Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
Special Report: Pompeo rejected U.S. effort to declare 'genocide' in Myanmar on eve of coup, officials say
In the last days of the Trump administration, some U.S. officials urged outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to formally declare that the Myanmar military´s campaign against the Rohingya minority was a genocide. Such a determination, a culmination of years of State Department investigation and legal analysis, would send a signal that the generals would not enjoy impunity for their persecution of the Muslim group since 2017, the officials hoped.
Saudi official denies threat to harm UN Khashoggi investigator
A senior Saudi official denied on Thursday he had threatened to harm the human rights expert who led the U.N. investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after the United Nations confirmed the expert's account of the threat. Agnes Callamard, the U.N. expert on summary killings, has said that a Saudi official threatened at a Jan. 2020 meeting in Geneva that she would be "taken care of" if she was not reined in following her investigation into the journalist's murder.
Philippines, Vietnam press China over vessels massing in South China Sea
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern to China's ambassador about Chinese vessels massing in the South China Sea, his spokesman said, as Vietnam urged Beijing to respect its maritime sovereignty. International concern has grown in recent days over what the Philippines has described as a "swarming and threatening presence" of more than 200 Chinese vessels that it believes were manned by maritime militia.
'Alarm bells': Brazil's COVID-19 chaos sparks fear, countermeasures from neighbors
When the Copa America basketball tournament got underway last month in the midst of a pandemic, the hosts in Cali, Colombia took no chances. Players and staff from participating men's national teams from around Latin America lived in a local "bubble" without contact with outsiders; all were tested regularly for COVID-19.
Belarusian opposition calls for new wave of protests against Lukashenko
Belarusian opposition figures marked an unofficial "Freedom Day" on Thursday by calling for new protests against veteran President Alexander Lukashenko to increase pressure on him to resign. Lukashenko, 66, has faced the biggest challenge to his nearly 27-year-rule since protesters took to the streets after he was declared the winner of a presidential election last August which they said was rigged.
U.S. blacklists two Myanmar military-controlled companies: U.S. Treasury
The United States on Thursday sanctioned two conglomerates controlled by Myanmar's military following the generals' Feb. 1 coup and deadly crackdown, according to a statement on the U.S. Department of Treasury's website. The U.S. sanctions target Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited, according to a notice posted on the website.
U.S. wages psychologicial war on Moscow - Russian defense adviser
The United States and other Western countries are waging a psychological war on Russia to try to undermine President Vladimir Putin and state institutions, an adviser to Russia's defense minister said. The aide, Andrei Ilnitsky, also said in comments widely reported by Russian media that Washington also wanted to alter how Russians think in a "war...for people's minds."
Exclusive: Biden wants to keep Trump policy that boosted armed drone exports - sources
The Biden administration wants to keep a controversial Trump policy that jump-started sales of armed drones to countries whose human rights records are under scrutiny in the United States and elsewhere, according to sources familiar with the discussions. When former President Donald Trump's administration reinterpreted the Cold War-era arms agreement between 35 nations known as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) to increase drone sales, arms control advocates and some top Democratic lawmakers feared it would worsen global conflicts.
U.S.'s Blinken says West needs to cooperate more than ever
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that cooperation between allies was more important than at any time in recent history and that relations with NATO and the European Union would be crucial to overcoming challenges. Speaking on the last day of his three-day visit to Brussels, Blinken continued what many European officials said was a charm offensive to win back the support of allies sidelined during four abrasive years under U.S. President Joe Biden's predecessor Donald Trump.
Vaccine failures cast shadow over EU summit as COVID-19 surges
European Union leaders meet on Thursday to discuss a coordinated path out of the COVID-19 pandemic as infections surge again in many of their countries, seeking agreement on how to ramp up supplies of vaccines after a feeble start to inoculation. Ahead of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron spelt out the frustration over vaccine rollouts that are far behind those of Britain and the United States, acknowledging that European leaders had been too timid.
