NEWS ANALYSIS

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir came under mounting pressure Tuesday as three Western nations pushed for a political transition plan following weeks of unprecedented protests against his rule. Bashir, who has ruled Sudan with an iron-fist since sweeping to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, has …

Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Algerian lawmakers appointed a regime stalwart as interim president Tuesday, dismaying protesters seeking sweeping change after the resignation of Abdelaziz Bouteflika who ruled the country for two decades. The selection of upper house speaker Abdelkader Bensalah as Algeria’s first new president in 20 years followed constitutional …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | European leaders were grudgingly preparing to postpone Brexit on Tuesday, after Prime Minister Theresa May made last-ditch visits to Paris and Berlin to beg for more time. May asked to be given until June 30 to arrange Britain’s orderly departure, but EU leaders fear that won’t …

New Delhi, India | AFP | Stern, sharp and shrewd, Narendra Modi fought his way off the streets to become one of India’s most popular and polarising prime ministers. There is no middle ground between admirers and adversaries of the man — now running for a second term as leader …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Between 3.6 percent and 7.6 percent of US boys reported having sexual intercourse before the age of 13 in a study published on Monday, but the prevalence varies widely by race, ethnicity and geographic location. The study in the latest issue of JAMA Pediatrics …

  Washington, United States | AFP | The resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen underscored the failure of President Donald Trump to halt uncontrolled immigration, one of the key promises of his presidency. More than two years after he took office, tens of thousands of mostly Central Americans travel across …

Paris, France | AFP |  As thousands of protesters in Khartoum demand President Omar al-Bashir resignation, demonstrators have called for the Sudanese military to back them. So far the army has not intervened, but agents of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and riot police have cracked down …

Paris, France | AFP | Emperor Akihito ascended to the Japanese throne on November 12, 1990 in a tightly choreographed ceremony steeped in tradition but with hints of modernity. Akihito, aged 56, had already succeeded his father, Emperor Hirohito, immediately on his death the previous year after the longest reign …

Remembering the Moshi Spirit of the 1979 liberation war Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | This week marked 40 years since a combined force of armed groups of Ugandan exiles under the Uganda National Liberation Front/Army (UNLF/A) and the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF) toppled the government of then-president of …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |  Israel will hold general elections on April 9. Here are some facts about the process: Dozens of parties Israel’s system of proportional representation allows small parties a chance of getting a seat in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament. There is however a barrier to the …