Bloomberg As the US looks to build a coalition to further punish Myanmar’s generals, it’s not having much success convincing governments in Asia to follow suit. The standing of army chief Min Aung Hlaing’s regime has slipped even further in the West after his envoy to the United Nations denounced the military takeover and Myanmar authorities killed at least 18 ...
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US says rockets hit Iraq base hosting coalition troops
Bloomberg Ten rockets targeted an airbase in western Iraq that hosts US-led coalition troops, the latest in a spate of attacks that have raised tensions days before a visit by Pope Francis. There was no immediate claim for Wednesday’s attack on Al Asad Airbase, which came just a day after the Pentagon said it was hoping to deter future assaults ...
Read More »Riot hearing to look at slow guard deployment, intelligence gaps
Bloomberg Federal officials will face stern questioning about delays in deploying the National Guard during the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, as lawmakers probe broader intelligence failures in the days before the violent insurrection. Major General William Walker is set to appear alongside three intelligence and counter-terrorism experts from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the ...
Read More »Orban’s party quits EU lawmaker group in Hungary democracy row
Bloomberg Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pulled his ruling party out of the parliamentary caucus of the European Union’s largest political group as the bloc piles pressure on him over the erosion of democratic norms. Orban triggered the exit of his 12 European Parliament lawmakers on Wednesday after a vote by the European People’s Party (EPP) caucus cleared the way to ...
Read More »German far-right party put on watchlist
Bloomberg Alternative for Germany (AfD), the biggest opposition group in the country’s parliament, was placed on the domestic intelligence service’s list of organisations suspected of right-wing extremism, Der Spiegel reported. Prompted by a confidential 1,000-page report about alleged violations of constitutional rules protecting human dignity and democracy, the move allows the agency to conduct nationwide surveillance of the AfD, the ...
Read More »Hong Kong makes 100th arrest under security law
Bloomberg Hong Kong made its 100th arrest under a national security law imposed on the former British colony by China last year, while a mass bail hearing for dozens of pro-democracy activists was forced into a fourth day. 100 people had been arrested on suspicion of activities harming national security, police said. The accused include 83 male suspects and 17 ...
Read More »US poised to sanction Russia over its treatment of Navalny
Bloomberg The Biden administration is set to announce sanctions against Russia over the poisoning and jailing of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, according to people familiar with the matter. The penalties — like those just approved by European Union ambassadors — will match sanctions the EU and the UK imposed earlier on other Russians allied to President Vladimir Putin as punishment ...
Read More »Insurgents and troops commit war crimes in Mozambique: Amnesty
Bloomberg Insurgents, security forces and a private military company contracted by the government have killed hundreds of civilians in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province, according to Amnesty International. “The people of Cabo Delgado are caught between the Mozambican security forces, the private militia fighting alongside the government and the armed opposition group locally known as ‘al-Shabaab’ — none of which ...
Read More »Myanmar junta says live bullets won’t be used on protesters
Bloomberg Myanmar’s military has asked security forces responsible for deadly attacks on anti-coup protesters over the weekend not to use live ammunition as international condemnation grows. The announcement was made in a broadcast on state-run MRTV after the Southeast Asian nation saw its deadliest day since the February 1 coup, with the United Nations saying at least 18 protesters were ...
Read More »Abducted Nigerian schoolgirls freed
Bloomberg Gunmen in Nigeria freed hundreds of schoolgirls abducted last week in the northern state of Zamfara, the police said. “They were released in the early hours of this morning,“ state Commissioner of Police Abutu Yaro said by phone on Tuesday. A total of 279 girls were released, state Governor Bello Matawalle said on BBC Hausa radio. No ransom was ...
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