Nation world

Friends say lawyer Rachelle Bergeron planned to soon return to the U.S. after a challenging stint prosecuting criminals on the Pacific nation of Micronesia, but she was shot and killed as she returned home Monday from a run with her dog.Friends say her husband was inside at the time, baking brownies with a local child the couple was helping care for.The killing has shocked the tiny island of Yap, home to 11,000 people, where Bergeron served as acting attorney general of Yap State. Authorities say they’re investigating the crime, but did not indicate they have arrested any suspects.Bergeron was from Wisconsin and first moved to Yap in 2015 when she took a job as assistant attorney general. She previously worked in Washington D.C., New York and India. … [Read more...] about American prosecutor slain in Pacific nation of Micronesia

The Mexican government says the late crooner José José will be feted at a homage at Mexico City*s Palace of Fine Arts on Wednesday.The Department of Culture said in a Monday night statement that the program will include participation by the National Symphonic Orquestra and members of the Palace*s Opera Studio.There will then be a Roman Catholic Mass at the Basilica of Guadalupe, followed by a ceremony at a Mexico City cemetery.José José died Sept. 28 in South Florida at age 71, and that was followed by disagreement among relatives over where his remains would be laid to rest. His body was cremated in Miami, and it was agreed that half the ashes would remain there and the other half would be brought to Mexico. … [Read more...] about Mexico to pay homage to late crooner José José on Wednesday

The United Arab Emirates says it will allow its citizen to again go to Lebanon, ending a yearslong ban on travel to the country.It says Emiratis can travel to Beirut from Tuesday. That’s according to a statement late Monday night issued by the state-run WAM news agency.Emiratis had been banned from traveling to Lebanon over kidnapping fears amid neighboring Syria’s civil war. The UAE also opposes the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah there.The announcement comes amid a visit to Abu Dhabi by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Hariri is seeking financial support for tiny Lebanon, which finds itself in an economic crisis. The country faces one of the highest debt ratios in the world, at $86 billion or more than 150% of the country’s gross domestic product. … [Read more...] about Emiratis can again travel to Lebanon, after yearslong ban

Police in Thailand have arrested a political activist accused of threatening national security by posting a comment on Facebook about how royal families in other nations lost power.The arrest Monday night of Karn Pongpraphapan came after an unprecedented amount of social media commentary last week that implicitly criticized Thailand’s monarchy by complaining about congestion caused by police blocking traffic for the motorcades of royal family members.Criticism of the monarchy is taboo, and circulating material deemed insulting to it is punishable by 3-15 years’ imprisonment.The blocking of traffic for royal vehicles has long been the subject of private grumbling, but recent road congestion unleashed a torrent of tweets with the hashtag #royalmotorcade, some veering into sharper comments. A police statement Tuesday related the arrest to “inappropriate hashtags.” … [Read more...] about Thai activist arrested for comments about fall of monarchies

Ecuador appears to be at a dangerous impasse after days of escalating protests and clashes.President Lenín Moreno has moved his administration out of the capital, alleging he is the target of a coup attempt.But Moreno so far has the military’s support and isn’t backing down from his decision to cut fuel subsidies, causing hikes in fuel prices. The unrest has spread from transport workers to indigenous demonstrators.Moreno said Monday that Ecuador’s government faces security threats and will operate from the port city of Guayaquil instead of Quito, the capital. The president says his predecessor, Rafael Correa, is trying to destabilize Ecuador with the help of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Ecuador is among dozens of nations calling for Maduro’s ouster.Correa accuses Moreno of corruption and political persecution. … [Read more...] about Ecuador’s leader moves government seat as clashes escalate