In Kyrgyzstan’s snap parliamentary election, allies of President Sadyr Japarov are expected to receive a resounding victory.
No formal parties or organized opposition are present for Sunday’s vote, which will give Japarov more power.
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Since 2020, Japarov, a populist and nationalist, has held steady control of Kyrgyzstan, which has traditionally been the most democratic nation in Central Asia.
A victory for his allies would set the stage for a 2027 presidential election, which is expected to elect Japarov to resign.
The vibrant political life in the mountainous nation of about 7 million people was significant after Kyrgyzstan’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In protests against elections that some claimed were rigged, in 2005, 2010, and 2020, Kyrgyz leaders were overthrown, and the region’s media was historically their freest.
However, Japarov has repressed the media and opposition groups since taking office in response to the protests in 2020.
By November 2026, a vote was scheduled, but the parliament decided to dissolve itself for a quick election.
Western-style thinking “did not work”
The president’s popularity, according to Edil Baisalov, Kyrgyzstan’s deputy prime minister and ally of Japarov, was partly due to rejecting the instability of previous decades, which he claimed had not provided stability or improved living standards.
He told the Reuters news agency, “We spent the first 30 years trying to copy.” We believed that our society would live in Western nations and adopt a parliamentary system akin to Westminster. However, it failed and will continue to fail.”
Baisalov claimed that Kyrgyzstan should be protected from what he claimed were negative social media platforms’ propagating of negative sentiments, in which independent journalists have been labeled as “extremists.”
Bolot Ibragimov, an opposition candidate in Bishkek’s capital, predicted that about 80% of the parliament, which is dominated by allies of Japarov, would be re-elected.
Strong economic growth, the fastest in Central Asia, supports Japarov’s support for banning online porn and forbidding the death penalty, despite rising inflation and power shortages that are lowering living standards.
According to economists, Kyrgyzstan’s rise is largely attributable to its status as a major importer clearinghouse due to sanctions brought on by the conflict in Ukraine.
Numerous Kyrgyz banks and cryptocurrency companies have been subject to sanctions by Western nations as a result of their efforts to evade Russian sanctions.
In the run-up to the election, Japarov has embraced ties to Russia, which has military installations in Kyrgyzstan and employs many migrant workers there.
Authorities in Sri Lanka are still dealing with rising floodwaters in parts of the capital after a devastating cyclone left a trail of destruction, with at least 193 confirmed dead.
More than 220 people are still missing, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), adding that more than 220 of them are expected to be affected by Cyclone Ditwah’s continued heavy rains.
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Five Navy personnel were last seen attempting to shut off overflowing water at a Naval sub-station in Chalai Lagoon, northeast of Sri Lanka, according to a report from the Daily Mirror newspaper on Sunday.
The DMC claims that the country’s nearly 15, 000 homes have been destroyed by the extreme weather system, sending almost 44, 000 people to state-run temporary shelters.
According to Al Jazeera’s Minelle Fernandez, who was based in Sammanthurai in eastern Sri Lanka, the nation is dealing with the storm’s aftermath.
She said, “Some neighborhoods are completely submerged in mud, and each one brings more desperation.” There are also areas where communication has been hampered, and some areas have not yet sent updates.
In other locations, Fernandez noted, newly planted rice was submerged in water as a result of persistent rain.
According to DMC, the Kelani River’s water level was rising, making Colombo’s northern region also vulnerable to a significant flood.
A DMC official stated that while the cyclone has left, heavy rains upstream are currently dredging low-lying areas along the Kelani River.
In Kaduwela, on the outskirts of Colombo, houses are partially submerged in floodwaters after a heavy downpour.
In response to the cyclone’s aftermath, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday and called for international assistance.
India was the first country to intervene, sending two helicopters and relief supplies to rescue missions. Japan pledged further assistance and said it would send a team to assess immediate needs.
The DMC reported that while the island’s rainfall has subsided, several roads in the worst-affected central province have remained inaccessible.
More than 20 000 homes have been destroyed by the extreme weather system, and 122 000 have been placed in temporary housing with the government. After the floods caused the displacement of another 833, 000 people, they needed assistance.
The relief effort has included the participation of civilian workers and volunteers from the army, navy, and air force.
According to officials, about a third of the nation’s power lines and drewn water purification facilities, leaving no electricity or running water. Additionally, internet connections have been hampered.
Since 2017, when more than 200 people have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced as a result of flooding and landslides, the cyclone has become Sri Lanka’s deadliest natural disaster.
Lionel Messi led Inter Miami to their first Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final on Saturday, beating New York City FC 5-1. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano hailed the Argentinian superstar as “extraordinary.”
A revitalized Miami will roar into the championship game on Saturday at their home field in Fort Lauderdale with a Tadeo Allende hat-trick and goals from Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia.
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Messi’s 38-year-old assisted in Miami’s third goal, which was scored by Silvetti as New York attempted to equalize despite not being on the score sheet.
Mascherano described his former Barcelona and Argentina teammate as “Leo has accustomed us to the extraordinary.”
“He’s a remarkable person that we’ll never see again,” he said. Perhaps we’re surprised that he didn’t score, but his third goal, an assist only his can see, gave us peace of mind. He almost sealed the outcome.
In the MLS matchup for next Saturday, Miami will host the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Thomas Muller, a former Germany and Bayern Munich star, led Vancouver to victory in the Western Conference championship game on Saturday with a superb 3-1 victory over San Diego.
After another ruthless, high-scoring demolition job that followed from their 4-0 defeat of FC Cincinnati in the previous round, Messi and his teammates will enter the final beaming confidently.
Allende, who scored twice in the victory over Cincinnati, was once more the centerpiece of the Miami attack.
The 26-year-old Argentinian forward cleverly springs the New York offside trap in the 14th minute and scores a superb second to make it 2-0.
In the 37th minute, New York rallied back with a headed goal from Justin Haak and almost equalized when Rocco Rios Novo, a Miami goalkeeper, was forced into a fine one-handed save.
That crucial near-miss had to occur.
Rodrigo De Paul and Jordi Alba combined immediately for 3-1 in the opening push before Messi slipped a pass to Silvetti, who rifled home.
In the 89th minute against New York City FC, Tadeo Allende #21 of Inter Miami scores his hat-trick. [Rich Storry/Getty Images via AFP]
‘Unbreakable’
Before Allende’s hat-trick a minute from time, which sparked outcry, Segovia put an end to any doubt with Miami’s fourth goal in the 83rd minute.
After a season that appeared to be disorganized earlier in the campaign, Miami is now just one win away from completing a remarkable transformation.
It doesn’t matter who starts, Mascherano said, “We strengthened as a team and came to the end of the season with a brotherhood within the team where everyone rallies together,” Mascherano said. The strength of a group is unbreakable because we are a group.
In addition, Vancouver, who defeated Miami 5-1 on aggregrate in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals in April, made it clear that they would be ready to face off against the star-studded Florida outfit with a stellar performance to defeat San Diego.
With Brian White’s stunning eighth-minute winner, the Canadian club took the lead.
Three minutes later, San Diego goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega was forced to score an own goal by more persistent Vancouver pressure, and a second White goal on the stroke of half-time made it 3-0.
Hirving Lozano’s long-range effort in the 60th minute gave San Diego hope for an unlikely comeback.
However, after Vancouver continued to appear to be the more likely team to score, Sisniega was sent off for beating Whitecaps goalkeeper Ryan Gauld.
Lionel Messi greets one of his children following their game against New York FC [Chandan Khanna/AFP]
According to local authorities, a shooting occurred at a family gathering in northern California’s Stockton, killing at least four people and injuring ten others.
In a Facebook post late on Saturday, Stockton’s vice mayor Jason Lee stated that the shooting occurred at a child’s birthday party.
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He said, “I’m in contact with staff and public safety officials to make sure they understand what exactly happened, and I’ll be asking for answers.”
The victims, according to Heather Brent, a sheriff’s office spokesperson in San Joaquin County, included both children and adults.
The banquet hall, which has a parking lot for other businesses, was the location of the shooting.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office posted a statement on X that read, “We can confirm at this time that four victims have been confirmed deceased.”
Information is still scarce because this is a very active and ongoing investigation. Investigators are looking into all possibilities despite early indications that this may be a targeted incident.
Police said they learned about a shooting that took place close to the 1900 block of Lucile Avenue in Stockton shortly before 6 p.m. (GMT).
The attacker’s identity and motivation have not yet been revealed by the authorities. They did not immediately disclose the extent of the surviving victims’ injuries.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced that he had received updates on the “horrific shooting” in Stockton and would be following up on the deteriorating situation.
In the capital of Manila, tens of thousands of people have marched to demand President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s resignation over a corruption scandal involving government funding for flood control infrastructure.
Protesters marched on the presidential palace on Sunday at the Luneta National Park in Manila, and the rally was organized by the Kilusang Bayan Kontra-Kurakot or the People’s Movement Against Corruption (KBKK).
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Some carried Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte effigies and designated the pair as “corrupt-codiles,” while others held signs that read “Marcos Resign” and “All corrupt politicians must be held accountable.”
More than 20 000 people, according to organizers, are expected.
The “Trillion-Peso” scandal, in which powerful politicians, including Marcos’ allies, are accused of accepting billions of pesos in bribes for contracts on flood control infrastructure that were ultimately either defective or never built at all, is the final outburst of public outcry.
Public outcry has been fueled by the extensive damage caused by two recent powerful typhoons, which have killed more than 250 people.
A former lawmaker charged in the case, Zaldy Co, alleges that Marcos directed him to add $1.7 billion to the budget for “dubious public works” while he presided over an appropriations committee, while two cabinet ministers have since resigned over the scandal.
The allegations have not been proven by the president.
Matt Wovi Villanueva, a 21-year-old student, was one of those present at Sunday’s demonstration, which was followed by a similar protest in September at the presidential palace. Around 300 people were arrested by the police during that demonstration.
Villanueva claimed that he was then beaten and held for five days.
We now have more excuses to return to the streets than in September, Villanueva told Al Jazeera. They continue to treat us like fools. Marcos and Vice President Sara] Duterte must step down if we want genuine justice.
Duterte, the daughter of Marcos and former president Rodrigo Duterte, is the subject of separate allegations of government funding abuse.
A separate “Trillion Peso March” along historic EDSA Avenue was organized by mainstream opposition groups supported by the Catholic Church. The organization stated that they are only waiting for more detailed information about Marcos’ criminal activity to persuade Duterte to step down.
More than 17, 000 police officers were dispatched to Manila for the protests, blocking the KBKK protesters a block away from the city’s gates, and blocking all roads leading to the Malacanang presidential palace.
Former lawmaker Co earlier this month demanded that Marcos have been awarded more than 50 billion pesos ($852 million) in kickbacks from infrastructure projects since 2022, and has requested that the budget’s 100 billion pesos ($1.7 billion) be included in the “ghost projects” budget.
Co also claimed that Co delivered the Marcos residence suitcases worth US$ 1 billion (US$ $17) in cash in 2024.
Co has been a fugitive since July, with Japan his last known destination, and he is accused of pocketing billions from the same projects.
Anyone can make all kinds of claims online, Marcos said in response. He should return home, the president said, “For it to mean something.”
According to Raymond Palatino of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) or Bayan, a member of the KBKK, the president bears an undeniable responsibility for defrauding the public, whether or not he is accused.
He feignes surprise over the scope of corruption, Palatino claimed in an interview with Al Jazeera: “He drafted, signed, and implemented the budget, which was full of pork barrel projects and unusual insertions.”
A protester chants slogans in Manila on Sunday [Aaron Favila/AP]
Palatino referred to the extensive police presence as “overkill” and a “waste of public resources.” He urged Marcos and Duterte to step down “so the country can begin to heal and rebuild.”
Following their removal, Palatino urged the establishment of a temporary, civilian-led transition council to steer the nation’s political resurgence.
However, Claire Castro, the president’s press secretary, has refuted calls for his ouster, claiming that they are unlawful and are motivated by “vested interests.”
In his State of the Nation address to Congress in July, Marcos expressed concern about the scandal. He established the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which is tasked with examining officials who are linked to corruption, in September.
More than 545 billion pesos ($9 billion) are being looked into for some 9, 855 flood control projects.
Additionally, the House and Senate held their own hearings on the matter.
Up to 118.5 billion pesos ($2 billion) for flood control projects may have been lost to corruption since 2023, according to the finance secretary’s statement to lawmakers in September.
Martin Romualdez, Marcos’ cousin and ally who has disputed any involvement but has resigned as speaker of the House of Representatives, is one of those who is being investigated.
Meanwhile, the ICI has not yet investigated president-related allegations of misconduct.
Political science professor Sol Iglesias of the University of the Philippines, a professor of political science, said, “The ICI investigations have not inoculated him from accusations of wrongdoing.”
In response to the protests and the police crackdown in September, she claimed that the “Marcos administration has been bleeding out its credibility.”
