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The Star
an hour ago
- Business
- The Star
Anti-Trump tide turns tables
THE Trump factor is shaping global politics, one election at a time – just not necessarily to the president's liking. In recent votes in Canada and Australia, centrists revived their fortunes while parties that borrowed from the Maga playbook faltered. Although Donald Trump has been back in power only four months, his policies – from tariffs to upending alliances – have rippled into domestic political battles worldwide. Voters seem to have Trump somewhere on their minds as they head to the polls. Canada and Australia share much in common: a political system, a major mining industry and a sovereign in King Charles III. Now they also share a remarkable political story. Before Trump's inauguration, the centre-left ruling parties in both countries seemed poised to lose power. The front-runners were conservative parties whose leaders flirted with Trumpian politics in style and substance. Yet, within weeks of Trump's return, both political landscapes flipped. The centre-left incumbents surged ahead and went on to win. In both cases, the conservative leaders lost not just the elections but even their own parliamentary seats. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned on an explicitly anti-Trump message, placing the US president's threats to Canada at the heart of his campaign. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not do so explicitly, but both men benefitted from an anti-Trump bump. Pierre Poilievre, head of Canada's Conservatives, and Peter Dutton, leader of Australia's opposition, struggled to shake off damaging associations with Trump. Dutton backtracked on unpopular Trump-style proposals, such as radically cutting public sector jobs. Poilievre never pivoted away, even after Trump threatened Canada's sovereignty. Charles Edel, Australia chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, called Australia's election a 'blowout' partly driven by Trump's implicit intrusion. 'There were enough similarities to the Canadian election to suggest the conservatives' fortunes fell as Trump's tariffs and attacks on America's allies ramped up,' he said. In Canada, some viewed the Australian result as trans-Pacific solidarity. 'Albo Up!' an online meme proclaimed, swapping Albanese's nickname into Carney's anti-Trump slogan: 'Elbows Up!' Carney capitalised on a perception that he would be a steady hand to manage Trump's unpredictable impact on Canada's economy, already hurting from tariffs and uncertainty. His background as an economic policymaker bolstered his image. Across the globe in Singapore, a similar argument for stability also helped the ruling People's Action Party. Last month, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong told his parliament that Singapore would suffer a heavier blow from US tariffs due to its reliance on global trade. Much like Carney, who declared the old Canada-US relationship 'over', Wong issued a stark warning. 'The global conditions that enabled Singapore's success over the past decades may no longer hold,' he said. On May 3, voters returned Wong's party to power – an expected outcome but one seen as strengthened by the party's 'flight to safety' strategy. 'This is another case of the Trump effect,' said Cherian George, an academic who has written on Singaporean politics. 'Deep concern about Trump's trade wars is driving many voters to strongly back the incumbent.' In Germany, the first Western ally to hold a national election after Trump's return, the effect has been less direct but still present. Friedrich Merz, sworn in as Germany's new chancellor on May 6, did not politically benefit from Trump's election the way leaders in Canada and Australia did. However, Trump's confrontations with European allies on defence and trade have helped him since. Merz successfully pushed for suspending spending limits in fiscally conservative Germany, arguing that old certainties about US commitment to mutual defence were gone. 'Do you seriously believe that an American government will agree to continue Nato as before?' he asked lawmakers in March. Meanwhile, the far-right AfD party, embraced by Maga figures and endorsed by Elon Musk, failed to capitalise. Polls suggest its ties to Trump did it no favours. An unpredictable US president can yield unpredictable outcomes abroad, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is learning. Starmer, a centre-left leader who won office before Trump's return, initially won praise for his businesslike dealings with Washington. Unlike Carney, Starmer avoided direct criticism of Trump, seeking common ground and preventing rupture. After a seemingly successful White House visit, even Starmer's political opponents acknowledged his deft handling. At the same time, Nigel Farage – leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party and a close Trump ally – struggled with accusations of sympathising with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yet Starmer soon ran out of steam. He failed to parlay his pleasant US visit into exemptions from tariffs on British goods. Early last month, his Labour Party suffered a significant setback in local and regional elections. It lost 187 council seats and a parliamentary by-election in one of its strongholds. By contrast, Farage's party surged. Reform UK won that by-election, took two mayoralties and made sweeping gains across England. For the first time, it seized control of the lowest tiers of government in several areas. — ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Failure to launch: Who's to blame for Kim Jong-un's dockside disaster?
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, watched the country's newest 5000-tonne destroyer capsize during its launch last week in an embarrassing military failure. Experts say a technique used to manoeuvre the ship into the water sideways was part of the problem. It was the first time analysts had observed North Korea using the sideways launch for warships and pointed to a lack of experience, as well as political pressure from Kim for quick results, for the mishap. Three shipyard officials, including the chief shipyard engineer and a senior munitions official, have been arrested, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, after Kim called the capsizing a criminal act. Satellite imagery from three days before the accident showed the 143-metre-long vessel, the biggest class of warships North Korea has ever built, on top of a launch ramp. About 40 metres from the ship, a structure that appeared to be a viewing area and likely where Kim was stationed during the incident was under construction. The destroyer was assembled in Chongjin, a port city on North Korea's north-eastern coast, which is known for producing smaller vessels, such as cargo ships and fishing boats. In a report published by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a research institute in Washington, analysts said the shipyard 'undoubtedly' lacked expertise in manufacturing and launching large warships. The ill-fated warship was assessed by analysts to be the same size and configuration as the Choe Hyon guided missile destroyer, the North's first destroyer and the most powerful surface ship the country has ever built. That vessel is the pride of Kim's ambitious plan to modernise and expand his Soviet-era naval fleet, and was the centrepiece of a grand christening ceremony last month in Nampo, a west coast port near Pyongyang. State media footage showed an elaborate event with confetti and fireworks that was attended by Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae. A large viewing platform was set up near the Choe Hyun, which was already afloat in the water. That launch went smoothly, according to state media. Engineers used a technique common for large and heavy vessels. They appear to have built the Choe Hyun inside a roofed construction hall in Nampo, brought it out on a floating dry dock and then set it afloat by letting water into the dry dock, said Choi Il, a retired South Korean navy captain. 'The ship looks a bit twisted after the accident. It doesn't appear to have been built with the structural strength required for a warship.' Yang Uk, Asian Institute for Policy Studies, Seoul But the shipyard in Chongjin didn't have a dry dock large enough to build a Choe Hyun-class destroyer, nor an incline to slide the ship stern first into the water. Engineers built the ship on the quay under a netting. When it was completed, they had to launch it sideways off the platform. When properly executed, the vessel glides down the slipway lengthwise and briefly plunges into the water. Often, a tugboat is stationed nearby to assist after the launch. But when engineers tried to push the North Korean destroyer into the water, it lost its balance, state media said. Satellite imagery taken two days after the accident showed the ship covered in blue tarpaulins and lying on its right side. The bow was stuck on the ramp as the stern jutted into the harbour. The viewing platform had been removed. Launching big ships sideways requires delicate balancing work, Choi said. The heavy weapons mounted on the destroyer could have made the task even more difficult, he added. A few days after the first Choe Hyun-class destroyer was launched last month, Kim proudly watched it test-fire various missiles. He has visited shipyards to exhort engineers to meet his timetable for naval expansion and appears to have planned to launch the second destroyer with similar fanfare and weapons tests. Engineers at Chongjin, who worked with less developed facilities than their peers in Nampo, must have felt enormous pressure after the successful launch in Nampo, South Korean analysts said. That might have led them to cut corners, they said. North Korea has said that it can restore the ship's balance by pumping out the seawater. In another 10 days or so, it could repair the ship's side damaged in the accident, according to state media. But the damage looked worse than the country claimed, said Yang Uk, an expert on the North Korean military at the Asian Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, South Korea. The accident may be due not only to a defective sideways launching system but also to the ship's structural imbalance, he said. 'The ship looks a bit twisted after the accident,' he said. 'It doesn't appear to have been built with the structural strength required for a warship.'
The Age
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Failure to launch: Who's to blame for Kim Jong-un's dockside disaster?
North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, watched the country's newest 5000-tonne destroyer capsize during its launch last week in an embarrassing military failure. Experts say a technique used to manoeuvre the ship into the water sideways was part of the problem. It was the first time analysts had observed North Korea using the sideways launch for warships and pointed to a lack of experience, as well as political pressure from Kim for quick results, for the mishap. Three shipyard officials, including the chief shipyard engineer and a senior munitions official, have been arrested, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, after Kim called the capsizing a criminal act. Satellite imagery from three days before the accident showed the 143-metre-long vessel, the biggest class of warships North Korea has ever built, on top of a launch ramp. About 40 metres from the ship, a structure that appeared to be a viewing area and likely where Kim was stationed during the incident was under construction. The destroyer was assembled in Chongjin, a port city on North Korea's north-eastern coast, which is known for producing smaller vessels, such as cargo ships and fishing boats. In a report published by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a research institute in Washington, analysts said the shipyard 'undoubtedly' lacked expertise in manufacturing and launching large warships. The ill-fated warship was assessed by analysts to be the same size and configuration as the Choe Hyon guided missile destroyer, the North's first destroyer and the most powerful surface ship the country has ever built. That vessel is the pride of Kim's ambitious plan to modernise and expand his Soviet-era naval fleet, and was the centrepiece of a grand christening ceremony last month in Nampo, a west coast port near Pyongyang. State media footage showed an elaborate event with confetti and fireworks that was attended by Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae. A large viewing platform was set up near the Choe Hyun, which was already afloat in the water. That launch went smoothly, according to state media. Engineers used a technique common for large and heavy vessels. They appear to have built the Choe Hyun inside a roofed construction hall in Nampo, brought it out on a floating dry dock and then set it afloat by letting water into the dry dock, said Choi Il, a retired South Korean navy captain. 'The ship looks a bit twisted after the accident. It doesn't appear to have been built with the structural strength required for a warship.' Yang Uk, Asian Institute for Policy Studies, Seoul But the shipyard in Chongjin didn't have a dry dock large enough to build a Choe Hyun-class destroyer, nor an incline to slide the ship stern first into the water. Engineers built the ship on the quay under a netting. When it was completed, they had to launch it sideways off the platform. When properly executed, the vessel glides down the slipway lengthwise and briefly plunges into the water. Often, a tugboat is stationed nearby to assist after the launch. But when engineers tried to push the North Korean destroyer into the water, it lost its balance, state media said. Satellite imagery taken two days after the accident showed the ship covered in blue tarpaulins and lying on its right side. The bow was stuck on the ramp as the stern jutted into the harbour. The viewing platform had been removed. Launching big ships sideways requires delicate balancing work, Choi said. The heavy weapons mounted on the destroyer could have made the task even more difficult, he added. A few days after the first Choe Hyun-class destroyer was launched last month, Kim proudly watched it test-fire various missiles. He has visited shipyards to exhort engineers to meet his timetable for naval expansion and appears to have planned to launch the second destroyer with similar fanfare and weapons tests. Engineers at Chongjin, who worked with less developed facilities than their peers in Nampo, must have felt enormous pressure after the successful launch in Nampo, South Korean analysts said. That might have led them to cut corners, they said. North Korea has said that it can restore the ship's balance by pumping out the seawater. In another 10 days or so, it could repair the ship's side damaged in the accident, according to state media. But the damage looked worse than the country claimed, said Yang Uk, an expert on the North Korean military at the Asian Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, South Korea. The accident may be due not only to a defective sideways launching system but also to the ship's structural imbalance, he said. 'The ship looks a bit twisted after the accident,' he said. 'It doesn't appear to have been built with the structural strength required for a warship.'
AsiaOne
25-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
North Korea detains officials over warship accident, state media says, Asia News
SEOUL - North Korea has detained shipyard officials responsible for a recent major accident during the launch of a new warship, state media said on Sunday (May 25). The failed launch that crippled the 5,000-tonne warship was witnessed by leader Kim Jong Un who said the accident damaged the country's dignity and vowed to punish those found responsible. The mishap likely occurred in front of a large crowd at the northeastern port of Chongjin, increasing the public humiliation for Kim who tried to show off military might, experts say. As the investigation into the case intensified, law enforcement authorities arrested the chief engineer of the Chongjin Shipyard among others, state KCNA news agency reported on Sunday. Satellite imagery shows the warship, covered in blue tarps, lying on its side, with the stern swung out into the harbour, but the bow remaining on the side slipway, according to the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Kim has ordered the ship restored before a ruling party meeting in June. KCNA said the rehabilitation plan was pushing ahead. Against US military buildup in the region, North Korea's armed forces "will thoroughly contain and control all sorts of military threats from the enemy countries", KCNA said in a separate dispatch citing the policy chief at the defence ministry. [[nid:718307]]
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Korea launches investigation into why new warship ended up on its side
North Korea has launched an investigation into how a new warship ended up on its side and taking on water as leader Kim Jong Un looked on in dismay. The destroyer was but a loss of balance saw the vessel sustain damage, state media reported. New satellite imagery shows the warship on its side and covered in what appears to be blue tarpaulin next to the dock at a shipyard in Chongjin. called it a "criminal act" and said the incident "brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse". An internal inspection found there were no holes at the bottom of the warship, but the starboard hull was scratched and seawater flowed into the stern section through the rescue channel, state media KCNA reported. The extent of damage was apparently "not serious" and an investigation has been ordered to find the cause of the accident and those responsible for it. Read more: Hong Kil Ho, the manager of the Chongjin shipyard, was summoned to law enforcement on Thursday as it began measures to detain and investigate those responsible for the failed launch, the report said. "The stern is seen swung out into the harbour as a result of the wheeled units placed under the frame sliding into the water while the bow remained on the side slipway," US-based thinktank Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said, citing satellite imagery.
