Hong Kong film-makers say censorship law spooks investors, actors

By Jessie Pang HONG KONG (Reuters) – Two years after screening an internationally acclaimed documentary on the democracy movement in Hong Kong, director Kiwi Chow has been forced to complete a new movie with fresh financing after political concerns scared off some investors. The fears spiked after Hong Kong adopted a new censorship law in…

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Pakistan, IMF discuss $2.5 billion standby arrangement -domestic media

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund are discussing a $2.5-billion “standby arrangement” for six to nine months, domestic newspapers said on Wednesday, with the current bailout programme set to expire on June 30. Pakistan rushed through a recent slew of policy adjustments, including a revised budget sought by the IMF and an…

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Guatemalan presidential contender pitches closer China ties

By Enrique Garcia GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -An anti-corruption presidential candidate in Guatemala, whose surprise showing in a first-round election on Sunday means he will contest a runoff vote in August, said on Tuesday he would pursue closer relations with China if he wins. “We need to work on our trade relations and expand them in…

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Exclusive-Islamists wield hidden hand in Sudan conflict, military sources say

By Khalid Abdelaziz DUBAI (Reuters) – Thousands of men who worked as intelligence operatives under former president Omar al-Bashir and have ties to his Islamist movement are fighting alongside the army in Sudan’s war, three military sources and one intelligence source said, complicating efforts to end the bloodshed. The army and a paramilitary force have…

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South Korea unveils sanctions on Russian national over North’s weapons programmes

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea on Wednesday announced new sanctions on two individuals and two entities over their alleged involvement in North Korea’s weapons programmes, Seoul’s foreign ministry said. The sanctions target Choi Chon Gon, a former South Korean national who acquired Russian citizenship, two companies Choi owns and a North Korean who supported Choi,…

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East Europe NATO allies say Wagner troops in Belarus spell trouble

By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) – Eastern European NATO countries on Tuesday warned that a move of Wagner’s Russian mercenary troops to Belarus would create greater regional instability, but NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is ready to defend itself against any threat. “If Wagner deploys its serial killers in Belarus, all neighbouring countries…

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Bolsonaro’s political hopes wither as key judge votes to bar him from office

By Ricardo Brito BRASILIA (Reuters) -Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was staring into the political abyss on Tuesday when a federal electoral court (TSE) justice voted to bar him from office until 2030 for anti-democratic abuse of power during last year’s fraught election. The vote by Benedito Goncalves, the lead justice in the case against…

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Ex-Trump lawyer Giuliani interviewed in US special counsel’s election probe -CNN

(Reuters) -Rudy Giuliani, an ex-lawyer of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been interviewed as part of a probe by Special Counsel Jack Smith into interference in the 2020 presidential election, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. Smith is investigating accusations that Trump sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election that he…

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