Rollcall News

  Myanmar’s ruling junta has imposed martial law in parts of the country’s biggest city, a day after at least 38 people were killed in the bloodiest crackdown yet on resistance to last month’s military coup A man crosses the street while fire is seen in front of a road barricade that prevents security force... YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar’s ruling junta on Monday imposed martial law in parts of the country’s biggest city, a day after at least 38 people were killed in the bloodiest crackdown yet on resistance to last month's military coup. NOT THE FIRST RESTRICTIONS After the Feb. 1 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, the military declared a nationwide state of emergency and gave itself broad powers. It also put in place similar but milder restrictions to martial law in dozens of townships across the country. Those earlier measures used Section 144 of the penal code and the main impact was a ban on gatherings of more than five people — which was generally ignor...

                 MINNEAPOLIS: Memorial or no-go zone? The Minneapolis intersection where George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed last summer by a white police officer has become a bit of both. "George Floyd Square" is a public shrine, a focal point for debate and a canvas for artistic expression denouncing racial injustice and police brutality. Surrounded by concrete barricades and patrolled by self-appointed "guardians," the intersection at 38th and Chicago has also been the scene of several shootings, at least one of them fatal. Bouquets, candles and hand-written messages mark the spot where the handcuffed Floyd died, his neck pinned to the ground by police officer Derek Chauvin's knee. Jeanelle Austin, a 36-year-old woman who grew up in the neighborhood, describes herself as the "lead caretaker" of the George Floyd global memorial. "I started caretaking for my own well-being," Austin told AFP, carefu...

IMAGE COPYRIGHT PA MEDIA image caption Getting goods across the Irish Sea border involves a range of new processes, checks and documentation The EU has begun legal action against the UK over its alleged breach of  the NI Protocol . It could lead to the UK having to defend its actions at the European Court of Justice. The European Commission's vice president said he hopes the issue can be resolved without further legal action. Maroš Šefčovič said the EU's preference is for "collaborative, pragmatic and constructive" political discussions. The protocol is the part of the Brexit deal relating to Northern Ireland and has led to the creation of a new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. It delayed the introduction of new sea border checks on food, parcels and pets. It also moved unilaterally to ease the trade in horticultural products across from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to the UK...

  IMAGE COPYRIGHT GETTY IMAGES image caption Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has secured payments from Facebook in Australia Facebook has agreed to pay Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Australia for journalism from its local mastheads. The deal has been secured just weeks after Australia passed a controversial world-first law aimed at making tech platforms pay for news content. News Corp has not disclosed the value of the three-year contract in Australia. Last month, it clinched a global deal with Google. Mr Murdoch's media empire began with his Australian newspapers. The deal covers all of News Corp's content in the country - which is a significant amount. News Corp Australia controls about 70% of newspaper circulation in Australia with mastheads including The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and The Herald Sun. It also owns news.com.au. It also owns the Fox News-modelled conservative TV network Sky News Australia, which has grown to become the most-shared Australian news b...

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned the US not to "cause a stink", as President Joe Biden prepares to set out his Korean policy. In remarks on state media, Kim Yo-jong criticised the US and South Korea for conducting joint military exercises. Her comments come a day before top US officials are due to arrive in Seoul. The US government has said it has been trying for weeks to make diplomatic contact with North Korea. Pyongyang has yet to acknowledge that President Biden is now in office. The two countries remain at loggerheads over the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Kim Yo-jong was quoted in the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper as saying: "A word of advice to the new administration of the United States that is struggling to spread the smell of gunpowder on our land from across the ocean. "If it wants to sleep in peace for coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step." She ...