Prøve GULL - Gratis
Voters reject return of US bases
The Mercury
|November 18, 2025
ECUADORAN voters roundly rejected the return of US military bases to the country in a referendum at the weekend, a major political blow to Trumpfriendly President Daniel Noboa.
-
With three-quarters of the vote counted, about 60% of Ecuadorans had voted “no” to lifting a longstanding ban on foreign bases.
The rejection effectively blocks the US military from returning to an airbase at Manta on the Pacific coast - once a hub for Washington's anti-drug operations.
It is a serious defeat for Noboa, who has staked his political fortunes on tackling rampant cartel violence and forging an alliance with US President Donald Trump.
The vote came against the backdrop of US military airstrikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, a divisive policy which Noboa has backed.
Denne historien er fra November 18, 2025-utgaven av The Mercury.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Mercury
The Mercury
NCC leader claims SAPS and Mkhwanazi misused power in raid
NATIONAL Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams accused the SAPS and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of misconduct on Sunday, claiming that 15 members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) stormed a house he previously owned in Mitchells Plain.
2 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
Artificial Intelligence is acting like an employee, without the rules
A WARNING from 1979 on corporate accountability for 'rogue'
3 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
Pick n Pay enters talks with staff over labour model restructuring
Company says strategy consultations will exclude head office employees
2 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
SA needs an AI war room and less AI policy debate
AMIDST debates over Al policy authorship, South Africa faces a pressing need to prepare its workforce for Al-induced labour transformation. | AILAB
3 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
South Africa's National Health Insurance faces constitutional challenge
SOUTH Africa's controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme faces a critical test in the Constitutional Court today - if the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) application succeeds, the NHI Act may be scrapped and many other legal cases against the scheme will fall away.
2 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
Witness G's testimony heard behind closed doors amidst safety concerns
THE Madlanga Commission of Inquiry resolved on Wednesday to hear the testimony of a crime intelligence officer known as Witness G behind closed doors for safety reasons.
2 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
Deadly shooting of Inanda crime fighters highlights KZN’s firearm issue
THE recent deadly shootout in Bhambayi, Inanda, which claimed the lives of three community patrollers and one suspected criminal, has thrown a spotlight not only on the dangers faced by volunteer crime fighters but also on the issue of illegal firearms in KwaZulu-Natal.
2 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
Citizens face post-Cup success Test
DURBAN City FC return to Betway Premiership action carrying the weight of expectation after their Nedbank Cup triumph - but their immediate focus shifts to consistency.
1 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
Sea Robbers face must-win clash against Stellenbosch
ORLANDO Pirates head to the Cape with no room for error as their Betway Premiership title hopes hinge on a crucial clash against Stellenbosch FC.
2 mins
May 05, 2026
The Mercury
Chivu leads Nerazzurri to 21st Scudetto
INTER Milan won their third Serie A title in six seasons on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 victory over Parma that ignited the celebrations at a jubilant San Siro and across the city.
1 mins
May 05, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size