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CNN —Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine was arrested at Entebbe International Airport near the capital Kampala on Thursday as he returned to the country, according to his party the National Unity Platform. The National Unity Platform (NUP) said in a social media post that Wine was “violently arrested upon his return to Uganda. Opposition frontrunnerWine, a popstar-turned-politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was the main opposition frontrunner in the presidential elections in January 2021 and lost to President Yoweri Museveni. Wine rejected the election results, saying he had evidence of fraud and intimidation. “The Security Agencies will take all necessary measures to ensure that individuals involved in illegal activities are arrested and brought before the courts of law.”

Persons: Bobi Wine, “, ”, Wine, Robert Kyagulanyi, Yoweri Museveni, Museveni, ’ Organizations: CNN, Wine, Uganda Police Force, Entebbe International, ” Police Locations: Entebbe, Kampala, Uganda, Magere

Demonstrators vented their anger at officials, including the speaker of the eastern-based Libyan parliament, Aguila Saleh, outside the Sahaba Mosque. Protesters called for the removal of Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the eastern-based Libyan parliament. Hussam Ahmed/AFP/Getty ImagesA protester comforted their friend who lost his family members in the floods. Hichem Abu Chkiouat, a minister in the eastern Libyan government, said Gaithi had been suspended from his post. Derna, which lies some 300 kilometers (190 miles) east of Benghazi, falls under the control of Haftar and his eastern administration.

Persons: Aguila Saleh, Hussam Ahmed, Bensemra, Hichem Abu Chkiouat, Gaithi, ”, “, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar, Osama Hamad Organizations: CNN, Protesters, Getty, United Nations, Reuters, UN, of National Unity, GNU, Libyan National Army Locations: Libyan, Derna, Sahaba, ”, AFP, Benghazi, Tripoli, Libya

☆ Storm-ravaged Libya faces a long road to recovery as humanitarian groups ask for $71 million in aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Dalya Al Masri | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ahmed Elumami | ReutersStorm Daniel has left Libya, a country grappling with conflict and economic crisis for over a decade, in catastrophe. We need specialized and experienced rescue teams," Mohamed Elkwafi, a volunteer with the Eastern Libyan National Army Security Units in Derna, told CNBC. A man sits on a damaged car, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 12, 2023. Libya's reconstructionThe Central Bank of Libya convened an emergency meeting last Thursday to discuss support for the impacted areas. General view of flood water covering the area as a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Al-Mukhaili, Libya September 11, 2023, in this handout picture.

Persons: Ahmed Elumami, Reuters Storm Daniel, Mohamed Elkwafi, Storm Daniel, Moammar Gadhafi, Esam Omran, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, Kristalina Georgieva Organizations: Reuters, UN, UNDP, CNBC, World Health Organization, International Organization for, Maxar Technologies, Eastern Libyan National Army Security, Government of National Unity, Fetori, Government of National, Central Bank of, Bank, Monetary Fund, IMF, surveilling Locations: Libya, Derna, Libyan, Soussa, Benghazi, Albayda, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, North Africa, Tripoli, Central Bank of Libya, Africa, surveilling Libya, Mukhaili

For many Libyans, the collective grief over the more than 11,000 dead has morphed into a rallying cry for national unity in a country blighted by 12 years of conflict and division. The oil-rich country has been divided between rival administrations since 2014, with an internationally recognized government in Tripoli and a rival authority in the east, where Derna is located. "The wound or pain of what happened in Derna hurt all the people from western Libya to southern Libya to eastern Libya,” he said. Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s forces besieged Tripoli in a yearlong failed military campaign to try to capture the capital, killing thousands. The Prime Minister of Libya’s Tripoli government, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, said he and his ministers were accountable for the dams' maintenance, but not the thousands of deaths caused by the flooding.

Persons: — Zahra, Gerbi wasn't, “, ”, Gerbi, Moammar Gadhafi, Ali Khalifa, Mohamed, Derna, Khalifa Hifter’s, Claudia Gazzini, Ibrahim al, Noura, Sour, Abdul, Hamid Dbeibah, Aguila Saleh, ’ ”, Saleh, ___ Jeffery Organizations: Facebook, NATO, United Nations, Tobruk, Crisis Locations: TRIPOLI, Libya, — Zahra el, Libyan, Derna, Benghazi, Tripoli, Ali, Zawiya, London

[1/5] An aerial view shows rescue teams searching for dead bodies at a beach, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 17, 2023. Hamad Awad sat on a blanket on an empty street with a bottle of water and bedding alongside him. "I am staying in our area trying to clean it and trying to verify who is missing," he said. Entire districts of Derna, with an estimated population of at least 120,000, were swept away or buried in brown mud. Civil protection workers from Algeria combed through the rubble of multistorey buildings with a dog to help detect any survivors.

Persons: Ayman Al, Hamad Awad, Storm Daniel, spokespeople, Osama Al, OCHA, al, Mohammad Shaheen, Abdulnabi, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdulhamid, Mohammed, Menfi, Abdelaziz Boumzar, Ayman Sahly, Adam Makary, Thomas Perry, Maya Gebeily, Philippa Fletcher, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Volunteers, United Nations, Sunrise, Humanitarian Affairs, Crescent, Libyan Red Crescent, Reuters, NATO, Thomson Locations: Derna, Libya, DERNA, Libyan, Algeria, al Badya, Ajaylat, Tripoli

Thousands of people are confirmed dead and thousands more missing, with the mayor saying the toll could reach 20,000. Usama Al Husadi, a 52-year-old driver, had been searching for his wife and five children since the disaster. Husadi, who had been working the night of the storm, dialled his wife's phone number once again. "We lost at least 50 members from my father’s family, between missing and dead," he said. Confirmed death tolls given by officials so far have varied, but all are in the thousands, with thousands more on lists of the missing.

Persons: Hassan El Salheen, Aly, Storm Daniel, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Usama Al Husadi, Husadi, Wali Eddin Mohamed Adam, Abdulmenam, Ghaithi, Mohamed Mohsen Bujmila, Khadija, Bujmila, Muammar Gaddafi, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Derna, Saudi, Al, Rescue, United Arab, NATO, of National Unity, Thomson Locations: Libya, Al Sharief, Bani Swief, Egypt, DERNA, Libyan, Al Arabiya, Derna, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Tripoli

☆ Devastation in Derna
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Swathes of Derna, a city of 125,000 residents, were obliterated by the flood on Sunday night, bringing down multi-storey buildings while families were asleep. Map showing the footprint of buildings in Derna, highlighting those which appear to be completely washed away. Drone shots of Derna, Libya. REUTERS Drone shots of Derna, Libya. A view shows the damaged cars, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya.

Persons: Abdulmenam, Ghaithi, Hichem Abu Chkiouat, Mustafa Salem, “, hydrologist, Omar Al, Mukhtar, Storm Daniel, ”, Suzanne Gray, Muammar Gaddafi, Omran Organizations: Planet Labs PBC, Reuters, REUTERS, Plant Labs, Mukhtar University, Britain's University of Reading, Al, National Meteorological Centre, NATO, of National Unity, Fetori Locations: Libya, Derna, Greece, Tripoli

☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un checks out Putin's ride at Russia summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jack Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin's Aurus limousine is seen on Red Square during a flower-laying ceremony at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky on the National Unity Day in central Moscow, Russia November 4, 2019. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to check out his Russian-made limousine on Wednesday ahead of their summit, ceding the spacious back seat to his guest. As they strolled to the main complex engaged in casual conversation, they came to Putin's presidential Aurus limousine parked in the driveway, and the Russian president gestured to the vehicle as Kim stood seemingly curious. Putin invited Kim to climb into the back seat and walked around to slide in next to the North Korean leader, who sat beaming. North Korea's KCNA news agency said on Thursday "Putin showed his private car to Kim Jong Un before having a warm talk".

Persons: Vladimir Putin's Aurus, Sergei Guneev, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Putin, Kim, gestured, Kim Jong Un, NAMI, Royce Phantom, Donald Trump, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Unity, Sputnik, REUTERS, Rights, North, Wednesday, North Korean, Maybach, Lexus, Daimler, Pyeonghwa Motors, South Korean, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Rights SEOUL, Cosmodrome, Russian, Pyongyang, North Korea, Singapore

[1/2] People walk through debris after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya, September 12, 2023 in this still image from video obtained from social media. Officials in eastern Libya say the death toll so far stands at more than 5,000. A hospital director in the city told Reuters on Monday 1,700 bodies had been counted at his hospital, and that 500 more had been buried in another part of the city. Extensive damage, with buildings missing, is also clearly visible in other parts of the city where flood waters broke out from the waterway. Derna is in an eastern area where a parallel administration operates, and where control is wielded by commander Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army.

Persons: Mustafa Salem, Khalifa Haftar's, Abdulhamid, Mohammed, Menfi, Tom Perry, Angus McDowall, John Stonestreet, Peter Graff Organizations: ALI, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, of National Unity, Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, Libya's, Humanitarian Affairs, Thomson Locations: Libya, Derna, DERNA, Libyan, Derna's, Tripoli, Qatar, Turkey

☆ Morgues overwhelmed in Libya as rescuers search for thousands missing after flood
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A satellite photo shows flooding in Derna, Libya, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023 via Planet Labs PBC. Planet Labs PBC/APA satellite photo shows Derna on Sept. 2, 2023, before flooding, via Planet Labs PBC. A boy pulls a suitcase past debris in a flash-flood damaged area in Derna, eastern Libya, on September 11, 2023. A damaged vehicle is stuck debris after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel in Derna, Libya on September 12, 2023. Toys are seen in a flash flood damaged shop in Derna, eastern Libya, on September 11, 2023.

Persons: “, ”, Adel Juma, Storm Daniel, I’m, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar, Osama Hamad, Daniel, Derna, Osama Aly, Abdullah Mohammed Bonja, Ciaran Donelly, IRC’s, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Richard Norland, Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: CNN, Planet Labs PBC, AP, Getty, Libya, UN, of National Unity, GNU, Libyan National Army, Ambulance, Storm, Anadolu Agency, Rescue, Emergency Management Authority, Anadoulu Agency, Civil Protection Department, United Arab Emirates Locations: Libya, Derna, Palestinian, AFP, Tripoli, Benghazi, North Africa, Greece, Europe, Italy, United States

Relatives of those still missing told CNN they are terrified. Here’s what we know so far:Where did the flood hit? Morgues are stacked to capacity and dead bodies have been left on the sidewalks outside, Osama Aly, spokesperson for the Emergency and Ambulance Service in Libya, told CNN Tuesday. Analysts have said that climate forecasts gave warnings days before the storm hit Libya, but that authorities in the east did not act quickly enough. Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya doesn’t affect their operations.

Persons: “, Areej’s, Emad Milad, ” Milad, Osama Aly, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, Khalifa Haftar, Osama Hamad, Esam Omran, Reuters Derna, Ahmed Al, Mismari, ” Al, Al, Tamer Ramadan, ”, Jamal Alkomaty, Daniel, ” Karsten Haustein Organizations: CNN —, Authorities, United Nations ’ International Organization for Migration, CNN, Emergency, Ambulance Service, UN, of National Unity, GNU, Libyan National Army, Reuters, Arabiya, Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Leipzig University, Science Media Center Locations: Derna, Libya, Tobruk, Benghazi, NATO, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Italy, Algeria, Libya’s, Greece, Germany

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani joined New York politicians and mourners at a 9/11 memorial ceremony at ground zero Monday. The bipartisan group of politicians was not scheduled to speak at the ceremony, marking the 22nd anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. The solemn ceremony in lower Manhattan was instead focused on the hourslong reading of the names of the dead. Along with Harris were Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Ron DeSantis, Rudy Giuliani, Harris, Kathy Hochul, Chuck Schumer, New York Sen, Kirsten Gillibrand, Eric Adams, Mike Bloomberg, Giuliani, ”, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden Organizations: —, Republican, Florida Gov, New, New York City, New York, New York Democratic Gov, “, Democrats, Yorker Locations: New York, Manhattan, U.S, New York City, Anchorage , Alaska, Washington, India, Vietnam

☆ Biden Marks 9/11 Anniversary With a Message of Unity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Erica L. Green | More About Erica L. Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden marked the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Monday with a message of unity, saying Americans must protect democratic ideals. Mr. Biden delivered remarks from a military base in Alaska, where he stopped on his way home from a diplomatic trip to Asia so that he could commemorate the anniversary on U.S. soil. “It shouldn’t take a national tragedy to remind us of the power of national unity,” he told a crowd of service members, first responders and their families. “That’s how we truly honor those we lost on 9/11.”“It’s more important than ever that we come together around the principle of American democracy, regardless of our political backgrounds,” he said. We must never allow ourselves to be pulled apart by petty manufactured grievances.”

Persons: Biden, Mr, ”, “ Locations: Alaska, Asia

☆ Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu Prince Who Roiled South African Politics, Dead at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

(Reuters) -Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, has died, the presidency said on Saturday. Critics dubbed Buthelezi a war lord but to his legion of followers in the rural Zulu heartland, he was a visionary. A Zulu chief, Buthelezi became KwaZulu's chief minister in the 1970s, where he tried a delicate balancing act: refusing outright independence and criticising Pretoria's racial policies while still playing a role in the homeland farce. Ashpenaz Nathan Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi was born on Aug. 27, 1928, in Mahlabathini, the son and heir of Chief Matoli Buthelezi and Princess Constance Magago Dinuzulu. In 1953 he was installed as acting chief of the prominent Buthelezi clan and four years later was confirmed as chief.

Persons: Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Prince, KwaPhindangene, Cyril Ramaphosa, Buthelezi, Nelson Mandela, Critics, Inkatha, Thabo Mbeki, King Cetshwayo, Henry Kissinger, Peter Carrington, Ashpenaz Nathan Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, Matoli Buthelezi, Princess Constance Magago Dinuzulu, Irene Mzila, Bhargav Acharya, Nelson BanyaEditing, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: Reuters, South, Freedom Party, Home Affairs, African National Congress, Zulu Monarch, IFP, ANC, British, Black University of Fort, ANC Youth League, U.S Locations: KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa, Zulu, Johannesburg, Black University of Fort Hare, Lesotho, Mahlabathini

☆ Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu prince who roiled South African politics, dead at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

South Africa's leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Mangosuthu Buthelezi speaks to supporters ahead of the national elections, in Richards Bay, north of Durban, in South Africa, April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Rogan Ward Acquire Licensing RightsSept 9 (Reuters) - Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a veteran South African politician, Zulu prince and controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle, has died, the presidency said on Saturday. South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party described Buthelezi as a "great leader". "Prince Buthelezi was a giant on South Africa's political landscape," DA leader John Steenhuisen said. Critics dubbed Buthelezi a war lord but to his legion of followers in the rural Zulu heartland, he was a visionary.

Persons: Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Rogan Ward, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Prince, KwaPhindangene, Cyril Ramaphosa, Buthelezi, Nelson Mandela, Prince Buthelezi, John Steenhuisen, ANC Buthelezi, Critics, Inkatha, Thabo Mbeki, King Cetshwayo, Henry Kissinger, Peter Carrington, Ashpenaz Nathan Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, Matoli Buthelezi, Princess Constance Magago Dinuzulu, Irene Mzila, Bhargav Acharya, Nelson, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: Freedom Party, IFP, REUTERS, South, Home Affairs, African National Congress, Zulu Monarch, ANC, Nelson, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mandela's, Democratic Alliance, Reuters, British, Black University of Fort, ANC Youth League, U.S, Thomson Locations: Richards Bay, Durban, South Africa, KwaZulu, Natal, Zulu, Johannesburg, Black University of Fort Hare, Lesotho, Mahlabathini

☆ Libyan PM sacks foreign minister as row over Israel meeting grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Libyan Foreign Minister Najla el-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. Mangoush had said her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome was unplanned and informal, but an Israeli official told Reuters it had lasted two hours and was approved "at the highest levels in Libya". The meeting is contentious because Libya does not formally recognise Israel and there is widespread public support across the Libyan political spectrum for the Palestinian cause of creating an independent state in territory Israel occupies. The Libya prime minister sees Israel as a possible bridge to the West and the U.S. administration," the official said. Libya's parliament based in the east, which rejects the GNU, said on Sunday it would hold hearings into the meeting with the Israeli minister.

Persons: Najla, Mangoush, Hazem Ahmed, Najla Mangoush, Eli Cohen, Abdulhamid, Muammar Gaddafi, Cohen, Antonio Tajani, Dbeibah, Libya's, Abraham, Francesco Galietti, Giorgia Meloni, Dan Williams, Francesca Landini, Gavin Jones, Angus McDowall, James Mackenzie, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich, Conor Humphries Organizations: Libyan Foreign, Libya Stabilization Conference, REUTERS, Rome Israeli, Israeli, Reuters, Protesters, Libya's Foreign, Palestinian, Libyan, U.S, United Arab, Abraham Accords, of National Unity, GNU, UAE, High State Council, Dbeibah, Italian, Thomson Locations: Libya, Tripoli, Rome, TRIPOLI, JERUSALEM, Israel, Benghazi, Italian, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, United States, Dbeibah's, Reuters Libya, Jerusalem

☆ Israeli and Libyan ministers discussed cooperation, Israel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers met in Italy last week despite not having formal relations, Israel said on Sunday, saying they discussed possible cooperation. Since 2020 Israel has moved to normalise ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan through the so-called 'Abraham accords' brokered by the United States. "I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for the two countries from their relations," Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in a statement. A spokesperson for Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Cohen's meeting with Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush. The meeting was facilitated by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Israel's foreign ministry said, adding they had discussed possible cooperation and Israeli aid in humanitarian issues, agriculture and water management.

Persons: Israel, Abraham, Eli Cohen, Najla Mangoush, Antonio Tajani, Cohen, Emily Rose, Sharon Singleton, Giles Elgood Organizations: Libyan, United Arab, Libya's Government of National Unity, GNU, Libyan Foreign, Italian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Italy, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, United States, Tripoli, Libya, Palestinian, Turkey, Reuters Libya

☆ East Timor condemns Myanmar's expulsion of top diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government has ordered East Timor's top diplomat to leave the country, the government of East Timor - a vocal critic of Myanmar's leadership - said in a statement condemning the rare action. Myanmar's government, which assumed power in a coup in 2021, has not made any announcement on the matter and a spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. East Timor politicians have been outspoken critics of Myanmar's military government and President Jose Ramos-Horta has met with a top representative from Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government (NUG), which opposes military rule. The country's charge d'affaires must leave Myanmar by Sept. 1, NUG human rights minister Aung Myo Min said on Facebook. In protest against the 2021 coup, many countries have charges d'affaires in Myanmar instead of ambassadors.

Persons: Pope Francis, Soe Zeya, Myanmar's, Jose Ramos, Aung Myo Min, Christopher Cushing Organizations: San Football, REUTERS, Rights, East, . East, National Unity Government, Facebook, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Yangon, Rights JAKARTA, East Timor's, East Timor, ., . East Timor, Horta

☆ Exclusive: British police investigate exiled former Myanmar envoy for trespass
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( John Geddie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since his protest, praised by the British government at the time, Kyaw Zwar Minn has stayed at the northwest London ambassador's residence, a mansion surrounded by razor wire and CCTV cameras. Britain last year urged Kyaw Zwar Minn to leave the residence, citing pressure from the junta, Reuters reported. Earlier this week Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police over "an allegation that he trespassed on diplomatic premises," said Neil Swift, his London-based lawyer at Peters & Peters. Myanmar's embassy in London, Britain's Foreign Office and London's Metropolitan Police did not respond to requests for comment. Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police on Aug. 15 but charges have not yet been brought, according to Swift.

Persons: Kyaw, Toby Melville, Kyaw Zwar Minn, Aung San, Zwar Minn, Neil Swift, Peters & Peters, Swift, Chris Gunness, Suu Kyi, John Geddie, Andrew MacAskill, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, British, Reuters, Peters &, Union of Myanmar, Metropolitan Police, National Unity Government, Vienna Convention, Diplomatic Relations, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Britain, London, United Kingdom, Aung San Suu Kyi, British, Union, Myanmar's, Vienna

☆ Presidential hopeful Sandra Torres pitches experience as Guatemala seeks change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Brendan O'Boyle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Presidential candidate Sandra Torres, of the National Unity of Hope (UNE) political party, greets supporters during a campaign rally ahead of the presidential run-off, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 5, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - Sandra Torres is pitching her two decades as a leading figure in Guatemalan politics as she tries to woo disenchanted voters ahead of a presidential runoff on Sunday and avoid a third straight election loss. Torres, who hails from a poor town in Guatemala's Peten region, has promised to expand the social safety net if elected. But while her party's last government did reduce poverty, Torres' efforts have also drawn criticism for being "clientelistic," said Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Torres has sought new allies as she seeks to reverse her election losses, analysts said.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Cristina Chiquin, Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Alvaro Colom, Will Freeman, June's, Brendan O'Boyle, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: National Unity of, REUTERS, of, Council, Foreign Relations, Gallup, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, Central America's, United States, Guatemala's Peten, Arevalo

Despite these challenges, Walmart International has performed strongly under McKenna's leadership, under which it exited poorly performing operations in Japan, Britain, Argentina and Brazil. McKenna has led Walmart International since 2018, overseeing a multi-year transformation that resulted in the unit delivering more growth and stronger financial results across the board, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon wrote in a memo to employees. Sam's Club, a rival to Costco (COST.O), for years had been an underperforming business with muted sales growth. Sam's Club, a business unit with $84 billion of yearly revenue, has posted 12.7% average annual comparable sales growth since McKay took over the division, according to a Reuters calculation. Walmart also announced that Christopher Nicholas, currently chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., would replace McLay as CEO of Sam's Club.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Kathryn McLay, Judith McKenna, McKenna, Doug McMillon, Piper Sandler, McKay, she's, Edward Jones, Brian Yarbrough, Christopher Nicholas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Siddharth Cavale, Anil D'Silva, Sandra Maler, Jamie Freed Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Walmart Inc, Walmart International, Sam's, Woolworths, Sam's Club, Costco, Walmart U.S, McLay, Jan, Thomson Locations: Rosemead , California, U.S, China, Mexico, South Africa, Japan, Britain, Argentina, Brazil, India, Walmart's U.S, Walmart Mexico, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Libya, Tripoli: at least 27 dead following clashes between rival factions in capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At least 27 people were killed and 106 others injured when clashes broke out between two powerful armed factions in the southern Libyan capital of Tripoli, the country’s emergency services said in a statement Tuesday. He was apprehended by a rival faction, the Special Deterrence Force, which controls the airport. The clashes ceased late on Tuesday following an agreement reached with the UN-recognized Government of National Unity to transfer Hamza to a neutral party, as reported by state news agency LANA. The fighting is considered the most severe of this year with images showing smoke rising above the capital following the overnight battles. The Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade are considered the strongest military forces in the Libyan capital, according to Reuters.

Persons: Fighting, Mahmoud Hamza, Hamza, LANA, Moammar Gadhafi Organizations: CNN, Brigade, Force, UN, of National Unity, Government of National Unity, United, Mission, NATO, Reuters Locations: Tripoli, Libya, Libyan

☆ A showdown over Trump’s trial date reflects an irreconcilable clash between campaign politics and justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The campaign trail will run as much through various court rooms as through the fabled rituals of an American election year. Furthermore, the events surrounding Trump’s denial of his 2020 election defeat have been in the public domain for years. But Trump’s team has already warned it may need up to three-and-a-half years to prepare his defense. His forceful opening gambit on the date suggests a strategy to ensure that any compromise date the judge arrives at will still be relatively early in 2024. The question of a trial date will likely wait for a subsequent hearing.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Smith, Prosecutors, Trump’s, Trump, ”, Elie Honig, Tim Parlatore, “, ” Parlatore, Smith’s, Joe Biden’s, Tanya Chutkan, Chutkan, Ryan Goodman, Ron DeSantis, Aileen Cannon Organizations: CNN, Iowa GOP, Prosecutors, GOP, Trump, IOWA, Republican, Defense Department, White, Trump’s Republican, Florida Gov Locations: Washington, DC, Iowa, New Hampshire, Manhattan, Florida, Lago, Georgia, American

☆ Ethiopia accuses Amhara militia of trying to overthrow government
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File PhotoADDIS ABABA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A senior Ethiopian official accused militiamen in the Amhara region of seeking to overthrow the regional and federal governments following days of fighting that led the authorities to declare a state of emergency. Clashes between Fano militiamen and the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) continued over the weekend. The conflict has quickly become Ethiopia's most serious security crisis since a two-year civil war in Tigray region, which neighbours Amhara, ended in November. Fano is a part-time militia that draws volunteers from the local population and was an ally of the ENDF during the Tigray war. Violent protests erupted across Amhara in April after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered that security forces from Ethiopia's 11 regions be disbanded and integrated into the police or national army.

Persons: Abi Adi, Amhara's, Temesgen Tiruneh, Temesgen, Legesse Tulu, Abiy Ahmed, Dawit Endeshaw, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Nick Macfie Organizations: Ethiopian National Defence Force, Amhara Special Forces, REUTERS, Tiksa, Ethiopian, Fana Broadcasting, Protesters, Thomson Locations: Tigray, Tigray Region, Ethiopia, ADDIS ABABA, Amhara, Fano, Gondar, Ethiopia's

☆ Billionaire Parts With Group Behind Israel’s Judicial Overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( David Segal | More About David Segal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Arthur Dantchik, the American multibillionaire who provided millions to the think tank behind Israel’s highly polarizing judicial overhaul plan, announced on Friday that he would no longer donate to the organization. Mr. Dantchik, 65, said in a statement that he would part ways with the Kohelet Policy Forum, which conceived a series of measures to transform Israel’s judicial system. “When a society becomes dangerously fragmented, people must come together to preserve democracy,” Mr. Dantchik said in the statement, posted to Calcalist, an Israeli news site. “I stopped donating to think tanks in Israel, including the Kohelet Policy Forum. A spokesman for Mr. Dantchik said he would have no further comment.

Persons: Arthur Dantchik, Dantchik, Mr, “, ” Kohelet Locations: Israel

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