US lawmakers demand Puerto Rico governor resign as protests roil island

Demonstrators chant slogans as they wave Puerto Rican flags during the seventh day of protest calling for the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rossello in San Juan, Puerto Rico July 19, 2019. Picture taken July 19, 2019. (Reuters)
Updated 20 July 2019
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US lawmakers demand Puerto Rico governor resign as protests roil island

  • The protests have also tapped into simmering resentment over Rossello’s handling of devastating hurricanes in 2017
  • Banging pots and pans and chanting “Ricky Resign!,” Puerto Ricans streamed into San Juan’s old city on Friday night and called on Rossello to quit over the misogynistic and homophobic messages

Several US Democratic presidential candidates and lawmakers on Friday demanded Puerto Rico’s governor step down over offensive chat messages, as thousands on the Caribbean island staged a seventh day of protests to seek his resignation.

Banging pots and pans and chanting “Ricky Resign!,” Puerto Ricans streamed into San Juan’s old city on Friday night and called on Ricardo Rossello to quit over the misogynistic and homophobic messages.

The chats, from a Telegram message group and referring mainly to politicians and officials, were published on Saturday.
The leak, running to 889 pages, added to Rossello’s woes after two former officials were arrested by the FBI last week as part of a federal corruption probe in the US territory.

The protests have also tapped into simmering resentment over Rossello’s handling of devastating hurricanes in 2017 and alleged corruption as Puerto Rico’s fragile economy struggles to recover from the island’s bankruptcy.

US Representative Tulsi Gabbard joined the protests in San Juan, saying she wanted to “stand up to corruption,” as other Democratic presidential candidates including Julian Castro and Elizabeth Warren also called for Rossello to quit.

“We must stand with la isla. Rossello must resign,” tweeted US Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, whose mother was born in Puerto Rico.

The island’s nonvoting representative in the US Congress, Jenniffer Gonzalez, earlier called for his resignation, while Rossello’s press secretary Dennize Perez resigned, saying she could no longer hold the position after she was called corrupt in front of her son.

“It’s your turn, Ricky,” protesters chanted on the street after word spread that Perez had stepped aside.
Rossello, who is affiliated with the US Democratic Party, has refused to step down but said he would hold an emergency meeting with leaders of Puerto Rico’s New Progressive Party, which he leads.

Puerto Rico House Speaker Carlos Mendez on Friday announced the creation of an independent committee to determine whether the center-right politician engaged in illegal activity in the chats. The group has ten days to deliver its findings.

The island’s bar association published a report citing clear grounds to impeach the 40-year-old former scientist, based on the “depravity” of his messages.

The chats, revealed by Puerto Rico’s Center for Investigative Journalism, showed how Rossello and allies exchanged vulgar memes and comments as well as privileged information. While opposition legislators back impeachment, the process has yet to gain critical support from lawmakers in Rossello’s ruling party.

But politicians like Gonzalez are increasingly concerned about Puerto Rico’s “anarchic” image after clashes in San Juan this week and allegations the two administration officials arrested by the FBI stole government funds.

The violence and political turmoil comes at a critical stage in the US territory’s bankruptcy process. It has also raised concerns with US lawmakers who are weighing the island’s requests for billions of federal dollars for health care and hurricane recovery efforts.

“The island cannot afford to lose already approved federal resources, nor the ones we are working to obtain,” Gonzalez said in her letter to Rossello urging him to step aside.


India defense minister heads to China summit

Updated 5 sec ago
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India defense minister heads to China summit

  • Rajnath Singh will join fellow regional defense ministers in China’s Qingdao city for SCO summit starting Wednesday 
  • He will call for joint, consistent efforts to eliminate “terrorism” and extremism in the region, says Indian defense ministry 

NEW DELHI: Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to China this week for talks with his regional counterparts, New Delhi said Tuesday.

Ties between the world’s two most populous nations have improved in recent months, after hitting a low in 2020 over a deadly clash between their troops on the Himalayan border.

Singh will join fellow defense ministers in the eastern city of Qingdao for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit starting Wednesday.

He will “outline India’s vision toward achieving greater international peace & security, call for joint & consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism & extremism in the region,” a defense ministry statement said.

Singh will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from China and Russia, which are alliance members alongside Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

Ahead of the two-day SCO meeting, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held talks in Beijing with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

Doval “underscored the need to promote the overall development of the India-China bilateral relations,” New Delhi said Monday.

Wang said relations have “seen some positive developments” since the two countries’ leaders met last year, China’s foreign ministry said.

Beijing has granted permission to Indian pilgrims wishing to trek to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a site holy to Hindus and Buddhists, for the first time since the deadly 2020 clash.

The rival countries have also agreed to expedite resuming direct flights.


France orders Tesla to end ‘deceptive commercial practices’

Updated 4 min 36 sec ago
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France orders Tesla to end ‘deceptive commercial practices’

PARIS: French anti-fraud authorities said on Tuesday they have ordered US electric car giant Tesla’s local subsidiary to stop “deceptive commercial practices” after an investigation found several violations harmful to consumers and contrary to law.
The fraud prevention and consumer protection agency (DGCCRF) said its agents investigated Tesla’s French subsidiary between 2023 and 2024 after reports were filed on a consumer complaint platform.
The probe revealed “deceptive commercial practices regarding the fully autonomous driving capabilities of Tesla vehicles, the availability of certain options and vehicle trade-in offers,” it said.
The agency also cited delays in refunding canceled orders, a lack of information on the location of deliveries and incomplete sales contracts, among other violations.
Tesla was given four months to comply with regulations.
It faces a daily fine of 50,000 euros ($58,000) if it fails to stop deceptive commercial practices over the fully autonomous driving option of certain Tesla models.
Tesla did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Tesla sales have tanked in Europe in recent months owing to an aging fleet of cars, rising competition and consumer distaste for Elon Musk’s role in US President Donald Trump’s administration.


Japan conducts its first missile test on its own territory

Updated 7 min 34 sec ago
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Japan conducts its first missile test on its own territory

TOKYO: Japan’s army announced Tuesday that it conducted a missile test for the first time on Japanese territory.
The test-firing of the Type-88 surface-to-ship short range missile was conducted Tuesday at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido.
The exercise by the Ground Self-Defense Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade was joined by about 300 soldiers who fired at an unmanned boat about 40 kilometers (24 miles) off the southern coast of Hokkaido, officials said.
Officials were still examining the results of the test, they said.
The test was conducted as Japan accelerates its military buildup to acquire strike-back capabilities as a deterrence to China.
Japan plans to deploy long-range cruise missiles, including Tomahauks, beginning later this year.
Japan has previously conducted missile tests overseas, including in the territories of its defense partners such as the United States and Australia.

Netherlands to send 175 million euros of military aid to Ukraine, expands drone cooperation

Updated 24 June 2025
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Netherlands to send 175 million euros of military aid to Ukraine, expands drone cooperation

THE HAGUE: The Netherlands will provide Ukraine with 100 drone-detection radars and 20 medical evacuation vehicles as part of a new 175 million euro ($202 million) aid package, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on Tuesday.
Delivery of the radars, which will help identify incoming drones and relay data to air defense systems, is expected to be completed by year-end.
In a statement on Friday, the Dutch Defense Ministry specified that 80 million euros of the package will go toward drone support through the international drone coalition.
The move on Tuesday follows a 500 million euro deal to produce 600,000 drones with the Ukrainian defense industry, Brekelmans said ahead of a NATO Summit in The Hague.
The Netherlands has pledged about 10 billion euros in military support for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in early 2022.


Zelensky-Trump meeting planned Wednesday: Ukraine presidency

Updated 24 June 2025
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Zelensky-Trump meeting planned Wednesday: Ukraine presidency

KYIV: Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump are planning to meet Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency told AFP.
“The teams are finalizing the details,” the source told AFP, adding that the talks were scheduled for the “early afternoon” in the Netherlands and would focus on sanctions against Russia and arms procurement for Kyiv.