump presidency might portend for their two countries’ ties. As they opened the talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit of Pacific leaders in Lima, both men described the relationship between Washington and Beijing as “the most important” in the entire world, one that could quickly tilt into global conflict if not carefully managed. Behind closed doors, the leaders hashed out a range of contentious issues that will undoubtedly continue into the next administration. As the talks concluded, the men put down their notes for a moment of reflection on what has been a lengthy and laye

17Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

According to Trudeau, APEC leaders concentrated on how to do business with the Trump administration.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says talks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru have been dominated by worries about how to navigate Donald Trump's return to the White House. In particular, the prime minister says discussions have centred on how to continue trade with an incoming president who's promised sweeping tariffs on all U.S. imports. Trudeau is one of few world leaders who was also in power during Trump's first administration, and he says his message to his colleagues is to emphasize the "win-wins" of trade deals. Canada signed a new trade deal with Mexico and the U.S. in 2018 after Trump ended the North American Free Trade Agreement, and all three countries will have to review that deal in 2026. Trudeau also says Trump asked him specifically about Can...

The Implications for Bangladesh of a Second Trump Presidency

15Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

The Implications for Bangladesh of a Second Trump Presidency

In the U.S. presidential election on November 5, Donald Trump of the Republican Party won a decisive victory, and he is scheduled to succeed Joe Biden as the U.S. president on January 20, 2025. The upcoming change in the U.S. administration is likely to substantially affect ties between Bangladesh and the United States, in areas including politics, the economy, migration, strategic and security ties, climate change, and humanitarian cooperation. Effects on Bangladesh’s Internal Politics In contrast with the Biden administration’s moral and ideological emphasis on democracy and human rights in U.S. foreign policy, Trump is more pragmatic and transactional. The Biden administration has actively supported the interim government of Bangladesh under Chief Adviser

Trump’s first week as president-elect: Five things to remember

15Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Trump’s first week as president-elect: Five things to remember

Donald Trump has moved speedily since winning the US presidential election to set the foundations of his second term in the White House. 1) He’s building a loyal team to shake up government Trump started building his top team almost immediately, nominating cabinet picks for Senate approval and appointing White House advisers and other senior aides. But that doesn’t tell the full story. His selections make clear that he plans a radical shake up of government, eschewing more conventional and experienced picks for those who are loyal to him and share his vision for a second term that will upend the status quo in Washington. His choice for defence secretary, for example, has called for a purge of military chiefs enacting “woke” policies. His nominee for health secretary, Robert

15Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Other nations looking to Canada for guidance before Trump returns: Joly

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Donald Trump's return to the White House has boosted Canada's influence in the world as other international partners turn to Canada for advice on how to deal with him. Joly made the comments in Peru, where she was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump won't be sworn in again until January, but his win in the presidential election last week looms large over the discussions of the group, which aims to improve trade among Pacific Rim nations. Speaking to reporters in Lima on Friday morning, Joly said no country understands the United States better than Canada and multiple countries are now asking for advice on how they can adapt to a second Trump administration. Trump's first pre...

The new Sri Lankan president’s left-leaning coalition won by a landslide.

15Nov

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

The new Sri Lankan president’s left-leaning coalition won by a landslide.

The left-leaning alliance of Sri Lanka's new leader has secured a landslide victory in the country's snap parliamentary elections. Official results show President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP) coalition scored a two-thirds majority in parliament, with 159 seats. President Dissanayake’s coalition got nearly 62% of the vote, winning even in the Tamil-dominated Jaffna Peninsula for the first time since independence from Britain in 1948. "Thank you to all who voted for a renaissance," Dissanayake said in a brief statement on social media platform X, previously knows as Twitter. Correspondents say the victory has cemented a transformation of the island-nation's political landscape which for decades was dominated by established political parties of family