New Zealand swears in new deputy prime minister
SYDNEY - David Seymour, leader of the libertarian ACT New Zealand party, was sworn in as deputy prime minister on Saturday, taking the role from Winston Peters in a deal struck when the three-party coalition government was formed in 2023.
His party was behind last year's controversial move to enshrine a narrower interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi that it says discriminates against non-Indigenous citizens, though the bill failed in parliament.
Seymour was appointed in a ceremony at Auckland's Government House, a spokesperson told Reuters.
ACT New Zealand is the junior partner in the centre-right ruling coalition that also includes the Peters-led New Zealand First and the National Party, led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
In parliament since 2014, Seymour will retain the role of regulation minister, tasked to assess rules in the Pacific nation of 5.3 million and keep the position of associate minister of health, finance, and education.
Seymour has also driven efforts to legalise euthanasia, voted to legalise abortion in 2020 and attended a pro-Hong Kong democracy protest in Auckland in 2019.
ACT New Zealand wants a smaller role for government and a bigger role for free markets, it says on its website. REUTERS
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Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Poland votes in tight presidential race between pro-EU and nationalist visions
Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, and his wife Marta Nawrocka look on on the day of his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, speaks during his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel A supporter of Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, wears boxing gloves during Nawrocki's final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel A combination picture shows two leading candidates in the Polish presidential election, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, Civic Coalition presidential candidate, smiling during a visit to the Weglewski farm, ahead of the second round of Polish presidential election, in Buczek, May 29, 2025, and Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, reacting during his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel Supporters of Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, attend his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel WARSAW - Voting was underway in Poland's knife-edge presidential election on Sunday, which will determine whether the largest country in the European Union's eastern wing cements its place in the bloc's mainstream or turns towards MAGA-style nationalism. Turnout holds the key to the contest between Rafal Trzaskowski of ruling centrists Civic Coalition (KO), who holds a narrow lead in opinion polls, and Karol Nawrocki, backed by nationalists Law and Justice (PiS). Opinion polls show that the difference between the candidates is within the margin of error. Voting began at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and is due to end at 9 p.m., with exit polls published soon afterwards. The electoral commission says it hopes final results will be announced on Monday morning or early afternoon. Parliament holds most power in Poland but the president can veto legislation so the vote is being watched closely in neighbouring Ukraine, as well as in Russia, the U.S. and across the EU. Both candidates agree on the need to spend heavily on defence, as U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding from Europe, and to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's three-year-old invasion. But while Trzaskowski sees Ukraine's future membership of NATO as essential for Poland's security, Nawrocki has recently said he would not ratify it as president as this could draw the alliance into a war with Russia. Trzaskowski says strong relations with both Brussels and Washington are essential for Poland's security, but Nawrocki, who met Trump in the White House in May, prioritises relations with the United States. "The most important thing is foreign policy," said IT specialist Robert Kepczynski, 53, who was voting in Warsaw. "We can't look both ways, to the U.S. and the EU - and looking only to the U.S. for help is short-sighted." Economist Maria Luczynska, 73, said that going to vote made her emotional. "(The election) is important because this is how we decide our future. What country my daughter, my grandchildren will live in." If Nawrocki wins, he is likely to follow a similar path to President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally who has used his veto power to block the government's efforts to undo the previous PiS administration's judicial reforms, which the EU says undermined the independence of the courts. Coming around a year and a half since Prime Minister Donald Tusk took office, the vote provides the stiffest test yet of support for his broad coalition government, with Nawrocki presenting the ballot as a referendum on its actions. In 2023, huge queues outside polling stations in large cities forced some to stay open later than planned. Analysts said that high participation by younger, liberal, urban Poles was crucial in securing a majority for Tusk. Trzaskowski is hoping that such scenes will be repeated on Sunday. "Encourage everyone, so that as many Poles as possible vote in the presidential election," he told a rally in Wloclawek, central Poland, on Friday. Nawrocki, who draws inspiration from Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, told supporters in Biala Podlaska in the country's east that "these elections could be decided by single votes". SOCIAL ISSUES The two candidates also differ on social issues, with Trzaskowski favouring the liberalisation of abortion laws and introduction of civil partnerships for LGBT couples, while Nawrocki says predominantly Catholic Poland should reject such moves. The first round of the election on May 18 saw a surge in support for the anti-establishment far-right, suggesting that the KO-PiS duopoly that has dominated Polish politics for a generation may be starting to fracture. Nevertheless, after a tumultuous campaign in which Nawrocki in particular faced a slew of negative media reports about his alleged past conduct, once again candidates representing the two main parties are facing off in the second round. PiS has traditionally enjoyed high support in small towns and rural areas, especially in the south and east. These areas are typically more socially conservative than larger cities and poorer, creating a sense of exclusion that PiS has tapped into. "They want to build a Poland for the elites," Nawrocki told voters in Biala Podlaska, referring to his opponents from KO. KO, meanwhile, campaigns on a pro-European centrist agenda that appeals to more liberal-minded Poles who mainly live in cities or bigger towns. Trzaskowski took heart from the turnout at a rally in Ciechanow, central Poland. "Looking at this mobilisation, I see how much hope you have - hope in a future in which Poland plays a leading role in the European Union," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
In changing times, young Germans gun for defence sector jobs
For the first time in 2025, German arms manufacturers were among exhibitors at the fair as they hunt for staff to meet surging demand. PHOTO: REUTERS KARLSRUHE, Germany - In a country with strong pacifist traditions due to its dark World War II history, German student Mika Scheid had never considered working in the arms industry – until Russia invaded Ukraine. That was a 'personal turning point', said the 25-year-old studying at the prominent Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, who was spurred into becoming an armed forces reservist and now wants to work for a military equipment manufacturer. 'People are beginning to understand that the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces) is now clearly focused on defending the country' and Nato, said the engineering student during a job fair organised by the institute in western Germany. He was among young Germans at the event expressing interest in the defence sector, a sharp break from the past amid growing hostility from Russia as well as concerns about US security commitments to Europe under President Donald Trump. For the first time ever in 2025, German arms manufacturers – which are some of the world's biggest but had in the past kept a relatively low profile – were among exhibitors at the fair as they hunt for staff to meet surging demand. There were some signs of unease, with Germany's biggest weapons maker Rheinmetall pulling out after a handful of students voiced anger at the presence of arms manufacturers. Still, there is a sense the long-running stigma surrounding the sector has eased since the outbreak of the Ukraine war. And the opportunities in the industry may be welcome at a time that Germany's economy is mired in a downturn. The European defence sector employs about 600,000 people and is expected to grow strongly, including in Germany where new Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to greatly ramp up military spending. Shifting attitudes 'The political discourse we have had since 2022 has led Germans to change their way of seeing things,' said Ms Eva Brueckner, a consultant from the headhunting firm Heinrich and Coll, which helps defence companies find staff. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago, candidates have expressed fewer ethical and moral concerns about defence sector jobs, she said. Another student at the fair, Mr Nico Haenelt, was enquiring about an internship at the stand of industrial giant Thyssenkrupp's submarine-making unit. While the 19-year-old says his parents had quite a pacifist worldview, recent geopolitical upheavals have shaped his own outlook. 'If the world were more peaceful, I would probably also look in other areas,' said Mr Haenelt, who studies mechatronics, which mixes elements of engineering and computer science. To attract talent, defence companies are offering perks ranging from paying for relocation costs to gym memberships, according to accounts given to AFP. Diehl, whose products include ammunition and missiles, even offers scholarships to young people to fund their studies in the hope they will subsequently apply for jobs with the company. 'Conservative' sector With the German economy struggling, some hope the improving fortunes of the defence sector could provide a boost. There are already signs that arms makers might throw a lifeline to some troubled companies. Rheinmetall, whose profits have soared since the start of the Ukraine war, in 2024 struck a deal to hire workers from Continental as the ailing auto supplier cuts thousands of jobs. Still, beyond the traditional reluctance of young Germans to work in the defence sector due to the country's past, there are other challenges in recruiting for the industry. 'The sector is very conservative, and people who don't come from this background may have difficulty integrating,' said the headhunter, Ms Brueckner. And not all the students at the job fair were rushing to find jobs in the arms industry. Mr Niklas, a computer science student who only gave his first name, said his priority was to find a job with 'meaning', such as in the fields of health or sustainable development. As for the arms industry? 'Never', he insisted. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Philippine defence chief rips China officials in testy exchange over disputed waters
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said China's military was 'grabbing territory in the South China Sea'. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG SINGAPORE – Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro engaged in a testy back-and-forth with Chinese officials at a Singapore security forum on June 1, accusing leaders in Beijing of grabbing territory in disputed waters and repressing their own people. During a panel at the Shangri-La Dialogue, two senior colonels in the People's Liberation Army directed questions at Mr Teodoro, asking whether the Philippines would serve as a US proxy in Asia or adopt a friendlier approach toward China. Mr Teodoro thanked the pair for 'propaganda spiels disguised as questions', a line that received rare applause from those in attendance. He went on to lambast China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, saying a lack of trust in Beijing was 'the biggest stumbling block' to resolving the dispute. 'That deficit of trust, which I think any rational person – or any person that is not ideologically biased, with freedom of thought and freedom of speech – will agree with,' Mr Teodoro said. He added that he couldn't trust a country that 'represses its own people'. Tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who has pushed back against Beijing's sweeping claims over the strategic waterway, leading to confrontations between their ships. Manila in May said China's Coast Guard fired a water cannon on a state fisheries vessel conducting research in Sandy Cay in the Spratlys area. 'To envision a China-led international order, we only need to look at how they treat their much smaller neighbours in the South China Sea, which runs counter to the 'peaceful rise' they initially promised,' Mr Teodoro said. China claims more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea and backs this up with a 1947 map that shows vague dashes outlining its claims, which are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia. In 2016, an international tribunal said China's sweeping claims have no legal basis, a ruling that Beijing rejects. In an interview with Bloomberg Television's Haslinda Amin later on June 1, Mr Teodoro said China's military was 'grabbing territory in the South China Sea' and expanding its presence to the Arctic and off Australia. 'For us, our biggest threat is China,' he said. 'And on that, we converge not only with the United States but with other countries.' The South-east Asian nation is on the front lines of US-backed efforts to deter China in the region, with the long-time allies ramping up military drills to enhance interoperability. Apart from granting the US military access to more Philippine bases, including some in close proximity to Taiwan, Manila has also signed agreements on mutual military visits with Japan and New Zealand, and is in discussions on similar pacts with Canada and France. China has built artificial islands with military infrastructure in contested waters to bolster its expansive claims. The Philippines has a 'variety of options' in the event Beijing seizes a reef that's close to Philippine shores. 'We have to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty,' Mr Teodoro said. 'And we have devised options in our toolkit to deal with contingencies, and we plan for these and train for them accordingly.' BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
