Tag: leader
DRC leader calls for military recruits as Rwandan-backed rebels advance
President Tshisekedi vows ‘a vigorous and coordinated response’ to the M23 group Rwandan-backed rebels have pushed south and consolidated gains in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as international calls for restraint appeared to have little impact on the ground. Local sources told Agence France-Presse that fighters from the M23 group had seized two districts…
Belarus’s Strong-Arm Leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Cruises to Re-election
Russia-Ukraine War Europe’s longest-serving leader won re-election in a contest widely believe to have been rigged. The result cements the power of a leader whose country is considered Russia’s staunchest ally. By Andrew Higgins Europe’s longest-serving leader, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus, cruised to his seventh election victory in a row on Sunday in…
Azerbaijan’s Leader, Emboldened, Picks a Rare Fight With Putin
Russia’s president is said to have blamed birds or a Ukrainian drone for a Dec. 25 crash of an Azerbaijani plane. Azerbaijan says Russian air defenses were at fault. By Anton Troianovski Reporting from Baku, Azerbaijan It was a tense conversation between two authoritarian leaders accustomed to getting their way. President Vladimir V. Putin of…
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Meets With Syrian Leader
Middle East Crisis The visit by Prime Minister Najib Mikati was the first official trip by the Lebanese leader to meet with the new government of Syria. By Aaron Boxerman The Lebanese prime minister on Saturday headed to the Syrian capital, Damascus, for the first official visit to meet with the new government there, after…
Ontario leader warns of ‘pain’ for US if Trump moves forward with tariffs on Canada
Premier of most populous province says rhetoric clouds trade relationship worth hundreds of billions of dollars The United States will “feel pain” if Donald Trump doesn’t back down from his threat to impose steep tariffs on its northern neighbour, the leader of Canada’s most populous province has warned. After a tumultuous week that left Canadian…
Venezuela’s Opposition Leader, Maria Corina Machado, Is Freed After Being Detained
During her detention, an aide said, Maria Corina Machado “was forced to record several videos.” She has garnered enormous support for her opposition to Nicolás Maduro. By Julie Turkewitz Reporting from Bogotá, Colombia Venezuela’s popular opposition leader, María Corina Machado, was freed on Thursday afternoon after a brief detention by adversaries during an antigovernment protest…
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado ‘kidnapped’, allies say
Leader reportedly ‘violently intercepted’ after sneaking out of hideout to lead protest against authoritarian president Nicolás Maduro Allies of Venezuela’s most influential opposition leader, María Corina Machado, say she has been “kidnapped” from the streets of Caracas by regime officials after sneaking out of her hideout to lead a major protest against the authoritarian president,…
Venezuela’s Opposition Leader, Maria Corina Machado, Detained at Protest
Ms. Machado has garnered enormous support for her opposition to the country’s autocrat, Nicolás Maduro. By Julie Turkewitz Reporting from Bogotá, Colombia Venezuela’s popular opposition leader, María Corina Machado, was detained during an antigovernment protest in Caracas on Thursday, according to a statement on X by her party, Vente Venezuela. Ms. Machado had been living…
Who Is Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Leader on a Path to Become Canada’s Next Prime Minister?
Canada’s Political Turmoil Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader, enjoys a commanding lead in the polls as Canadians look to the next general election. By Norimitsu Onishi Reporting from Montreal In Parliament, he called a leftist opposition leader and former Trudeau supporter “a fake, a phony and a fraud’’ and a “sellout.’’ Enraged, the leader stood…
Japanese crime leader pleads guilty to conspiring to sell nuclear materials to Iran
By The Associated Press NEW YORK — The purported leader of a Japan-based crime syndicate pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges alleging that he conspired to traffic uranium and plutonium from Myanmar in the belief that Iran would use it for nuclear weapons. Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, of Japan, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to…
Mozambique opposition leader returns after post-election violence
Venâncio Mondlane went into self-imposed exile after disputed elections in October, saying he feared being assassinated Mozambique’s opposition leader, Venâncio Mondlane, has returned to the country from self-imposed exile, saying he was ready for talks with the government after claiming October’s elections were stolen from him. In large dark sunglasses, Mondlane dropped to his knees…
Japanese yakuza leader pleads guilty to trafficking nuclear materials from Myanmar
US authorities charged Takeshi Ebisawa with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar for expected use by Iran in nuclear weapons A member of the Japanese criminal underworld has pleaded guilty to handling nuclear material sourced from Myanmar and seeking to sell it to fund an illicit arms deal, US authorities have said. Yakuza leader…
Venezuelan opposition leader says son-in-law kidnapped in Caracas
Edmundo González Urrutia, who fled in exile to Spain in September, says son-in-law was seized by ‘hooded men’ Venezuela’s Edmundo González Urrutia, who the opposition says won a July presidential election against incumbent Nicolás Maduro, has said that his son-in-law was seized by “hooded men” in Caracas. “This morning my son-in-law Rafael Tudares was kidnapped,”…
Austria’s far-right leader to invite centre right for coalition talks
Herbert Kickl’s move could pave way for anti-immigration, pro-Kremlin Freedom party to govern country The leader of Austria’s anti-immigration, pro-Kremlin Freedom party has said he intends to invite the mainstream centre-right party for coalition talks, potentially paving the way for the far right to rule the country for the first time since the second world…
U.S. Says Sudan’s R.S.F. Committed Genocide and Sanctions Its Leader
Sudan’s Civil War A force fighting Sudan’s army in a brutal civil war committed massacres and rape that amount to genocide, the Secretary of State said. The United States sanctioned its leader and financial network. By Declan Walsh Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya The United States declared on Tuesday that a genocide took place in Sudan,…
Jean-Marie Le Pen, French fiery far-right leader, dies at 96
By The Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, died Tuesday. He was 96. His statements — including Holocaust denial, racist denunciations of Muslims and immigrants, and his…
Jean-Marie Le Pen, Rabble-Rousing Leader of French Far Right, Dies at 96
He ran unsuccessfully for the French presidency five times, riding waves of discontent and xenophobia as the leader of the National Front party. By Robert D. McFadden Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founding father of France’s modern political far-right who built a half-century career on rants of barely disguised racism, antisemitism and neo-Nazi propaganda, has died.…
Jean-Marie Le Pen, French far-right leader, dies aged 96
Former paratrooper led National Front party for decades and courted controversy, being repeatedly fined for contesting crimes against humanity Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France’s far-right National Rally party, has died aged 96. The former paratrooper, who led the party from 1972 to 2011 when it was called the National Front, had been in a…
U.K. leader Starmer slams ‘lies and misinformation’ after attacks from Elon Musk
By The Associated Press LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned “lies and misinformation” that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk. The billionaire Tesla CEO has taken an intense and erratic interest in British politics since the center-left Labour…
Canada’s Justin Trudeau says he will resign as party leader and prime minister
By Bill Chappell Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to resign on Monday after loud calls from within his own party to step down. Ending weeks of speculation, Trudeau said he will no longer lead his Liberal Party but will remain in office until a successor is selected. “I intend to resign as party…
Elon Musk turns on Nigel Farage and calls for new leader of Reform
It is unclear what prompted Musk to write on X that Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’ to be Reform UK’s leader Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as Reform UK leader hours after Farage described the billionaire businessman as “a hero”, in what is likely to be a preview of…
Austria’s president to meet far-right leader amid coalition speculation
‘New path’ to power may be opening for FPÖ after collapse of talks between country’s centrist parties Austria’s president has said he will meet the leader of the country’s far-right Freedom party (FPÖ), amid speculation that the pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam party will be tasked with trying to form a government after centrist parties failed to find…
Musk says Farage ‘doesn’t have what it takes’ to be Reform UK leader
Elon Musk has called for Nigel Farage to be replaced as leader of Reform UK, just weeks after reports the multi-billionaire was in talks to donate to the party. In a post on his social media site X, Musk said Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the party – but did not explain…
Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo González embarks on international tour
By The Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González, who the United States recognized as the winner of last year’s presidential election, kicked off an international tour on Saturday that will take him to Washington just days before President Nicolás Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term…
Honduran Leader Threatens to Push U.S. Military Out of Base if Trump Orders Mass Deportations
In pushing back against President-elect Donald J. Trump’s plan, President Xiomara Castro threatened that bases hosting U.S. troops could “lose all reason to exist in Honduras.” By Annie Correal Reporting from Mexico City Honduras’s president threatened to push the U.S. military out of a base it built decades ago in the Central American country should…
French and German ministers to meet Syria’s de facto leader
Jean-Noël Barrot and Annalena Baerbock in highest-level visit by major western powers since rebels toppled Assad The foreign ministers of France and Germany are to meet Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus in the highest-level visit by major western powers since rebels toppled the regime of President Bashar al-Assad last month. Jean-Noël Barrot…
New elections could take up to four years, Syria rebel leader says
Holding new elections in Syria could take up to four years, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has said in a broadcast interview. This is the first time he has given a timeline for possible elections in Syria since his group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a rebel offensive that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. In the…
Putin apologises over plane crash, without saying Russia at fault
In his first comments on the Christmas Day crash, Putin said the “tragic incident” had occurred when Russian air defence systems were repelling Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky said Russia must “stop spreading disinformation” about the strike. The plane is believed to have come under fire from Russian air defence as it tried to…
Putin apologises for plane crash, without saying Russia at fault
In his first comments on the Christmas Day crash, Putin said the “tragic incident” had occurred when Russian air defence systems were actively repelling Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky said Russia must “stop spreading disinformation” about the strike. The plane reportedly came under fire from Russian air defence systems as it tried to land…