BUCHAREST: Romanian prosecutors were questioning Wednesday far-right politician Calin Georgescu, who topped the first round of last year’s presidential elections but later saw the results annulled in a shock move that has shaken the country.
The country’s constitutional court in December annulled the elections following allegations of Russian interference and claims of “massive” social media promotion of Georgescu, who shot to prominence virtually overnight.
Georgescu has denied any wrongdoing and called the annulment a “formalized coup d’etat.”
Television footage showed Georgescu entering the general prosecutor’s office flanked by police.
A judicial source told AFP he would be questioned, but declined to comment further.
Earlier Wednesday, authorities searched dozens of premises around the country, according to a statement by the prosecutor’s office.
Prosecutors said the raids were part of a probe into alleged offenses including “establishing an organization with a fascist, racist or xenophobic character” and “false statements regarding the sources of financing of the electoral campaign,” they said.
The statement did not mention Georgescu by name.
“I, on behalf of my voters, but also of those who, although they have other political options, want a democratic and free Romania — am fighting this security system that wants us in slavery,” Georgescu posted on Facebook.
His team said Georgescu was stopped by police in traffic and told to come in for questioning.
Outside the prosecutor’s office, supporters of Georgescu gathered, some with flags and chanting “traitors” and “liberty.”
The decision by the EU and NATO member to annul the vote — rare in the European Union — plunged the eastern European country into crisis, with tens of thousands protesting it.
A new first round of presidential elections will take place on May 4, with a second on May 18 if no first-round candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote.
Romania prosecutors question far-right politician after annulled vote
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Romania prosecutors question far-right politician after annulled vote
- The country’s constitutional court in December annulled the elections following allegations of Russian interference
- Georgescu has denied any wrongdoing and called the annulment a “formalized coup d’etat“
Myanmar quake death toll rises to 1,644 as resistance movement announces partial ceasefire
- The figure was a sharp rise compared to the 1,002 announced just hours earlier, highlighting the difficulty of confirming casualties over a widespread region
- In neighboring Thailand, the death toll rose to 17 after the quake rocked the greater Bangkok area, home to around 17 million people, and other parts of the country
BANGKOK: A unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts was announced on Saturday by Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, which coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military. The country’s death toll from the disaster soared to 1,644.
The figure was a sharp rise compared to the 1,002 announced just hours earlier, highlighting the difficulty of confirming casualties over a widespread region and the likelihood that the numbers will continue to grow from Friday’s 7.7 magnitude quake. The number of injured increased to 3,408, while the missing figure rose to 139.
THE NUMBER OF DEAD ALSO RISES IN THAILAND
In neighboring Thailand, the death toll rose to 17. The quake rocked the greater Bangkok area, home to around 17 million people, and other parts of the country. Many places in the north reported damage, but the only casualties were reported in Bangkok.
Of the death toll, 10 were killed in the high rise building near famous Chatuchak market that collapsed, while the rest were killed in seven other sites. Authorities in Bangkok said 83 people were unaccounted for.
On Saturday, more heavy equipment was brought in to move the tons of rubble, but hope was fading among friends and relatives.
“I was praying that that they had survived, but when I got here and saw the ruin — where could they be? said 45-year-old Naruemol Thonglek, sobbing as she awaited news about her partner, who is from Myanmar, and five friends who worked at the site.
AID EFFORTS IN MYANMAR HINDERED BY DAMAGE TO AIRPORTS
In Myanmar, rescue efforts so far are focused on the major stricken cities of Mandalay, the country’s No. 2 city, and Naypyitaw, the capital.
But even though teams and equipment have been flown in from other nations, they are hindered by damage to airports. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press show that the earthquake toppled the air traffic control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport as if sheered from its base.
It wasn’t immediately clear if there had been any casualties from its collapse.
MYANMAR’S CIVIL WAR ALSO AN OBSTACLE
Another major complication is the civil war roiling much of the country, including the quake-affected areas. In 2021, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has since turned into significant armed resistance.
Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are incredibly dangerous or simply impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations.
The interplay of politics and disaster was demonstrated Saturday night, when Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts.
It said its armed wing, the People’s Defense Force, will implement a two-week pause in offensive military operations starting Sunday in earthquake-affected areas and it would also collaborate with the UN and international nongovernmental organizations “to ensure security, transportation, and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps,” in the areas it controls.
The resistance organization said it reserved the right to fight back in defense if attacked.
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN CITIES
The earthquake struck midday Friday with an epicenter not far from Mandalay, followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 6.4. It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads and caused bridges to collapse.
In Naypyitaw, crews worked Saturday to repair damaged roads, while electricity, phone and Internet services remained down for most of the city. The earthquake brought down many buildings, including multiple units that housed government civil servants, but that section of the city was blocked off by authorities on Saturday.
An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that it’s allocating $5 million from a Central Emergency Response Fund for “life-saving assistance.”
The immediate planned measures include a convoy of 17 cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies from China that is expected to arrive on Sunday, it said.
It noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned of a “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anaesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers.”
ALLIES BRINGING IN RESCUE CREWS AND RELIEF MATERIALS
Myanmar’s friends and neighbors have already brought in rescue personnel and relief materials. China and Russia are the largest suppliers of weapons to Myanmar’s military, and were among the first to step in with humanitarian aid.
In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military government, said that Myanmar was ready to accept outside assistance.
China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators, and pledged around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said that it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies, and the country’s Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team to Myanmar.
Other countries like India, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore are also sending help, and US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington was going to help with the response.
The ceasefire plan announced by the opposition National Unity Government also proposed to provide health care professionals loyal to its resistance movement to work with international humanitarian organizations to deliver emergency rescue and medical services in areas under the military’s control, if provided with safety guarantees.
The military has heavily restricted much-needed aid efforts to the large population already displaced by war even before the earthquake. Sympathizers of the resistance have urged that relief efforts incorporate aid freely transported to areas under the control of the resistance, so it can’t be weaponized by the army.
There was no immediate comment by the military to the announcement.
Military forces continued their attacks even after the quake, with three airstrikes in northern Kayin state, also called Karenni state, and southern Shan — both of which border Mandalay state, said Dave Eubank, a former US Army Special Forces soldier who founded the Free Burma Rangers, a private aid organization.
Eubank told the AP that in the area he was operating in, most villages have already been destroyed by the military so the earthquake had little impact.
“People are in the jungle and I was out in the jungle when the earthquake hit — it was powerful, but the trees just moved, that was it for us, so we haven’t had a direct impact other than that the Burma army keeps attacking, even after the quake,” he said.
Earthquakes are rare in Bangkok, but relatively common in Myanmar. The country sits on the Sagaing Fault, a major north-south fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda plate.
Brian Baptie, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey, said that the quake caused intense ground shaking in an area where most of the population lives in buildings constructed of timber and unreinforced brick masonry.
“When you have a large earthquake in an area where there are over a million people, many of them living in vulnerable buildings, the consequences can often be disastrous,” he said in a statement.
South Korea, China, Japan to strengthen regional trade as Trump tariffs loom
- South Korean, Japanese economies rely on auto exports to the US
- East Asian neighbors to speed up negotiations for a trilateral free trade pact
SEOUL: South Korea, China and Japan agreed to expand trade cooperation on Sunday, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s plans to impose reciprocal tariffs.
South Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Seoul for the first trilateral meeting among the three countries since 2019.
They agreed to speed up negotiations toward a trilateral free trade agreement, which have not progressed since talks first began in 2012.
“We will continue discussions to accelerate trilateral FTA negotiations with the goal of realizing a fair, comprehensive and high-quality FTA that is mutually beneficial,” the ministers said in a joint statement issued after the meeting.
Ahn said cooperation among the three countries was necessary amid “the rapidly changing global economic and trade” environment.
“There is a need for the three countries to cooperate on the basis of mutual respect and trust, in order to create a more stable environment for global trade and investment,” Ahn said during his opening remarks at the meeting.
Ahn and his counterparts also agreed to strengthen the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a trade framework among 15 Asia-Pacific countries aimed at lowering trade barriers, and to expand collaboration in rising industries, including renewable energy and digital transformation.
Sunday’s trilateral meet comes ahead of Trump’s expected announcement of “reciprocal tariffs” on April 2. US officials have previously cited China and South Korea as countries with whom Washington has had “persistent trade deficits.”
On Wednesday, Trump unveiled a 25 percent tariff on all cars and auto parts shipped to the US that is set to take effect on April 3. The move could deal a heavy blow to South Korea and Japan’s economies, which rely on auto exports to the North American country.
After Mexico, South Korea is the world’s largest exporter of vehicles to the US, followed by Japan, according to data from S&P.
“South Korea and Japan in particular are trying to decrease pressures from the US by increasing trade volume with China and Japan,” Park Duck-bae, an economics adjunct professor at Sungkyunkwan University, told Arab News.
“Since they are all facing similar threats from the US, they are getting together to pool their response to the US tariff policies.”
By increasing cooperation with South Korea and Japan, Beijing will be able to strengthen its position in the region, said Moon Heung-ho, an expert on China and honorary professor at the Graduate School of International Studies in Hanyang University.
“China is trying to exert its influence in the Middle East and Central Asia, but it is difficult due to the presence of the US and Russia. They are trying to cozy up with their neighbors first … The fact that the statement stresses norms like multilateralism and free trade is part of China’s strategy to claim the upper hand in its power struggle with the US,” Moon told Arab News.
“Increasing cooperation and driving a wedge between the US and its traditional allies, like South Korea and Japan, is an important win for China.”
China, Japan and South Korea are among Asia’s five largest economies, with the first two holding the top positions, as per gross domestic product. The three countries make up about 20 percent of the world’s population.
Thailand, Myanmar race to find earthquake survivors as death toll tops 1,700
- China, Malaysia among countries dispatching rescue teams to Myanmar
- Bangkok authorities are still trying to rescue survivors from a collapsed building
BANGKOK: Thai and Burmese rescue teams were racing against time on Sunday in a desperate search for survivors, two days after a massive earthquake struck Myanmar and killed more than 1,700 people.
The 7.7-magnitude quake hit midday Friday with an epicenter near Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, destroying scores of buildings and cultural sites and damaging other vital infrastructure, including the local airport.
The extensive damage in a country ravaged by civil war was hampering relief efforts, as the death toll in Myanmar rose to around 1,700 people on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the ruling junta, with about 3,400 others injured and 300 more missing.
“What we’re seeing right now is unexpected, and I cannot imagine what that means for people who are living in those areas,” Marie Manrique, acting head of delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross in Myanmar, said in a video statement.
Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw and Bago are the hardest-hit areas, she said, but impacts of the earthquakes were also felt in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon.
“Many people in the city of Yangon … have not had electricity or running water since the day of the earthquake. So that just gives us a good impression on what the situation is on ground zero in Mandalay and Sagaing,” she said.
Local news outlet Myanmar Now said that crematoriums in Mandalay were “struggling to cope” due to a surge in fatalities.
“Major cemeteries … are overwhelmed, with bodies piling up as families seek to cremate their deceased,” a report from the publication reads.
Foreign aid and international rescue teams have started arriving in Myanmar after the military issued a rare plea for help as the nation grappled with the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country in years.
In neighboring Thailand, authorities said the tremors had killed at least 18 people, with videos posted on social media showing water surging from pools atop high-rise hotels and apartments, while one clip showed a dramatic collapse of a 30-story structure that was under construction.
At least 10 people died on that site alone, which is near the city’s Chatuchak Park.
Bangkok authorities were concentrating their rescue operation on that location, as 78 people remain unaccounted for.
“I would like to confirm that we are doing our best because I believe that there is still a chance to find survivors inside,” Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said at a press conference.
There is a critical 72-hour window to reach those trapped, with some thought to be meters underground.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said in a statement that the operation is being expedited “by utilizing international tools and experts to scan for vital signs.”
The statement read: “The height of the debris is approximately 20 meters, and the tools are capable of accurately scanning positions and relaying information to experts stationed on a crane basket … The search and rescue operation is now focused on the top, with officers racing against time.”
Friday’s earthquake was a shock for Bangkok residents like Paiboon Auengkongkatong, 34, who had never experienced such tremors.
“I never experienced this before … I’ve always stayed in Bangkok my whole life. This is the first time,” he told Arab News.
Auengkongkatong was at a restaurant on the seventh floor of the Central Rama 9 mall when the quake hit. With a group of friends, he then began running toward the fire escape.
“When we were going down, the building was shaking and the walls were cracking,” he said. “Some stones were falling down; that was really, really scary because I didn’t know if it was going to collapse.”
Taliban leader says there is no need for Western laws in Afghanistan
- The Taliban leader says there is no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead as long as sharia laws are in effect
- Hibatullah Akhundzada made the remarks Sunday in a sermon marking the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr in the southern city of Kandahar
The Taliban leader said Sunday there was no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead as long as sharia laws are in effect.
Hibatullah Akhundzada made the comments in a sermon marking the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr, in the southern city of Kandahar’s Eidgah Mosque. The 50-minute audio of his message was published on X by the Taliban government’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
“There is no need for laws that originate from the West. We will create our own laws,” Akhundzada said, speaking in Pashto, while emphasizing the importance of Islamic laws.
The Taliban’s interpretation of sharia has led to bans on Afghan women and girls, who have been excluded them from education, many jobs and most public spaces. Such measures have isolated the Taliban on the world stage, although they have established diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates.
Akhundzada has taken a stronger hand in directing policy since the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021, despite some officials initially promising a more moderate rule.
Akhundzada on Sunday criticized the West, saying non-believers had united against Muslims and that the US and others were united in their hostility toward Islam, citing the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Democracy had come to an end in Afghanistan and sharia was in effect, he said, adding that supporters of democracy were trying to separate the people from the Taliban government.
The Taliban have no credible opposition inside or outside the country, but some senior figures within the administration have criticized the leadership’s decision-making process and concentration of power in Akhundzada’s circle.
Some Taliban want greater engagement with the international community and scrapping harsher policies to attract more outside support. In recent months, however, there has been increased engagement between the Taliban and the US under President Donald Trump, mostly because of prisoner exchanges and releases.
Israel’s Netanyahu says to visit Hungary April 2 despite war crimes warrant
- Orban extended an invitation to Netanyahu despite the ICC’s arrest warrant issued last year
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Hungary on April 2, his office said on Sunday, defying an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
During his visit, Netanyahu is set to hold talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other senior Hungarian officials before returning to Israel on April 6.
Orban extended an invitation to Netanyahu despite the ICC’s arrest warrant issued last year.
One day after the ICC decision in November, Netanyahu thanked Orban for his show of “moral clarity” in extending the invitation.
Netanyahu’s office at the time published what it said was a letter from Orban in which the Hungarian premier denounced the ICC decision as a “shameful” move.
The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes — including starvation as a method of warfare — in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
The war was sparked by the militant Palestinian groups attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hungary signed the Rome Statute, the international treaty that created the ICC, in 1999 and ratified it two years later during Orban’s first term in office.
However, Budapest has not promulgated the associated convention for reasons of constitutionality and therefore asserts it is not obliged to comply with ICC decisions.
