MYANMAR
Nineteen killed in clashes
At least 19 people have been killed in clashes between the military and an ethnic armed group yesterday in northern Shan State, the army and local sources told reporters, the most deadly flare-up in recent years as fighting in the borderlands intensifies. Rights defenders have said clashes in the country’s north near the Chinese border have ramped up since January as the international community focuses on the Rohingya crisis in the west of the country. Yesterday’s violence was between the military and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, one of several insurgent groups fighting for more autonomy in the north.
EAST TIMOR
Second vote held in a year
The nation yesterday voted in its second election for parliament in less than a year after the collapse of a minority government. A three-party alliance led by independence hero Xanana Gusmao’s National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction party is vying against Fretilin, which headed the short-lived government formed following the July last year election. Both sides in the election are promising economic development to reduce widespread poverty in the country. “I wish the winning party may look after the clean water, the roads to villages, education system and health sector,” farmer Sergio Soares Ximenes said.
UNITED STATES
Doe killer faces charges
A central Indiana man is facing charges for allegedly shooting a three-legged doe that other hunters had agreed to spare. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources on Friday said that conservation officers have filed misdemeanor charges against a Hamilton County man for shooting the deer from his vehicle on a public roadway in January last year. It said residents around the town of Deming, about 40km north of Indianapolis, had frequently spotted the doe over several years while it raised several sets of fawns. The agency said local deer hunters had formed a pact to leave the doe alone.
UNITED STATES
‘Fuck the NRA’: candidate
A Democratic congressional candidate in New Mexico on Friday used an expletive in a television ad to condemn the National Rifle Association (NRA) and inaction by lawmakers on gun control, beginning a 15-second spot with the words: “Fuck the NRA.” In the ad, Albuquerque City Council member Pat Davis goes on to say that NRA policies have “resulted in dead children, dead mothers and dead fathers,” and that “if Congress won’t change our gun laws, we’re changing Congress.” The ad was broadcast on KRQE-TV in Albuquerque, where general manager Bill Anderson said the station was not permitted by law to censor or edit Davis’ commercial and must provide equal access to candidates.
GUATEMALA
Two envoys told to leave
The country on Thursday said Swedish envoy Anders Kompass and Venezuelan envoy Elena Salcedo had to go, to be replaced by new ambassadors. Minister of Foreign Affairs Sandra Jovel said Kompass had to be withdrawn because he described Guatemala as having a “corrupt society.” Salcedo was alleged to have links to a rural organization opposed to President Jimmy Morales. Luis Linares, an analyst with the Association for Social Studies and Research, said that Salcedo’s ejection might be an attempt by Morales to ingratiate himself with the US, which is stepping up its campaign against Caracas.
The pledge by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “work, work, work, work and work” for her country has been named the catchphrase of the year, recognizing the effort Japan’s first female leader had to make to reach the top. Takaichi uttered the phrase in October when she was elected as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Many were initially as worried about her work ethic as supportive of her enthusiasm. In a country notorious for long working hours, especially for working women who are also burdened with homemaking and caregiving, overwork is a sensitive topic. The recognition triggered a
A plan by Switzerland’s right-wing People’s Party to cap the population at 10 million has the backing of almost half the country, according to a poll before an expected vote next year. The party, which has long campaigned against immigration, argues that too-fast population growth is overwhelming housing, transport and public services. The level of support comes despite the government urging voters to reject it, warning that strict curbs would damage the economy and prosperity, as Swiss companies depend on foreign workers. The poll by newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten and released yesterday showed that 48 percent of the population plan to vote
‘HEART IS ACHING’: Lee appeared to baffle many when he said he had never heard of six South Koreans being held in North Korea, drawing criticism from the families South Korean President Lee Jae-myung yesterday said he was weighing a possible apology to North Korea over suspicions that his ousted conservative predecessor intentionally sought to raise military tensions between the war-divided rivals in the buildup to his brief martial law declaration in December last year. Speaking to reporters on the first anniversary of imprisoned former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol’s ill-fated power grab, Lee — a liberal who won a snap presidential election following Yoon’s removal from office in April — stressed his desire to repair ties with Pyongyang. A special prosecutor last month indicted Yoon and two of his top
The Philippines deferred the awarding of a project that is part of a plan to build one of the world’s longest marine bridges after local opposition over the potential involvement of a Chinese company due to national security fears. The proposals are “undergoing thorough review” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which acts as a lender and an overseer of the project to ensure it meets international environmental and governance standards, the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways said in a statement on Monday in response to queries from Bloomberg. The agency said it would announce the winning bidder once ADB
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