Latest news with #opposition
Wall Street Journal
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Life in Iran After the Strikes: Executions, Arrests and Paranoia
As soon as U.S. and Israeli bombs stopped raining down on Iran, the country's theocratic leaders and the security forces emerged from their bunkers and began waging a new campaign—this time against their own people, targeting alleged spies, dissidents and opposition figures. Checkpoints have sprung up across Tehran as the authorities seek to reassert control and hunt people they suspect helped Israel's attacks on air defenses, nuclear sites, and top officers and atomic scientists in a 12-day air war that exposed the state's inability to defend itself.
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Georgia jails six political figures in one week in crackdown on opposition
Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia has become the latest opposition figure to be sent to jail this week in a crackdown described by observers as an unprecedented attack on the country's South Caucausus state has seen months of political turmoil since the government halted its path to join the EU in the wake of disputed prominent politicians have been given jail terms, and another two are in pre-trial detention, so that most of the leaders of the pro-Western opposition are now behind Friday, Nika Melia, one of the leaders of Coalition for Change, was jailed for eight months by a court in Tbilisi and former opposition MP Givi Targamadze was given seven months. The scale and speed of the crackdown has come as a shock, and Nika Melia accused the government of trying to break the courage of Georgians. All of the jailed politicians have been convicted of refusing to testify before a parliamentary commission and barred from holding public office for two years. In what it called "the most severe democratic collapse in Georgia's post-Soviet history", anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said the governing Georgian Dream party, led by billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, had launched "a full-scale authoritarian offensive".In a matter of days, jail terms have also been handed down to four other opposition leaders: Giorgi Vashadze, Zurab Japaridze, Badri Japaridze and Mamuka Khazaradze. Another prominent opposition leader, Nika Gvaramia, is in pre-trial detention as well as a former defence minister."The Soviet Union has returned to our present and wants our minds to cling to the past," Nika Melia wrote on Facebook. Georgia regained its independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in said this week that the arrest of opposition leaders was an "unprecedented attack on Georgia's democracy" and it called for an end to "repressive actions". After last October's elections, the opposition accused Ivanishvili's party of stealing the vote. Opposition parties then boycotted parliament and, when the European Parliament denounced the election as neither free nor fair, the ruling party halted Georgia's bid to join the European have since protested in central Tbilisi every night for more than 200 nights, demanding new elections and the release of all prisoners arrested during pro-EU government then set up an investigative parliamentary commission into the "alleged crimes" of the previous government before Georgian Dream came to power in 2012, specifically the period covering Georgia's war with Russia in 2008. Failing to comply with a "lawful request" by a parliamentary commission is a criminal offence under Georgia's criminal code. Opposition politicians have refused to testify, partly because of their boycott of parliament, but also because they reject it as a politically motivated attack on government critics. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told parliament on Friday that the commission was doing very important work exposing a previous government that was "entirely built on crime"."Everyone must understand once and for all that there is no place for criminals in Georgian politics."Human rights groups say 500 people have been arrested during the recent street protests and that 300 of them were subjected to torture. As many as 60 people are being held as political prisoners, they journalist Mzia Amaglobeli remains imprisoned, and independent TV stations face censorship and financial ruin. Earlier this week 40 civil society groups said that Bidzina Ivanishvili had "chosen to maintain power through dictatorship, and fundamental human rights are violated every day".Ivanishvili, who is under US sanctions, accumulated his wealth in Russia during the 1990s. He formally retired from politics but is widely believed to have control over all branches of month, a former confidant of Ivanishvili who went on the run said he was "kidnapped from abroad" and flown back to Georgia by force as a political Bachiashvili had been on trial in Georgia accused of misappropriating millions of dollars in a case he said was politically authorities say Bachiashvili, 39, was convicted of a crime while in absentia and will serve his jail lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, told the BBC he was deeply concerned for his safety: "Too many people see him as a highly competent political figure."
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's League of Social Democrats to disband after 19 years of opposition
The League of Social Democrats, one of Hong Kong's last opposition political parties, has announced it will disband after operating for nearly two decades. The decision was revealed in a press event invite sent out by the political party on Friday. In the document, the group said it would share further details about its plan to disband in the briefing on Sunday. 'Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the League of Social Democrats. However, we will not survive to see that day and will announce our disbandment,' it said. The invitation did not specify why the party was opting to disband. The decision was made as the city prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the 2020 national security law. Founded in 2006, the group was considered the 'radical wing' of the city's opposition camp. At one point, three party members held seats in the Legislative Council, including veteran activist and league co-founder 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung.
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Georgia tightens screws on opposition, jails more leaders
TBILISI: Georgia jailed two prominent opposition figures on Friday, the latest in a string of sentences that critics condemn as a crackdown on dissent that puts nearly all opposition leaders behind bars. Georgia has faced political unrest since the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory in October's parliamentary elections. The opposition rejected the results, triggering mass protests that escalated after the government suspended negotiations on joining the European Union. Protesters accuse the ruling party of drifting toward authoritarianism and aligning the country with Moscow — allegations the government denies. Opposition figures and rights activists are being targeted in a wave of arrests and prosecutions. On Friday, a Tbilisi court ordered Nika Melia — the co-leader of the key opposition Akhali party — to be jailed for eight months. Another prominent opposition politician, Givi Targamadze, was sentenced to seven months in prison. The two were also barred from holding public office for two years. They were convicted of failing to cooperate with a divisive parliamentary enquiry probing alleged abuses under jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili, a pro-Western reformer, is serving a 12.5-year sentence on charges widely condemned by rights groups as politically motivated. Melia has been in pre-trial detention since late May. Targamadze, a member of Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM), said he believed his sentence was 'a Russian order.' In 2016, he survived a bomb attack when his car exploded in central Tbilisi just days before parliamentary elections. Nearly all of Georgia's opposition leaders have been jailed this month on charges similar to those levelled at Melia and Targamadze. They have dismissed the parliamentary commission as illegitimate and accused Georgian Dream of using it to silence dissent. Ahead of last year's elections, Georgian Dream announced plans to outlaw all major opposition parties.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pritam Singh says he's not aiming to be Singapore's next prime minister; GE2025: PAP spent $9.4m, opposition spent $3.6m: Singapore live news
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh may be a formidable opposition leader, but his sights aren't set on becoming Singapore's next prime minister. In an episode of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap that was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (24 June), Singh said his role was to "normalise the idea of an opposition". He said, "I have to have a good finger on the pulse of Singaporeans, I've got to understand what they want. And I've got to understand how they respond to language which reflects ambition." Candidates in Singapore's 2025 General Election collectively spent slightly over $13 million in their bid to win over voters, with nearly half of that amount going towards traditional advertising such as posters and banners. Online ads accounted for about 16 per cent of total spending, while political parties also collectively spent $1.7 million on physical rallies – which were brought back after being suspended during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh may be a formidable opposition leader, but his sights aren't set on becoming Singapore's next prime minister. In an episode of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap that was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (24 June), Singh said his role was to "normalise the idea of an opposition". The podcast is hosted by former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, previously UMNO's information chief. Khairy referenced a previous conversation he had with Singh where he had expressed the same sentiment that he didn't see himself as an "alternative prime minister", and questioned if there was a "lack of ambition". "I have to have a good finger on the pulse of Singaporeans, I've got to understand what they want. And I've got to understand how they respond to language which reflects ambition,' replied Singh. "If that language is not in sync with their broad understanding of what they want out of politics in Singapore, then ambition can be a death knell for any politician in Singapore." Singh in 2019 established that the party's medium-term objective was to contest and win one-third of the seats in parliament. He added, "If we accept that Singaporeans are pragmatic, and that there's no demand for a change of government, then going out there flying a flag which says 'I am your prime minister in waiting' is probably, with respect, an act of foolishness." For more on Pritam Singh's interview, read here. Candidates in Singapore's 2025 General Election collectively spent slightly over $13 million in their bid to win over voters, with nearly half of that amount going towards traditional advertising such as posters and banners. Online ads accounted for about 16 per cent of total spending, while political parties also collectively spent $1.7 million on physical rallies – which were brought back after being suspended during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to figures released by the Elections Department (ELD) on Thursday (27 June), overall election spending rose by about 42 per cent compared with the $9.2 million spent in 2020. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) spent the most at $9.4 million. In contrast, the combined expenditure by 10 opposition parties and two independents came up to around $3.6 million. Among the opposition, the Workers' Party topped the list with $1.6 million spent across its 26 candidates. For more on the GE2025 expenditure, read here. A kitten that was allegedly stuffed into a plastic container and rolled around at a Tuas canteen has since been adopted, said the National Parks Board (NParks) in an update on Thursday (27 June). The case, which sparked outrage after being flagged by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), is currently under investigation by NParks. According to the SPCA, the kitten had been placed inside a plastic container, and rolled around repeatedly. The incident occurred at a workers' canteen at Tech Park Crescent in Tuas on 26 March, between 9.45pm and 10.30pm. In their updated statement, NParks said they are "investigating the incident thoroughly, and appropriate action will be taken if any wrongdoing is established". NParks' group director for enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok said, "We have visited the premises and are in contact with the relevant persons. We were informed that the cat has since been adopted, and we will be checking on its well-being." A Los Angeles home, said to belong to Brad Pitt, was reportedly broken into late Wednesday night (26 June), with the police confirming that three suspects entered the property through a front window and "ransacked the location". While the Los Angeles Police Department did not confirm that the house belonged to Pitt, US media noted that the address matches a residence the Oscar-winning actor purchased in 2023. Pitt was not home at the time of the break-in as he was in London for the premiere of his upcoming Formula 1 movie. Police said the suspects made off with stolen items, though the exact nature and value of the missing property remain unclear. The burglary occurred at around 10.30pm local time in the Los Feliz area. The property sits just outside Griffith Park – home to the iconic Hollywood Sign. Pitt's house, a spacious three-bedroom property, is said to be surrounded by high fences and dense greenery, offering privacy from the public eye. For more on the break-in of Brad Pitt's house, read here. NEW: Overweight man wearing a Garfield shirt gets dragged off a plane after demanding he get an emergency exit seat due to his definition of a man-child right here. The man was reportedly from the UK and threw a tantrum on his flight departing from Bangkok when… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 26, 2025 A passenger was forcibly dragged off a Thai Lion Air flight departing Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok on Wednesday (25 July) after allegedly throwing a tantrum. The man reportedly became upset after his request for a different seat from the one he was assigned was denied by flight attendants. "At first, I thought we couldn't take off because the man had fallen ill. It turned out he just thought the economy seat was too crowded and insisted on moving to the emergency exit. The flight attendants had to call the police because he refused to cooperate," said one man who recorded video footage, according to Viral Press. The flight crew's denial of his request allegedly resulted in an outburst, which lasted nearly an hour. Authorities boarded the Boeing 737 to remove him, and had to drag him out after he refused. Labour chief, and Jalan Kayu Member of Parliament (MP), Ng Chee Meng took to Facebook on Thursday (26 June) to praise a resident for taking the initiative to sweep the common corridor of the floor he is staying on. On his post, NG wrote, "Met Mr Wei during a recent visit to Fernvale Court. He was busy sweeping the common corridor along his whole floor. When I asked him if the area needs better cleaning, he smiled and just said he's just doing his part to keep the common areas clean. Two thumbs up." The majority of the comments were positive, with netizens expressing their support for the resident while some praised Ng for walking the grounds in his constituency. A portion of netizens, though, questioned the need for the resident to sweep the common corridor, casting doubt on the efforts of the cleaners. Ng has had a rocky return to politics, with his campaign in the 2025 General Elections overshadowed by the Income-Allianz deal that caused much public uproar. He won the Jalan Kayu SMC by a narrow margin over Workers' Party candidate Andre Low, garnering 51.47% of the votes. Japan on Friday carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi – infamously known as the "Twitter killer" – for the brutal murders of nine people in 2017. Shiraishi, 33, had lured his victims, eight women and one man, through social media before strangling and dismembering them in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised the execution, said the crimes were driven by "extremely selfish" motives and has "caused great shock and unrest to society". Shiraishi's hanging marks the first under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration, which came to power in October 2024. The execution is also the first since July 2022, when Japan executed another man involved in the 2008 Akihabara stabbing rampage. For more on Japan's capital punishment, read here. Fashion magnate Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue's editor-in-chief after 37 years. It was reported that Wintour, 75, announced the news in a staff meeting on the morning of Thursday (26 June). Vogue is set to appoint a new head of editorial content, who will report directly to Wintour. While stepping back from day-to-day editorial duties at the iconic fashion magazine, Wintour isn't going anywhere – she will remain as Condé Nast's global chief content officer, and continue her role as global editorial director at Vogue, overseeing every brand, like Vanity Fair, GQ, and AD, across all markets. "Anybody in a creative field knows how essential it is never to stop growing in one's work. When I became the editor of Vogue, I was eager to prove to all who might listen that there was a new, exciting way to imagine an American fashion magazine," Wintour told Vogue staff in a meeting on Thursday. She continued: "Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be. And that is exactly the kind of person we need to now look for to be HOEC for US Vogue." Wintour also explained that many of her responsibilities at Vogue would remain the same, 'including paying very close attention to the fashion industry and to the creative cultural force that is our extraordinary Met Ball, and charting the course of future Vogue Worlds". For more on Anna Wintour stepping away as Vogue's editor-in-chief, read here. A couple and their two sons behind a family-run construction firm were charged on 26 June for allegedly giving over $56,000 in bribes to property and condominium managers to advance their business interests. Ong Chin Kee, 66, and his wife Lea Lam Moy, also 66, both directors of OCL Building Services, were charged alongside their sons – project director Jovi Ong Teng Hong, 36, and general manager Jordan Ong Wei How, 30. Each family member faces 17 corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). The alleged offences took place between 2018 and 2022 and involved $56,260 to secure advantages for OCL, a company primarily dealing in building construction and upgrading works. Its secondary business activity is listed as painting and decorating. CPIB also revealed that Ong Chin Kee is facing an additional four charges for allegedly obstructing justice. Between June and November 2023, he is said to have instigated individuals to alter their statements to CPIB. He also tipped off two others about the CPIB's investigation into both the family and the company. Meanwhile, five individuals who allegedly received the bribes were also charged on the same day. For more on the Singapore construction family bribery, read here. Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh may be a formidable opposition leader, but his sights aren't set on becoming Singapore's next prime minister. In an episode of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap that was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (24 June), Singh said his role was to "normalise the idea of an opposition". The podcast is hosted by former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, previously UMNO's information chief. Khairy referenced a previous conversation he had with Singh where he had expressed the same sentiment that he didn't see himself as an "alternative prime minister", and questioned if there was a "lack of ambition". "I have to have a good finger on the pulse of Singaporeans, I've got to understand what they want. And I've got to understand how they respond to language which reflects ambition,' replied Singh. "If that language is not in sync with their broad understanding of what they want out of politics in Singapore, then ambition can be a death knell for any politician in Singapore." Singh in 2019 established that the party's medium-term objective was to contest and win one-third of the seats in parliament. He added, "If we accept that Singaporeans are pragmatic, and that there's no demand for a change of government, then going out there flying a flag which says 'I am your prime minister in waiting' is probably, with respect, an act of foolishness." For more on Pritam Singh's interview, read here. Candidates in Singapore's 2025 General Election collectively spent slightly over $13 million in their bid to win over voters, with nearly half of that amount going towards traditional advertising such as posters and banners. Online ads accounted for about 16 per cent of total spending, while political parties also collectively spent $1.7 million on physical rallies – which were brought back after being suspended during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to figures released by the Elections Department (ELD) on Thursday (27 June), overall election spending rose by about 42 per cent compared with the $9.2 million spent in 2020. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) spent the most at $9.4 million. In contrast, the combined expenditure by 10 opposition parties and two independents came up to around $3.6 million. Among the opposition, the Workers' Party topped the list with $1.6 million spent across its 26 candidates. For more on the GE2025 expenditure, read here. A kitten that was allegedly stuffed into a plastic container and rolled around at a Tuas canteen has since been adopted, said the National Parks Board (NParks) in an update on Thursday (27 June). The case, which sparked outrage after being flagged by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), is currently under investigation by NParks. According to the SPCA, the kitten had been placed inside a plastic container, and rolled around repeatedly. The incident occurred at a workers' canteen at Tech Park Crescent in Tuas on 26 March, between 9.45pm and 10.30pm. In their updated statement, NParks said they are "investigating the incident thoroughly, and appropriate action will be taken if any wrongdoing is established". NParks' group director for enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok said, "We have visited the premises and are in contact with the relevant persons. We were informed that the cat has since been adopted, and we will be checking on its well-being." A Los Angeles home, said to belong to Brad Pitt, was reportedly broken into late Wednesday night (26 June), with the police confirming that three suspects entered the property through a front window and "ransacked the location". While the Los Angeles Police Department did not confirm that the house belonged to Pitt, US media noted that the address matches a residence the Oscar-winning actor purchased in 2023. Pitt was not home at the time of the break-in as he was in London for the premiere of his upcoming Formula 1 movie. Police said the suspects made off with stolen items, though the exact nature and value of the missing property remain unclear. The burglary occurred at around 10.30pm local time in the Los Feliz area. The property sits just outside Griffith Park – home to the iconic Hollywood Sign. Pitt's house, a spacious three-bedroom property, is said to be surrounded by high fences and dense greenery, offering privacy from the public eye. For more on the break-in of Brad Pitt's house, read here. NEW: Overweight man wearing a Garfield shirt gets dragged off a plane after demanding he get an emergency exit seat due to his definition of a man-child right here. The man was reportedly from the UK and threw a tantrum on his flight departing from Bangkok when… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 26, 2025 A passenger was forcibly dragged off a Thai Lion Air flight departing Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok on Wednesday (25 July) after allegedly throwing a tantrum. The man reportedly became upset after his request for a different seat from the one he was assigned was denied by flight attendants. "At first, I thought we couldn't take off because the man had fallen ill. It turned out he just thought the economy seat was too crowded and insisted on moving to the emergency exit. The flight attendants had to call the police because he refused to cooperate," said one man who recorded video footage, according to Viral Press. The flight crew's denial of his request allegedly resulted in an outburst, which lasted nearly an hour. Authorities boarded the Boeing 737 to remove him, and had to drag him out after he refused. Labour chief, and Jalan Kayu Member of Parliament (MP), Ng Chee Meng took to Facebook on Thursday (26 June) to praise a resident for taking the initiative to sweep the common corridor of the floor he is staying on. On his post, NG wrote, "Met Mr Wei during a recent visit to Fernvale Court. He was busy sweeping the common corridor along his whole floor. When I asked him if the area needs better cleaning, he smiled and just said he's just doing his part to keep the common areas clean. Two thumbs up." The majority of the comments were positive, with netizens expressing their support for the resident while some praised Ng for walking the grounds in his constituency. A portion of netizens, though, questioned the need for the resident to sweep the common corridor, casting doubt on the efforts of the cleaners. Ng has had a rocky return to politics, with his campaign in the 2025 General Elections overshadowed by the Income-Allianz deal that caused much public uproar. He won the Jalan Kayu SMC by a narrow margin over Workers' Party candidate Andre Low, garnering 51.47% of the votes. Japan on Friday carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi – infamously known as the "Twitter killer" – for the brutal murders of nine people in 2017. Shiraishi, 33, had lured his victims, eight women and one man, through social media before strangling and dismembering them in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised the execution, said the crimes were driven by "extremely selfish" motives and has "caused great shock and unrest to society". Shiraishi's hanging marks the first under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration, which came to power in October 2024. The execution is also the first since July 2022, when Japan executed another man involved in the 2008 Akihabara stabbing rampage. For more on Japan's capital punishment, read here. Fashion magnate Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue's editor-in-chief after 37 years. It was reported that Wintour, 75, announced the news in a staff meeting on the morning of Thursday (26 June). Vogue is set to appoint a new head of editorial content, who will report directly to Wintour. While stepping back from day-to-day editorial duties at the iconic fashion magazine, Wintour isn't going anywhere – she will remain as Condé Nast's global chief content officer, and continue her role as global editorial director at Vogue, overseeing every brand, like Vanity Fair, GQ, and AD, across all markets. "Anybody in a creative field knows how essential it is never to stop growing in one's work. When I became the editor of Vogue, I was eager to prove to all who might listen that there was a new, exciting way to imagine an American fashion magazine," Wintour told Vogue staff in a meeting on Thursday. She continued: "Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be. And that is exactly the kind of person we need to now look for to be HOEC for US Vogue." Wintour also explained that many of her responsibilities at Vogue would remain the same, 'including paying very close attention to the fashion industry and to the creative cultural force that is our extraordinary Met Ball, and charting the course of future Vogue Worlds". For more on Anna Wintour stepping away as Vogue's editor-in-chief, read here. A couple and their two sons behind a family-run construction firm were charged on 26 June for allegedly giving over $56,000 in bribes to property and condominium managers to advance their business interests. Ong Chin Kee, 66, and his wife Lea Lam Moy, also 66, both directors of OCL Building Services, were charged alongside their sons – project director Jovi Ong Teng Hong, 36, and general manager Jordan Ong Wei How, 30. Each family member faces 17 corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). The alleged offences took place between 2018 and 2022 and involved $56,260 to secure advantages for OCL, a company primarily dealing in building construction and upgrading works. Its secondary business activity is listed as painting and decorating. CPIB also revealed that Ong Chin Kee is facing an additional four charges for allegedly obstructing justice. Between June and November 2023, he is said to have instigated individuals to alter their statements to CPIB. He also tipped off two others about the CPIB's investigation into both the family and the company. Meanwhile, five individuals who allegedly received the bribes were also charged on the same day. For more on the Singapore construction family bribery, read here.
