Latest News Mar 15, 2011

EU Diplomats Talk Sanctions with Suu Kyi

About 30 European diplomats held talks with Aung San Suu Kyi and other Burmese activists on Tuesday about the possible lifting of Western sanctions, the AFP news agency reported. Suu Kyi "didn't commit much" to Tuesday's discussion, according to Khin Maung Swe, leader of the National Democratic Force (NDF). Khin Maung Swe was present at the talks along with Suu Kyi, the opposition Democratic Party chairman Thu Wai and three ethnic minority party representatives. Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, appealed in February for talks with the West about sanctions, but suggested they were not hurting the economy and said any changes should be linked to an improvement in human rights.

Bin Hammam Coy Ahead of FIFA Election Announcement

Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam says is refusing to reveal until Friday whether he will challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency. Bin Hammam told reporters to wait for a scheduled news conference at the confederation's Malaysian headquarters. The 61-year-old Qatari has served on FIFA's executive committee since 1996. Blatter has been FIFA president since 1998 and is up for re-election June 1 for a fourth four-year term.

Yudhoyono Slams WikiLeaks Graft Charges

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is describing as character assassination leaked US diplomatic cables reportedly accusing him of bribery, intimidation and self-enrichment. Yudhoyono was responding Monday to recent reports by Australian newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based on US diplomatic cables and obtained by WikiLeaks. He told a Cabinet meeting in the West Java town of Bogor that he would use his right to obtain justice through democratic means. He did not elaborate. US Ambassador Scot Marciel last week expressed regret that the cables from the embassy in Jakarta found their way to the public but did not comment on their contents.