A taxi driver was shot by his spouse’s brother-in-law, in Campbell Street, Albouystown, Georgetown.
It is alleged he was not the intended target, his mother-in-law told police that the bullet was meant for her. The injured man has been identified as 32-year-old Rafael Hintzen.
Investigations by the police revealed that the victim and one of the suspects are known to each other as they both share a relationship with two sisters who reside in Campbell Street, Albouystown area. According to police, “Information received from the 41-year-old mother-in-law of both the suspect and victim is that on Phagwah day, her nephew sprayed water from a ‘water gun’ on one of the suspect’s friends, to which he (the suspect) was annoyed. Subsequently, she and the suspect (son-in-law) were engaged in a heated argument when he threatened to ‘kill’ her.”
At around 00:10hrs on last Wednesday, Hintzen was in his car which was parked in from of the Campbell Street home. His mother-in-law was said to be seated on a chair in the yard, when the suspect and three other men, all armed with hand guns appeared out of the alleyway opposite the house. The statement from the police said that the men, “started to discharge several rounds in the victim and his mother-in-law’s direction. The victim exited his car and ran into the yard where his mother-in-law was, upon realizing that he was shot in the foot, tried to pull him up the step to get him into the house.”
Furthermore: “In the process of doing so, the woman said that she saw the suspect (her son-in-law) and his accomplices running through the front gate in her direction, firing several rounds at her. Anastacia claimed that she immediately left the victim at the bottom of the stairway, ran upstairs, and closed the door.”
The woman told police that the suspect and his accomplices did not further injure the victim when they caught up with him since she assumed that she was the intended target. It is alleged that there was a car waiting on Campbell Street that the armed men ran back to and made good their escape. The injured man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation by a relative, where he was seen by a doctor, examined, admitted, and is receiving medical treatment. His condition is stable. Spent shells and warheads were recovered by detectives at the scene and a number of persons were questioned and useful information was received. Police are looking for the suspects as investigations continue. (Kaieteur News)…[+]
english news
Man gets bullet intended for mother-in-law
‘Ali and Jagdeo don’t want to hold Exxon accountable for misuse of oil money – Norton says
Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton has underscored that the opposition does not have the power to hold ExxonMobil Guyana Limited accountable for the allege misuse of revenues generated from oil.
He said too, that holding Exxon accountable falls under the government’s purview, adding, “Unfortunately, the Vice President [Bharrat Jagdeo] and President [Irfaan Ali] seem not to want to do that.”
Norton was commenting on remarks made by Vice President Jagdeo in relation to Exxon’s expenses. During one of his March press conferences, Jagdeo was asked to provide an explanation to the nation of the massive expenses racked up by United States oil major, Exxon. This publication had asked the politician, who is charged with oversight of the petroleum sector, to provide an explanation on the $133 billion depreciation and amortization costs that were charged to Guyana’s oil revenue by Exxon. In response, Jagdeo said that Kaieteur News should seek clarity from Exxon.
Norton said: “We don’t need to meet out to Exxon. So we don’t have to call on Exxon to do anything this contract [2016 Production Sharing Agreement] gives certain rights duties and responsibilities to the government and those to Exxon.”
He criticised the government’s perceived negligence and incompetence, pledging continued pressure for accountability. The Opposition Leader stated, “If there is transparency that we are calling for, then you will have the information to further pressure the government rather than run in believing that we have somewhat locus standi based on the PSA, to hold the oil company accountable we have to hold the government accountable and the government has to hold the oil company accountable.”
Norton clarified the opposition’s role is pressuring the government for accountability, acknowledging their limitations in contractual matters. “When we become the government we will. But for now, we will keep calling on the government to do what they should,” he added.
Moreover, he noted, “So we will raise the issue, we will put pressure to the government, but as an opposition, we are obligated to deal one, through the parliamentary system, through the government system… we also have the right when we engage them to raise any issue which we have been doing but we must not fool ourselves we are not a party to the PSA.” To this end, Norton said that unfortunately it does not seem that President Irfaan Ali and Jagdeo want to hold Exxon accountable.
At another of his press conferences, Jagdeo had said that while the Ministry of Natural Resources is privy to what is being depreciated and amortized by Exxon, he will not share any details in that regard. Instead, he directed Kaieteur News to write their questions to Exxon. “Yes, the Ministry would know what is depreciated and stuff like that but I’m not gonna go through any financials here because I think Kaieteur has even a more rudimentary understanding of the financials than I do and two, that it can’t be done at a press conference. If you want to have that why don’t you submit in writing to Exxon, ask them, we have noted this- the following things,” Jagdeo said.
Moreover, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is still to release the reports of two audits on billions of US Dollars in expenses racked up By ExxonMobil from 1999 to 2020. So far two audits have been conducted to review ExxonMobil’s multibillion expenses for the lucrative Stabroek Block. The first was done by a British Firm IHS-Markit and was a review of some US$1.6 billion in costs incurred by Exxon during the period 1999 to 2017. The second was done by a local consortium, VHE, supported by an overseas company for some US$7.3 billion in expenses racked up by the Oil Company from 2018 to 2020. (Kaieteur News)…[+]
14 civil servants arrested on organized crime charges in Ecuador
QUITO – At least 14 civil servants in Ecuador, including judges and police officers, were arrested in a nationwide operation against corruption within the legal system, the country’s Attorney General’s Office said.
Police arrested and raided homes in eight provinces as part of Operation Plague, which targeted civil servants suspected of systematically allowing criminals to elude justice in exchange for “money or favors.”
“Those allegedly involved … benefited highly dangerous people, granting them freedom through legal tricks and abuse of the law,” the office said in a post on social media site X, formerly Twitter.
Judges implicated let criminals already in prison “obtain their freedom illegitimately though it appeared legal,” said the office. The operation aims “to eradicate this plague that operates in the justice system, which has been systematized as a vicious circle and which accounts, once again, for the deep emergence of corruption in state institutions,” it added. (Xinhua)…[+]
China urges Philippines to resolve South China Sea disputes through dialogue
BEIJING – China once again urges the Philippines to respect the facts, and return to the right track of properly managing and resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.
In response to a query concerning an open letter by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing that the Philippines keeps accusing China of “intimidating smaller countries” without mentioning at all the Philippine occupation of and encroachment on China’s territory in Nansha Qundao. That is a real propaganda “trap,” said Wang.
“On the issue of Ren’ai Jiao, it’s not the size, but the behavior of a country that determines who is right and who is wrong,” Wang said.
He pointed out that right after the Philippines deliberately grounded its warship on Ren’ai Jiao in 1999, which seriously violated China’s sovereignty, China made demarches to the Philippines, and the Philippines promised to tow away the warship several times. A senior official of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs made it clear that the Philippines had no intention of building any facility on Ren’ai Jiao and it doesn’t want to and will not be the first country to violate the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
“But 25 years on, not only hasn’t the Philippines fulfilled its promise to tow away the warship, it has even attempted to send construction materials for large-scale repair and reinforcement of the warship in order to build permanent structures on Ren’ai Jiao,” Wang said.
Pointing out that the Philippines has gone back on its words, and stirred up trouble to provoke China, he said the behavior of the Philippines not only breaches the understandings between the two sides on handling the Ren’ai Jiao issue, but also violates the DOC, especially its Article 5 on refraining from action of inhabiting the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays and other features. “The Philippines is clearly responsible for the current tensions in the South China Sea,” Wang added.
Wang stressed that China and Asean countries have long been committed to properly managing and resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation between the states directly involved, and have worked together to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, which has kept it generally stable.
However, for some time, the Philippines has been pulling non-regional actors into South China Sea affairs to back Philippine provocations and the violation of China’s sovereignty, he said, adding that the Philippines has been pursing selfish gains at the expense of the consensus reached by countries in the region.
“This is the main reason why the situation in the South China Sea has escalated and become more complicated,” he said.
“We once again urge the Philippines to respect the facts, observe the relevant understandings between the two sides and DOC provisions, follow the consensus reached between China and Asean countries, and return to the right track of properly managing and resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible,” said Wang. (Xinhua)…[+]
Myanmar’s military-ruled capital attacked by drones
MYANMAR – The opposition in Myanmar has claimed a rare mass drone attack on the country’s embattled junta government in the heavily guarded capital, Nay Pyi Taw.
The National Unity Government (NUG) – which calls itself the government in exile – said it deployed 29 drones armed with explosives to the airport, air force base and army headquarters.
The junta said it had intercepted the drones, shooting down seven, including one which exploded on a runway.
There were no casualties, they said,
The NUG represents the elected civilian government previously led by Aung San Suu Kyi, which was toppled in a coup in 2021.
Since then it and other opposition groups have been fighting the junta regime, which has begun losing control of large areas of the country.
The country’s three-year civil war has killed thousands and displaced about 2.6 million people according to the UN.
Yesterday morning’s attack on the capital marks another bold, and rare incursion by the resistance groups who are mounting an increasingly effective opposition to the junta.
Nay Pyi Taw is the centre of power for the military regime which named it the capital, replacing Yangon, after it came to rule. Heavily guarded, it has been shielded from much of the fighting that has raged elsewhere across the country.
Last week, the junta even staged its annual Armed Forces Day parade in the city – but the event which showcased tanks, armoured vehicles and thousands of soldiers took place at night.
Yesterday, representatives from the NUG told BBC Burmese they had planned and strategised with several defence groups to conduct the drone attacks.
“The synchronised drone operations were simultaneously executed against Nay Pyi Taw targeting both the military headquarters… and Alar air base,” NUG’s deputy secretary Mg Mg Swe said.
The military reported shooting down four drones at the airport in the capital and three drones which it said approached Zayarthiri township. Officials made no reference to the other drones reported by the opposition.
The NUG earlier this year said more than 60% of the country’s territory is now under the control of resistance forces.
Before yesterday’s attack, the regime was seen to have suffered its most serious setback last October.
An alliance of ethnic insurgents overran dozens of military outposts along the border with India and China. The junta has also lost large areas of territory to insurgents along the Bangladesh and Indian borders.
The fierce fighting has pushed the junta to enforce mandatory conscription. In February – where men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 – would be forced to enlist.
Observers have said the enforcement of the law reveals the junta’s diminishing grip on the country, and the high toll in fighting. There have also been reports of high defection rates.
The Tatmadaw, as the military is known, has not publicly declared the size of its fighting force in recent years.
However the junta still retain significantly more weapons and more advanced firepower than the resistance fighter groups.
As such, opposition groups have pivoted to using commercial drones carrying bombs to target military holds, researchers say. There have been several such “drop bomb” attacks in recent months. (BBC)…[+]
More than a dozen Pakistani judges receive letters with ‘toxic’ powder
PAKISTAN – More than a dozen senior judges in Pakistan have received letters containing a suspicious white powder since last Tuesday, prompting an investigation by the authorities.
Last Tuesday, all the eight judges of the Islamabad High Court received similar mails, with a note in English criticising the “justice system of Pakistan” and even mentioning the term, bacillus anthracis, according to a first information report (FIR) filed by the police in the capital, Islamabad.
Bacillus anthracis is a bacteria that can cause anthrax, a serious infection which can be fatal if immediate treatment is not given.
The next day, four Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, and five judges of the Lahore High Court also received similar letters with the suspected “toxic” material.
Police said a lesser-known group called Tehreek-e-Namoos Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the suspicious letters.
Police officials in Islamabad and Lahore said the letters and their contents have been sent to forensic and security experts for investigation. The authorities have not yet confirmed what the white powder was.
“We are conducting our investigation and we shall provide a prompt update as soon as we have a breakthrough,” a police official involved in the investigation told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Tehreek-e-Namoos Pakistan was first heard of in September last year when the authorities were alerted about a suspicious bag found at an upscale hiking trail in Islamabad. The bag contained a letter, hand grenades, a pistol, some bullets and maps of sensitive buildings in the city.
In that letter as well, the obscure group had criticised the “justice system”, saying it had decided to “teach a lesson to judges and generals”. The investigation into the incident is on.
The toxic mails to the top judges came about a week after six judges of the Islamabad High Court wrote a scathing open letter to the Supreme Court, alleging interference by Pakistan’s premier spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in judicial matters.
The judges said the ISI had used “intimidatory” tactics such as secret surveillance and even abduction and torture of their family members to influence their decisions in “politically consequential” cases, including against jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The ISI and the Pakistani military have not yet responded to the allegations.
The government, on its part, formed a one-member commission to investigate the matter. However, the retired judge appointed to the commission refused to take up the responsibility. Subsequently, the Supreme Court constituted a seven-member bench to investigate the allegations made in the unprecedented letter by the judges.
The first hearing of the bench was held, with Chief Justice Isa saying there will be “zero tolerance” as far as threats to the independence of the judiciary are concerned. The next top court hearing on the matter will be held on April 29.
Karachi-based lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii said the judges receiving allegedly toxic letters appear “rather peculiar and bizarre due to its timing”.
“From the contents of the letter that was sent, along with the so-called toxic substance in it, it is difficult to determine any commonality of motive for why these judges have been sent these missives,” Jaferii told Al Jazeera.
Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, a human rights lawyer in Islamabad, said whether the letters to the judges are “substantial or a hoax” must be investigated.
Lahore-based lawyer Rida Hosain concurred, saying judges being “explicitly intimidated” is a matter that requires serious and urgent attention.
“No justice system can function if judges are being threatened. It strikes directly at the ability of the judges to decide cases before them without fear and favour,” she told Al Jazeera. (Al Jazeera)…[+]
Israel’s Gantz challenges Netanyahu with call for election amid Gaza war
ISRAEL – Israel war cabinet member Benny Gantz has called for elections in September as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces pressure at home and abroad over the war in Gaza.
“We must agree on a date for elections in September, towards a year to the war if you will,” Gantz said in a televised briefing. “Setting such a date will allow us to continue the military effort while signalling to the citizens of Israel that we will soon renew their trust in us.”
Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent days demanding new elections. Many have criticised Netanyahu and expressed anger at his government’s handling of the 134 Israelis still held captive in Gaza six months into the war.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has repeatedly ruled out early elections, which opinion polls suggest he would lose, saying that to go to the polls in the middle of a war would only reward the Palestinian group Hamas.
His Likud party on Wednesday said Gantz must “stop engaging in petty politics” during the war. “Elections now will bring about paralysis, division, harm to the fighting in Rafah and a fatal blow to the chances of a hostage deal,” Likud said.
Gantz, a former army general, joined Netanyahu’s government in the early days of the war as a gesture of political unity during the crisis. Polls suggest his party would come top in any election, and he would be favourite to take over as prime minister.
Netanyahu has pledged to bring the captives home, as well as destroy Hamas, although it is unclear how Israel would be able to do so.
Netanyahu’s government has faced widespread criticism over the security failure of the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in which 1,139 people were killed and about 250 Israelis and foreigners kidnapped, according to Israeli authorities. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 32,975 people, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian authorities.
A truce between Israel and Hamas in November led to the release of more than 100 captives in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Revived talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appear to be making little progress, with the two sides showing few signs that they are ready to compromise on their demands.
Israeli objections to the return of displaced residents to their homes in Gaza is a key issue holding up the negotiations, Qatari officials said. Meanwhile, Hamas said it will not budge on its conditions to release captives it holds in the besieged and bombarded territory.
“After six months, it seems like the government understands that Bibi Netanyahu is an obstacle,” demonstrator Einav Moses, whose father-in-law Gadi Moses is being held captive, told The Associated Press news agency during protests. “Like he doesn’t really want to bring them back, that they have failed in this mission.”
Netanyahu, in a nationally televised speech before he was due to undergo hernia surgery, said he understood the families’ pain.
He said calling new elections would paralyse Israel for six to eight months.
Netanyahu also repeated his promise for a military ground offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than half of the territory’s population of 2.3 million now shelters after fleeing the fighting elsewhere.
“There is no victory without going into Rafah,” he said, adding that US pressure would not deter him. The next vote for parliament is set for October 27, 2026, per Israel’s Central Elections Committee. (Al Jazeera)…[+]
6 months and counting… “We have no money to survive”
“We have no money to survive and ask ourselves if the government realizes that we also have to pay our monthly bills,” said several teachers who started working for the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in October 2023 but who still have not received their salary after six months.
These teachers are puzzled by the delay in the payment of their salary and explained that the longer they have to wait, the bigger the chunk of their salary is that is deducted for taxes. They are currently weighing their options.
K.J. who is assigned to a primary school explained that she and a colleague started working at the same school on October 1st, 2023 and that her colleague received her salary after 3 months but that she still has not received any money after half a year. She is therefore puzzled by this payment policy of the ministry. “I have to put food on the table for my two children and I have to make ends meet with the money that my parents give me to help me out,” said K.J. The teachers urge the government to pay them as soon as possible because they are struggling to survive…[+]
Dozens trapped in tunnels after Taiwan’s strongest quake in 25 years kills at least nine
TAIWAN – Rescuers in Taiwan scrambled to free dozens of people trapped in highway tunnels after the island was struck by its strongest earthquake in 25 years yesterday, killing at least nine and injuring more than 900 others.
The powerful 7.4 magnitude tremor shook the island’s east coast, hitting at 7:58 a.m. local time 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of Hualien city and at a depth of 34.8 kilometers (21 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. It was followed by several strong aftershocks with tremors felt across the island, including by CNN staff in the capital Taipei. Taiwan’s National Fire Agency (NFA) said in an update yesterday that the death toll had risen to nine, while 934 people have been injured.
Meanwhile, 75 people stranded in various tunnels in Hualien County have been rescued by emergency responders. As of 7 a.m. Eastern Time, 137 people remain trapped. Among those trapped were 50 employees of the Silk’s Place Hotel Taroko, who were traveling in four minibuses. Authorities have been unable to reach them by phone, and have listed them as trapped for the time being. Two German citizens that were caught up earlier in a tunnel in Hualien County have been rescued, the NFA added.
All the deaths were in Hualien County, among them three hikers killed by falling rocks in the tourist hotspot Taroko Gorge, the NFA said. Falling rocks also killed a truck driver in front of a tunnel on the east coast’s Suhua Highway, it added.
Reports of extensive damage have also emerged, with collapsed buildings in Hualien County, thousands of homes left without power and a major highway closed due to landslides and rockfalls, according to Taiwanese officials. Most of those trapped are in two road tunnels in northern Hualien County, the NFA said. Two German nationals are stranded in a third tunnel in the county, it said. The 400-meter Jinwen Tunnel, where 60 people are trapped, is one of more than a dozen that thread the Suhua Highway, a scenic but treacherous and narrow road that runs for 118 kilometers (73 miles) along the east coast.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration spokesperson warned that powerful aftershocks as high as magnitude 7 are expected to occur until the end of the week.
“There was really strong shaking… We quickly turned off the gas and electricity and opened the door. It was really strong. It felt like the house would fall down,” Taipei resident Chang Yu-lin said on CNN affiliate Taiwan Plus.Chen Nien-tzu, also in Taipei, said, “It was really wild.”
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had an earthquake so it felt really scary,” she said on Taiwan Plus.
The quake prompted initial tsunami warnings in Taiwan, southern Japan and the Philippines, with waves less than half a meter observed along some coasts, and prompting airlines to suspend flights. All tsunami warnings were later lifted.
In Taiwan, military personnel were dispatched to help with disaster relief and schools and workplaces suspended operations as aftershocks hit the island, according to the Defense Ministry.
Taiwan’s outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen said yesterday that she had ordered her administration to “immediately” get “on top of the situation and understand local impacts as soon as possible.” Tsai also told the administration to “provide necessary assistance, and work together with local governments to minimize the impact of the disaster.”
Taiwan, a self-ruled island east of mainland China, is home to about 23 million people, most of whom live in the industrialized cities of its west coast, including the capital.
The island is regularly rocked by earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which runs around the edge of the Pacific Ocean and causes massive seismic and volcanic activity from Indonesia to Chile.
Yesterday’s quake is the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, according to the Central Weather Administration. That year, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others.
Hualien County, parts of which are mountainous and remote, is home to about 300,000 people on the island’s sparsely populated east coast. A magnitude 6.2 quake hit near the area in 2018, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 300 others.
(CNN)…[+]
Xi and Biden hold phone talks
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden on the phone at the request of the latter. The two presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and issues of mutual interest.
President Xi noted that his San Francisco meeting with President Biden last November opened a future-oriented San Francisco vision. Over the past months, their officials have acted on the presidential understandings in earnest. The China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize, and this is welcomed by both societies and the international community. On the other hand, the negative factors of the relationship have also been growing, and this requires attention from both sides.
President Xi stressed that the issue of strategic perception is always fundamental to the China-U.S. relationship, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right. Two big countries like China and the United States should not cut off their ties or turn their back on each other, still less slide into conflict or confrontation. The two countries should respect each other, coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation. The relationship should continue moving forward in a stable, sound and sustainable way, rather than going backward.
President Xi underlined three overarching principles that should guide China-U.S. relations in 2024. First, peace must be valued. The two sides should put a floor of no conflict and no confrontation under the relationship, and keep reinforcing the positive outlook of the relationship. Second, stability must be prioritized. The two sides should refrain from setting the relationship back, provoking incident or crossing the line, so as to maintain the overall stability of the relationship. Third, credibility must be upheld. The two sides should honor their commitments to each other with action, and turn the San Francisco vision into reality. They need to strengthen dialogue in a mutually respectful way, manage differences prudently, advance cooperation in the spirit of mutual benefit, and step up coordination on international affairs in a responsible way.
President Xi stressed that the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. In the face of “Taiwan independence” separatist activities and external encouragement and support for them, China is not going to sit on its hands. He urged the U.S. side to translate President Biden’s commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence” into concrete actions. The U.S. side has adopted a string of measures to suppress China’s trade and technology development, and is adding more and more Chinese entities to its sanctions lists. This is not “de-risking,” but creating risks. If the U.S. side is willing to seek mutually beneficial cooperation and share in China’s development dividends, it will always find China’s door open; but if it is adamant on containing China’s hi-tech development and depriving China of its legitimate right to development, China is not going to sit back and watch.
President Xi stated China’s position on Hong Kong-related issues, human rights, the South China Sea, and other issues.
President Biden noted that the U.S.-China relationship is the most consequential relationship in the world. The progress in the relationship since the San Francisco meeting demonstrates that the two sides can advance cooperation while responsibly managing differences.
President Biden reiterated that the United States does not seek a new Cold War, its objective is not to change China’s system, its alliances are not targeted against China, the U.S. does not support “Taiwan independence,” and the U.S. does not seek conflict with China. The U.S. follows the one-China policy. It is in the interest of the world for China to succeed. The U.S. does not want to curtail China’s development, and does not seek “decoupling” from China. The U.S. will send Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit China shortly to strengthen dialogue and communication, avoid miscalculation and promote cooperation, so as to advance the relationship on a stable path and jointly respond to global challenges.
The two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and other issues. The two presidents found the phone call to be candid and constructive. The two sides agreed to stay in communication, and tasked their teams to deliver on the San Francisco vision, including advancing the consultation mechanisms on diplomatic, economic, financial, commercial and other issues as well as mil-to-mil communication, carrying out dialogue and cooperation in such areas as counter-narcotics, artificial intelligence and climate response, taking further steps to expand people-to-people exchanges, and enhancing communication on international and regional issues. The Chinese side welcomed visits to China by Treasury Secretary Yellen and Secretary of State Blinken in the near future. (Xinhua)…[+]
President Obrador responds to mayoral candidate’s slaying
MEXICO – Outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has offered condolences to the family of a slain mayoral candidate who was shot dead shortly after launching her campaign. The shooting was the latest in a string of violence against political hopefuls ahead of Mexico’s June 2 general elections.
“These events are very regrettable because these are people are fighting to defend democracy,” López Obrador said during his daily news conference. “They’re out on the street, face to face.”
López Obrador’s remarks came in response to the death of Bertha Gisela Gaytán, a candidate representing the left-wing party he founded, Morena. She was running to be mayor of Celaya, northwest of Mexico City.
Last Monday, the first day of her campaign, Gaytán rallied with supporters in the streets of San Miguel Octopan, a town just outside of Celaya. A short social media video from the shooting shows a cluster of people chanting and waving maroon flags in support of Morena, when suddenly gunshots ring out. Multiple people were struck, including the city council candidate Adrián Guerrero. Several media reports indicated he later died at a nearby hospital.
Observers say threats largely stem from organised crime and drug cartels that exercise sway over the Mexican political system through threats, bribery and corruption.
Police, however, have yet to identify suspects in the shooting and arrests have yet to be made. In the aftermath, the governor of Guanajuato, the state where the shooting occurred, pledged to seek justice for the killings.
Mexico is currently in the midst of another high-profile election, this time with the presidency hanging in the balance.
(Al Jazeera)…[+]
Argentina to focus on eliminating mosquito to combat record dengue outbreak
BUENOS AIRES – Argentina’s government blamed a record outbreak of dengue fever on “lack of prevention last year,” and confirmed the country’s strategy will be to combat the disease-carrying mosquito instead of resorting to a vaccine.
The Ministry of Health said in a statement it has worked with each province since December to carry out “permanent epidemiological monitoring” based on the belief that “eliminating the mosquito in the territory is the first line of defense” to stop dengue.
“This is a task that must be continuously carried out, not just due to the current situation, but anticipating the next season to arrive with a smaller mosquito population,” it said.
Regarding immunization, the ministry said that last April the country approved the safety of a dengue vaccine “but since then neither the previous government, nor the infectious disease specialists, nor the international organizations reached a consensus for recommending it as a strategy to be included in the national vaccination calendar.”
Argentina has registered 163,419 confirmed cases of dengue as of March 31, an outbreak marked by persistent and accelerated infections, according to a report released by the ministry.
(Xinhua)…[+]
China urges Philippines to stop provocations in South China Sea
BEIJING – China urges the Philippines to immediately stop violating China’s sovereignty and its provocations on Ren’ai Jiao, and return to observing the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.
Wang made the remarks when asked to comment on a statement made by the Philippine department of national defense on March 29 and remarks on March 30 by the Philippine National Security Council assistant director general Jonathan Malaya concerning the South China Sea issue.
Wang pointed out that Nansha Qundao, including Ren’ai Jiao, has always been China’s territory. The scope of Philippine territory is defined by several international treaties, while China’s Nansha Qundao lies beyond the limits of the Philippine territory.
The Philippines tries to hide the fact that it has broken its promise to China, violated China’s sovereignty and kept provoking China. This is the only viable explanation for the Philippines’ string of false accusations against China, Wang said.
He said that the truth on the Ren’ai Jiao issue is that the Philippines went back on its words. “It made a serious promise to tow away its illegally grounded warship, but 25 years on, the Philippine vessel is still there.”
The Philippines breached the understanding between the two sides on properly handling the situation on Ren’ai Jiao, Wang said. The Philippines promised it will not reinforce the grounded warship and will inform China in advance of resupply plans. However, the Philippines refuses to honor its promise and made attempts to send construction materials for large-scale repair and reinforcement of the warship in order to permanently occupy Ren’ai Jiao.
The Philippines has also violated the DOC jointly signed by China and Asean countries, Wang said. Ren’ai Jiao is uninhabited, according to Article 5 of the DOC, Parties should maintain its state of hosting zero personnel and facilities. However, most recently, the Philippine military spokesperson openly vowed to build permanent structures on Ren’ai Jiao.
Wang also pointed out that the Philippines has also repeatedly sent people to step on China’s Tiexian Jiao and other uninhabited islands and reefs that belong to China in the South China Sea, which has seriously contravened the principles of the DOC.
“The Philippines, backed by external forces, has been going back on its words and making provocations. This is the real cause of the current tensions at sea,” Wang said, emphasizing that nothing will hide the truth, and no one should turn black into white.
“The Philippines needs to immediately stop violating China’s sovereignty and its provocations, and return to observing the spirit of the DOC. China will not waver in its resolve to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” said Wang.
(Xinhua)…[+]
