New Zealand Parliament votes for record suspensions of 3 lawmakers who performed Māori haka

New Zealand Parliament votes for record suspensions of 3 lawmakers who performed Māori haka

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand legislators voted Thursday to enact record suspensions from Parliament for three lawmakers who performed a Māori haka to protest a proposed law. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke received a seven-day ban and her colleagues from Te Pāti Māori, the Māori Party, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi, are barred for 21 days. Three days had been the longest ban from New Zealand's Parliament before. They performed the haka last November to oppose a bill they said would reverse Indigenous rights. The protest provoked months of dispute among lawmakers about what the consequences should be. Thursday's vote followed hours of fraught debate in Parliament.

byAlpha World

in

June 04, 2025

New Zealand Parliament votes for record suspensions of 3 lawmakers who performed Māori haka

New Zealand Parliament votes for record suspensions of 3 lawmakers who performed Māori haka WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand legis...

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South Korea's liberal-led legislature passes bills calling for special probes into Yoon and wife

South Korea's liberal-led legislature passes bills calling for special probes into Yoon and wife

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's liberal-led legislature on Thursday passed bills to launch special investigations into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law in December and criminal allegations against his wife, targeting the ousted conservative a day after his liberal successor took office. The bills previously were vetoed by Yoon and South Korea's caretaker government after his Dec. 14 impeachment over the martial law debacle. They are expected to be signed by new President Lee Jae-myung, a Democrat whowon Tuesday's snap electiontriggered by Yoon's formal removal from office in April. Many members of the conservative People Power Party refused to participate in the votes, which took place after one of the party's lawmakers accused the liberals in a speech of being driven by vendetta. Lee, who as an opposition leader drove the legislative efforts to impeach and oust Yoon, pinned his presidential campaign on unity, promising not to target conservatives and calling for an end to political polarization. Yet Lee has vowed a full investigation into Yoon's martial law stunt and the allegations surrounding his wife, moves that couldovershadow the new governmentand inflame tensions as Yoon faces ahigh-stakes rebellion trialcarrying a possible death sentence. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Officeindicted Yoonin January over his Dec. 3 martial law decree, charging him with masterminding a rebellion and describing his power grab as an illegal bid to seize the legislature and election offices and arrest political opponents. Liberals have insistedindependent investigationsinto Yoon are essential, saying probes by prosecutors, police and an anti-corruption agency were inadequate and hampered by Yoon's refusal to cooperate. If Lee approves the launch of independent investigations, special prosecutors could request the transfer of relevant cases for expanded probes, or direct public or military prosecutors to continue handling them under their supervision. The bills calling for independent investigations into Yoon's martial law decree and criminal allegations involving his wife both passed by a vote of 194 to 3. Dozens of retired marines, dressed in red shirts, saluted and cheered from an observation box after lawmakers passed the bill for a special prosecutor investigation into the marine's death, which also passed 194 to 3. Yoon's martial law decreelasted only a few hoursafter a quorum of lawmakers pushed past a blockade of hundreds of heavily armed soldiers and voted to revoke the measure. Yoon defended the move as a necessary act of governance, accusing the Democrats, whom he labeled "anti-state forces," of abusing their majority to obstruct his agenda and paralyze state affairs. That same majority now gives Lee a far more favorable path to advance his agenda, though conservatives claim it could grant him virtually unchecked power and allow him to pass laws that shield him from legal trouble. Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, also faces multiple corruption allegations, including claims that she received luxury items from a Unification Church official seeking business favors, as well as possible involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme. She also is suspected of interfering with PPP's candidate nominations ahead of legislative elections in April last year. While in office,Yoon repeatedly dismissed calls to investigate his wife, denouncing them as baseless political attacks.

byAlpha World

in

June 04, 2025

South Korea's liberal-led legislature passes bills calling for special probes into Yoon and wife

South Korea's liberal-led legislature passes bills calling for special probes into Yoon and wife SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea...

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Pirates rookie Mike Burrows shuts down Astros to pick up first win as a starter in 3-0 victory

Pirates rookie Mike Burrows shuts down Astros to pick up first win as a starter in 3-0 victory

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh's Mike Burrows held Houston in check into the sixth inning to pick up the first victory of his career as a starter as the Pirates topped the Astros 3-0 on Wednesday night. Burrows (1-1), whose rise through the Pirates system was slowed by Tommy John surgery in 2023, allowed five hits and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander took a significant step forward after giving up eight runs in 8 1/3 innings across his first two starts since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis. David Bednar worked the ninth for his seventh save. Oneil Cruz and Spencer Horwitz had two hits apiece for Pittsburgh, which snapped a two-game skid. Andrew McCutchen and Isiah Kiner-Falefa both drove in runs against Houston starter Ryan Gusto (3-3) in the second inning to give Burrows all the offense he would need. Jeremy Peña had two of Houston's seven hits as the Astros lost for just the third time in their last 10 games. Gusto, who has split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation, labored through 4 1/3 innings. He needed 83 pitches to record 13 outs and was pulled with two on and one out in the fifth. Gusto allowed three runs on eight hits, with two walks and three strikeouts. The right-hander is 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA in his last six appearances. Key moment Houston's biggest threat came in the sixth when a double by Pena and a walk to Jose Altuve put two on with one out. Pirates reliever Chase Shugart retired the next two hitters, with third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes making a nice play on a grounder by Yainer Diaz to end the threat. Key stat 11-13: Pittsburgh's record since Don Kellyreplaced Derek Sheltonas manager on May 8. Up next The interleague series wraps up on Thursday. Framber Valdez (5-4, 3.12 ERA) gets the start for Houston against Pittsburgh veteran Mitch Keller (1-7, 3.73). ___ This story has been corrected to note that this is Burrows' first victory as a starter. He had a victory in relief in 2024. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byAlpha World

in

June 04, 2025

Pirates rookie Mike Burrows shuts down Astros to pick up first win as a starter in 3-0 victory

Pirates rookie Mike Burrows shuts down Astros to pick up first win as a starter in 3-0 victory PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh's Mike Burro...

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NBA Finals 2025: Thunder are quite aware of chance at immortality, but are more focused on Game 1

NBA Finals 2025: Thunder are quite aware of chance at immortality, but are more focused on Game 1

OKLAHOMA CITY — The NBA Finals feel like new blood, and new blood usually means an unpredictable series, butthe Oklahoma City Thunder are overwhelming favoritesover the Indiana Pacers. Pick a metric. Whether it's the 68 regular-season wins that put them in hallowed territory or the all-time net rating, the Thunder are four wins from putting together one ofthe more complete and dominant seasons in NBA history. [NBA Finals preview: Pacers-Thunder key matchups, schedule, X-factors and prediction] It's not that the Indiana Pacers are some slouches. These two are the best teams in the NBA since Jan. 1 — but there appears to be such a gap between them, it must be acknowledged. "They're historically great on both sides of the ball," Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. "They have the MVP. I mean, there's so many different things that you could go up and down the list of why they are so great and what they do, and why they're such a great team." Last year's Boston Celtics broke the math, and it was easy to see. They took the most 3s and knew you couldn't keep up. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were seasoned and hardened through the fire of playoff failure, supplemented by so many veterans that the romp through last season and the postseason almost felt ordained. These Thunder don't overwhelm you in that way, but the power is unrelenting. The Thunder defense is as close to dominant as any team the league has produced in this millennium, and as Haliburton mentioned, the Thunder employ the NBA's Most Valuable Player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Having been off for nearly a week, time could've allowed the Thunder to reflect on how great they've been to this point. "Honestly, not really. I've been so focused on Game 1," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Being the best version of myself for this group and trying to make sure we're clicking on all cylinders on the biggest stage for our careers, that's been the front of my mind." Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned he tries to take his mind off basketball during his idle time, so he's not inundated with thoughts and information and attention. "That's all I'm really worried about, when I do worry about basketball," he said. "I haven't taken the time to look back, see all the things we've done. But I will when it's all over, for sure." Haliburton's words aren't mere platitudes, it just feels like he acknowledges how the series is viewed from 30,000 feet. "We know the odds are stacked against us, but you know, it is what it is," Haliburton said. "We want to be here. We want to play against the best, and this is the best. So we're looking forward to challenges." The Pacers knocked off the favored New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, and before that, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. This isn't new, the public viewing the Pacers as the lesser team for the third straight round. "I think we focus on ourselves," Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said. "I think I don't think we expect anyone to pick us up. And that's been like that the whole playoffs. It's been like that the whole season. So I think for us, nothing really changes. It's always been us against anyone, so it doesn't change." But these Thunder are different. They have basically the same odds to win it all as the 1986 Boston Celtics and 2004 Los Angeles Lakers as betting favorites, two totally different squads. The Celtics were arguably the best of the Larry Bird-led teams, as he won the last of three straight MVPs, and they waxed the Houston Rockets in six games. The 2004 Lakers were a drama-filled mess, and yet most believed they would run over the Detroit Pistons. Instead, it was a five-game win by Detroit — and the Lakers were lucky to win one. Oklahoma City doesn't fit either bill, but the dominance is closer to the Celtics — it's just those Celtics had been champions twice over by that point. These Thunder are still searching for their first title since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008-09. Thunder forward Jalen Williams can't recall exactly when, but he believes it was midseason when he realized the type of run this team was on. Again, they were the top seed in the West last season, tied with the Denver Nuggets for 57 wins, but this year has been an all-around thrashing of the competition. "Not having bigs, Hart and Chet were out the majority of [this] season," Williams said, remarking of a stretch when starting center Isaiah Hartenstein had missed time early in the season and a few games around January, along with Chet Holmgren missing significant time with a hip injury from November to early February. Yet, they were 40-9. "I think for us to be as successful as we were during that. I think was a big moment for us. "But at the same time, it's a very, like, weird position you get put in because you want to ... you want to look back at the regular season, but you really don't get any regular-season awards. I think just the playoffs come up so fast, you can't really look back at it." Williams has elevated to being an All-NBA third-teamer as well as a second-team defender. His growth has raised the ceiling to something immeasurable in a short period of time. Even he can't fully chart his own growth — well, he can in a way, attributing so much of this to a growth spurt in college that took him from being a guard to a wing. Going from 6-foot-1 to 6-6 means one has the best of both worlds. He can defend his position or switch onto guards without much trouble — and he's always been used to defending bigger players, so the added height was a bonus. "So I was short for a long time," Williams said. "Obviously, the taller you are, you can guard more positions. I think I was in a really good position where, as a rookie, I was able to do like, trial and error and do a bunch of stuff like that. "So when I get to these moments now, I've had more years under my belt. So I learned how to guard bigger guys, learn how to guard smaller guards." Haliburton isn't exactly small, but he'll see Williams and his bag of tricks at some point this series. "If we're gonna win a championship, I don't wanna win any other way," Haliburton said. "I don't wanna go around or go over. I wanna go through the best team. They're well-coached. There's no shortcuts with this team."

byAlpha World

in

June 04, 2025

NBA Finals 2025: Thunder are quite aware of chance at immortality, but are more focused on Game 1

NBA Finals 2025: Thunder are quite aware of chance at immortality, but are more focused on Game 1 OKLAHOMA CITY — The NBA Finals feel like n...

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Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority

Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority

Democrats will have to win some red states if they have any hope of taking control of the Senate next year, and the senator tasked with leading that effort believes President Donald Trump has given them an opening after he won those states easily months ago. "I look at the map, and every state's on the table because of this growing backlash that President Trump's decisions have created, with his cuts to Medicaid and his unwillingness to address affordability issues," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told NBC News in an interview at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters on Wednesday. Gillibrand also said she isn't ruling out taking sides in Democratic primaries as her party looks to net four Senate seats to take control of the chamber, saying that she is "definitely not ruling out anything in any state." "We're going to look at every state on a case-by-case basis and make our assessment as to who's the best candidate in that state, and then make decisions based on that," Gillibrand said. Democrats' ripest targets in 2026 are GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, which Trump lost by nearly 7 percentage points in November, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, which Trump won by 3 points. Both incumbents are battle-tested, winning contested races in their last cycles on the ballot. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel has already launched a run in North Carolina, while former House staffer Jordan Wood is running in Maine. But Democrats are still eyeing Maine Gov. Janet Mills and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper aspossible recruits. While Cooper is weighing a run, Mills has not exactly sounded enthusiastic about challenging Collins,telling the Maine Trust for Local Newsin April, "I'm not planning to run for anything. Things change week to week, month to month, but at this moment I'm not planning to run for another office." Asked if it has been difficult to recruit against Collins, who has a record of winning tough races, including victory in 2020 even as Trump lost Maine decisively, Gillibrand said negative reaction to Trump's policies is "changing the thinking of a lot of potential candidates." "So I am certain we will have formidable candidates in North Carolina and Maine because of this growing backlash that President Trump has created," Gillibrand said. Even if Democrats win those two states, and hold on to their current seats in other battlegrounds, they would still need to flip two additional Senate seats in states Trump won by double digits last year to get to a majority. That could mean targeting ruby red states like Texas, Iowa, Alaska, South Carolina and others. Democrats do not currently hold a single Senate seat in the 24 states that Trump carried in all three of his presidential runs, after several red-state losses in 2024. And Trump won each of those states by double digits last year. Gillibrand said the "magic formula" for Democratic success involves a combination of "deep Republican backlash" to Trump and some of his policies, like slashing social safety net programs and imposing steep tariffs, and "extraordinarily strong candidates who represent their states well," as well as boosts from the DSCC to help those candidates build up their campaigns. Contested Democratic primaries are already taking shape in Iowa, where GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for re-election, as well as in competitive states where Democrats are defending open seats, including Michigan and Minnesota. Ernsthas also been in the spotlightfor responding to a constituent at a town hall who suggested the House Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts could cause people to die and saying, "Well, we all are going to die." Asked if such comments give Democrats a better shot at defeating Ernst next year, Gillibrand said Ernst's remarks exemplify Trump's "very callous approach towards health care, cutting seniors, cutting people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and veterans off of their Medicaid." Gillibrand said those cuts are creating "a significant backlash that certainly puts a state like Iowa in play" along with "many other red states around the country." Democrats, meanwhile, are going to be focused on "commonsense, kitchen table issues" of affordability and public safety, Gillibrand said. The New York Democrat argued those were winning messages for successful candidates in her home state last year, where she led a coordinated campaign with Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to boost Democratic House candidates. Democrats flipped three GOP-held House seats in New York even as Trump made gains throughout the state. Trump ultimately lost New York but improved on his 2020 election margin by 11 points, which was the biggest swing toward Trump of any state in the country. Republicans are looking to capitalize on Trump's gains as they target Hochul in her re-election run next year, as well as other House Democrats. (Gillibrand said she is supporting Hochul for re-election as she facesa primary challengefrom Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.) Republicans are also looking to reprise attacks on Democrats over whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in female sports. One Nation, a nonprofit tied to the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund,already launched an attackon the issue against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Ossoff represents one of two states, along with Michigan, that Democrats are defending that Trump also carried last year. "Each candidate will address it as they see fit," Gillibrand said when asked how Democrats should respond to those attacks. Gillibrand said she is "very optimistic that Sen. Ossoff will not only win his race, but show rest of the country, you know, who he is and what Democrats stand for."

byAlpha World

in

June 04, 2025

Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority

Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority Democrats will have to win some red...

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