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NEWS ABOUT: dictatorship

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Activists: Coke Propping Up Swaziland Dictator

Huge Coca-Cola operation under fire

(Newser) - Swaziland's dictator keeps on going, thanks in part to support from Coca-Cola, activists are charging. King Mswati III has long been accused of human rights abuses and of looting the national treasury. Coca-Cola owns a large concentrate manufacturing plant in Swaziland, and has hosted trips by Mswati to its... More »

Let's Make Dictators Illegal

These regimes violate basic principles of human rights: Op-ed writers

(Newser) - International law failed miserably at keeping the abuses of dictators in check in the 20th century, and two op-ed writers in the Washington Post propose a novel solution for the 21st: Make dictatorships themselves illegal. The Arab Spring makes clear that democracy is the way forward all over the world,... More »

Harry Reid: Hu Is a 'Dictator'

Makes comment while ... talking about the tax deal

(Newser) - This should be good for international relations: On the eve of a lavish state dinner in Hu Jintao's honor, Harry Reid called the Chinese president a "dictator." The Senate majority leader made the comment in a televised interview last night, reports Politico, when asked if the bipartisan tax... More »

Nicaragua's Ortega Rewrites Constitution Overnight

To give his buddies more time term in office

(Newser) - What do you do when your country’s pesky constitution won’t let your buddies have another term in office? Why, declare a national holiday, and then rewrite the darn thing while everyone’s vacationing, of course. That’s what Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega did last week, reports the Christian ... More »

Ex-Romanian Dictator, Wife Exhumed

Romanians suspect Ceausescus not really buried where thought

(AP) - Taking the country by surprise, forensic scientists today exhumed what are believed to be the bodies of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife to solve the mystery of where they are truly buried. Ceausescu ruled Romania for 25 years before being ousted and executed during the bloody 1989 anti-communist... More »

Pyongyang: Kim Jong Il Style 'Sweeps World'

Style spreads 'expeditiously' in 'unprecedented' manner: 'expert'

(Newser) - The rest of the world might think he needs a straight jacket, but to hear the North Korean state news apparatus tell it, “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-Il’s matching Ike jackets and slacks has inspired a global vogue for the style. “The reason is that the august image... More »

Evil Needs Playlists, Too

What bin Laden, Ahmadinejad, Mugabe rock out to

(Newser) - When they’re not plotting to kill you or thousands of others, the world’s most evil men like to kick back with some tunes, too. The Guardian gives us an idea of what’s on their playlists:
  • Osama bin Laden: The al-Qaeda chief has the perfect soundtrack for hiding
... More »

Two Pilots Face Extradition in Dirty War Death Flights

Some 1,000 Argentines were hurled into sea

(Newser) - Two Argentines charged with piloting notorious "death flights" during the country's brutal military dictatorship are facing extradition. The pilots, one arrested in Argentina and the other in Spain, are accused of flying the flights from which more than 1,000 drugged and blindfolded students, intellectuals, and trade unionists... More »

Buddhist Monks Are Key to Change in Burma

Diplomatic efforts to 'engage' generals won't lead to democracy

(Newser) - The extension of Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest today serves as the latest reminder of the injustice at the core of the Burmese government. Past US policy revolves around sanctions, which further isolate the country and drive it into China’s economic embrace. Some congressional figures have called... More »

Kim Jong Il Healthy, 'in Control': US Official

(Newser) - Kim Jong Il was healthy and "in full control of his government" when Bill Clinton met with the North Korean dictator last week, a White House official says. Kim “seemed in control of his faculties" and "sounded very reasoned" during the meeting, says National Security Advisor James... More »

Corazon Aquino Dead at 76

Former president restored democracy in the Philippines

(Newser) - Corazon Aquino, former president of the Philippines, has died at 76, the Los Angeles Times reports. Aquino became Asia’s first female president, leading a “people power” movement that eventually toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986—and arguably set off a wave of democratic revolutions that ended with the... More »

US Brands Refugees 'Terrorists', Denies Asylum

All armed groups considered "terrorists"

(Newser) - Refugees hoping to stay in America are SOL if they backed armed movements back home—even if they fought dictators or have since worked for the United States, McClatchy reports. Following a Patriot Act provision, officials have denied more than 7,000 requests for green cards, refugee status, and asylum... More »

Formula One Chief Lauds Hitler's Efficiency

(Newser) - The billionaire chief of Formula One racing admires Adolf Hitler, disses democracy, and applauds Margaret Thatcher—but slams the West for lacking cultural sensitivity. Hitler "could command a lot of people" and was "able to get things done," Bernie Ecclestone tells the Times of London. But... More »

Fiji Dictator Defies Calls for Democracy

Commodore flouts deadline, says he needs another 5 years

(Newser) - The military leader of Fiji, where a coup overthrew the elected government in 2006, defied international demands for a restoration of democracy. Frank Bainimarama had been given a deadline of today to announce an election date, but the commodore said that he would not allow a return to democracy for... More »

North Korea to Try Detained US Journalists

TV reporters will be charged with illegal entry: Pyongyang

(AP) - North Korea's state-run news agency says two American reporters detained earlier this month will be tried for illegal entry and "hostile acts." The Korean Central News Agency said in a report today that an initial investigation confirmed suspicions about the two women and preparations for indictments and trial... More »

North Koreans Eat Pizza—After 10 Years' Wait

Kim Jong-Il wanted perfect recipe before authorizing restaurant

(Newser) - Millions of North Koreans suffer from undernourishment, but in Pyongyang, the ruling elite have a new dining option: the country's first pizzeria. It opened last December, more than a decade after Kim Jong-Il, reportedly a serious gourmand, brought a stable of Italian pizza chefs to teach army officers how to... More »

Mugabe Hosts $250K Party in Starving Zimbabwe

Cholera, hyperinflation, land grabs... Let's dance!

(Newser) - More than half of his country is starving, just 10% have jobs, and nearly 4,000 have died of cholera since August, but none of that has stopped Robert Mugabe from partying. Zimbabwe’s president spent $250,000 on his 85th birthday bash today, which included a 187-pound cake, the... More »

Donations Dry Up for Mugabe's 85th Birthday Bash

Unity government reduces Zanu-PF's ability to intimidate

(Newser) - Celebrations are underway in Zimbabwe this week to honor President Robert Mugabe’s 85th birthday, but the country's economic crisis, cholera epidemic, and shifting balance of power have dried up donations for the usually over-the-top festivities, the Times of London reports. Officials of his Zanu-PF party aimed to raise $300,... More »

Mugabe's Police to Hold Opposition Pol for 2nd Day

Prosecutors fail to show up to present charges against ministerial nominee

(Newser) - In another blow to Zimbabwe's fledgling unity government, police moved to hold a prominent opposition politician in jail for second day, the BBC reports. Roy Bennett will most likely spend the night in jail after prosecutors failed to come to court today to present insurgency and terrorism charges against the... More »

For Chavez, the End Is Near

Referendum will keep him in power, but Venezuelan economy makes it 'irrelevant'

(Newser) - Hugo Chavez has a slight lead in tomorrow’s referendum that would allow him to extend his rule in Venezuela, but the realities of the country’s economy make the issue “mostly irrelevant,” Edward Schumacher-Matos writes in the Washington Post. No matter the outcome, his days are numbered.... More »

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