Philippine Senate shelves VP Duterte's impeachment case
The motion to archive — approved by 19 of 24 senators — adheres with the Supreme Court ruling voiding the complaint against Duterte, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said during livestreamed proceedings. Four senators voted against the motion and one abstained.
The move renders the impeachment complaint against the vice president as "dead' unless the top court reverses its ruling, according to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. That means the Senate won't proceed with the impeachment trial against the vice president, which had been set to begin this month, in yet another relief for the embattled politician.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Smithsonian Restores Trump to Impeachment Display in American History Museum
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History on Friday unveiled an updated impeachment display that now includes context about President Donald Trump's historic cases – a change the institution made a week after The Washington Post reported that a temporary placard containing his name had been removed from the exhibit as part of a Smithsonian content review prompted by White House pressure to oust a museum director. The new text makes minor changes to – and offers slightly fewer details than – the temporary signage. 'The National Museum of American History has completed its update to the Impeachment case within 'The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden' exhibition,' the Smithsonian said in a statement on Friday. 'The updated display now reflects all presidential impeachments. Adhering to principles foundational to our role as the nation's museum, we take great care to ensure that what we present to the public reflects both intellectual integrity and thoughtful design.' The statement said that the interim sign, which had been in place from September 2021 until this July, was removed because it was not consistent with other sections of the exhibit and blocked the display case. 'We removed it to make way for a more permanent update to the content inside the case,' the Smithsonian said. The removal drew swift outcry from some members of the public as well as several Democratic leaders. The Smithsonian Institution has faced growing concerns about political interference at the education and research complex amid the Trump administration's efforts to exert more control over its work. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer called the removal 'pathetic' during Senate floor remarks last week. 'You can't make this up,' he said. 'This is a man rewriting history – or thinking he can rewrite history. He can't, but he thinks he can.' The Smithsonian said last week that no government official asked them to remove content from the exhibit. It also said that no other changes had been made at the museum. In a statement, Lindsey Halligan, a White House official charged with scrutinizing 'improper ideology' at the Smithsonian, reiterated that the White House wasn't involved with the revision. 'That said, it's encouraging to see the institution taking steps that align with President Trump's Executive Order to restore truth to American History. As part of that truth, it's important to note that President Trump was acquitted twice by Senate, fully and on every count – a fact that belongs in the historical record.' Some edits to the display's text are evident, including the addition of the word 'alleged' in the placard's description of the conduct that led to Trump's first impeachment. The display's main panel was also updated to reflect include Trump's name alongside Andrew Johnson, Richard M. Nixon and Bill Clinton. Of Trump's first impeachment, the impeachment display now reads: 'On December 18, 2019, the House impeached Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The charges focused on the president's alleged solicitation of foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election and defiance of Congressional subpoenas. Trump was acquitted in January 2020.' The temporary placard had read: 'On December 18, 2019, the House impeached Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The charges focused on the president's solicitation of foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election and his defiance of Congressional subpoenas. President Trump was acquitted in January 2020.' Trump is the only president to have been impeached twice. In 2019, he was charged by the House with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for his attempts to withhold military aid meant for Ukraine and pressure its government to investigate his political rival Biden. He was acquitted by the Senate in 2020. Then, just over a year later, Trump was impeached again, on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. He was acquitted a second time, after leaving office. Of his second impeachment, the display reads: 'On January 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. The charge was incitement of insurrection based on his challenge of the 2020 election results and on his speech on January 6. Because Trump's term ended on January 20, he became the first former president tried by the Senate. He was acquitted on February 13, 2021.' The temporary placard had read: 'On January 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. The charge was incitement of insurrection, based on repeated 'false statements' challenging the 2020 election results and his January 6 speech that 'encouraged – and foreseeably resulted in – imminent lawless action at the Capitol.' Because Trump's term ended on January 20, his acquittal on February 13 made him the first former president tried by the Senate.' Since returning to the White House in January for his second term, Trump has attempted to exert influence over prominent cultural institutions, including by taking over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, making drastic changes at the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and imposing budget cuts on the National Park Service. In March, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate 'divisive narratives' across the Smithsonian museums and 'restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness.' Months later, he attempted to fire Kim Sajet, the director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, for being a 'highly partisan' person – though he had no authority to do so. The White House provided a list of 17 instances it said supported the president's claims about her, including the caption for the museum's presidential portrait of Trump mentioning his two impeachments and 'incitement of insurrection.' Early Friday afternoon in the 'American Presidency' exhibition, visitors milled about the display case. Some had been aware of the Trump text's removal. 'I heard it was taken out, and I came here to see it,' said Jodi Lindstrom, 49, visiting from Minneapolis. 'I don't think it's a good idea for the president to have a say over what is history. … You can't erase it. It's what happened. So I'm very happy to see it back in.' Following The Post's reporting about the change, the Smithsonian said it would restore Trump to the impeachment display 'in the coming weeks.' 'It does say four now,' said Ed Burk, 75, of Washington, D.C., leaning in to examine the display. But he wasn't satisfied by the alterations. 'Clinton gets a little more attention. Why not something as big for Donald Trump?' Mindy Kiser, 52, visiting from Wichita, had not previously heard about the exhibition's alterations. 'It's disappointing to know that the museum may have caved to outside influences but also reassuring to know that they did the right thing and restored whatever they took away,' Kiser said. Her eyes lingered on the other items in the display case, and then the Trump text, displayed low with two small artifacts: admission to the Senate gallery for impeachment proceedings. 'The fact that he's been impeached twice, it does seem to be a little bit smaller, in my opinion,' she said. But 'in these days, we should just be happy that it's represented at all.'
NHK
2 days ago
- NHK
'One Piece' manga flags flying in Indonesia as likely protest against government
Flags from the smash-hit Japanese comic book "One Piece" have been flying across Indonesia in an apparent form of protest against the government. The banners began to appear after President Prabowo Subianto called for people to fly the national flag ahead of Independence day on August 17. Local media say images of the fictional flags on houses and cars spread rapidly on social media from last month. The "One Piece" story features a freedom-loving pirate who sometimes falls foul of the authorities. Observers say people are using the flags to express their dissatisfaction with the government. Painting a pirate symbol on a wall, mural artist Kemas Muhammad Firdaus said the flag is "a symbol of warning for the government, so they have to look at their people." Indonesian law bans flying the red-and-white national ensign lower than other flags. But that didn't stop the protestors. State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi called for respect for the national flag, saying it will be a problem if some people use creative expression for "inappropriate purposes." The Prabowo administration has come under increasing criticism over its economic and development policies.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Simulated Chinese blockade of Taiwan reveals Singapore as lifeline
The exercise presented a fraught scenario: China's military had blockaded Taiwan by air and sea, and Southeast Asian countries were grappling with how to evacuate as many as 1 million of their nationals trapped on the besieged island. Over two days in April at a Singapore hotel, some 40 participants and observers in the war game, including serving and retired Asia-Pacific officials and military officers, as well as security scholars, simulated their responses to the unfolding crisis, according to four people familiar with the discussions. Hours ticked by as some players weighed unified action through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, while others reached out to the mock U.S., Chinese and Japanese delegates to negotiate special air and sea corridors to extract foreign nationals. Eventually, the people said, a stark conclusion emerged: The Southeast Asian states needed a Singaporean airlift to have a chance of evacuating their people. "Nothing was moving until the Singaporeans stepped in at the 11th hour," said one participant in the event at the Jen Singapore Tanglin hotel. "They had found a way of getting their own people out, and offered to get others out, too." Reflecting its discreet and decades-old security presence inside Taiwan, where its forces train, Singapore was able to leverage access to airfields and aircraft, the person said. But the exercise ended before any detailed discussion of how Singapore had reached a deal with China to secure an evacuation route through the blockade, or how precisely it would work, three of the people said. A retired military tank is seen on a beach in Kinmen, Taiwan, in December 2023. | REUTERS The previously unreported exercise comes amid an escalating battle between the U.S. and China for dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a rare window into contingency planning over Taiwan, which some Asian and Western military attaches and security analysts say is becoming increasingly necessary because an assault on the island by Beijing could draw in the U.S. and imperil other countries. While the scenario didn't reflect official policies, participants playing the roles of foreign and defense ministers worked from the known positions of at least nine governments depicted in the simulation, said the four people, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Besides Singapore, China, Taiwan and the U.S., the rest included Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, they said. Southeast Asians account for about 94% of the almost 1 million foreign nationals resident in Taiwan, according to Taiwan's National Immigration Agency. Indonesians, Vietnamese and Filipinos make up the vast majority of those foreigners, with comparatively small numbers of Japanese and Americans. Singapore's defense ministry said it wasn't involved in the "workshop" and none of its officials attended in any capacity. Neither the defense nor foreign ministries addressed questions about Singapore's military presence in Taiwan and planning for Taiwan conflict scenarios, including evacuations. China's foreign ministry said it had "always resolutely opposed countries with whom it has diplomatic relations having any form of official relations with the Taiwan region, including military dialogue and cooperation," adding that it wasn't aware of the circumstances of the exercise. Chinese warship Luyang III sails near the U.S. destroyer USS Chung-Hoon, as seen from the deck of U.S. destroyer, in the Taiwan Strait, in June 2023. | U.S. NAVY / MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS ANDRE T. RICHARD / via REUTERS The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which organized the exercise, said in a statement that participants had attended in their private capacities, and that it could not comment on "discussions, attendees, or any other elements." Taiwan's defense ministry and the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta didn't respond to questions. A Pentagon official said they were not aware of any official participation in the event by the U.S. Defense Department. "We routinely engage with allies and partners to ensure readiness for a range of contingencies, but it would be inappropriate to discuss operational planning or hypothetical evacuation scenarios," the official said. Weeks after the exercise, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a security conference in Singapore that the threat of China using force to take Taiwan was "imminent" amid intensifying air and naval operations around the island by the Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army. Chinese officials have said Hegseth and other Trump administration officials are playing up "the so-called China threat," with the Chinese embassy in Singapore saying his speech was "steeped in provocations and instigation." China claims Taiwan as its territory and has never renounced the use of force to seize it. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and his government strongly object to China's sovereignty claims, saying it is up to the island's people to decide their future. One of nine Terrex armored vehicles, which belong to Singapore, waits to be loaded onto a truck at a cargo terminal in Hong Kong in 2017. | REUTERS Drew Thompson, a Singapore-based security scholar, said it was vital for Southeast Asian countries to move beyond war games and contingency discussions to build meaningful, unofficial ties with Taiwan, particularly its military. These countries have diplomatic ties with Beijing and don't officially recognize Taipei. "The big takeaway here is that a plan is one thing but you need the access and the relationships to put it into play," said Thompson, of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, who wasn't involved in the exercise. "Singapore has long had these ties, the Philippines is building them, but it remains an open question whether the other countries in Southeast Asia have the unofficial networks in place to meaningfully engage with Taiwan in a conflict." The Philippines' foreign ministry said its government has contingency plans for a Taiwan emergency, without offering specifics. It added that Manila has "legitimate interest in Taiwan due to geographic proximity and the presence of Filipino nationals there." The foreign ministries of Indonesia and Vietnam didn't respond to requests for comment. Japan's defense ministry declined to comment. Given recent drills in which Chinese vessels encircled Taiwan, some military attaches and analysts say any attempt by Beijing to seize the island could start with a blockade, which would be considered an act of war under international law. A Republic of Singapore Air Force C-130 military transport aircraft arrives at Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri Airport in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, in 2018. | REUTERS The risks are felt acutely in Singapore, a financial and shipping hub that hosts U.S. Navy ships and surveillance aircraft yet maintains strong cultural, diplomatic and economic ties with China. Singaporean forces have conducted military training in Taiwan since 1975, under an arrangement known as Project Starlight. The presence is seldom publicly acknowledged by officials in Singapore, which does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. But it remains important to Singapore's defense forces, according to seven diplomats and security scholars familiar with the matter. Singapore rotates up to 3,000 infantry troops and commandos annually through three training camps in southern Taiwan, according to five of the seven people, where the mountains and jungles replicate conditions found on the Malay Peninsula. "It gives Singapore a useful perch from which to watch both the Taiwan Strait and the top part of the South China Sea," said one Western security official. China has long objected to the arrangement. But Singapore has held fast, in part because a withdrawal would represent a change to the delicate strategic and diplomatic balance around Taiwan, three of the scholars said. Singapore's forces also train regularly in Australia, France, Brunei and the U.S. The city-state has the best-equipped military in Southeast Asia, according to an annual survey of the world's armed forces produced by the IISS. Yet an outbreak of war in Taiwan could trap Singapore's forces there or render them bargaining chips that could give China military and diplomatic leverage over Singapore, according to some analysts and military attaches. In a conflict, Southeast Asian governments would face an arduous task in evacuating their nationals from Taiwan, Ngeow Chow Bing, a Malaysia-based security scholar, wrote in a study published last year by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. But, Ngeow wrote, Beijing has clear incentives to ensure that most, if not all, ASEAN members remain neutral. "If Beijing cares how it is perceived in Southeast Asia during a Taiwan crisis, it follows that Beijing would view the evacuation of Southeast Asian citizens as crucial for its own diplomatic posture," he added.
