Browsing: World News

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling SWAPO party won Namibia’s presidential elections outright in the first round with 57% of the vote, results published by the electoral commission on Tuesday showed.  Clearing half the total votes cast meant no second-round runoff was necessary. 

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Tuesday, December 3, said it was possible his government could survive a no-confidence vote in parliament, evoking a possible “reflex of responsibility” from MPs. With no majority in the Assemblée Nationale, Barnier used Article 49.3 of the Constitution on Monday to pass his social security budget bill without a vote.

Several political stories dominate the bloc’s news today. The ongoing crisis facing the French government leads most websites. France is grappling with a mounting fiscal crisis, with government debt levels and budgetary constraints pushing the country into uncharted territory. PM Michel Barnier’s choice to force through the budget was always going to be an issue, and amid the turmoil far-right leader Marine Le Pen has emerged as a key figure capable of stabilising the political landscape.

France’s financial struggles carry significant implications for the EU. France’s inability to adhere to fiscal targets undermines broader EU economic stability.

The results of Ireland’s snap general election are expected to be tight as counting continues and no clear winner has emerged. 

Georgia is in its fourth night of protesting as the country finds itself at a crossroads. The government’s push for a “Brexit-like” mandate clashes with growing demands from a minority faction advocating for closer ties with the European Union.

What is happening around the world, it’s all going a bit Pete Tong! It has been a huge week in the middle east, with a fracterous ceasefire the Israelis keep breaking, and an intensification of genocide in Gaza and what is happening in Syria? How did this flare up again?

And then we have Biden ‘I am the law’ approach to the justice system. And how did Pakistan and Georgia become allies in repression, perhaps it is in moustache?!

In an unusual convergence, Pakistan and Georgia: have become unlikely allies in repression. Both governments have forcibly suppressed protests and detained opposition leaders.

France’s biggest problem at present is it is broke, it needs a bailout, but in the typical French way they don’t want to ask for a handout, well until it’s too late!

France’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier faced an abrupt end to his premiership on Monday, December 2, after opposition parties said they would back a no-confidence motion against his government after only three months in power.

On Wednesday, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, an Islamist militia, launched a surprise offensive against the government forces of President Bashar Assad.

On Friday, pro-Turkish rebels under the lead of HTS managed to seize Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, as well as scores of surrounding villages.

Georgia sees its fifth night of consecutive protests against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union. At a press conference with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Jolie expressed Canada’s solidarity with the Georgian people, and said they “are very concerned about what Russia is trying to do in Georgia.”

An Australian police officer found guilty of manslaughter after shocking a 95-year-old woman with a Taser in a nursing home has been sacked, New South Wales (NSW) Police confirmed.

Major Asian chip stocks outside of China rose Tuesday, shrugging off a new round of U.S. semiconductor export curbs on Beijing aimed at impairing the country’s capability to produce certain high-end chips.  

In California, the legislature met for a special session. It is planning targeted moves to torpedo Donald Trump’s plans for deportations, for example. The state…

The US front pages report on a variety of domestic news with President Joe Biden issuing a ‘full and unconditional’ pardon for his son Hunter Biden leading much of the American press. 

The news has been met with widespread backlash across the right and left as Biden had previously promised he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence. Hunter Biden was set to face sentencing this month on federal felony gun and tax convictions

President Biden said his U-turn was due to how unfairly Hunter had been treated, he said although he believed in the justice system, “politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice”.

A few major papers cover the Syrian rebel forces seizing control of Aleppo – the country’s second-largest city.

2 Different Species of Human Ancestors Left Footprints at Same Spot on Same Day 1.5Mil Years Ago – ‘Really Huge’ First Footprints dating back 1.5…

President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Mr Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members.

Clashes at a football match in Guinea’s N’Zerekore left around 100 dead, hospital sources report. Scenes of carnage included overflowing morgues and hallways. Unverified videos show chaos, with angry crowds later torching a police station. Authorities have yet to confirm the toll.

Canada’s ambassador to the United States said Sunday that prime minister Justin Trudeau was successful in getting president-elect Donald Trump and key US cabinet nominees to understand that lumping Canada in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the US is unfair.

The United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have all called for de-escalation in Syria, where rebels have marched on government-controlled areas in the past few days, reigniting violence in the 13-year-long conflict.

Romanians are casting ballots in a parliamentary election on Sunday sandwiched between a turbulent two-round presidential race. The first round of the presidential contest plunged the European Union and Nato member country into unprecedented turmoil following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference.

Polling stations have opened in Romania, where millions are casting their ballots in a crucial parliamentary election. The vote comes just one week after a…

In a video message addressed to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health Conference, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, underscored the European Union’s steadfast commitment to support Ukraine “in all respects, and for as long as it takes.”

The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history when it opens two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, November 29, inspected the gleaming restored interior of Notre-Dame de Paris, saying workers had done the “impossible” by healing a “national wound” caused by a 2019 fire that ravaged the medieval cathedral.

Australia is taking a big step forward when it comes to banning social media for young people. It’s no surprise that this hasn’t gone down particularly well with the companies concerned. One of the loudest critics – and this is no surprise here either – has been X buyer Elon Musk.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te arrived in the US state of Hawaii on Saturday, during a weeklong tour in the Pacific that has prompted Beijing’s anger.…

Elon Musk is asking a federal court to stop OpenAI from converting into a fully for-profit business.Attorneys representing Musk, his AI startup xAI, and former…

Several political stories dominate the bloc’s news today. There are ongoing discussions between China and several European countries over the cut undersea cables that Germany labelled “sabotage.” With the bloc attempting to move away from the claims of sabotage, an investigation has been launched into the recent damage to the two underwater communication cables linking four NATO nations. China has said it is ready to cooperate with the probe.

Reaction to the chaos that Romania’s presidential election found itself in continues to be reported across Europe. On Thursday, a top Romanian court ordered a recount of first-round results amid allegations that TikTok boosted a little-known far-right candidate, in an act of interference.

Ireland is also heading to the polls as the snap election kicks off this Friday – results are expected over the weekend.

The latest Eurozone inflation figures reveal inflation is up to 2.3% in November. The news that Turkey has fallen into a recession dominates the news.

Romania’s presidential election was thrown into chaos Thursday as a court ordered a recount of first-round results and security officials alleged that interference via TikTok had boosted a little-known far-right candidate.

In sports, Spanish and French media cover the ongoing crisis at Real Madrid amid concerns for French captain Kylian Mbappe – who has struggled with his form since arriving at the legendary club.