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☆ Guatemala court sentences journalist to 6 years in prison for money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUATEMALA CITY, June 14 (Reuters) - A Guatemalan court on Wednesday sentenced Jose Zamora, a well-known journalist whose work has criticized successive governments, to six years in prison for money laundering in a case rights groups have branded an attack on free speech. Zamora was also issued a 300,000 quetzal ($38,339) fine, the court said. He was arrested in July last year during a crackdown on prosecutors, judges, human rights activists, journalists and opposition officials. According to the attorney general's office, Zamora allegedly received $38,461 to finance his media outlet, which was not regularly deposited into the banking system. The rights group is "very concerned" that Guatemala's prosecutors' office is investigating journalists and columnists from elPeriodico who covered Zamora's case, Goebertus added.

Persons: Jose Zamora, Zamora, Alejandro Giammattei, Juanita Goebertus, Goebertus, Sofia Menchu, Sarah Morland, Brendan O'Boyle, Bill Berkrot Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, elPeriodico, Rights, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Zamora's, Guatemala, Americas

☆ Savoring a California Wine Country Far From Napa and the Crowds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Laura M. Holson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

About 10 miles away, the tasting room at Lightpost Winery in Morgan Hill can be found in a ho-hum office park. In 2018, she opened Lightpost and teamed with Christian Roguenant, who grew up in Burgundy and is Lightpost’s head winemaker. Vivian, the tasting room manager, gave us an impromptu lesson, too, with a side-by-side comparison of how grapes vary by vintage. A larger, more corporate tasting room would be hard-pressed to take the time. Already the young winery is attracting attention; it’s 2018 reserve cabernet sauvignon from Paso Robles has won state competitions.

Persons: Mace, Sofia Fedotova, Christian Roguenant, Lightpost, Fedotova, Vivian, Paso Robles Locations: Italy, Lightpost, Morgan Hill, Burgundy, Santa Cruz , Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Russian, Paso Robles, Paso

☆ Sudanese refugees in Chad risk losing aid as rainy season looms, says MSF
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

N'DJAMENA, June 12 (Reuters) - Thousands of Sudanese refugees who fled to Chad to escape fighting in their country could be cut off from humanitarian and medical aid during the approaching rainy season, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Monday. Rains will also bring a higher risk of waterborne and infectious diseases given poor access to clean water and sanitation, she said. Nearly 30,000 refugees are in Sila, where they lack shelter, water and food due to deficiencies in humanitarian assistance. One of the poorest countries in the world, Chad was already hosting close to 600,000 refugees before the latest Sudanese crisis. This has caused food and commodity prices to soar in areas already suffering from high levels of malnutrition, MSF said.

Persons: MSF's, Audrey van der Schoot, Rains, Chad, Mahamat, Sofia Christensen, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: United Nations, MSF, UNHCR, Thomson Locations: N'DJAMENA, Chad, Sudan, Sila, Central

☆ From restaurants to water towers, unrest dents Senegal's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Sofia Christensen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An attack on a state-owned water plant could create shortages in Dakar, where it hasn't rained for eight months and where water cuts are common, Diome said. Bus company Dem Dikk, which is part state owned and whose beige buses are recurring targets during protests, partially resumed services this week. Attacks on its buses have cost the company over $7 million since March 2021, CEO Ousmane Sylla told Reuters. Stalled operations can cost Dem Dikk up to $80,000 in losses per day and make it tricky for thousands of commuters to get to work. "It is creating unemployment," he said, adding that it was already difficult for graduates to find jobs before the unrest.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Diome, Read, Ousmane Sylla, Dem, Sylla, . University student Mbodj, Saint Louis, Ngouda Dione, Sofia Christensen, Edward McAllister, Sharon Singleton Organizations: KFC, Sedima Group, International Labour Organization . Bus, Reuters, . University student, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Dakar, Mbour, Keur Massar, Saint

☆ One U.N. peacekeeper killed and four injured in north Mali attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAKAR, June 9 (Reuters) - At least one United Nations peacekeeper was killed and four others seriously injured when their patrol was attacked in northern Mali on Friday, the peacekeeping mission MINUSMA said. MINUSMA said on Twitter the patrol first encountered an improvised explosive device and was then hit with a direct fire attack. It did not name perpetrators but said it was a "complex attack" and that updates on casualties would follow. Islamist militants, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, have been waging an insurgency in northern Mali since they hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in 2012. At least 303 MINUSMA personnel have been killed in hostile acts in Mali since the start of the mission in 2013, making it the deadliest U.N. peacekeeping mission in the world.

Persons: MINUSMA, Sofia Christensen, Toby Chopra, Sriraj Organizations: United Nations peacekeeper, Twitter, Islamic, United Nations, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Mali, Ber, Tombouctou, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Sahel

☆ Nigerian parents pay school bills with recyclable waste
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Kazeem Sanni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Fatimoh Adeosun, 48, a parent of a student of My Dream Stead, a low-cost school that accepts recyclable wastes as payment, sorts plastic waste for submission, in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria May 19, 2023. My Dream Stead school, in the sprawling, impoverished Ajegunle neighbourhood where the Adeosuns live, is one of 40 low-cost schools in Nigeria's commercial capital that accept recyclable waste as payment. Tuition fees at My Dream Stead stand at $130 per year and the school is expanding into a second apartment block to accommodate its 120 pupils. Some mornings, Fatimoh and Fawas walk to the school together with bulging sacks of rubbish over their shoulders. The waste is weighed on school premises and its sales value added to Fawas' account.

Persons: Adeosun, Stead, Temilade Adelaja, Fawas Adeosun, Fatimoh, Alexander Akhigbe, Seun Sanni, Sofia Christensen, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Temilade, Fawas, Thomson Locations: Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria, Temilade Adelaja LAGOS, Nigerian, recyclables

[1/3] People walk along the Ipanema beach following the death of Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Pilar OlivaresBRASILIA, June 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, the voice of Bossa Nova whose soft and dreamy version of "The Girl from Ipanema" was an international success in the 1960s, has died at the age of 83, her family said. Astrud performed the vocals in English, including the duet "The Girl from Ipanema" which became the album's major hit. "The Girl from Ipanema" was the first song the 22-year-old Astrud recorded and launched her career almost by accident. She later moved to the United States, where she toured with Getz, singing Bossa Nova and American jazz standards.

Persons: Astrud Gilberto, Pilar Olivares BRASILIA, Gilberto, Sofia Gilberto, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Getz, Astrud, " Getz, Weinert, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Steve Van Zandt, Sade, Lana Del Rey, Ivan Lins, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Madonna, Amy Winehouse, Anthony Boadle, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, New York, Thomson Locations: Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Philadelphia, United States, American, Salvador, Bahia, Brazilian

CNN —Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, who in her 20s recorded “The Girl from Ipanema” and became an international star, has died, according to social media posts from her granddaughter and on behalf of her son. “I just got word from her son Marcelo that we have lost Astrud Gilberto. She later released the critically lauded album “Astrud Gilberto Plus the James Last Orchestra” in 1987. Their duet “Desafinado” was released in 1996, and Gilberto became known for exposing the bossa nova genre to a pop music-loving, mainstream audience. Gilberto released her last album “Jungle” in 2002, and went on to be inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame the same year.

Persons: Astrud Gilberto, “, João Gilberto, Astrud, ” Gilberto’s, Sofia, Paul Ricci, Gilberto, Gilberto’s, Marcelo, ”, Stan Getz, Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, Cher, Amy Winehouse, “ Getz, ” Gilberto, Quincy Jones, Chet Baker, –, Bass, James, George Michael, Desafinado ” Organizations: CNN, James Last Orchestra, Hall of Fame, Latin Recording Academy Locations: Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, United States

[1/5] A view of a ransacked supermarket Auchan, after Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra BensemraDAKAR, June 3 (Reuters) - Streets filled with rubble and ransacked shops greeted residents of some Dakar neighbourhoods on Saturday - fallout from clashes between anti-government protesters and police that have gripped Senegal in recent days. Mobs smashed windows and looted at least two gas station shops overnight in Dakar's Ouakam and Ngor districts, while an Auchan supermarket in densely populated Grand Yoff was torched and ransacked. The unrest is the latest in a string of protests in Senegal, long considered one of West Africa's most stable democracies. The opposition is also concerned that President Macky Sall will try to bypass the two-term limit and run again in February elections.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Khadija, Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Edward McAllister, Bate Felix, Alessandra Prentice, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Dakar's, Ouakam, West

[1/5] People put out burning barricades that were set on fire by supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 1, 2023. Nine people were killed in clashes between riot police and Sonko supporters on Thursday after he was sentenced to two years for corrupting youth. The opposition says the verdict, which could prevent Sonko from running in elections next year, was politically motivated. Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar was the epicentre of Thursday's violence, with protesters setting buses alight and throwing rocks at riot police, who responded by firing tear gas. One student, Alioune Ndiaye, said he planned to travel hundreds of miles to his home in eastern Senegal to escape the violence.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Abdou Karim Fofana, Cheikh, Alioune Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Sall, Mouhamad Diouf, Diouf, Adji Sarr, Cheikh Hann, Bate Felix, Cooper Inveen, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Edward McAllister, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Army, Security, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Senegalese, West, Ouakam

☆ Congo woman saves young mothers from unpaid maternity bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Paul Lorgerie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Like most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo has no universal health coverage, and most cannot afford what limited care there is. Bethesda's head doctor Emmanuel Mpumpa, whose sister died in labour a few years ago because she could not afford hospital care, said keeping patients in was regrettable but necessary. "We bought a few of the prescribed medicines but could not afford the doctors and hospital," said Annaelle's mother, Yvette Kalongo. When Umek paid, the ordeal was over. The young mothers uttered their thanks, wrapped their babies in blankets and made their way home through the neighbourhood bustle.

Persons: Grace Mbongi Umek, Read, she'd, Annaelle, Felix Tshisekedi's, Bethesda's, Emmanuel Mpumpa, Yvette Kalongo, Umek, Paul Lorgerie, Sofia Christensen, Edward McAllister, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bethesda Medical Center, Democratic, United Nations, World Bank, Bills, Thomson Locations: Ngaba, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, KINSHASA, Bethesda, Congo's, Saharan Africa

Sonko, 48, was accused of raping a woman who worked in a massage parlour in 2021, when she was 20, and making death threats against her. "With this sentence Sonko cannot be a candidate," said one of his lawyers, Bamba Cisse. University law professor Ndiack Fall said Sonko could demand a retrial if he turns himself in to authorities. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Bamba Cisse, Ndiack Fall, Sonko's, Sonko, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Sofia Christensen, Estelle Shirbon, Christina Fincher, Matthew Lewis Organizations: University, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Dakar, West, Dakar Senegal, Senegal

DAKAR, June 1 (Reuters) - Nine people were killed in Senegal on Thursday in clashes between riot police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko after a court sentenced him to two years in jail, casting serious doubt on his chances of running for president next year. The justice ministry said the opposition leader could now be taken to prison at any time. Police remained stationed around his home Dakar as unrest flared in the capital and elsewhere after the verdict. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel - an offence he also denies.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Bamba Ciss, Sonko's, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Abdou Karim Fofana, Ndiack Fall, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Diadie Ba, Edward McAllister, Sofia Christensen, Alessandra Prentice, Matthew Lewis, Andrew Heavens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Police, REUTERS, University, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Dakar, Dakar Senegal, West, Lincoln

☆ Senegal president promises fair election as tensions simmer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sporadic violent protests have broken out across Senegal since opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was detained for alleged rape in 2021. Sonko's supporters say this is a tactic to bar him from the February presidential poll, which the government denies. Sall on Wednesday welcomed members of various parties, religious leaders and civil society to a multi-day national dialogue aimed at easing tensions and fostering dialogue. As a result, neither was able to run for president in 2019. Khalifa Sall attended Wednesday's dialogue and said he hoped the president's potential third term bid was up for discussion.

Persons: Macky Sall, Ousmane Sonko, Sonko's, Sall, Sonko, Anger, Khalifa Sall, Karim Wade, Abdoulaye Wade, Sofia Christensen, Alessandra Prentice, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, William Maclean Organizations: Dakar, Khalifa, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Sonko's, Dakar, Sall

☆ Regional force tackling east Congo violence extended to September
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 31 (Reuters) - A regional force set up to tackle militia violence in east Democratic Republic of Congo has been extended to September, a minister and a spokesperson for the force said on Wednesday. The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force in April last year to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in Congo's east. The force's future had been uncertain since its mandate expired in March, and EAC leaders had expressed differing views on how it should operate. An EAC spokesperson confirmed reports that the force's mandate had been extended to September during a summit in Burundi on Wednesday. Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jeff Nyagah, Jean, Pierre Bemba, Felix Tshisekedi, Tshisekedi, Sonia Rolley, Sofia Christensen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: East African Community, EAC, Congo's, Thomson Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo's, Burundi

☆ Central African Republic plans referendum on scrapping presidential term limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGUI, May 30 (Reuters) - Central African Republic's President Faustin-Archange Touadera said on Tuesday he would hold a referendum in July on his intention to change the constitution and remove term limits. Touadera's allies proposed the change in May last year, arguing that presidential term limits were uncommon in many neighbouring countries. Critics and opposition parties held protests last year as the reform would allow Touadera to run again in 2025 for a third term. A presidential decree issued later on Tuesday said the referendum would start on July 15 and end on July 28. The proposed reform echoes constitutional and other legal changes that have allowed presidents in several other African countries - including Rwanda, Congo Republic, Ivory Coast and Guinea - to stay in office.

Persons: Faustin, Archange Touadera, Touadera, Francois Bozize, Bozize, Judicael Yongo, Sofia Christensen, Richard Chang Organizations: Constitutional, National Assembly, Thomson Locations: BANGUI, Bangui, Rwanda, Congo Republic, Ivory Coast, Guinea

☆ What’s on TV This Week: ‘The Idol’ and ‘Dave’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Shivani Gonzalez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Entering its 18th season, the show that celebrates talents and strange party tricks of all kinds is back with its first round of auditions this week. This semi-autobiographical show about the rapper Dave Burd, a.k.a. Lil Dicky, is wrapping up its third season this week with Dave ending his quest to find love. Titanic has had countless retellings; from the 1997 film to many documentaries, there is not a lot left unknown or uncovered. Who was on the ship that sailed away?

☆ Where to go this summer: A dozen destination ideas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Marnie Hunter | Jane Levere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Peru"Peruvians are welcoming travelers back with open arms," says travel one travel expert. And perhaps most importantly, the city offers excellent value, in part because it will be the winter/low season there during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. It’s home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including megalithic temples that date to the 4th millennium BC. Although summer is the rainy season, Gellis says showers are often brief and intermittent. AlbaniaAlbania is a Mediterranean gem that’s likely to be less crowded this summer than Greece and Croatia, says Joao Donadel, another EMBARK Beyond travel advisor.

☆ The Fed’s favorite inflation gauge just heated up — and that could mean another rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The closely watched core PCE index — where volatile components of food and energy are excluded — unexpectedly ticked up: The Fed’s go-to gauge was up 4.7% for the year. In March, the core PCE gauge grew by 4.6%. Economists had forecast that core PCE would hold steady at 4.6%, according to Refinitiv. Consumer spending jumped 0.8% in April from March, double what economists had expected. Excluding the effects of inflation, real consumer spending increased 0.5%, reflecting a boost seen from new car purchases, according to the report.

☆ Ayvalık and Cunda: Turkey's prettiest Aegean coast resorts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Feride Yalav-Heckeroth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Alongside classic beach towns like Bodrum and Alaçatı, two of the coast’s loveliest spots are the little-known seaside town of Ayvalık and the nearby island of Cunda. Near the Taksiyarhis Memorial Museum, in a beautifully renovated historic house with large arched windows, is Moyy Atölye. For a truly Aegean dining experience inside an olive grove, Karina Ayvalık is worth the 10-minute drive south to the village of Küçükköy. “I can breathe in the Aegean air and feel history as I walk through the old streets with their historic houses. Getting lost on Cunda leads to discoveries – like the Cunda Taksiyarhis Rahmi M. Koç Museum inside a renovated Greek Orthodox church with a collection of antique cars, motorcycles and toys.

☆ Japanese city of Hiroshima rose from the ashes and now it welcomes millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Emiko Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Within the bomb’s hypocenter, only the half-exploded Genbaku Dome – formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall – was left standing as the bombing razed Hiroshima city to the ground. A man relaxes alongside the river on a bench overlooking the Genbaku Dome. ET), Hiroshima city lost roughly 40% of its population, which numbered around 300,000 people at the time. Full-scale reconstruction only began in August 1949 after the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law was promulgated, allowing the national government to extend special financial support to Hiroshima. “It’s impressive how Japanese people rebuilt the city from scratch again – building a beautiful city full of green spaces.

☆ After fleeing conflict, displaced women face rape in east Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Djaffar Sabiti | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"He raped me," she recalled two weeks later in Bulengo, one of several camps near Goma sheltering about 600,000 people that have fled conflict zones. Over half were assaulted by armed men, it said last week, noting that its figures were likely to be underestimates. Hungry mouths to feed push women outside the camp in search of food and firewood to sell, making them vulnerable to sex crimes, said MSF worker Delice Sezage Tulinabo. Most survivors reported being attacked by armed and displaced men in and around the camps. In Bulengo, women said they had to pay soldiers to enter the forest.

☆ Guatemala's presidential frontrunner thrown off ballot, promises appeal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He accused the court of kicking him off the ballot because he refused to be an "ally of corruption." In a recent poll, Pineda led all candidates with 23% support, emerging as the favorite to replace Giammattei. Critics accuse Giammattei of unprecedented repression of judges, prosecutors, journalists and activists, many of whom have fled the country. Pineda had been a CAMBIO party presidential candidate before switching to PC earlier this year, due to clashes with the Baldizon family. Other presidential hopefuls, leftist Thelma Cabrera and conservative Roberto Arzu, were previously forced out of the race.

☆ China walks a tightrope, searching for a Ukraine peace deal that gets around defeat for its ally Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a signing ceremony after their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. "Russia is an increasingly important partner for [Chinese President] Xi Jinping. Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping leave after a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via phone line, in Kyiv on April 26, 2023. As such, China's move to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine is not seen as an altruistic one but motivated by self-interest.

☆ Avedon at 100: Celebrities select the famed photographer’s best works
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationWhen Hillary Clinton, then a US Senator, arrived for a shoot with Avedon in 2003, she recalled him looking at her and saying, "I've seen this image before." courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationFashion designer Miuccia Prada selected this image of Boyd Fortin, a teenaged rattlesnake skinner from Texas, taken in 1979. courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationFashion designer Calvin Klein selected this infamous campaign image from his label's archives. courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon FoundationFilmmaker Sofia Coppola chose this iconic 1958 photograph of model China Machado. courtesy Richard Avedon/The Richard Avedon Foundation“Avedon 100” is on view at Gagosian in New York through June 24.

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