Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon’s prime minister announced a new government in a video message recorded thousands of miles away in Morocco, where ailing Gabonese President Ali Bongo is recovering from a stroke. Recently appointed PM Julien Nkoghe Bekale gave details of the reshuffle in footage broadcast late Saturday …
Read More »Hundreds of ‘yellow vest’ protesters rally in central London
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Hundreds of demonstrators wearing yellow vests took to the streets of London on Saturday, in the largest protest yet in Britain copying the “yellow vest” protests rocking France. Protesters opposed to the government’s austerity programme and demanding a general election marched through the centre …
Read More »Obama protege Julian Castro set to join 2020 race
San Antonio, United States | AFP | Former mayor of San Antonio, Texas and Obama-era cabinet member Julian Castro is expected Saturday to launch his bid to become the nation’s first Hispanic president, scheduling his announcement in a border state central to America’s immigration debate. Castro would become the most …
Read More »US congresswoman Gabbard, who met Syria’s Assad, says will run for president
Washington, United States | AFP | Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran who met dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria during that country’s devastating civil war, said Friday that she is launching a US presidential bid. “I have decided to run and will be making a formal announcement within …
Read More »France vows tough response as new ‘yellow vest’ demos loom
Paris, France | AFP | France braced for a fresh round of “yellow vest” protests across the country on Saturday, with the authorities vowing zero tolerance for violence after weekly scenes of rioting and vandalism in Paris and other cities over the past two months. Officials have warned they expect …
Read More »US vet cancels project to raise money for border wall
Washington, United States | AFP | An Iraq war veteran canceled his plan to crowdsource $1 billion to help President Donald Trump build a wall on the Mexico border Friday after raising only $20 million and drawing questions about his online activities. Triple-amputee veteran Brian Kolfage launched a GoFundMe account …
Read More »US govt shutdown to enter record 22nd day in border row
Washington, United States | AFP | The US government shutdown that has left 800,000 federal employees without salaries as a result of President Donald Trump’s row with Democrats over building a Mexico border wall was set to enter a record 22nd day Saturday. The Democrats’ refusal to approve $5.7 billion …
Read More »Ruling ANC kickstarts S.Africa election season
Durban, South Africa | AFP | South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to unveil the ruling ANC party’s election manifesto on Saturday in front of tens of thousands of supporters, marking the start of four months of hectic campaigning. The African National Congress (ANC), which has ruled since the …
Read More »France bracing for bigger, more violent ‘yellow vests’ demos
Paris, France | AFP | French officials said Friday they expect this weekend’s “yellow vest” demonstrations to be bigger and more violent than a week ago, as the protest movement which had shown signs of fatigue gains fresh impetus. National police chief Eric Morvan told France Inter radio he expected …
Read More »Zimbabwe doctors end strike without deal
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Doctors in Zimbabwe have ended a more than month-long strike without winning a deal on higher salaries, their union said Thursday, adding the government had pledged to address their grievances. Hundreds of doctors in public hospitals walked out on December 1 demanding salaries in US …
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