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Straits Times
7 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Indigenous lawyer leads race to head Mexico's Supreme Court
Indigenous lawyer and Human Rights defender, Hugo Aguilar, delivers a speech during a rally in support of his candidacy as Justice of Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN), ahead of the judicial and magistrate election, in San Agustin Tlacotepec, Oaxaca state, Mexico May 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Luis Plata MEXICO CITY - Indigenous rights defender Hugo Aguilar is leading in the race to head Mexico's highest court following the country's first popular election to appoint judges and magistrates, according to electoral authority data released on Tuesday. With 90% of votes counted from Sunday's election, Aguilar had some 5.15 million votes, or 5.22% of the total. Lenia Batres, a close ally of the ruling Morena party, was behind him at 4.89 million votes, or 4.96%. Most of the Supreme Court's nine positions are poised to be filled by people linked to Morena, electoral data showed. Over 3,000 candidates stood for judicial posts nationwide. President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrated Aguilar's lead, saying the court had not had an Indigenous leader since Benito Juarez, a Zapotec who led the court during the mid-19th century before becoming Mexico's first Indigenous president. "He is a very recognized lawyer, he has the credentials to join the court," Sheinbaum told a press conference. "This is the goal: equal access to justice for all Mexicans. How would this have happened under the previous process?" Asked about the success of candidates close to her party, she cited opposition boycotts of the vote. "How can they complain if they decided not to participate?" she said. Aguilar, a Mixtec lawyer from the southern state of Oaxaca, is currently lead rights coordinator for the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), having been appointed in 2018 by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He studied constitutional law and has worked in various government offices as a coordinator and adviser for Indigenous rights, as well as land and agrarian affairs. Voting on Sunday for some 2,600 judges and magistrates attracted an estimated 13% turnout. Critics denounced the process as too complex and said the vote could undermine the independence of the country's judicial system. Speaking at a campaign event in his hometown of San Agustin Tlacotepec late last month, Aguilar said although the reform was controversial, Indigenous groups saw it as a historic opportunity for representation. "The court has traditionally had private and financial sector jurists," Aguilar said. "We haven't had a labor lawyer who addresses workers' rights, an agrarian lawyer who addresses rural rights, or who understands this part of the population." "The rights of the most vulnerable sectors of this country should matter," he added. Aguilar, who said that if elected to the court he would wear Indigenous dress, has vowed to prioritize the collective decision-making rights of Indigenous communities. Indigenous groups are allowed to apply their own traditions within the bounds of Mexican law, but conflicts have arisen over issues such as child marriage and ancestral land rights that clash with mining or infrastructure projects. Some 23 million Mexicans - around 19% - consider themselves Indigenous, according to a 2020 census. However, they face disproportionate poverty and low political representation. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Real Madrid Player to Face Criminal Proceedings in Alleged Video Scandal Involving a Minor
Ahead of one of the last games for Carlo Ancelotti against Mallorca as the Real Madrid manager, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Canary Islands judge officially legitimized the lawsuit against Raúl Asencio and three other minor Real Madrid players. According to the Spanish journal Marca, a statement released on Wednesday by the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, the judge overseeing the case informed that the investigations are concluded and will now formally initiate criminal proceedings against the four individuals. This will open a path for the Public Prosecutor and the plaintiffs to file charges and request the opening of a trial. Advertisement The Court of Instruction No. 3 of San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria) has formally charged Real Madrid defender Raúl Asencio and his former youth teammates Andrés García, Ferrán Ruiz, and Juan Rodríguez for recording sexual images of two women — one of whom is a minor — and distributing them without their consent. The players are being accused of unlawful disclosure of secrets and violation of privacy without consent, distribution and sharing of the videos with third parties without informing or obtaining the consent of the victims, the recording or use of minors for pornographic purposes, and possession of child pornography. Asencio talks about the issue for the first time The case goes back to September 2023, when the investigation was opened against Raúl Asencio and the three other players. The Real Madrid defender addressed the issue only once since it became public, in an interview on RTVE. 'I think everyone is aware of what they do. That's why I'm very calm about it. So, well, taking it day by day, in the end it's a question of deadlines. Well, I've noticed that change in pressure on the pitch. It's logical, isn't it? With the change of category... But hey, I'm a person who likes it, who is motivated by feeling that pressure. I think I've been used to feeling that pressure at Madrid since I was little. It motivates me even more." Advertisement Not much time later, Real Madrid was playing Real in the Copa del Rey semifinal, and was withdrawn in halftime after Carlo Ancelotti claimed he was affected by the chants 'Asencio die'. The legal actions taken by the court come at the same time Asencio is set to renew his contract with Real Madrid, putting the club in a position with the arrival of Xabi Alonso and new signings coming in. The player does no
Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Colombia's top court orders arrests of former legislature presidents
General view of the facilities of the Supreme Court of Justice in Bogota, Colombia August 16, 2024. REUTERS/Nathalia Angarita/File Photo BOGOTA - Colombia's Supreme Court on Wednesday issued arrest orders for Ivan Name, the former president of the country's Senate, and Andres Calle, the former president of the House of Representatives, over corruption allegations. Name, of the Alianza Verde party, and Calle, of the Liberal party, are accused of receiving 4 billion pesos (about $1 million) to help secure congressional approval for key legislation under President Gustavo Petro. The accusations were made by former officials from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), who are already in prison as part of the ongoing investigation. Both Name and Calle have denied the charges. Name has already been detained by police officials. As a result of the criminal proceedings, the lawmakers' congressional seats will be vacated and cannot be replaced while the legal process is underway. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Guinea-Bissau president to run for second term, backtracking on vow to step down
BISSAU (Reuters) - Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said on Monday he would run for a second term in November, backtracking on earlier vows to step down and potentially stoking tensions over when his current term ends and over postponed elections. Embalo, after a trip to Russia, Azerbaijan and Hungary, told reporters at the airport: "I will be a candidate in my own succession." Embalo has been at odds with the political opposition in the coup-prone West African nation over when his current five-year term, which began in 2020, ends. The opposition says it ran out at the end of February, while the Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that it ends on September 4. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. There has also been disgruntlement after Embalo said presidential and legislative elections would not be held until November 30 this year. Originally scheduled for November 2024, the parliamentary polls were indefinitely postponed, citing technical and financial obstacles and scrambling the electoral calendar. "I will talk to the political parties first about the forthcoming elections, and then I will issue a presidential decree," Embalo said late on Monday. A 52-year-old former army general, Embalo inherited a long-running political impasse in a country where coups and unrest have been common since independence from Portugal in 1974. He has said there were two attempts to overthrow him during his presidency, the latest in December 2023. The president said last year that his wife had dissuaded him from running for a second term.
Reuters
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Guinea-Bissau president to run for second term, backtracking on vow to step down
BISSAU, March 4 (Reuters) - Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said on Monday he would run for a second term in November, backtracking on earlier vows to step down and potentially stoking tensions over when his current term ends and over postponed elections. Embalo, after a trip to Russia, Azerbaijan and Hungary, told reporters at the airport: "I will be a candidate in my own succession." Embalo has been at odds with the political opposition in the coup-prone West African nation over when his current five-year term, which began in 2020, ends. The opposition says it ran out at the end of February, while the Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that it ends on September 4. There has also been disgruntlement after Embalo said presidential and legislative elections would not be held until November 30 this year. Originally scheduled for November 2024, the parliamentary polls were indefinitely postponed, citing technical and financial obstacles and scrambling the electoral calendar. "I will talk to the political parties first about the forthcoming elections, and then I will issue a presidential decree," Embalo said late on Monday. A 52-year-old former army general, Embalo inherited a long-running political impasse in a country where coups and unrest have been common since independence from Portugal in 1974. He has said there were two attempts to overthrow him during his presidency, the latest in December 2023. The president said last year that his wife had dissuaded him from running for a second term.
