Top Stories Today – May 7, 2019
Top Stories Today – May 7, 2019
Two Reuters reporters freed in Myanmar
Two Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar after they were convicted of breaking the Official Secrets Act walked free from a prison on the outskirts of Yangon on Tuesday after spending more than 500 days behind bars. They were released under a presidential amnesty for 6,520 prisoners on Tuesday. President Win Myint has pardoned thousands of other prisoners in mass amnesties since last month.
The two reporters, Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, had been convicted in September and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a case that raised questions about Myanmar’s progress toward democracy and sparked an outcry from diplomats and human rights advocates. It is customary in Myanmar for authorities to free prisoners across the country around the time of the traditional New Year, which began on April 17. Reuters has said the two men did not commit any crime and had called for their release. Swamped by media and well-wishers as they walked through the gates of Insein Prison, a grinning Wa Lone gave a thumbs up and said he was grateful for the international efforts to secure their freedom. Reuters
Mnuchin denies releasing Trump’s tax returns
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin notified House Democrats on Monday that he will not turn over President Trump’s tax returns, claiming that the request from the Ways and Means Committee “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose.” Due to a 1924 law, Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is one of just a few lawmakers with the authority to request the president’s tax returns. In his letter to Neal, Mnuchin said he spoke with officials in the Department of Justice, and concluded they are “not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information.”
He did not explain their reasoning. This move will almost certainly trigger a legal battle, with Democrats expected to file a lawsuit in order to have a federal judge rule on the issue. The Washington Post via The Week
China tariffs will jump to 25% on Friday
After President Trump tweeted Sunday that he would increase tariffs on China, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer confirmed the revelation in a Monday afternoon announcement. The US will raise tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion in Chinese goods, Lighthizer said, citing an “erosion of commitments by China.” Still, trade negotiations with China will continue on Thursday and Friday, Lighthizer said.
The revelation comes as trade negotiations seemed to be going “very well” between the US and China, as Trump put it two days ago. But Lighthizer pivoted and said China was “retreating from commitments that have already been made” in those negotiations, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin doubling down and saying China was trying to “renegotiate” already agreed-upon terms. The Week
Mueller leaving Justice Department
Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel’s office, told The Hill on Monday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller will leave the Justice Department “within the coming days.” Carr did not elaborate, and he used the same phrase a month ago. President Trump is pulling out all the stops to prevent Mueller from testifying before Congress.
House Democrats have tentatively scheduled Mueller to testify on May 15, despite Trump’s efforts. Once Mueller leaves the Justice Department, though, Trump will have even less control over whether he testifies. Attorney General William Barr reportedly still maintains he has no concerns about Mueller testifying, as a private citizen or Justice Department employee. The Hill, ABC News via The Week
Meghan and Prince Harry welcome a baby boy
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex and wife of Britain’s Prince Harry, gave birth to a boy on Monday, the seventh-in-line to the throne and described by his proud father as “absolutely to die for”.
The baby, who has not yet been named, was born in the early hours of the morning weighing 7 lbs 3oz (3.26 kg). Meghan, a US-born former actress, and the baby, the couple’s first child, were both healthy and well, the palace said. Reuters
US to strengthen its military in the Arctic
Aimed at countering China and Russia’s expansion in the Arctic, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday the United States will increase its military presence in the polar region. “We are hosting military exercises, strengthening our force presence, rebuilding our icebreaker fleet, expanding Coast Guard funding, and creating a new senior military post for Arctic Affairs inside our own military,” said Pompeo after arriving in Rovaniemi, Finland, for a meeting of the Arctic Council.
“The region has become an area of global power and competition,” he said. The top US diplomat’s warning comes days after a Pentagon report said China could use its civilian research presence in the Arctic to strengthen its military presence. The Voice of America