Bolivia issues warrant for Evo Morales’s arrest after court no-show
The ex-Bolivian president is on trial for allegedly fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office. By AFP, Anadolu and Reuters Published On 12 May 202612 May 2026 A Bolivian judge has found former President Evo Morales in contempt of court and reissued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to turn up for the start of his trial on charges of trafficking a minor. The ruling on Monday renewed tensions in the South American country, with supporters of Morales warning they would “throw the country into turmoil” if the former leader is arrested. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Morales, who is Bolivia’s first Indigenous president, is accused of fathering a child with a 15-year-old girl while in office. The parents of the teen are accused of consenting to the relationship in exchange for favours from Morales. The former socialist leader, who governed from 2006 to 2019, has rejected the accusations. Morales did not attend the scheduled start of his trial on Monday in the southern city of Tarija, forcing the proceedings to be suspended. The Public Prosecutor’s Office said Morales’s “unjustified absence” confirmed his fugitive status and warranted an arrest order as well as a travel ban. The former president has been hiding from the law in his central coca-growing stronghold of Chapare since late 2024, guarded by Indigenous supporters who have promised to resist any attempt to capture him. ‘Ready for battle’ “They think that by arresting Evo Morales, they will succeed in quelling and demobilising the movement. They are very much mistaken,” supporter Dieter Mendoza said on Kawsachun Coca radio on Monday. “If they touch Evo Morales, this will cause an upheaval … There will be an insurgency across Bolivia.” Advertisement Mendoza urged residents of the Cochabamba Tropics to remain on “high alert” and “ready for battle”. Authorities first issued an arrest warrant for Morales in October 2024, but could not execute it after his supporters blocked roads for 24 days, preventing officers from reaching the region where he remains sheltered. Morales was already declared in contempt of court in January 2025, when he did not show for a pretrial detention hearing. Wilfredo Chavez, one of his lawyers, told the AFP news agency on Friday that neither Morales nor his lawyers would show up in court, as they had not been “properly notified”. The lawyer said the court did not send the summons to Morales’s address, but had instead served it through an edict. Morales, who rose from dire poverty to become one of Latin America’s longest-serving leaders, has slammed those “that persecute me and condemn me in record time”. His refusal to give up power in 2019 after three terms led to a tumultuous exit that cast a shadow over nearly 14 years of economic progress and poverty reduction. Forced to resign after elections tainted by fraud, he slipped away into exile in Mexico and later Argentina, but returned home a year later. He failed to make a comeback last year after being barred from seeking a fourth term in presidential elections. Adblock test (Why?)
Lebanese in south refuse to flee again despite escalating Israeli strikes
NewsFeed Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reports from southern Lebanon, where displaced residents say they will not leave again despite a sharp rise in deaths and intensifying Israeli strikes. Published On 12 May 202612 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
California ex-mayor admits acting as agent of China, US authorities say
Ex-mayor of wealthy Los Angeles suburb promoted pro-China propaganda at behest of Chinese officials, prosecutors say. Published On 12 May 202612 May 2026 The former mayor of a wealthy suburb in the United States city of Los Angeles has admitted to acting as an illegal agent of China, according to authorities. Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government from late 2020 until 2022, the US Department of Justice said on Monday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Wang admitted that she did not notify the US government that she was acting on behalf of China while promoting pro-Beijing propaganda, the Justice Department said. Wang, 58, operated a website, called the US News Center, that published content supportive of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while purporting to provide news for Chinese Americans, the department said. Wang ran the site with Yaoning Sun, a Californian man who was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government in October 2025, according to US prosecutors. Wang’s activities included republishing a “PRC official-written essay” that denied allegations that the Chinese government was committing genocide against ethnic-minority Uighurs in its far-western region of Xinjiang, according to prosecutors. Wang resigned as mayor on Monday, according to a statement published on the City of Arcadia’s website. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Her lawyers, Brian A Sun and Jason Liang, said Wang wished to apologise for “mistakes she has made in her personal life”. “It is important to note, however, that the conduct underlying the information and the agreement with the government relates solely to Ms. Wang’s personal life – i.e., a media platform that she once operated with someone whom she believed to be her fiancé – and not to her conduct as an elected public official,” Sun and Liang said in a statement. Advertisement “Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver,” they added. “She asks for the community’s understanding and continued support.” US Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg issued a statement expressing deep concern over Wang’s activities. “Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” he said. “It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed.” China’s embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wang’s prosecution comes as US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit expected to focus on the US-Israel war on Iran, trade, and the status of Taiwan, among other issues. The summit comes after the two leaders agreed to a yearlong pause in their trade war during a meeting in South Korea last October. Adblock test (Why?)
PM Modi’s gold, fuel remark sparks political row; DK Shivakumar questions high petrol, diesel prices
PM Modi’s appeal to reduce consumption of petrol and diesel and not buy gold for a year has sparked political row as the Opposition has been angered. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has questioned the rising petrol, diesel and gold prices.
After PM Modi’s appeal, petrol and diesel prices may soon be increased: How much could be the hike?
On Sunday, while speaking at an event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens to cut down on fuel consumption. He urged people to use public transport and carpool, and to take up work-from-home wherever possible.
High-speed bullet trains to overtake airlines on busy short-haul routes, says Ashwani Vaishnaw
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday issued an open warning to airline investors, lauding India’s upcoming high speed rail network and claiming that it will completely dominate various busy short-haul routes, with no scope of competition for airlines.
PM Modi suggests citizens to ditch destination wedding, instead hold them at Statue of Unity, other magnificent venues
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged citizens to abandon the growing trend of destination weddings abroad to reduce the expenditure of foreign currency amid economic pressure from the West Asia conflict. He proposed a unique alternative, suggesting that citizens should look toward the Statue
Who is Sujit Bose? ED arrests former West Bengal minister in municipal recruitment scam case
Sujit Bose was reportedly questioned by the ED for more than seven hours. This marks the first arrest of a high-profile TMC leader since its rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in West Bengal after the recently-concluded election.
After PM Modi’s appeals, I&B Ministry clarifies reason behind his message, emphasises on ‘collective participation’
After PM Modi’s appeals to the nation, urging citizens to become partners in strengthening the country amid the West Asia crisis, a senior official of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Monday emphasised that they were aimed at “collective participation to navigate challenges”.
Suvendu govt appoints Bengal’s top election officer as chief secretary; TMC calls move ‘outrageous’
The move comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed its first-ever government in Bengal following an election marred by controversies. Agarwal’s appointment has drawn sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the party that was in power in the state for the last 15 years.