World
Varadkar concedes defeat in Ireland’s referendum on family, women’s roles
The Irish PM had called the referendum a chance to do away with ‘very old-fashioned, very sexist language about women’.
A dual referendum in the Republic of Ireland on redefining family and women’s roles in the constitution has been defeated, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.
The government supported the proposed changes, which would have widened the definition of the family and clarified the duties of women in society.
Varadkar had described Friday’s polls, which deliberately fell on International Women’s Day, as a chance to do away with “very old-fashioned, very sexist language about women”.
He said the government would accept the results.
“I think it’s clear at this stage that the family amendment and the care amendment referendums have been defeated – defeated comprehensively on a respectable turnout,” Varadkar said at a news conference in Dublin on Saturday.
“It was our responsibility to convince the majority of people to vote ‘Yes’ and we clearly failed to do so.”
Official results are expected later on Saturday.
The two proposals would have made changes to the text of article 41 in the Irish constitution, written in 1937.
The first asked citizens to expand the definition of family from those founded on marriage to also include “durable relationships” such as cohabiting couples and their children.
The second proposed replacing old-fashioned language around a mother’s “duties in the home” with a clause recognising care provided by family members to one another.
In effect, the proposal to spread the burden of care for people with disabilities to the entire family from only the mother became a dispute about the extent or willingness of the state to support carers.
Polls had indicated a ‘Yes’ vote
All the major political parties had supported a “Yes-Yes” vote, and until recently, polls predicted a smooth passage for both.
But “No” campaigners argued the concept of a “durable relationship” was undefined and confusing and that women and mothers are being “cancelled” from the constitution.
Meanwhile, ultra-conservative voices argued the changes could constitutionally protect polygamous relationships and increase immigration via migrant family reunions – claims all denied by the government.
By 12:00 GMT on Saturday, it was clear that counting was showing a trend towards a “No” on the two questions.
The votes are the latest attempt to reflect the changing face of European Union member Ireland and the waning influence of the once-dominant Roman Catholic Church.
In recent decades, Ireland has transitioned from a conservative, overwhelmingly Catholic country to an increasingly diverse and socially liberal society.
This shift has been encapsulated in changes to an outdated constitution where single women, until 1973, had to resign from their jobs upon getting married, and married women could not apply for vacancies.
The constitution, the core legal text of the nation, can only be modified through a national referendum.
The country of 5.3 million opted to end constitutional limits on same-sex marriage in 2015 and abortion in 2018.
World
Biden admin urges China show to 'restraint' in Taiwan as former Navy captain warns CCP 'preparing for war'
The Biden administration is warning China to “act with restraint” after the CCP-controlled Chinese military ran provocative military drills near Taiwan on Friday.
Dozens of Chinese navy vessels and warplanes were spotted off the coast of Taiwan on Friday, according to Taiwanese military officials. 49 Chinese warplanes and 19 navy vessels were counted in total.
Taiwanese officials reported that 35 of the Chinese planes flew across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which is considered the de-facto boundary between the two countries.
In a statement published on Saturday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the U.S. is “deeply concerned” over the military drills.
CHINA’S FOREIGN MINISTRY BLASTS TAIWAN INAUGURATION, PHILIPPINES STANDOFF IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
“We are monitoring PRC activities closely and coordinating with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns,” the statement read. “We strongly urge Beijing to act with restraint.”
“Using a normal, routine, and democratic transition as an excuse for military provocations risks escalation and erodes longstanding norms that for decades have maintained peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is critical for regional and global security and prosperity and a matter of international concern,” Miller added.
CHINA SANCTIONS FORMER REPUBLICAN REP MIKE GALLAGHER AFTER TAIWAN PRESIDENT’S INAUGURATION
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin blasted the U.S.’s previous calls for restraint in response to past military drills.
“[The U.S.] is in no position to make such irresponsible remarks,” Wang was quoted as saying.
The drills come as tensions continue to intensify in the region. Former Taiwanese navy captain Lu Li Shih told Sky News that China is “preparing for war.”
“China is preparing for war based on the number of military ships and the hiring of new recruits. It’s all for self-defense, and Taiwan,” the former captian said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Russia hits Kharkiv supermarket in deadly attack
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the airstrike “a manifestation of Russian madness”.
Scores of people were killed or wounded when an aerial bomb hit a large store in the city of Kharkiv on Saturday afternoon, according to local officials.
The airstrike caused a huge fire to break out, with huge plumes of smoke seen filling the sky in social media footage.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 200 people could have been inside the store.
A second bomb hit the city’s central park, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
Zelenskyy called the airstrike “a manifestation of Russian madness”, and appealed to Western countries to provide Ukraine with air defence systems.
“When we tell world leaders that Ukraine requires adequate air defence protection … we are literally talking about how not to allow such terrorist strikes,” he said in a post on X.
“Only madmen like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin are capable of killing and terrorising people in this way,” Zelenskyy added.
Kharkiv region is situated about 20 kilometres from the Russian border.
Moscow’s troops have in recent weeks captured villages in the area as part of a broad push, and analysts say they may be trying to get within artillery range of Kharkiv city.
Ukrainian authorities have evacuated more than 11,000 people from the region since the start of the offensive on 10 May.
Russia’s Kharkiv push appears to be a coordinated new offensive that includes testing Ukrainian defences in the Donetsk region further south, where Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that its forces had taken over the village of Arkhanhelske.
They have also launched incursions in the northern Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said the Kremlin’s army is attempting to create a “buffer zone” in the Kharkiv region to prevent Ukrainian cross-border attacks.
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