海角大神

Prospect / London

Let 'Brexit' begin

鈥淚 am enthusiastic and optimistic about Britain鈥檚 prospects outside the [European Union],鈥� writes Gerald Howarth, member of Parliament for the Conservative Party. 鈥淚 and my colleagues in 鈥楲eave Means Leave鈥� want to see our departure secured as swiftly as possible, partly to maintain faith with the electorate but also because we know industry and commerce want certainty.... Current discussion seems to centre on whether we should ... remain members of the 鈥榮ingle market鈥�.... As for free movement of people, that is simply non-negotiable; the people of Britain voted for control of their borders under arrangements agreed by their sovereign Parliament.... [Prime Minister] Theresa May has already shown her commendable mettle of boldness. There is much to do, and we need to get the formula right, but we cannot allow discussions to drag on.鈥�

The Straits Times / Singapore

Weighing up the death penalty

鈥淚n clockwork fashion since 2008, the United Nations General Assembly has deliberated every two years the question of a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, with a view to abolishing it,鈥� writes Eugene K.B. Tan, associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University School of Law. 鈥淎s the death penalty remains in our statutes, Singapore is a prominent retentionist state in the serious debate on the death penalty.... Singapore has not ignored or disregarded the international developments. While there is still no international consensus against the death penalty, the list of abolitionist states grows slowly but surely, suggesting that there might be inexorable movement towards its abolition.鈥�

The East African / Nairobi, Kenya

Stopping the violence in Burundi

鈥淥n September 20, the United Nations released a report saying that agents of the Burundi government were involved in systematic gross human rights violations, torture and executions,鈥� writes Christopher Kayumba of the University of Rwanda. 鈥淭he report added that in 鈥榮ome instances... those gross human rights violations amount to crimes against humanity鈥� and that 鈥楪iven the country鈥檚 history, the danger of genocide also looms large鈥�.... [N]ow that the UN has publicly acknowledged that crimes against humanity may have been committed and genocide a high possibility, will the UN and the international community act?... [T]he precedent in Burundi is that once regional powerbrokers 鈥� Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda 鈥� unambiguously line [up] behind negotiations, protagonists normally listen and buy into the initiative.鈥�

The Sydney Morning Herald / Sydney, Australia

What a Trump administration could mean

鈥淭rump unloaded on America鈥檚 allies during the candidates debate, reprising a complaint he鈥檚 made before. 鈥榃e defend countries,鈥� Trump fumed, but 鈥榯hey do not pay us...,鈥� 鈥� writes Daniel Flitton. 鈥淚n foreign policy circles there are hopes 鈥� perhaps wishful thinking 鈥� that serious people will be appointed to temper his administration.... Australia鈥檚 leaders like to boast that over the 65-year history of the [Australia, New Zealand, and United States Security Treaty], we鈥檝e fought in every major war alongside Americans.... [T]he alliance with the US has won Australia influence in turn.... But all that might change if the Australian people decide the next big threat to be Trump鈥檚 America.鈥�

El Mercurio / Santiago, Chile

Colombia's quest for peace

鈥淐olombia and the international community were surprised by the unexpected result of the referendum on the peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas...,鈥� states an editorial. 鈥淭he now-senator [脕lvaro Uribe, ex-president and vocal critic of the accords] knows he has a good opportunity to introduce changes and renegotiate the agreement, something that before the referendum was not an option.... The one whose duty it is to find a way to rescue the situation is President [Juan Manuel] Santos, who has gambled his political capital on achieving an end to the conflict.鈥�