Politics Archives - Page 13 of 59

Trump’s aggressive cabinet choices indicate a tough stance against China.

14Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Trump’s aggressive cabinet choices indicate a tough stance against China.

United States President-elect Donald Trump is filling his incoming administration with figures known for their hawkish views on China, signalling a tough line on Beijing in areas ranging from national security to trade. Trump on Tuesday nominated former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to head the CIA, FOX News host and army veteran Pete Hegseth as secretary of defence, and Florida Congressman Michael Waltz as national security adviser. On Monday, the president-elect named Elise Stefanik, a congresswoman who holds a House of Representatives seat for New York, as his pick for United Nations ambassador. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, meanwhile, is widely expected to be tapped for secretary of state. All five are known for viewing the US and China as being...

What Trump 2.0 is revealed by the White House’s selections

14Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

What Trump 2.0 is revealed by the White House’s selections

A week after Donald Trump won a second-term in the White House, the contours of his new presidency have started taking shape. The president-elect has announced nearly a dozen appointees, the first steps toward filling out his White House staff and key government departments. He also made comments to the media and on social media that highlight what his priorities will be upon taking office in January, with a special focus on immigration and foreign policy. After a sometimes chaotic start to his first term, Trump is laying the groundwork for his next administration with a more clearly defined plan - and personnel ready to enact it. A hard-line immigration team in place Some of Trump’s newly revealed appointments suggest that the president-elect’s campaign promise to deport mill

The political elite of Sri Lanka is unable to prevent change.

14Nov

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

The political elite of Sri Lanka is unable to prevent change.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake's victory in Sri Lanka's 2024 presidential election represents a decisive break from the country's post-independence political establishment. His National People's Power party has pledged to end corruption and transform Sri Lanka’s political culture. Dissanayake's win reflects a global trend of non-elite actors challenging traditional power structures, overcoming efforts by established elites to gatekeep and co-opt political rivals. The victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Sri Lanka’s 21 September 2024 presidential elections signals more than a domestic shift towards anti-incumbency and popular discontent with mainstream politics. It also reflects a global trend where non-elite actors are disrupting established institutions by assuming power and promising to

The government of Mauritius loses the election.

13Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

The government of Mauritius loses the election.

The opposition Alliance of Change in Mauritius has won 60 of the 64 seats in parliament following Sunday's general election. Its leader, Navin Ramgoolam, 77, has been appointed prime minister. The man he has replaced, Pravind Jugnauth, 62, already acknowledged on Monday that his Lepep alliance was heading for a "huge defeat". It now has two seats in parliament compared to the 42 after the 2019 election. Mauritius is known as one of Africa's most stable democracies, but this election was tainted by a phone-tapping scandal, with leaked recordings of public figures posted online. In response, the government issued a social media ban until after the election, although this led to an outcry and the decision was reversed within 24 hours. Ramgoolam, a former doctor, is beginning h...

Where American Politics Are Right Now and Where We Could Go

13Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Where American Politics Are Right Now and Where We Could Go

After a loud and contentious election, it’s clear that America is very divided, perhaps more than ever. At the same time, it appears that the Republican Party could control the executive and legislative branches, which has not occurred since the early years of the administration of George W. Bush. To learn more about politics now, and concerns about the future of the political system in the U.S., Tufts Now spoke with Peter Levine, a professor of political science and Lincoln Filene Professor in Citizenship and Public Affairs at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Has political polarization gotten worse since 2020? Polarization means different things to different people. There’s what some call “affective polarization,” in which people see that someone is with an

Taiwan is politically neutral in the US, the ministry claims.

13Nov

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Taiwan is politically neutral in the US, the ministry claims.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has always taken a balanced approach in building friendships with US officials across party lines, and it would continue to work toward bolstering Taiwan-US relations under the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump next year, the ministry said yesterday. MOFA North American Affairs Department Director-General Wang Liang-yu (王良玉) made the remark in response to media queries at a routine news conference. In the past few days, US media have reported some confirmed members as well as likely candidates for Trump’s Cabinet, and Wang was asked to comment on his selection for key positions. “MOFA and our overseas representatives’ offices have long taken a balanced approach in our interactions with the US’ two parties, establishi

Updates on the US election: According to reports, Trump turns to China hawks for important foreign policy and security positions.

13Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Updates on the US election: According to reports, Trump turns to China hawks for important foreign policy and security positions.

Donald Trump is reportedly tapping up politicians who hold hardline positions on China for key roles within his incoming cabinet. The US president-elect has asked US Representative Michael Waltz, a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, multiple outlets reported, while the New York Times and Reuters said Florida senator Marco Rubio was favourite for secretary of state. Waltz is also on the Republican’s China taskforce and is considered hawkish – advocating for a more aggressive foreign policy – when it comes to China. He called for a US boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to what he termed the “suppression” of information about the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan, and its ongoing mistreatmen

Mauritius awaits the outcome of the contentious electoral contest.

12Nov

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Mauritius awaits the outcome of the contentious electoral contest.

Mauritians are set to find out Monday who will govern their Indian Ocean island nation for the next five years after a hotly disputed election race. Both the incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and his main rival Navin Ramgoolam claimed their political blocs had triumphed in Sunday's legislative poll, but appealed for calm after several incidents were reported at polling stations. Turnout on Sunday was robust, at about 80 percent according to provisional estimates by the election commission. Ballot counting began on Monday morning and final results are expected later in the day. Voters had voiced concern about the continued political and economic durability of one of the richest and most stable democracies in Africa, with the election overshadowed by an explosive phone-t...

Taiwan: A politician seizes a journalist in the legislature

12Nov

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Taiwan: A politician seizes a journalist in the legislature

On November 6, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chung Chia-pin, aggressively checked the identification of China Times News Network reporter Guo Jiquan, grabbing at his interview pass and questioning his identity as a reporter. International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Association of Taiwan Journalists (ATJ) in condemning the politician’s behaviour and calling on the Legislative Yuan to protect the safety of journalists on duty. During a financial committee meeting of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan on November 6, politician Chung Chia-pin forcibly grabbed the interview pass of journalist Guo Jiquan, questioning its validity. The reporter had been accepted into the legislature after an inspection by law enforcement, a requirement prior to e

Despite losing the election, Ishiba remains as prime minister of Japan.

11Nov

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Despite losing the election, Ishiba remains as prime minister of Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has won a run-off vote in parliament to stay in his post, after an election setback last month that saw his coalition lose its majority in the lower house. Ishiba, 67, took over as prime minister from Fumio Kishida, who stepped down in September amid a series of scandals that rattled public trust in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) party. In an extraordinary parliament session on Monday, Ishiba defeated Yoshihiko Noda, the leader of the main opposition party Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Ishiba will now have to navigate hostilities within his party, economic woes and a period of flux in international relations. As the leader of a minority government, he also faces the challenge of having to heed to demands from the oppositio...