Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 2 February 2017
Philippine communist rebels to end unilateral cease-fire

TERESA CEROJANO tions. successfully tried to nego- rebels but will maintain dential Peace Adviser Je-
Associated Press The Communist Party of tiate an end to their rebel- peace and order. The mili- sus Dureza expressed dis-
MANILA, Philippines (AP) the Philippines and its mili- lion and sought inclusion in tary does not recognize any may at the rebel decision,
— Philippine communist tary arm, the New People’s government with six Philip- area under control of the saying it comes after prog-
rebels said Wednesday Army, said that the Aug. 28 pine presidents, including New People’s Army and will ress was made in peace
they will end their unilateral cease-fire will expire Feb. Rodrigo Duterte. not allow guerrillas to move talks last month in Rome,
cease-fire next week be- 10. The rebels and the gov- Defense Secretary Delfin around with their weapons, with both sides agreeing to
cause the government has ernment had separately Lorenzana said troops will he said. “The Armed Forces discuss a bilateral cease-
not freed all political prison- declared a cease-fire as continue to enforce the of the Philippines still be- fire later this month. Dureza
ers and has encroached on they resumed their peace government’s cease-fire lieves in and would want said he will recommend to
rebel-held areas, though talks. unless Duterte decides oth- to give peace a chance,” Duterte that the govern-
they said they continue to Founded in 1968, the rural- erwise. Troops will not carry military spokesman Col. ment maintain its unilateral
support peace negotia- based guerrillas have un- out operations against the Edgard Arevalo said. Presi- cease-fire.q

Former UN chief Ban won’t run for South Korea presidency

Associated Press of letting her friend Choi
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Soon-sil pull government
— Former U.N. Secretary- strings from the shadows
General Ban Ki-moon and collude with her to
said Wednesday that he extort money from busi-
won’t run for South Ko- nesses. Park is on a trial at
rea’s presidency, a sur- the Constitutional Court,
prise announcement that which is deliberating over
removes a key figure from whether to confirm her im-
the scramble to replace peachment or restore her
impeached President Park to power. If she is thrown
Geun-hye and further stirs out, presidential elections,
the country’s already tu- originally set for Decem-
multuous politics. The with- ber, would be held within
drawal of Ban, who had two months. Ban, a former
been considered the only South Korean foreign min-
major conservative con- ister whose service at the
tender, boosts liberal Moon U.N. ended in December,
Jae-in, who has enjoyed a initially generated sizable
comfortable lead in opin- interest in his home coun-
ion surveys since Park was try and was widely seen as
impeached in December. testing the political waters
Ban told a hastily arranged for a possible candidacy.
news conference that he But his approval ratings,
had wanted to use his 10 Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gets into a car after a press conference at the Na- which once outpaced
years of experience as tional Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. Ban said Wednesday that he Moon and other potential
U.N. chief to resolve a na- won’t run for South Korea’s presidency, a surprise announcement that removes a well-known rivals, have been falling
tional crisis and achieve figure from contention and further stirs the country’s already tumultuous politics. since the scandal flared
unity. But he said his “pure (Bae Jae-man/Yonhap via AP) in October. A survey re-
patriotism” and push for leased earlier Wednesday
political reform were bad- questions about his political titudes by some politicians, been upended by a mas- showed Moon, who lost
ly damaged by political competence and corrup- and I came to a conclusion sive scandal involving Park the 2012 election to Park,
slander and “fake news” tion allegations. that it would be meaning- and her confidant, which had a 32.8 percent ap-
that targeted him. He did “I was also very disap- less to work together with prompted millions to take proval rating while Ban
not elaborate, but Ban pointed by old-fashioned, them,” he said. to the streets in protest. ranked second with 13.1
has faced growing media narrow-minded egoistic at- Politics in South Korea has Prosecutors accuse Park percent.q

Mystery over Chinese tycoon’s disappearance from Hong Kong

KELVIN CHAN Hong Kong’s South Chi- that can be difficult to ver- Kong. It’s unclear why Xiao was
Associated Press na Morning Post on Wednes- ify in tightly controlled Chi- “Let there be no misunder- targeted, but his case has
HONG KONG (AP) — Mys- day, citing an anonymous na. standing!” the statement parallels with that of five
tery surrounds the where- source close to the tycoon, The reports contradict said. “It’s not true that I’ve Hong Kong booksellers, who
abouts of a Chinese-born one of China’s richest indi- a front-page ad on the been abducted and taken disappeared in 2015 only to
Canadian billionaire re- viduals. same day in the Ming Pao back to the mainland.” turn up under control of the
portedly seized in Hong Overseas Chinese news newspaper purportedly in Xiao is the founder of mainland authorities, spark-
Kong by mainland Chinese sites said earlier that Chi- Xiao’s name, denying he Beijing-based Tomorrow ing fears that Beijing was
police, in a case that could nese police officers escort- was taken against his will. Group. The 46-year-old eroding Hong Kong’s wide
rekindle concerns about ed Xiao from his suite at the That would be an appar- is worth nearly $6 billion, autonomy and rule of law.
overreach by Chinese law luxury Four Seasons Hotel ent breach of the city’s making him China’s 32nd The five sold gossipy books
enforcement in the semi- last Friday and took him mini-constitution, which wealthiest person, ac- about China’s communist
autonomous city. away. Such news sites car- prohibits mainland Chinese cording to the Hurun Re- leaders that were banned
Xiao Jianhua is in main- ry reports of political gossip law enforcement agencies port , China’s version of the on the mainland but popu-
land China, according to and corruption scandals from operating in Hong Forbes Rich List. lar with Chinese visitors.q