Latest from Straits Times
Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US court lets Trump keep control of California National Guard for now
FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator raises his hand holding flowers as members of the National Guard stand in formation outside a federal building during the No Kings protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo US court lets Trump keep control of California National Guard for now WASHINGTON - A U.S. appeals court let Donald Trump retain control on Thursday of California's National Guard while the state's Democratic governor proceeds with a lawsuit challenging the Republican president's use of the troops to quell protests in Los Angeles. Trump's decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil and inflamed political tension in the country's second most-populous city. On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals extended its pause on U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's June 12 ruling that Trump had unlawfully called the National Guard into federal service. Trump probably acted within his authority, the panel said, adding that his administration probably complied with the requirement to coordinate with Governor Gavin Newsom, and even if it did not, he had no authority to veto Trump's directive. "And although we hold that the president likely has authority to federalize the National Guard, nothing in our decision addresses the nature of the activities in which the federalized National Guard may engage," it wrote in its opinion. Newsom could still challenge the use of the National Guard and U.S. Marines under other laws, including the bar on using troops in domestic law enforcement, it added. The governor could raise those issues at a court hearing on Friday in front of Breyer, it said. In a post on X after the decision, Newsom vowed to pursue his challenge. "The president is not a king and is not above the law," he said. "We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump's authoritarian use of U.s. military soldiers against our citizens." Trump hailed the decision in a post on Truth Social. "This is a great decision for our country and we will continue to protect and defend law-abiding Americans," he said. "This is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should state and local police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done." Breyer's ruling was issued in a lawsuit against Trump's action brought by Newsom. Breyer ruled that Trump violated a U.S. law governing a president's ability to take control of a state's National Guard by failing to coordinate with the governor. It also found that the conditions set out under the statute to allow this move, such as a rebellion against federal authority, did not exist. Breyer ordered Trump to return control of California's National Guard to Newsom. Hours after Breyer acted, the 9th Circuit panel had put the judge's move on hold protests and turmoil in Los Angeles over Trump's immigration raids, the president on June 7 took control of California's National Guard and deployed 4,000 troops against Newsom's wishes. Trump also ordered 700 U.S. Marines to the city after sending in the National Guard. Breyer has not yet ruled on the legality of the Marine Corps mobilization. At a court hearing on Tuesday on whether to extend the pause on Breyer's decision, members of the 9th Circuit panel questioned lawyers for California and the Trump administration on what role, if any, courts should have in reviewing Trump's authority to deploy the troops. The law sets out three conditions by which a president can federalize state National Guard forces, including an invasion, a "rebellion or danger of a rebellion" against the government or a situation in which the U.S. government is unable with regular forces to execute the country's laws. The appeals court said the final condition had probably been met because protesters hurled items at immigration authorities' vehicles, used trash dumpster as battering rams, threw Molotov cocktails and vandalized property, frustrating law enforcement. The Justice Department has said once the president determines that an emergency exists that warrants the use of the National Guard, no court or state governor can review that decision. The appeals court rejected that argument. The protests in Los Angeles ran for more than a week before they ebbed, leading Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to lift a curfew she had imposed. In its June 9 lawsuit California said Trump's deployment of the National Guard and the Marines violated the state's sovereignty and U.S. laws that forbid federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement. The Trump administration has denied that troops are engaging in law enforcement, saying they are instead protecting federal buildings and personnel, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The 9th Circuit panel is comprised of two judges appointed by Trump during his first term and one appointee of Democratic former President Joe Biden. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israeli PM Netanyahu draws backlash after citing ‘personal cost' of Iran-Israel war - postponing his son's wedding
Mr Netanyahu (middle) said everyone bear a personal cost due to the ongoing conflict, including his family. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Israeli PM Netanyahu draws backlash after citing 'personal cost' of Iran-Israel war - postponing his son's wedding Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked an uproar after he cited the postponement of his son's wedding as his 'personal cost' amid the ongoing Israel-Iran war. Speaking in front of the missile-struck Soroka Medical Centre in southern Israel on June 19, Mr Netanyahu has initially tried to draw a parallel between Israel's current crisis and Britain's resilience during World War II. 'It really reminds me of the British people during the blitz. We are going through a blitz,' British newspaper The Guardian reported Mr Netanyahu as saying. The blitz referred to the wartime Nazi bombing of Britain in which 43,000 civilians died. 'There are people who were killed, families who grieved loved ones, I really appreciate that,' he said. Israel began attacking Iran on June 13, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks. Mr Netanyahu said everyone bear a personal cost due to the ongoing conflict, including his family. 'This is the second time that my son Avner has cancelled a wedding due to missile threats. It is a personal cost for his fiancée as well, and I must say that my dear wife is a hero, and she bears a personal cost.' Mr Avner's wedding to Ms Amit Yardeni was supposed to take place in November 2024, but was postponed due to security concerns. The wedding was scheduled on June 16, with Israeli media reported that some anti-government protesters had denounced the Netanyahu family for holding a celebration while Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza. The backlash of Mr Netanyahu's latest remarks was almost instantaneous, with many criticising his attempt to frame his son's postponed wedding as a symbol of national sacrifice. Mr Gilad Kariv, a Member of Parliament, described Mr Netanyahu as 'a borderless narcissist'. 'I know many families who were not forced to postpone a wedding, but who will never celebrate the weddings that were once meant to take place,' he said on X. He was also dismissive of Mr Netanyahu's praise for his wife, Mrs Sara Netanyahu. 'The doctors who leave home for night shifts are the heroes. The teachers who keep our children together on Zoom and phone calls are the heroes.' Israeli journalist Amir Tibon summed it all up by saying on X: 'With Netanyahu, there are no surprises: even in moments when personal example is most needed, he is preoccupied first and foremost with himself.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
One Love Asia Festival will return to S'pore on Sept 13 and 14
Taiwanese diva A-mei (left) and Taiwanese singer Angela Chang will headline the first night and second night of One Love Festival Singapore 2025 respectively. PHOTOS: IMC LIVE GLOBAL One Love Asia Festival will return to S'pore on Sept 13 and 14 The One Love Asia Festival music festival will take place on Sept 13 and 14, the fourth time the event is held here. This year's edition will be held at the Bayfront Event Space, where it also took place in 2022 and 2023. The 2024 edition was held at the Padang. Taiwanese diva A-mei, known for hits such as Bad Boy (1997) and Three Days And Three Nights (1999), will headline the first night of the festival. Other acts slated to take the stage on Sept 13 are Mandopop stars Yoga Lin, Kasiwa, Chih Siou and Saya Chang from Taiwan, Chinese-Canadian singer Kelly Yu, and Malaysian singer Firdhaus Farmizi, who also sings in Mandarin. The second night's lineup will be helmed by Taiwanese singer Angela Chang, best known for the uplifting track Invisible Wings (2006). Taiwanese boy band 5566, Hong Kong singer MC Cheung Tinfu and the Simply Live Band, featuring Singaporean singer Jordin Tan, will also take the stage on Sept 14. Chih Siou, who last performed here in April at live music venue Wire Entertainment, and Kasiwa, who won Best Indigenous Language Singer at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards in 2023, will be performing at the festival for the first time. Alongside the musical performances, this year's festival will also showcase visual arts, such as Chinese artist Huang Yulong's Upward exhibition of giant sculptures. Besides taking place in Singapore, One Love Asia Festival has also been held in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Chengdu. The upcoming Singapore edition has been titled 'Volume 7'. It is produced by IMC Group Asia, and about 24,000 fans are expected to attend across two days. Mr Adrian Leong, chief executive officer of IMC Group Asia, said in a statement: 'Our vision has always been for One Love Asia Festival to become a flagship Mandopop event throughout Asia – an intersection where both artistes and fans coalesce to create an impactful shared experience.' Tickets will be available from June 23, at 11am. One Love Festival Singapore 2025 Where: Bayfront Event Space, 12A Bayfront Avenue When: Sept 13 and 14, doors open at 3pm Admission: $198 (single-day) and $338 (two-day) via Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
26 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Wild Rice's Homepar pulled by IMDA, MHA for ‘glamourising drug abuse'
The revised script for the Wild Rice production was found to have breached the Arts Entertainment Classification Code. ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG SINGAPORE - A production by theatre company Wild Rice has been pulled by the authorities for 'glamourising drug abuse', just a day before its staging. The dramatised reading of Homepar by playwright Mitchell Fang has been disallowed in its current form, said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a joint statement on June 20. The revised script submitted on June 5 had substantially changed from the version submitted on April 21, they said. This earlier script met classification requirements and could be staged under a R18 rating. However, the revised script was found to have breached the Arts Entertainment Classification Code (AECC). 'The new material depicts and glamorises drug abuse and portrays an undercover Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officer shielding abusers from detection,' said the joint statement. 'It undermines Singapore's anti-drug policy, our drug rehabilitation regime, and public confidence in the CNB. Performances that undermine Singapore's national interest are not permitted under the AECC.' Homepars are house parties in which the gay nightclub atmosphere is recreated in a living or hotel room. As Wild Rice has chosen not to revert to the April 21 version of the script, IMDA said it has disallowed the performance in its current form. The statement added: 'Singapore's firm stance against drugs remains unchanged, and IMDA will continue to uphold the AECC to protect national interest.' The Straits Times has contacted Wild Rice for comment. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
28 minutes ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Seah Kian Peng to be nominated Speaker of Parliament; Indranee Rajah will remain Leader of the House
Mr Seah Kian Peng has served in the role since 2023, and Ms Indranee Rajah has been Leader of the House since 2020. PHOTO: MDDI Seah Kian Peng to be nominated Speaker of Parliament; Indranee Rajah will remain Leader of the House SINGAPORE – Mr Seah Kian Peng will be nominated for reelection as Speaker of Parliament when the House reopens on Sept 5, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on June 20. Mr Seah is the current Speaker and has served in the role since 2023. Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah has been nominated by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as Leader of The House, the PMO added in its statement. Senior Minister of State for Defence and Sustainability and the Environment Zaqy Mohamad will remain Deputy Leader. Both the Speaker and the Leader of the House are nominated by the prime minister, but the Speaker is subsequently elected by the House when it meets. Both roles do not have term limits. The Speaker is in charge of the administration of Parliament and its secretariat, and presides over its conduct. He or she also decides who has the right to speak and puts the question for the House to debate and vote on. The Speaker also acts as the representative of the House in its relations with other parliaments and welcomes visiting dignitaries. He or she also represents Parliament at national events and during official visits abroad. The Leader of the House is responsible for arranging Government business and the legislative programme of Parliament, and also proposes appropriate actions to be taken on any procedural matters arising in Parliament. He or she also moves procedural motions, such as to extend the times of sittings beyond the usual. For example, during her term as Leader, Ms Indranee has addressed and issued notes on MPs' behaviour, and wrapped up or extended debates on key issues such as the Budget and the 14th Parliament's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Seah, who is MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC , has served as Speaker since 2023. He was nominated and elected following the resignation of the previous Speaker Mr Tan Chuan-Jin after an affair he had with fellow MP Cheng Li Hui was made public. Ms Indranee, who is also Second Minister for Finance and National Development and MP for Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, has been Leader of the House since 2020. She took over from Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu. The opening of a new Parliament following a general election traditionally begins with the election of the Speaker. This will happen on Sept 5 this year, following the polls on May 3. The MPs will then be sworn in, and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is scheduled to deliver an address to the 15th Parliament. The President's Address will set out the agenda and plans of the Government for its five-year term. Ng Wei Kai is a journalist at The Straits Times, where he covers politics. He writes Unpacked, a weekly newsletter on Singapore politics and policy. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
