Tag Archives: politics

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israel’s centre-left opposition dramatically split on Tuesday ahead of an April 9 election, with leader Avi Gabbay announcing he would no longer partner with veteran politician Tzipi Livni as she sat stone-faced next to him. The announcement means the end of their Zionist Union alliance, …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Supporters of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are calling for constitutional changes that would allow him to stay in power once his second term ends in 2022. Backers of the former military chief, re-elected in March with over 97 percent of the vote, want parliament …

Brasília, Brazil | AFP | Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician vowing a crackdown on crime and corruption, was sworn in Tuesday as Brazil’s new president in front of Congress in Brasilia. The 63-year-old former paratrooper and deputy for the past 27 years pledged to uphold the constitution as he embarked …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa introduced its first minimum wage on Tuesday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa saying millions of workers would be better paid as he readies for a tricky election in May with the national economy struggling for growth. Trade unions have been split over whether …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday sacked the army commander and his deputy, a rare firing of the top military brass in the country. He did not give reasons for removing Lieutenant-General Paul Mihova but cautioned his successor, William Sikazwe, not to abuse the authority …

Paris, France | AFP | The French government “can do better” at improving citizens’ lives, President Emmanuel Macron said in his New Year’s Eve address as “yellow vest” protesters again took to the streets across the country. “We can do better and must do better,” Macron said in a 16-minute …

Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon’s President Ali Bongo on Monday addressed his compatriots for the first time since suffering a stroke on October 24, in a New Year’s message recorded in Morocco and distributed via social and traditional media. “It is true that I have been through a difficult …

Brasília, Brazil | AFP | Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. The former paratrooper and longtime lawmaker was starting his four-year mandate on January 1 …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he would not resign if prosecutors moved to indict him on corruption charges, as authorities probe several cases involving him ahead of April polls. Netanyahu said he would not step down in the event of being summoned for …

Washington, United States | AFP | A US judge who ruled earlier this month that Obamacare is unconstitutional has said the health care law can stand while his decision is appealed. In a stay order issued Sunday, Texas-based Judge Reed O’Connor said that while he was confident his ruling would …