By Rand Paul
Obama acts as though we no longer have a Constitution
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt on Friday urged Myanmar's government to allow private businesses to develop the country's woeful telecommunications infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of competition and free speech.
On the eve of his landmark trip to Myanmar, President Barack Obama tried to assure critics that his visit was not a premature reward for a long-isolated nation still easing its way toward democracy.
One of Asia's most prominent democracy advocates will warn the Obama administration and members of Congress on a visit to Washington this week against "reckless optimism" over the chance for real political reform in her native Myanmar.
Afghan officials said they are halting efforts to dig out more than 60 bodies from the site of a devastating landslide that followed earthquakes in northern Afghanistan earlier this week.
Myanmar's army is poised for a major assault on Kachin minority rebels, the guerrilla group said Thursday, despite calls for an end to the violence that has cast a shadow over the new regime's reforms.
The Obama administration will not rush to lift sanctions on Myanmar, a top State Department official said Wednesday.
A civil war between Myanmar's army and Christian rebels in the Asian nation's northernmost state is threatening the military-backed government's efforts to normalize relations with the West.
Myanmar's government signed a cease-fire agreement Thursday with ethnic Karen rebels in a major step toward ending one of the world's longest-running insurgencies and meeting a key condition for better ties with the West.
A powerful earthquake that toppled homes in northeastern Myanmar has killed more than 70 people, and there were fears Friday the toll would mount as conditions in more remote areas became known.
