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eNCA
4 hours ago
- Politics
- eNCA
South Koreans rally for presidential hopefuls days before vote
Thousands of supporters of South Korea's two leading presidential candidates rallied in Seoul on Saturday, three days before a vote triggered by the ex-leader's disastrous declaration of martial law. Tuesday's election caps months of political turmoil sparked by Yoon Suk Yeol's brief suspension of civilian rule in December, for which he was impeached and removed from office. All major polls have put liberal Lee Jae-myung well ahead in the presidential race, with a recent Gallup survey showing 49 percent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate. Kim Moon-soo, from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) that Yoon left this month, trailed Lee on 35 percent. Organisers from both camps told police they expected tens of thousands of supporters to rally in Seoul on Saturday. In Seocho, in the south of the capital, Lee supporters gathered holding signs condemning Yoon's "insurrection". "I believe the outcome of the presidential election is already decided," Lee Kyung-joon, a Lee supporter, told AFP. "I came to today's rally to help condemn the forces involved in the martial law attempt," he said, referring to ex-president Yoon's political allies. Yoon is on trial for insurrection and Kwon Oh-hyeok, one of the organisers of Saturday's rally, said a Lee Jae-myung victory in Tuesday's vote was crucial to holding him accountable. "Isn't the People Power Party's decision to run in the snap election -- triggered by Yoon's removal from office -- an insult and a betrayal of the people?" Kwon told rally participants. "Fellow citizens, we must win by a landslide to deliver the justice this moment demands." In Gwanghwamun Square on the other side of town, conservatives -- including supporters of disgraced ex-leader Yoon -- filled the streets holding signs that read "Yoon Again" and "Early voting is invalid!" Yoon's martial law attempt, which he claimed was necessary to "root out" pro–North Korean, "anti-state" forces, emboldened a wave of extreme supporters including far-right YouTubers and radical religious figures. AFP | Pedro Pardo Many have spread unverified content online, including allegations of Chinese espionage and fraud within South Korea's electoral system. That sentiment was on full display at Saturday's conservative rally, where protesters called for the dissolution of the National Election Commission over a series of mishaps during the two-day early voting period this week. "People believe the root of all these problems lies with the National Election Commission, and that it should be held accountable," protester Rhee Kang-san told AFP. Ex-president Yoon sent a message to the conservative rally through a group led by a far-right Christian figure, which was read aloud by a supporter on his behalf. "Our country is now facing a grave and unprecedented crisis," Yoon's message said, urging people to vote for the PPP candidate Kim. "If we miss this opportunity, we may have to pay a heavy price in time and sacrifice, and the restoration of free democracy and a normal state may no longer be possible," the former president said, according to supporter Lee Dong-ho, who read the message aloud and shared it with AFP. - Deepening polarisation - Both frontrunner Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party and conservative challenger Kim have cast the race as a battle for the soul of the country. More than a third of those eligible cast their ballots in early voting on Thursday and Friday, according to the election commission. AFP | ANTHONY WALLACE Overseas voting reached a record high, with nearly four-fifths of the 1.97 million eligible voters casting their ballots last week. Experts say that, regardless of who wins, South Korea's polarisation is likely to deepen. If Lee wins, the conservatives "will do whatever it takes to undermine him and his government, whether their logic makes sense or not", political analyst Park Sang-byung told AFP. "Unless the PPP distances itself from Yoon's extremist base, it could turn to misinformation -- such as unfounded claims of election fraud -- to mobilise the right against Lee. That's a troubling prospect," he said. Whoever succeeds Yoon will also have to grapple with a worsening economic downturn, one of the world's lowest birth rates, the soaring cost of living and bellicose neighbour North Korea. He will also have to navigate a mounting superpower standoff between the United States, South Korea's traditional security guarantor, and China, its largest trade partner. By Claire Lee
Business Recorder
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
At least two killed, six injured in Quetta blast
At least two people were killed and six were injured on Saturday in a blast in an area on the outskirts of Balochistan's capital Quetta, Aaj News reported. The deceased included a tribal leader and his brother, as per initial reports. According to Aaj News, around two hundred gunmen attacked coal mines near Hanna, Orak area on the outskirts of Quetta. The attackers set fire to the coal mines and the equipment present there. One killed, 11 injured as blast hit Quetta PPP rally Upon receiving information about the attack, the coal mine owners arrived at the scene, and an exchange of fire took place between them and the assailants. As the attackers fled, they planted explosive devices at various locations. While pursuing the attackers, the coal mine owners and their companions were caught in an explosion triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED). As a result, the tribal leader and coal mine owner was killed along with his brother while six others were injured, Aaj News reported. The attack comes on the day when Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Quetta to attend a Grand Jirga.
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Sindh govt says will launch new mega projects in upcoming budget
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah convened cabinet meeting with ministers, advisors, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and relevant secretaries to deliberate on the province's budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26, a statement from the CM House said on Saturday. The meeting underscored the government's commitment to inclusive development, poverty alleviation, and sustainable progress in line with the directives of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, it added. Opening the session, Murad Shah said, 'I want to engage all cabinet members thoroughly in shaping the next budget to ensure it addresses the real needs of our people.' Cash withdrawals from banks: FBR proposes raise in WHT for non-filers The CM outlined the core focus areas of the new budget, emphasising water supply and drainage, solar energy expansion, education, healthcare, agriculture, and industrial growth. 'This year ((2024-25), we have not introduced any new schemes under the priority to complete ongoing projects,' he said. For the upcoming budget, he added, Bilawal Bhutto has issued instructions for launching new initiatives that 'bring tangible benefits to the people'. As per the CM House, the important highlights from the meeting included continued rehabilitation efforts for flood-affected communities, repair of schools and hospitals, and launching new mega projects through Public-Private Partnerships to boost infrastructure and services, strengthening social protection programmes aimed at eradicating poverty and increasing budget allocations for repair and maintenance, as well as upgrading hospital equipment and completion of transport projects in Karachi to improve urban mobility. Proposals given by the cabinet members included reducing non-development expenditures and empowering local governments to become financially self-reliant, introducing digital cash transfers with incentives to enhance social welfare delivery, expanding solid waste management and solar energy systems across the province, and constructing new bus stands in multiple districts to improve public transportation. Industrial raw materials: Proposals for duty cuts to be submitted to PM The CM also highlighted the importance of federal-provincial coordination, stating, 'We will finalise the budget based on the federal government's funding commitments (provincial share) and our provincial revenue targets to ensure fiscal responsibility and effectiveness.' 'After Eid, we will hold further meetings to finalise and approve the budget proposals. Our goal is to present a budget that is transparent, development-oriented, and focused on improving the lives of every Sindh resident,' he said.
Business Recorder
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Arshad Nadeem wins Asian Athletics Championship with a stunning 86.40m throw
Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem won the men's javelin final at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea after throwing a stunning 86.40m. India's Sachin Yadav took the silver medal with a 85.16 meter and Japan's Yuta Sakiyama won the bronze medal with an 83.75 meter throw. Pakistan's Muhammad Yasir threw 70.53 meter and 75.39m. President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated the whole nation and said Nadeem 'has once again brought glory to Pakistan'. 'He had excellent performance throughout the championship, including in the final,' the president was quoted as saying in a post on X by PPP. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Nadeem continued to make the nation proud. 'Arshad Nadeem's hard work, dedication and remarkable success serve as an inspiring example for young athletes.' Earlier, the Olympic champion was honoured as Asia's Best Athlete for 2024 by the Asian Athletics Federation (AAF). The award was announced during the AAF's annual meeting held in South Korea, where Arshad received special recognition for his exceptional performances on the international stage, particularly his record-breaking feats at the Paris Olympics. Arshad's crowning moment came when he threw a staggering 92.97 metres in the final round of the javelin throw event at the Paris Olympics, the longest throw in Olympic history. The throw not only earned him a gold medal but also marked Pakistan's first Olympic gold in four decades.
Express Tribune
12 hours ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Trump says Pakistani officials visiting US next week for trade talks
Listen to article US President Donald Trump said on Friday that representatives from Pakistan are coming to the United States next week as the South Asian country seeks to make a deal on tariffs. Pakistan faces a potential 29% tariff on its exports to the United States due to a $3 billion trade surplus with the world's biggest economy, under tariffs announced by Washington last month on countries around the world. Trump's remarks came a day after Pakistan officially initiated talks with the United States on a reciprocal tariff agreement, as Islamabad aims to capitalise on Washington's growing interest in strengthening trade ties with South Asia. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer launched the negotiations during a telephonic discussion on Thursday, an advisor to the finance minister confirmed on X (formerly Twitter). 🚨 Trump: 'Pakistan reps are coming next week. We're very close to a deal with India. I wouldn't be interested in deals with either if they were going to be at war with each other.' As tensions simmer, the US pushes for peace and trade. 🇺🇸🇮🇳🇵🇰#Pakistan — IndiaPulse: News & Trends (@IndiaPulseNow) May 31, 2025 Earlier this month, Islamabad floated the idea of a bilateral trade agreement offering zero tariffs on select goods. 'Pakistan is offering to enter into a bilateral agreement with zero tariffs on selected tariff lines, with mutual interests, to expand bilateral trade across multiple sectors,' sources told The Express Tribune. Islamabad's offer came after the US president brokered a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India following tit-for-tat military strikes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. President Trump claimed credit for preventing an apocalyptic war between the two arch-rivals which 'could have killed millions of people.' Meanwhile, a high-level political delegation from Pakistan, led by PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is set to arrive in New York on June 2. The visit aims to present Pakistan's perspective on its recent military tensions with India, following the Pahalgam attack. The delegation includes PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister Musadik Malik, senior PML-N leader Khurram Dastgir Khan, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, and former foreign secretaries Jalil Abbas Jilani and Tehmina Janjua. During their two-day stay in New York, the delegation will meet with United Nations officials and engage with international media. They will then travel to Washington, D.C., on June 3, where they will begin a series of official engagements on June 4.
