Category: Politics

Ex-student protest leader becomes Chile’s youngest president Left-leaning former student leader Gabriel Boric has vowed to improve the lives of all Chileans and attack deep inequality that has sparked massive protests, hours after being inaugurated as the youngest president in the South American country’s history

Image Icon The Associated Press Chile’s new President Gabriel Boric, left, raises his fist as outgoing President Sebastian Pinera applauds during Boric’s swearing-in ceremony at Congress in Valparaiso, Chile, Friday, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

SANTIAGO, Chile — Left-leaning former student leader Gabriel Boric vowed to improve the lives of all Chileans and attack deep inequality that has sparked massive protests, hours after being inaugurated Friday as the youngest president in the country’s history.

At 36, Boric was only 4 years old when democracy returned to the South American nation following a 17-year military dictatorship that both bloodied and set the groundwork for modern Chile.

Boric has vowed that his young, inclusive government will attack poverty and inequality that he said are the unacceptable underbelly of a free market model imposed decades ago by Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who ruled from 1973 to 1990.

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Here’s why Mayor Wu wants to limit protesting hours outside private homes Mayor Wu said she and her neighbors have faced “targeted harassment” the last nine weeks, with protesters coming to her house to picket at 7 a.m.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu passed a small group of demonstrators as she departed her home in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston in January. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu proposed a city ordinance Monday that limits the times you can protest outside of someone’s private residence to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Reactions to the measure were swift, with some calling it an abridgement of free speech.

But in an interview with WBUR Monday afternoon, Wu defended the ordinance, saying it limits the forms of protest that border on harassment, and that it protects neighbors of public figures who can also bear the brunt of protests at private residences despite having nothing to do with the public figure.

Wu began by saying she values protecting the right to free speech, the right to protest, and the way those things help hold leaders accountable. But at the same time, she said, people in the U.S. are very divided right now, and there is currently a rise in hateful rhetoric.

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Việt Nam a trustworthy partner of UN: Secretary-General Guterres

Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, the newly-appointed Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the United Nations, presenting his credentials to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right). — VNA/VNS Photo

NEW YORK — United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Việt Nam is a trustworthy partner of the UN, and described the country as a successful example of a developing nation, given its achievements so far.

Guterres made the remarks while receiving Ambassador Đặng Hoàng Giang, the newly-appointed Permanent Representative of Việt Nam to the UN, who came to present his credentials on February 25 (New York time).

The UN leader hailed Việt Nam’s capacity to perform important roles at UN agencies, including a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-21 tenure, and engaging in UN peacekeeping operations.

He expressed his hope that, during the office tenure of Ambassador Giang, Việt Nam would continue making effective contributions to UN forums and activities in New York, helping promote multilateralism based on the UN Charter and deepen the growing partnership between the UN and Việt Nam.

For his part, Ambassador Giang conveyed the regards of Vietnamese leaders to the UN Secretary-General, saying that Việt Nam is always a trustworthy and responsible partner of the UN.

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President meets Singapore’s former PM Goh Chok Tong, senior minister Teo Chee Hean

SINGAPORE– President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on February 26 met with former Prime Minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong, and Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean as part of his State visit to Singapore.

President Phúc said that Việt Nam highly valued the precious support that former PM Goh Chok Tong had given to Việt Nam’s socio-economic development since the early 1990s when Việt Nam started its international integration and joined the ASEAN, laying firm foundation for the growth of partnership between the two countries.

For his part, Goh Chok Tong expressed his confidence in Việt Nam’s bright future, stressing that with political stability and a highly open economy, Việt Nam will fulfil its goals for 2030 on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, becoming a motivation of the regional economy.

During the meeting with Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, President Phúc spoke highly of the important contributions that the Minister had made to the bilateral friendship and cooperation between Việt Nam and Singapore.

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