A whistle-blower has alleged that a video purporting to show Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr using illegal drugs was fabricated and spread online as part of a coordinated plot initiated at a Hong Kong restaurant, by allies of former president Rodrigo Duterte – including his former spokesman. Vicente “Pebbles” Cunanan, a political vlogger and social media influencer known for her ties to pro-Duterte online communities, testified before a congressional panel on Tuesday, alleging that former presidential spokesman Harry Roque played a key role in a scheme to undermine Marcos Jnr. Cunanan claimed that Roque boasted of his ability to “bring down a government” during discussions about disseminating a doctored video intended to damage the president’s credibility. Roque, identified by Cunanan in an affidavit submitted to the “Tri-Com” inquiry – a
Category Archives: POLITICS
Mar
University of Namibia lecturer and political analyst Gurvy Kavei has described president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s newly announced Cabinet as a choice that was difficult to predict for many Namibians. Kavei said this in an interview with Nampa on Sunday, when approached for his views on the newly appointed ministers and their portfolios. “What came out was a shocker to everyone. Prior to the inauguration of the ministers, there were many media speculations as to who would feature in Nandi-Ndaitwah’s administration, but what came out was a big shock to everybody,” he said. He noted that Nandi-Ndaitwah during the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday highlighted that while Namibia is rich in resources, the country faces challenges in management. Kavei said he believes the newly sworn-in president’s selection of ministers aligns with this perspective
Mar
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is urging Education Secretary Linda McMahon to reinstate former Department of Education employees who were critical to the nation’s federal student aid process or else borrowers will suffer “dire consequences,” according to a letter Warren sent to McMahon on Wednesday. “The Department of Education (ED) appears to be abandoning the millions of parents, students, and borrowers who rely on a functioning federal student aid system to lower education costs,” Warren and a group of Democratic senators wrote in a letter to McMahon. “ED should immediately restore all fired [Federal Student Aid] employees responsible for reviewing student aid complaints and refrain from taking any measures to deter the submission of complaints,” the senators added. The Education Department intended to remove the “Submit a Complaint” button from FSA’s website
Mar
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 18 – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has welcomed the United Kingdom’s commitment to supporting economic investments across Kenyan counties in a bid to end aid-dependency. Odinga said that the UK’s shift from traditional aid to economic investment reaffirms a commitment to maintaining the long-standing relationship between the two countries. Odinga endorsed the UK’s approach when he met United Kingdom High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan, on Tuesday. “I was happy to learn that the UK is keen to strengthen ties with our counties through a shift from traditional aid to economic investment,” he stated. UK and Kenya agreed on a £3.4 billion package of green investment deals positioning the UK as a key investment partner during COP27 as part of an effort to support low-carbon growth.
Mar
NAIROBI, Kenya March 15 – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has dismissed calls to remove President William Ruto, arguing that such efforts would not solve Kenya’s pressing challenges. Speaking on Saturday at the funeral of retired pilot Colonel James Nguyo Gitahi in Maanzoni, Machakos County, Odinga criticized those opposing his collaboration with President Ruto under the broad-based government. He rejected the “#RutoMustGo” narrative, stating that Kenyans are struggling with a high cost of living and that political instability would only worsen the situation. “Kenyans need solutions between now and 2027. The cost of living is unbearable—food prices are high, taxes are excessive, and corruption is rampant. Our 10-point agenda is not a betrayal but a plan to address these issues,” Odinga said, days after signing a political agreement with ruling
Mar
The dramatic surrender of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court on Tuesday further polarised a country already reeling from political strife – with the impeachment of his daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte, dominating headlines and crucial midterm elections just weeks away. While questions of jurisdiction and due process surrounding the ICC’s actions may now be moot, the Philippines ’ decision to hand over one of its own nationals undermines its sovereignty and independence, and its credibility as a champion of international law and the rules-based order. Duterte’s swift arrest and transfer to The Hague drew both cheers and jeers in the Southeast Asian nation of 115 million. For his critics and the families of those who suffered and died under his brutal drug war , it was
Mar
A federal judge temporarily paused the Trump administration’s “illegal” reductions in force and reinstated approximately 20,000 probationary government employees across 18 agencies who had been terminated. U.S. District Judge James Bredar — an Obama appointee — concluded that the Trump administration failed to provide the legally required advanced notice before it tried to conduct “massive layoffs.” The judge also prohibited the Trump administration from conducting future mass firings without giving notice. “When the federal government terminates large numbers of its employees, including those still on probation because they were recently hired or promoted, it must follow certain rules,” Bredar wrote. The ruling applies to 18 of the federal agencies named as defendants in the case except for the Defense Department, the National Archives and the Office of Personnel Management. The
Mar
ZAMBIANS HAVE AGREED TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION IN AFFIRMATIVE – HAMASAKA March 13, 2025 LUSAKA – State House Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka says the government, through the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), has been consulting citizens on the need to amend the Constitution. Mr. Hamasaka said it is not wrong for President Hakainde Hichilema to announce that Zambians have agreed to amend the Constitution. “President Hichilema is speaking from the background of consultations already done by the MoJ and previous attempts to amend the Constitution, even by the PF,” he said. He stated that the church, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other groupings have been consulted and have agreed to amend the Constitution. President Hichilema recently said that Zambians have agreed to amend the Constitution to ensure greater representation of youth and
Mar
Trump says cabinet will cut staff with Musk ‘watching’ US President Donald Trump called a meeting of his cabinet secretaries on Thursday to discuss Elon Musk and his efforts to slash government spending and personnel numbers. It turned heated, according to media reports. Musk accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of failing to cut enough staff at the state department, reports the New York Times. The tech mogul told Rubio he was “good on TV”, according to the newspaper, pointedly skipping any praise of his work as America’s top diplomat. The billionaire also clashed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over whether Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) task force had tried to lay off air traffic controllers who are already in short supply in the Federal Aviation Administration, according to
Mar
Earlier this month, Kerry Doyle sat in a Boston-area courtroom to observe a routine deportation hearing — one of thousands of similar proceedings that take place in immigration courts across the country each day. It was the final step before Doyle, 59, would herself join the ranks of America’s roughly 700 immigration judges. She was badly needed — the immigration court system has a backlog of some 3.7 million cases, with more piling up each day. As the hearing got underway, Doyle glanced down at her email and spotted a message in her inbox with an attachment called “Termination.” Days before she was to be sworn in at one of the busiest immigration courts in the country, Doyle was fired as part of the Trump’s administration’s first wave of mass
Mar
The First Lady Rachel Ruto has called upon women inmates to take advantage of training opportunities provided in prisons and acquire skills that would help them to have a source of livelihood after their sentences. Speaking in Murang’a GK Prison on Wednesday during an occasion to mark this year’s International Women Week, Mrs. Ruto said currently, there were many courses being offered at correctional centres that were meant to empower the inmates and help them make livelihoods out of prison. She singled out the Karakana programme which is spearheaded by her office, saying it has helped inmates to be trained and acquire skills in art cross-crocheting. “We came up with the Karakana programme which is being implemented in five women’s prisons, to help the inmates acquire skills that will shape
Mar
Six weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump addressed Congress and the nation Tuesday evening, laying out his goals for the next four years. ABC News, along with PolitiFact, live fact-checked Trump’s speech statements that were exaggerated, needed more context or were false. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Mar. 4, 2025 in Washington Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images TRUMP CLAIM: Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control—and we are working hard to get it back down. FACT-CHECK: Lacking context. Though egg prices did increase under President Joe Biden, they have recently surged under Trump too — and that’s because of bird flu, which has led to the deaths of 136 million birds since 2022, according to the American Farm
Mar
Trump touted his barrage of executive orders and actions as a massive success for America, second only to George Washington. By JERUSALEM POST STAFF MARCH 5, 2025 04:05 Updated: MARCH 5, 2025 05:49 US President Donald Trump enters the U.S. House chamber before he addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC. (photo credit: WIN MCNAMEE/POOL VIA REUTERS) US President Donald Trump began his joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening by declaring that America was restored to its former glory. “My fellow citizens, America is back!” he declared to Congress. “It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43
Mar
Adeleke and Akande Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday met with former interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, at his Ibadan residence to discuss the ongoing dispute over control of local government areas in the state. Adeleke was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaiye, Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun; Commissioner for Commerce, Bunmi Jenyo; and the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi. The Osun PDP and the APC are in a stand-off over the control of local government area in the state. The crisis had turned violent, with at least six people killed. On Tuesday, following an initial meeting with his aides present, Adeleke and Akande proceeded to
Mar
China sees the fallout from last week’s heated talks between the US and Ukraine as a “systemic reordering” of geopolitics, with a rift emerging within the West, according to analysts. US President Donald Trump’s showdown with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday has signalled a major shift in Washington’s position on the Ukraine war , which is testing the long-standing transatlantic alliance. European leaders flocked to Washington last week as they tried to secure American support for Ukraine amid a rapprochement between the US and Russia . The two countries agreed last week to take steps to normalise ties after three years of hostility. But European efforts have been viewed as largely futile since Trump’s verbal attacks on Zelensky last week when the pair failed