Palau’s president secures 2nd term amid attempt to navigate US-China competition
Voice of America
FILE - Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr. speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), June 15, 2023, in Tokyo. Whipps has secured another term in office in its Nov. 5, 2024 election. This frame grab from handout video taken on June 17, 2024 shows China coast guard boats (L) approaching Philippine boats (C) during an incident off Second Thomas Shoal. (Armed Forces of the Philippines - Public Affairs Office/AFP)
Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. has secured another term in office after defeating former President Tommy Remengesau Jr. in its Nov. 5 election that was closely monitored. Palau sits on the front line of competition for geopolitical influence between the United States and China in the Pacific Ocean.
FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump, right, chats with Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Aug. 31, 2019, in Beijing. FILE - African leaders applaud Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, after his speech at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Sept. 5, 2024.
Volunteers clean up around a marketplace affected by flooding in Catarroja, Valencia, Spain, Nov. 11, 2024. A view shows muddy shoes of volunteers who went to clean up in flood-affected areas as Spanish students attend a nation-wide protest against the emergency response and management of the deadly floods in eastern Spain, in Valencia, Nov. 12, 2024. Psychologists volunteering in the aftermath of deadly floods speak to a woman in Catarroja, Valencia, Nov. 11, 2024.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waits after the first vote for a new prime minister at a special parliamentary session of the lower house, Nov. 11, 2024, in Tokyo. Lawmakers vote for the new prime minister at the parliament's lower house, Nov. 11, 2024, in Tokyo. A staff member at parliament puts up two names, Shigeru Ishiba and Yoshihiko Noda for a runoff vote for a new prime minister at a special parliamentary session of the lower house, Nov. 11, 2024, in Tokyo.
Palestinians displaced from shelters in Beit Hanoun cross the main Salaheddine road into Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip following Israeli army evacuation orders on Nov. 12, 2024. Palestinians cross the main Salaheddine road into Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on bicycles and tuk-tuks following Israeli army evacuation orders on Nov. 12, 2024.
Soldiers demonstrate their combat capabilities by descending from a helicopter during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, in south China's Guangdong province on November 12, 2024. Chinese-made Chengdu J-20 stealth fighters fly in formation during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, in south China's Guangdong province on November 12, 2024.