Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has confirmed that an internal working group will resume discussions on changing the law to allow women to retain their maiden name after marriage, giving rise to optimism among advocates of gender equality. They caution, however, that conservative and traditionally minded elements still exercise a significant amount of influence on the party and could delay or even derail the discussions, no matter the support that the measure has among the general public. “I am hopeful because this is certainly a step in the right direction, but there has been optimism in the past and we are still talking about the issue,” said Hiromi Murakami, a professor of political science at the Tokyo campus of Temple University. “But I do think the situation has changed
Category Archives: POLITICS
The Majority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has informed Parliament that four independent Members of Parliament (MPs) have decided to do business with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority Caucus in the House. He, however, noted that the Majority Caucus was yet to officially communicate this decision by the MPs to the Speaker. “Mr Speaker, the four colleagues of ours who are in this House as independent MPs indeed communicated to our caucus to caucus with us in doing business on the floor,” he said. The four are Dr. Ohene Kwame Frimpong for Asante Akim North, Nandaya Yaw Stanley for Wulensi, Kwame Asare Obeng, commonly known as Kwame A Plus, for Gomoa Central, and Worlasi Kpeli for Afram Plains North, an NDC member who contested as an independent.
Jan
President-elect John Mahama has nominated Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as Speaker for the 9th Parliament following extensive discussions with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party executives and parliamentary leaders on Sunday , January 5, 2025. Special Aide to the president-elect, Felix Kwakye Ofosu in a statement said Mr Bagbin’s nomination reflects his remarkable tenure in public service. His previous roles encompassed serving as Member of Parliament for Nadowli, holding positions as both Minority and Majority Leader, and most recently, Speaker of the 8th Parliament. The parliamentary leadership received clear instructions through an official statement detailing Bagbin’s nomination. The document emphasised his proven track record in legislative matters and his deep understanding of Ghana’s parliamentary procedures. Bagbin stands as one of the nation’s most experienced parliamentarians, having dedicated decades to public
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hit back at Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic force” to absorb Canada into the US saying there isn’t “a snowball’s chance in hell” to join the two. President-elect Trump has in recent weeks repeatedly needled Canada about it becoming the 51st US state. “You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security,” Trump said at a press conference at his Florida Mar-a Lago home on Tuesday. “Canada and the United States, that would really be something.” Trump reiterated his threat to bring in a “substantial” tariff on Canadian goods unless the country took steps to increase security on the shared US border. The ongoing
A US federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigations into Donald Trump as an appeal court weighs a challenge to the disclosure of a much-anticipated document just days before the president-elect reclaims office. The ruling from US District Judge Aileen Cannon may represent a short-lived victory for Trump but it’s nonetheless the latest instance of the Trump-appointed jurist taking action in the Republican’s favour. The halt came in response to an emergency request Monday night by defence lawyers to block the release of a report that they said would be one-sided and prejudicial. Smith’s team is expected to respond later on Tuesday. Trump responded to Cannon’s order by complaining anew about Smith’s investigation and saying: “It was a fake case
Jan
President John Dramani Mahama has outlined his vision crucial for Ghana’s economic stability and rebuilding trust with the Ghanaian people. He said four key areas his administration will prioritise include: economic restoration and stabilization; improvement of the business and investment environment; governance and constitutional reforms; and accountability and the fight against corruption. In his inaugural address at the Black Star Square in Accra today, he highlighted the country’s recent struggles with inflation, unemployment, and fiscal deficits, emphasizing that economic recovery would be a top priority for his government. “The circumstances we find ourselves in are indeed tough, but even so, I will be decisive and swift in my actions. We will focus our initial efforts on economic restoration and stabilization of the macroeconomic environment. Ghana’s future depends on how well
RICHMOND, Va. — Three special elections taking place on Tuesday to fill seats in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates will determine whether Democrats or Republicans have control of the Statehouse in Republican Glenn Youngkin’s final year as governor. In northern Loudoun County, Republican Tumay Harding and Democrat Del. Kannan Srinivasan are vying to succeed Suhas Subramanyam in the state Senate after the Democrat was elected to the U.S. House in November. Also on the ballot are Democrat JJ Singh and Republican Ram Venkatachalam, who are racing to replace Srinivasan in the state House of Delegates after he vacated his seat to run in the special Senate election. In central Goochland County, Republican Luther Cifers is up against Democrat Jack Trammell, a college professor, in a state Senate race.
Jan
Euroget De-Invest, the contractor executing the 250-bed Ashanti Regional Hospital at Sewua in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region has described recent inauguration of the facility by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as illegal and a breach of contract. According to the contractor beyond the government failing to honour fully its contractual obligations under the contract terms, the project was not completed. “The recent commissioning of the 250-Bed Ashanti Regional Hospital in Sewua, Bosomtwe District, by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday, 4th January 2025, raises serious concerns regarding legal and contractual obligations. While we acknowledge the importance of healthcare infrastructure in the Ashanti Region, we must firmly state that the commissioning of the 250-bed facility was conducted in direct violation of the terms of our contract,” it said. A statement signed by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)of the Euroget De-Invest, Mr Said Derez said his outfit had not yet received full
NAIROBi, Kenya, Jan 6 — President William Ruto departed Kenya on Monday for Accra, Ghana, to attend the inauguration ceremony of Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama The visit follows a special invitation extended by President-elect Mahama during his recent visit to Kenya on December 29, 2024. State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed stated that President Ruto is scheduled to engage in bilateral discussions with Heads of State and Government, including President-elect Mahama during his stay in Ghana. These talks will focus on strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, oil, textiles, agriculture, and diplomatic relations. “Kenya and Ghana share a long-standing, cordial relationship that dates back to the pre-independence era, with both countries drawing inspiration from each others’ liberation movements during their respective struggles for liberation, guided by the spirit
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he intends to resign as Liberal Party leader and prime minister once a new party leader is determined. “I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process,” he said Monday from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. Trudeau will serve as prime minister until March 24. He will then be replaced by a new Liberal Party leader. The Canadian Parliament was supposed to begin its new session of 2025 on Jan. 27, but Trudeau said Monday he asked the governor general to extend and not start a new session of Parliament until March 24. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes an announcement outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 6
NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 3 – President William Ruto has now directed the Health and Education Ministries to enroll all students in the Taifa Care Program under the Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC). Speaking in Kabuchai Bungoma on Friday, Ruto said the program will include all children in Primary, secondary and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres. “We want all our children to be part of the program. That is the reason I am urging parents to ensure that they register them in Taifa care because previously the program only included secondary students under Edu afya,” he stated. Ruto noted that the Program will offer solutions needed to address various health challenges facing the sector. He affirmed that the government is dedicated to implementing UHC for the Nation’s comprehensive medical care plan and
A looming rally to support Malaysia’s jailed former prime minister Najib Razak has reignited simmering political tensions, prompting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to urge citizens to heed a stern reminder from the palace that pardon power lies solely with the king. Najib, 71, has taken the Malaysian government to court, accusing it of hiding a decree by Sultan Abdullah, Malaysia’s former king, granting him the right to serve the remainder of his prison sentence for corruption linked to the 1MDB scandal at home. This is after the king had already slashed his twelve-year sentence in half and reduced his 210 million ringgit (US$47 million) fine to 50 million ringgit. The claim was dismissed as hearsay by the Kuala Lumpur high court in November, but Najib is appealing against the matter
President Joe Biden began his term in the White House with a broad promise to protect transgender Americans against Republican policies that painted them as a threat to children and sought to push them out of public life. “Your president has your back,” Biden assured trans people in his first State of the Union address in 2021, and he repeated a version of that statement in subsequent speeches. But with President-elect Donald Trump days away from taking office after piling on transgender people throughout his campaign, some worry Biden did not do enough to shield them from what’s likely to come. The president-elect has declared that “it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders — male and female,” and pledged to
The MK Party’s Moses Mabhida region has rubbished claims that it organised a protest outside party leader Jacob Zuma’s home in Nkandla on Thursday. Social media claims suggested a group of party members outside Zuma’s home were protesting against disciplinary letters issued to the former provincial leadership. On Wednesday, Zuma and his national high command suspended three members of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature — Thobani Zuma, Sfiso Zuma and chief whip Kwazi Mbanjwa — for alleged irregularities and transgressions of the party’s constitution. The Moses Mabhida region called these allegations “false”. “The presupposition is not correct,” it said. “The leadership from Moses Mabhida region believe those letters should have been submitted directly to the individuals (not on social media) and therefore there is no way they could have entangled themselves in
Jan
Ahead of the swearing-in of the President elect, Mr John Dramani Mahama, on Tuesday, January 7. 2025, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has outlined a series of activities to mark the event. The activities that are scheduled to take place from Saturday, January 4, 2025, to Sunday, January 12, 2025 include victory celebration across all constituencies, a victory walk in Accra, and a Ghana victory concert to be held at the forecourt of the University of Ghana Sports Stadium. Other are the Presidential Inauguration of Mr Mahama at the Independence Square, a national Muslim prayers to be held at the National Mosque, Kanda, and all mosques across the country as well as a National Thanksgiving Service to be held at the Independence Square on Sunday, January 12, 2025. The planned