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☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

The BPLA's growth owes much to Maung Saungkha's skills in building bridges with other armed groups, according to a key ally and two analysts. It says armed groups that oppose it are "terrorists" who sow chaos and kill civilians. It has charged Maung Saungkha with sedition as it has done with most opponents of its rule. Some armed ethnic groups have long relied on drug trafficking for funds, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Some soldiers have run away, homesick, bored and tired after two years of war, said Maung Saungkha, who declined to disclose how many members are in his group.

Persons: Maung Saungkha, Bamar, Maung, Aunt Min, Richard Horsey, Nicola Williams, General Nyo Tun Aung, Tun Aung, We've, Shoon Naing, Poppy McPherson, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Liberation Army, REUTERS, Poet, People's Defense Forces, National Unity Government, Strategy, AK, Karen National Union, Arakan Army, Myanmar Resistance, Myanmar Research, United Nations Office, Drugs, Reuters, UN, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, country's, Thailand, Myanmar's, Bamar, China, Russia

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A partial pardon by Myanmar's ruling military of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi means "absolutely nothing", her younger son said on Wednesday, calling on Western governments to do more to step up pressure on the junta. Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military overthrew Suu Kyi's elected government and cracked down on opponents of military rule, with thousands jailed or killed. Suu Kyi had won a 2015 election, held as part of tentative military reforms, and her party won again in 2020, before the military complained of election fraud. Kim Aris, the son of Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, poses for a portrait at the Reuters office in London, Britain, August 2, 2023. "But I do not see that this will actually result in any dialogue," he said of Suu Kyi's partial pardon.

Persons: Myanmar's, Aung San Suu, Kim Aris, Suu Kyi's, Suu Kyi, Michael Aris, Myanmar’s, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Dylan Martinez, I've, Aung, Suu, Sachin Ravikumar, Nick Macfie Organizations: Reuters, Aris, REUTERS, National Unity Government, Thomson Locations: British, London, Myanmar, Aung San Suu, Britain, Aung San, U.S

☆ Inside Myanmar’s Escalating Assault on Civilians
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Haley Willis | Weiyi Cai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

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Persons: Anthony Davis, “, Mr, Davis, ”, Maung, “ It’s, you’ve, Nyaung Kone, Maung Maung, Ngun Hoi, Hram Ling “, Ngun, Daw Thein Htay, Thein Htay, Htoke, Ma Gyi Sauk, Paung Hle Kone, Hle Kone, ” Mr, Tun Sein, Tragically Organizations: New York Times, Rohingya, National Unity Government, The Times, United Nations, Human Rights, “, Janes, Amnesty, Amnesty International, Education, Facebook, Myanmar, Myanmar Witness, Times Locations: Myanmar, trickling, Myanmar’s, Rakhine State, Rakhine, China, Russia, Sagaing, Kachin State, Pazigyi, Naypyidaw, Yangon Yangon, Yangon, Nyaung, Khuafo, Thantlang Township, Ngun, Thantlang, Salai, Ma Gyi, Paung, Sagaing’s Son, “

☆ Guatemalan presidential contender Torres visits Washington ahead of August run-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 27 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Sandra Torres will meet with U.S. officials in Washington on Thursday, her party said, ahead of a run-off vote next month that has raised international concerns over alleged interference by authorities. Torres' National Unity of Hope (UNE) party said the former first lady of Guatemala is slated to discuss migration, trade and security with U.S. State Department representatives. Torres' rival, Bernardo Arevalo of the Semilla party, who finished second in the vote, has not said whether he also plans to visit Washington. President Joe Biden's administration has raised various concerns over Guatemala's election process, including criticizing raids by authorities last week of Semilla offices. A senior Biden administration official previously said the United States planned to host Torres and Arevalo for talks in Washington this week to show support for free and fair elections.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Joe Biden's, Arevalo, Sofia Menchu, Daina Beth Solomon, Mark Porter Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, U.S, National Unity of, U.S . State Department, The State Department, Atlantic Council, Biden, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Washington, Guatemala, United States

☆ Myanmar military may move Suu Kyi to house arrest - media
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A demonstrator holds up a placard outside the Central Bank of Myanmar to protest against the military coup and to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, February 11, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoJuly 26 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government may move ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to house arrest in the capital, Naypyitaw, two media outlets reported on Wednesday. Many Western governments have condemned the junta's treatment of Suu Kyi and others, calling for their release. The daughter of Myanmar's independence hero was first put under house arrest in 1989 after huge protests against decades of military rule. In 1991, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for democracy but was only fully released from house arrest in 2010.

Persons: Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Stringer, Suu, Kyaw Zaw, Suu Kyi, Don Pramudwinai, Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel Organizations: Central Bank of, REUTERS, Associated Press, BBC, Reuters, National Unity Government, Thai Foreign, ASEAN, Myanmar, Thomson Locations: Central Bank of Myanmar, Aung San Suu, Yangon, Myanmar, Naypyitaw, Suu

☆ The Fading Dream of Korean Reunification - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Haeryun Kang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For a brief time after, my dream career was to lead South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, which deals with inter-Korean affairs. The first time I actually met a North Korean was in 2010, in Vienna of all places. A museum was hosting an exhibition of North Korean art, and I went three times. During my last visit, a man who identified himself as a bureaucrat from North Korea’s culture ministry approached me. The South Korea government blocks many North Korean websites.

Persons: Kang, ” We’re, Koreas, “ Organizations: North, South Korean, Sydney Olympics, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, Korea’s National Security, South Locations: South Korea, North, Korea, Korean, Vienna, South, “

☆ India’s Modi sparks political storm with pitch for common civil code
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Yp Rajesh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Currently, India's Hindus, Muslims, Christians and large tribal populations follow their own personal laws and customs, alongside an optional secular code, for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance. The Law Commission, a government-appointed advisory body, has sought public opinion by Friday on creating a Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The BJP says the common code is necessary to ensure gender justice, equality through uniform application of personal laws, and to foster national unity and integration. The comments were his most forceful in favour of the common code and set off a political storm. "Majoritarian morality must not supersede personal laws, religious freedom, and minority rights in the name of a code which remains an enigma," it said.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Sanjay Kumar, India's, playbook, Sushil Modi, Zakia Soman, YP Rajesh, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: BJP, DELHI, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, Commission, New Delhi’s, UCC, Muslim Women's Movement, YP, Thomson Locations: Egypt, India, Karnataka

☆ ASEAN struggles for unity on Myanmar conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The cause of the delay was unclear but an ASEAN official said a communique was being finalised and would be released soon. ASEAN chair Indonesia on Wednesday urged the group's foreign ministers to remain united in tackling the escalating violence in Myanmar. Malaysia, a vocal critic of the junta, urged ASEAN to strongly condemn the junta's actions, including violence. RIFTS APPARENTRifts within ASEAN over Myanmar were highlighted when Thailand invited Myanmar military officials to a meeting last month aimed at "re-engaging" with the junta. Indonesia, as ASEAN chair this year, is working behind the scenes to bring all stakeholders in the Myanmar conflict together for informal talks, but diplomats say it is struggling to make headway.

Persons: Zambry Abdul Kadir, Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Myanmar's, Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi, Malaysia's Zambry, Suu Kyi's, Kate Lamb, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Rob Birsel, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Myanmar's, Association for Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Junta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Myanmar, Thai Foreign, National Unity Government, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Jakarta, Myanmar, Malaysia, United States, China, Russia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Aung San Suu, Naypyitaw

☆ ASEAN chair Indonesia has little to show for Myanmar peace drive, diplomats say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JAKARTA, July 12 (Reuters) - Indonesia, working on behalf of southeast Asian nations, has little to show so far for its intense behind-the-scenes efforts to bridge gaps between factions in Myanmar's conflict, diplomatic sources say. Myanmar has been racked by violence since 2021, when the military seized power from a largely elected government and unleashed a deadly crackdown on opponents. But the junta, an opposition "shadow government" and rebel militias all refuse to compromise on their respective conditions to start even informal talks, said three sources, including two diplomats, familiar with the matter. Sasa said he could not confirm if the Bali meetings had taken place, but called for even deeper engagement with ASEAN. The sources said Indonesia had drawn inspiration from its "cocktail diplomacy" of the late 1980s, when it convinced Cambodia's four opposing factions to meet for informal talks near Jakarta.

Persons: Sasa, Bali, Cambodia's, Lina Alexandra, Retno Marsudi, Kanupriya Kapoor, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, National Unity Government, Centre, Strategic, International Studies, Indonesian, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Myanmar, Indonesia's, Bali, Jakarta

Now, in their next step to consolidate power, they are trying to manipulate the national elections that are underway. In anticipation of the 2023 elections, President Alejandro Giammattei packed the courts and the electoral tribunal with loyalists. The ruling regime and its allies then enlisted these entities to distort the Constitution and tamper with election procedures to tilt the political playing field in their favor. Many fear the ruling could pave the way for additional spurious challenges that could eventually overturn the results, delay the second round or exclude Mr. Arévalo from competing altogether. The cries of fraud echo those in the United States after President Biden’s 2020 victory, although, with the entire judicial system on their side, Guatemala’s election deniers stand a better chance of pulling it off.

Persons: ”, Alejandro Giammattei, Bernardo Arévalo, Sandra Torres, Arévalo, Biden’s Organizations: National Unity of Hope, Constitutional Locations: United States

☆ Why the US ‘does not get to assume that it lasts forever’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

“We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government,” Greene said in a tweet on President’s Day this year. Blue state governors, legislatures and mayors might respond to such an offensive in forceful ways difficult to predict today. The Republican-appointed majority on the US Supreme Court has encouraged the red state social offensive with decisions that stripped away national rights – most prominently on abortion and voting. “Given the make-up of the courts, it’s difficult for blue states to be hopeful about this,” says Kettl. “The United States does not get to assume that it lasts forever.”

Persons: we’ve, ”, Donald Kettl, Donald Trump, I’ve, ’ “, Trump, Daniel Cox, Alan Wolfe, Wolfe, ” Wolfe, “, Joe Biden, Trump –, Abraham Lincoln, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy, ” Greene, Susan Stokes, Stokes, he’s, Biden, Jim Crow, Cox, Michael Podhorzer, what’s, MAGA, Eric Liu, Liu, Richard Nixon’s, Liu’s, ” Liu Organizations: CNN, America, University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, Republican “, American Enterprise Institute, Boston University, Republican, Democratic, Chicago Center, Democracy, University of Chicago, CBS, Trump, National Guard, Fugitive, “, US, GOP, White House, AFL, Citizen University Locations: United States, States, America, Black, Confederate States, Georgia, Midwest, Heartland, Great, New York, Memphis, Austin, Blue, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona

☆ Guatemala court orders presidential ballot review, opposition cries foul
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Torres took 15.8% of the vote in the June 25 round, with Arevalo close behind with 11.8%. Some analysts expect Arevalo to win the runoff due to Torres' unpopularity in the voter-dense capital, Guatemala City. The court said it would then determine whether to take the rare step of mandating a recount. Arevalo said he would ask Guatemala's electoral court to annul the top court's decision, which he described as lacking legal merit and dangerous to the electoral process. In the days after the vote, Torres said she was concerned that votes had been manipulated with a faulty software system to favor Arevalo's party, Semilla.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Read, Bernardo Arevalo, Torres, Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei's Vamos, Sofia Menchu, Daina Beth Solomon, William Mallard Organizations: National Unity of, GUATEMALA CITY, Central American, National Unity of Hope, Guatemalan, of American, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA

CNN —Ma Khin Hla and her five siblings didn’t have time to run when a fighter jet buzzed over their village in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region. We didn’t get to run as it immediately dropped bombs.”When she opened her eyes after the strike on Tuesday, Ma Khin Hla said she saw her siblings’ bodies scattered around her. A monastery hit by the junta airstrike in Pale township, Sagaing region, Myanmar. CNN reached out to junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the airstrike but did not receive a response. Ma Khin Hla, whose five siblings were killed, said she has been forced to take shelter with relatives in another village.

Persons: Khin Hla, didn’t, ”, Ma Khin Hla, Zaw Htet, ” Zaw Htet, Min Aung Hlaing, “, Zaw Min Tun, Ar Lu Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Administration, Peoples Defense Forces, National Unity Government, SAC, United Locations: Myanmar’s, Sagaing, Nyaung Kone, Pale, Myanmar, Zaw, “, United Nations, Russia, China, Singapore

☆ Analysis: Emergence of Guatemalan anti-graft champion shakes up election
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Presidential candidate for the Semilla party Bernardo Arevalo holds a rally at the Parque Central a day after the first round of Guatemala's presidential election, in Guatemala City, Guatemala June 26, 2023. Underlining voter frustration with the status-quo, nearly a quarter of ballots counted were either spoiled or left blank. Arevalo, who has called corruption a "cancer eating away" at Guatemala, will face former first lady Sandra Torres in the run-off. Torres, running in her third presidential contest, won 15.8% of the first-round vote to Arevalo's 11.8%. Aldana later sought asylum in the U.S., while current President Alejandro Giammattei himself became embroiled in corruption allegations, which he denies.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Juan Jose Arevalo, Arevalo, Thelma Aldana, Otto Perez, Semilla, Bernardo, Nicol Estrada, Carlos Pineda, Will Freeman, Hugo Novales, Sandra Torres, Torres, Freeman, Semilla's, Aldana, Alejandro Giammattei, Juan Jose, Giammattei, Ivan Velasquez, Julia Esquivel, Jimmy Morales, Sofia Menchu, Dave Graham, Stephen Eisenhammer, Rosalba O'Brien, Leslie Adler Organizations: Parque, REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Council, Foreign Relations, of, Guatemala's, U.S, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Parque Central, Guatemala City, Guatemala, Josue, GUATEMALA, Arevalo, U.S, Guatemalan

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