Mar 22, 2018

Maldives lifts state of emergency amid "terrorism" crackdown

Zachary Basu

Maldivian police arrest a man at a protest appealing for the release of opposition leaders held in jail in the capital Male. Photo: Ahmed Shurau / AFP / Getty Images.

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen has ended a 45-day state of emergency that he imposed after the Supreme Court lifted the convictions of nine of his political enemies, reports Al Jazeera. On Wednesday, the two Supreme Court justices who made the ruling were charged with terrorism, as were a top judicial administrator and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Yameen's half-brother.

Why it matters: Critics have accused Yameen of using the state of emergency to crack down on dissidents, including journalists, government administrators and members of the opposition party. And the moves come as Yameen has tilted the Maldives toward Chinese influence while it has been historically aligned with India.

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Rebecca Falconer

Deadly clashes erupt in Delhi ahead of Trump's visit

Rival protesters over the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi, India, on Monday. Photo: Yawar Nazir/ Getty Images

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for calm Tuesday as deadly clashes erupted in the city's northeast between supporters and opponents of India's controversial new citizenship law.

Why it matters: Per the BBC, a police officer and six civilians "died in the capital's deadliest day" since last year's passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act — which allows religious minorities but excludes Muslims from nearby countries to become citizens if they can show they were persecuted for their religion — hours before President Trump and members of the U.S. first family were due to visit the city as part of their visit to India.

Go deeper: India's citizenship bill continues Modi's Hindu nationalist offensive

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South Carolina paper The State backs Buttigieg for Democratic primary

Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend Pete Buttigieg speaks at an event in Charleston, South Carolina on Monday. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

South Carolina newspaper The State endorsed former Southbend Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Monday night for the state's Democratic primary.

Why it matters: It's a welcome boost for Buttigieg ahead of Tuesday's Democratic debate in South Carolina and the state's primary on Saturday.

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Axios

White House requests $2.5 billion to fight coronavirus as U.S. cases rise

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The Trump administration sent a letter to Congress Monday requesting a funding commitment of at least $2.5 billion to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. rose to 53.

The big picture: As South Korea and Italy stepped up emergency measures in efforts to thwart the spread of the virus, WHO expressed concern about infections with no clear link to China. COVID-19 has killed at least 2,699 people and infected more than 80,000 others, with all but 27 deaths occurring in mainland China.

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