The vote came, as a surprise to some Washington insiders who thought of the bill to authorize construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline was only a formality. After a six- year battle and with strong support on both sides of the aisle, the bill seemed destined to pass. The atmosphere during the vote counting process as the bill was shown to have failed a 60-vote threshold by a narrow 59-41 count was according to some on the floor yesterday “surreal”. As the vote count was announced … [Read more...]
Obama Warns Against Intimidation in Asia at G20
November 15, 2021 By
President Barack Obama was warned against intimidation of big nations bullying small ones as a means to sort security issues in Asia. Speaking to students in Brisbane, Australia ahead of the G20 summit, he said that security in the region must remain based upon mutual alliances. He added that there was no questions over the commitments of the US to its Asian and Pacific allies. G20 The speech came ahead of the two-day G20 summit, which is focused on promoting growth. World Leaders are due … [Read more...]
Republicans Win Senate in Mid-Terms
November 5, 2021 By
The Republican party have won control of the US Senate after the mid-term elections to increase their power in the last two years of President Barack Obama’s term. The party won in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. It is also expected to see further gains as the rest of the votes are counted in other states. Reaction Republic Senator Mitchell McConnell, who looks likely to lead the chamber, said that the vote was against ‘a government that … [Read more...]
Ukrainian Separatist Government Sworn In
November 5, 2021 By
The territorial conflict in the Ukraine continues to spark as the Pro-Russian, separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko was sworn in this week as head of the breakaway government in the eastern part of the country. The rebels in the eastern, breakaway part of the Ukraine held elections earlier this month, which where condemned by the Ukrainian government of Petro Poroshenko in Kiev. This election will likely have severe repercussions for the tenuous peace-process begun between the Ukrainian … [Read more...]
Malaysian Opposition Trial Soon Over
October 28, 2021 By
The leader of the political opposition and member of the Malaysian parliament Anwar Ibrahim, 67 years old, will likely be sentenced this Thursday, October 30th, in the reoccurring sodomy trial the Malaysian government has pursued against him. Anwar Ibrahim was charged with committing sodomy against one of his former aides several years ago. He was originally exonerated after a trial in 2012, however the Malaysian government appealed the ruling and an appeals court reversed the acquittal earlier … [Read more...]
Philippine/US Tensions Increase Due to Murder
October 24, 2021 By
Ties between the United States and the Philippines have become strained since the death of Jennifer Laude, 26 years old, on October 11th of this year. Ms. Laude, a Pilipino citizen and resident of the city of Olongapo, was found murdered in a hotel room and authorities in the Philippines have found evidence linking American marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton, 19 years old, to the death. The United States has had a long-standing military presence in the Philippine, which dates back to the … [Read more...]
Clashes Continue in Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protests
October 18, 2021 By
In the continuation of clashes between the authorities and the pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, streets in the Mong Kok district have been taken back from the police. The protestors confirmed they have retaken the area that they had been expelled from just hours earlier. Around 9000 protestors were involved in pushing back riot police to take territory to the south of a major intersection in the district. They had been occupying the area for a number of weeks, involved in protests … [Read more...]
Gay marriage legal in Arizona
October 17, 2021 By
Arizona’s conservative attorney general said Friday that he won’t contest a federal court decision that paved the way for same-sex marriage in the state. Less than a year ago, Arizona was considered ground-zero for gay rights after the overwhelmingly Republican state legislature passed a measure that would have allowed businesses to deny gays and lesbians service. Soon after Attorney General Tom Horne’s announcement Friday, gays and lesbians lined up outside the … [Read more...]
Yasukuni Again Complicates EA Relationships
October 17, 2021 By
It has been announced today that the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe has sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine today. Additionally, several major Japanese politicians, including a cabinet minister, have announced that they intended to visit the shrine this Friday. In the end, 110 lawmakers and their aides did visit the shrine and there they offered prayers to the war dead enshrined in the complex. The cabinet minister who had initially stated that they would attend was … [Read more...]
A Dramatic Shift For The Catholic Church
October 13, 2021 By
For thousands of years, the Catholic Church has lived by a set of precepts, mores, and norms which have been unquestioned and unchallenged. As a religion, the path was charted by the Pope and the leaders in the Vatican. The Church was founded on the principles set forth in the Bible, both the Old and New Testament, as interpreted by holy men throughout the ages. The People was the leader, but was joined by Cardinals, Bishops, and priests in laying out the Catholic doctrine for the members of the … [Read more...]
