Venezuelans set to vote Sunday in referendum
Compiled from news services
Venezuelans vote Sunday in a referendum that the opposition hopes will mark a watershed — and the government insists means nothing at all.
Ballots will ask voters if they support the government’s plan to elect an unpopular National Constituent Assembly that would overhaul the constitution.
Critics, including some in the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, fear that President Nicolas Maduro would use the assembly to tighten his hold on the South American country and further delay — or cancel — elections.
Mr.Maduro and his supportersare pushing forwardwith their July 30 voteto elect 527 members of theassembly in a process designedto stack the body with the party faithful.
Qatar blockade
DOHA, Qatar –– France is seeking an end to the isolation of Qatar that has separated families across the region in a dispute between a Saudi-led group of nations and their Persian Gulf neighbor.
France is calling to “lift thesiege” and end “the efforts that have led to the interruptionof relations betweendifferent members of familiesthat have been harmedas a result,” ForeignMinister Jean-Yves Le Driansaid at a news conferencein Doha with his Qataricounterpart.
SaudiArabia, the United ArabEmirates, Bahrain andEgypt cut diplomatic andtrade links with Qatar overa month ago.
Chinese activist released
BEIJING— A Chinese legalactivist who founded aloose network of socially consciouscitizens was releasedfrom prison Saturdayat the end of a four-year sentence,his lawyer said.
XuZhiyong helped found theNew Citizens Movement,which at the time organizedmonthly dinners to discussChina’s constitutionand other legal issues.
Mr. Xu was convicted in January 2014 of disrupting order in public places, a vaguely defined charge that activists say has been used to muzzle government critics.
Blair on Brexit
FormerPrime Minister TonyBlair said Britain shouldkeep open the option ofstaying in the European Unionso Brexit can be calledoff if the mood of voterschanges during the twoyearnegotiation period.
The damage to the economy and livelihoods caused by a break from the 28-nation bloc is becoming clearer as divorce proceedings continue, and a compromise with the EU shouldn’t be ruled out, Mr. Blair said in an essay emailed by his office.
Castro’s denouncement
HAVANA— Cuban President Raul Castro denounced President Donald Trump’s tougher line on relations with Havana on Friday, calling it a setback but promising to continue working to normalize ties between the former Cold War rivals.
Mr. Castro’s comments to Cuba’s National Assembly were his first on Mr. Trump’s June announcement of a partial rollback of the Cuba-U.S. detente achieved by then-President Barack Obama.
Chechen leader’s denial
Chechenleader Ramzan Kadyrovdenies reports that gaymen are being tortured inthe Russian republic — notbecause such abuses wouldn’tbe allowed, but becausehe thinks there are no gaymen in Chechnya.
“Thisis nonsense,” Mr. Kadyrovsaid. “We don’t havethose kinds of people here.We don’t have any gays.If there are any, take themto Canada.”