Opposition | Common News Update

Jun232022 by adminNo Comments

Bipartisan group defends sequoia tree bill in California despite environmental groups’ opposition

Science

June 23 (UPI) -- A bipartisan trio of lawmakers defended the "Save Our Sequoias Act" on Thursday despite more than 80 environmental groups signing a letter to Congress opposing the act earlier this month. The bill introduced on Wednesday is aimed at expediting reforestation and protection efforts in California's Sequoia National Forest. But more than 80 environmental organizations signed a letter to members of Congress earlier this month, arguing that the bill could do even more damage to giant sequoias by weakening environmental regulations. "Protecting the iconic Giant Sequoias is an important goal, but this legislation would weaken existing environmental law to expedite potentially harmful logging projects that undermine the ecological integrity of sequoia groves and will do nothing to...

Apr72021 by adminNo Comments

South Korea’s opposition party sweeps to victory in key mayoral races

World

SEOUL, April 7 (UPI) -- South Korea's ruling Democratic Party was severely beaten at the polls as its mayoral candidates in the two largest cities, Seoul and Busan, lost by-elections widely seen as a bellwether for next year's presidential race. The Democratic Party's candidate in the capital city of Seoul, Park Young-sun, was defeated by her People Power Party opponent Oh Se-hoon on Wednesday by a margin of 57.5% to 39%, according to final results released by the National Election Commission. Advertisement Oh was mayor of Seoul from 2006 until 2011, when he resigned over a failed effort to restrict the city's free school lunch program. In Busan, a city of 3.5 million people, the PPP candidate Park Heong-joon beat the Democratic Party's Kim Young-choon 63% to 34%. For voters, the mayoral...

Mar132021 by adminNo Comments

Russia opposition: Moscow police raid election forum

World

Russian police have broken up an opposition conference and detained 200 people including high-profile opposition figures. The weekend forum had just begun in a Moscow hotel when police burst in and said they were detaining everyone.According to police, coronavirus rules were broken and the event was arranged by an "undesirable organisation".The incident comes as authorities continue to crack down on opposition activity as elections loom.Last month Alexei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, was jailed. He was accused of breaking the terms of a suspended prison sentence while recovering in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.Alexei Navalny: Russia's vociferous Putin critic'We have to protest' - anti-Putin anger spreadsOpposition figures from acr...

Nov112020 by adminNo Comments

Hong Kong opposition politicians resign en masse after four disqualified

World

Pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong have resigned en masse after four of them were expelled from the territory's parliament under a Chinese law banning supporters of independence from holding office.Authorities in Hong Kong said in a statement the four legislators - Kwok Ka-ki, Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok and Kenneth Leung - were banished from the assembly for endangering national security. The 19 members of the opposition earlier said they would resign in protest and confirmed they would submit letters of resignation on Thursday. Image: Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Kwok Ka-ki, Kenneth Leung and Dennis Kwok speak to the media after they were disqualified The banning of the four followed meetings of China's National People's Congress Standin...

Oct292020 by adminNo Comments

Tanzania’s opposition says vote ‘spit in face of democracy’

World

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Whatever happened on Wednesday wasn't an election and was like “spitting in the face of democracy," Tanzania’s leading opposition candidate said Thursday, while the United States noted “credible allegations of significant election-related fraud and intimidation.” The other main opposition party said several leaders were arrested after calling for protests, and one was badly beaten.Many across Africa have watched in dismay at what they’ve described as Tanzania’s abandonment of its reputation of democratic ideals under populist President John Magufuli. He leads in early results as he seeks a second five-year term.As the ruling party was winning an overwhelming majority of parliamentary seats, and the leaders of both top opposition parties lost theirs, the U.S. said “irregul...