BURKINA FASO
Coup leader detained
The military general who took power in a short-lived coup is now in custody, the west African nation’s minister of defense said on Thursday. General Gilbert Diendere, who stepped down after about a week in power, was handed over to the gendarmerie, ministry spokesman Boureima Ouedraogo said. Diendere, who led the coup last month, had sought refuge at the Vatican embassy after the army on Tuesday opened fire on his supporters in the presidential guard to force them to disarm, a person who works closely with the clergy said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not have permission to speak to journalists. Diendere had called on his supporters in the presidential guard to lay down their arms as they were supposed to disarm as part of the peace deal. He told reporters that he was willing to surrender to authorities. “I am willing to turn myself over to face justice,” he said on Wednesday. “I would like the people of Burkina Faso to find a solution to this crisis through dialogue.” The government vowed that Diendere and his accomplices would receive a fair trial.
UNITED KINGDOM
Lawmakers eye EU exit: poll
As many as one in five of Prime Minister David Cameron’s lawmakers are likely to vote in a referendum on membership to leave the EU, research showed yesterday, indicating the scale of the division in the Conservative Party. Cameron is seeking to renegotiate ties with the EU before the referendum. Divisions over Europe contributed to the downfall of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major, the previous two Conservative prime ministers before Cameron. Out of 330 lawmakers, 67 are either “firmly out” or “out leaning,” while 203 could vote either way, according to research by Open Europe based on public statements and voting on EU issues. Just 14 lawmakers were firmly for staying in the EU and 44 were leaning toward staying in, Open Europe said. The Cabinet has 12 members who could vote either way out of 21 members with five leaning toward out and four leaning toward staying in, Open Europe said.
MOROCCO
Swedish boycott mulled
The government said on Thursday it was considering a boycott of Swedish companies operating in the north African kingdom because of Sweden’s position on the conflict over the Western Sahara. The territory has been disputed since a war two decades ago. The government said Sweden has been campaigning to boycott products from Western Sahara and international companies with a presence there. “We are heading toward a boycott of Swedish companies according the principle of reciprocity after similar campaigns to boycott Moroccan companies,” the statement issued after a weekly Cabinet meeting said.
UNITED STATES
Rules to be set for performers
A New York City task force was on Thursday to release its final proposal on how to regulate topless performers and costumed characters in Times Square. City council members said the recommendations would not ban the performers, but would place limits on commercial activity and increase police presence in Times Square’s pedestrian plazas. The mayorally appointed task force was created after people complained about the partial nudity of some performers, deeming it offensive. New York Councilor Corey Johnson, who represents part of Times Square, said the regulations would be “constitutionally robust and content neutral.”
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese