Category: Politics

Politics

Lee Jae Myung Heads to France as South Korea Weighs a High-Stakes Hormuz Role — Will Seoul Finally Make Its Move?

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has departed for France for a four-day state visit that could become more consequential than a routine diplomatic trip, with talks expected to cover security, nuclear energy, advanced technology—and potentially South Korea's role in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Lee left Seoul on Sunday for a visit running through September 9. He is scheduled to co-chair the Lumière Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday in Saint-Paul-de-Vence bef

September 6, 2026

Politics

Taipei’s Hidden Sites of Repression Reveal Taiwan’s Dark Past—and Its Fight to Remember

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Beneath Taipei’s modern skyline, busy shopping districts and familiar tourist attractions lies another layer of history—one marked by political imprisonment, interrogation, executions and decades of authoritarian rule. Taiwan is increasingly confronting that past through transitional justice, preserving or identifying locations where people were persecuted during the island’s authoritarian era and turning them into places of remembrance and public education. The effort is givi

September 6, 2026

Politics

Trump’s Envoys Meet Putin in Moscow—But Will Their Secret Peace Plan Finally End the Ukraine War?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a fresh diplomatic push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, sending special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv with what Trump described as a new proposal for peace. The high-stakes mission comes as the war enters its fifth year, with previous negotiations failing to produce a lasting breakthrough and fighting continuing across Ukraine. Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Moscow and met Russian President Vl

September 6, 2026

Philippines

GPH, MILF Accelerate Peace and Normalization Efforts as Historic BARMM Elections Near

MANILA, Philippines — With the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) preparing for its first parliamentary elections, the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are stepping up efforts to complete key commitments under their landmark peace agreement. The renewed push comes just days before the September 14, 2026 BARMM parliamentary elections, a vote widely seen as a major test of the Bangsamoro peace process and the region's transition from decades

September 6, 2026

Politics

Russia Strikes Again in Ukraine, Killing Four — But the Timing Raises New Questions

KYIV, Ukraine — A fresh Russian strike killed at least four people in southeastern Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said, as intensified attacks across the country cast a shadow over renewed international efforts to find a path toward ending the war. The latest deadly attack struck the southeastern city of Kamianske in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to Ukrainian officials. Initial reports said several other people were injured as emergency crews responded to the aftermath. The

September 6, 2026

Philippines

Tolosa Defends His Aggressive Style in Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial — But the Court Has Already Drawn the Line

Private prosecutor Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. is defending his forceful courtroom style in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, saying his assertiveness is part of his responsibility to defend the public interest — not an attempt to intimidate witnesses. Tolosa made the clarification after his questioning of former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa triggered one of the more heated exchanges of the impeachment proceedings. The controversy has now turned the spotlight not only on w

September 6, 2026

Philippines

Social Watch Warns of Cuts to Philippine Social Services in 2027 Budget — But Government Says There’s More to the Numbers

Social Watch Philippines Senior Budget Specialist Alce Quitalig said programs directly supporting poor and vulnerable Filipinos are among those facing significant reductions in the proposed 2027 spending plan. According to Quitalig, the government is allocating more resources to mandatory expenditures, leaving less fiscal space for programs that directly deliver services to ordinary Filipinos. Social Watch specifically raised concerns over education, health and social welfare, saying their sha

September 6, 2026

Philippines

Ombudsman Presses Supreme Court: Why Has Complaint Against 7 CA Justices Remained Unresolved Since 2025?

MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla is pressing the Supreme Court to address an administrative complaint filed against seven Court of Appeals (CA) justices, saying there appears to be no public record showing that the case has been acted upon or resolved since it was filed in March 2025. Remulla raised the issue after the Supreme Court recently challenged the Ombudsman—or any concerned party—to formally substantiate allegations of partiality, misconduct and corruption involvin

September 6, 2026

Politics

Thailand’s Administrative Court Warns NBTC Over Saran Case Coverage — What the Court Actually Ruled

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Administrative Court has warned the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) after finding that parts of an official NBTC news release about a court case involving its chairman, Dr. Saran Boonbaichaiyapruk, could give the public a misleading impression about what the court had actually decided. The dispute centers on a Supreme Administrative Court order that allowed Saran’s lawsuit to proceed over a selection committee decision concerning his qualifica

September 6, 2026

Philippines

BIR Tightens the Net on ‘Ghost’ Tax Forms—New Printing Rules Could Expose Every Extra Copy

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has tightened its grip on the printing of sensitive tax forms, rolling out stricter controls designed to prevent unauthorized copies, missing documents and other irregularities that could potentially fuel fraud or corruption. Under Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) No. 24-2026, the BIR now requires sensitive accountable forms to be produced exclusively in controlled areas within the premises of a recognized government printer. The new rul

September 6, 2026