United Nations, United States | AFP | Iran’s president on Wednesday closed the door on meeting Donald Trump despite last-minute European efforts to ease tensions as the United States again ramped up punishing sanctions. French President Emmanuel Macron had shuttled between his US and Iranian counterparts over two days at the …
Read More »Egypt detains more than 1,000 after anti-Sisi protests: NGOs
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egyptian authorities have arrested more than 1,000 people, rights groups said Wednesday, broadening a crackdown that has seen prominent critics detained after rare protests calling for the ouster of general-turned-President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The wave of arrests comes ahead of a “million-man march” Friday called for …
Read More »Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Zelensky: a political tragicomedy in one act
New York, United States | AFP | As an impeachment storm rages in Washington, to say that Donald Trump’s tete-a-tete with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was hotly anticipated would be the understatement of the week. And it delivered: their appearance before the media in New York was tense, bizarre and …
Read More »How ‘Heidi’ conquered Japan, sparking an anime revolution
Zurich, Switzerland | AFP | Heidi and Super Mario may not seem to have much in common but anime and video game aficionados will detect the signature style of Japanese character designer Yoichi Kotabe in both. Far from the Swiss Alps, the cherished 19th-century storybook character Heidi has played an unlikely …
Read More »Sisi, Egypt’s undisputed leader
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Since ascending to power in 2014, Egypt’s general-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has imposed himself as an uncontested leader, stamping out opposition despite criticism by rights groups. His government has taken no chances and arrested over 600 people after hundreds of Egyptians protested his rule last week. …
Read More »Humanity must rescue oceans to rescue itself, UN warns
Monaco, Principality of Monaco | AFP | Two days after a climate summit failed to deliver game-changing pledges to slash carbon emissions, the United Nations warned Wednesday that global warming is devastating oceans and Earth’s frozen spaces in ways that directly threaten a large slice of humanity. Crumbling ice sheets, rising …
Read More »Cameroon’s anglophone region on tenterhooks ahead of peace talks
Buea, Cameroon | AFP | The mood in English-speaking Cameroon is a mix of anxiety, resignation and fatigue as the clock ticks. On September 30, the government will start hosting a national “dialogue” on the future of the anglophone territories, where separatist violence and a government crackdown have cost thousands of …
Read More »Democrats launch formal Trump impeachment inquiry
Washington, United States | AFP | Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi Tuesday announced the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, saying he betrayed his oath of office by seeking help from a foreign power to hurt his Democratic rival Joe Biden. The dramatic move — the first …
Read More »Athletics World Championships a key test for Qatar
Doha, Qatar | AFP | Qatar is preparing to welcome thousands of fans and competitors for the World Athletics Championships starting Friday, an event seen as a staging post towards the 2022 football World Cup. The 10-day event in the capital Doha will be a key test ahead of the football …
Read More »Jeremy Corbyn: Britain’s revolutionary survivor
Brighton, United Kingdom | AFP | UK opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is a silvered-haired vegetarian cyclist who believes in “revolution” but has frustrated with his ambiguity about the biggest issue of his generation: Brexit. The 70-year-old socialist has energised leftist supporters and polarised public opinion in equal measure …
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