Hardliner wins turkish cypriot leadership election Michigan governor pushes back against Trump rally chants. Bolivia’s vote a presidential redo amid pandemic.
NICOSIA, CYPRUS » A hardliner who won a Turkish Cypriot leadership election said Sunday he’s ready to resume dormant talks aimed at ending Cyprus’ 46- year ethnic division, as long as rival Greek Cypriots come to grips with Turkey’s regional might.
Ersin Tatar, who favors fully aligning Turkish Cypriot policies with those of regional patron Turkey, said any peace accord should take into account the “realities” in and around the war- divided east Mediterranean island. Tatar spoke after defeating leftist incumbent Mustafa Akinci in a runoff.
“It won’t be difficult to reach a settlement at the negotiating table if our friends the Greeks and Greek Cypriots properly analyze the strategic, economic and social balances in our region,” Tatar told supporters during a victory speech in the Turkish Cypriot half of the Cypriot capital Nicosia.
DETROIT » Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Sunday that President Donald Trump is inciting “domestic terrorism” following “lock her up” chants at his rally in the state the night before.
Whitmer told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the rhetoric is “incredibly disturbing” a little more than a week after authorities announced they had thwarted an alleged plot to kidnap the Democratic governor.
“The president is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism,” Whitmer said. “It is wrong. It’s got to end. It is dangerous, not just for me and my family, but for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans. People of good will on both sides of the aisle need to step up and call this out and bring the heat down.”
At a rally in Muskegon on Saturday evening, Trump urged supporters to push Whitmer to reopen the state following COVID- 19 restrictions. When the crowd starting chanting
“lock her up” Trump added, “Lock ’ em all up.”
Israel, Bahrain sign deal establishing formal ties.
JERUSALEM » Israel and Bahrain on Sunday agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations, making the small Gulf country the fourth Arab state to normalize ties with Israel.
The U. S.- brokered agreement capped a one- day visit by a highlevel delegation of American and Israeli officials to Bahrain.
Bahrain joined the United
Arab Emirates at a festive White House ceremony last month marking the “Abraham Accords,” a pair of U. S.- brokered diplomatic pacts with Israel. While the UAE’s deal with Israel formally established ties, the agreement with Bahrain was less detailed and included a mutual pledge to follow suit.
Sunday’s visit appeared to complete that task, clearing the way for the countries to open embassies and exchange ambassadors in the coming months.
LA PAZ, BOLIVIA » Bolivians voted Sunday in a high- stakes presidential election meant to end a year of political turmoil — a vote that could bring a return of socialism at a time when it is struggling with a raging pandemic and protests over last year’s annulled ballot.
Bolivia, once one of the most politically volatile countries in Latin America, experienced a rare period of stability under former President Evo Morales, the country’s first Indigenous president who resigned and fled the country late last year after his claimed election win was annulled amid allegations of fraud.
Protests over the vote and later his ouster set off a period of unrest that caused at least 36 deaths.
To win in the first round, a candidate needs more than 50% of the vote, or 40% with a lead of at least 10 percentage points over the second- place candidate.