Santiago, Chile | AFP | President Sebastian Pinera condemned on Sunday for the first time what he called abuses committed by police in dealing with four weeks of violent unrest that have rocked Chile. “There was excessive use of force. Abuses and crimes were committed, and the rights of all …
Read More »Hong Kong: Police warn of ‘live fire’ as campus protest siege deepens
Hong Kong, China | AFP | Hong Kong police Monday warned for the first time in months of unrest that they may use “live rounds” after pro-democracy protesters fired arrows and threw petrol bombs at officers at a besieged university campus, as the crisis engulfing the city sharply escalated. Protests …
Read More »Morales: Indigenous leader brought low by his refusal to yield power
La Paz, Bolivia | AFP | Evo Morales broke down barriers when he became Bolivia’s first indigenous president in 2006, but his refusal to democratically give up power and his tumultuous exit cast a shadow over nearly 14 years of economic progress and poverty reduction. Forced to resign after losing …
Read More »Pupils assemble AK-47s as Russia marks Kalashnikov at 100
Moscow, Russia | AFP | More than a hundred Russian schoolchildren were taught to assemble AK-47s in a Moscow park on Saturday as the country this weekend celebrates the centenary of the birth of Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the legendary rifle. On Sunday, the 100th anniversary of Kalashinkov’s birth …
Read More »Police in Bolivia join opposition as crisis mounts
La Paz, Bolivia | AFP | Police in three Bolivian cities joined anti-government protests Friday, in one case marching with demonstrators in La Paz, in the first sign security forces are withdrawing support from President Evo Morales after a disputed election that has triggered riots. The defense minister said the …
Read More »South Sudan rival leaders given 100 days to form unity government
Entebbe, Uganda | AFP -Michael O’HAGAN | South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar have been given another 100 days to form a power-sharing government after failing to resolve differences over a peace deal. The two leaders, whose fall out in 2013 sparked a conflict that …
Read More »Sudan rebels insist new parliament be formed only after peace deal
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese rebel groups engaged in peace talks with Khartoum insisted Wednesday that the country’s new parliament be formed only after an agreement is reached to end long-running conflicts in three border regions. A power-sharing deal signed on August 17 between protest leaders and the generals …
Read More »Is it a rebuke for Donald Trump in races seen as barometers for 2020 election?
Washington, United States | AFP | Democrats celebrated Wednesday after marquee election wins in two US states — including an upset in a Republican stronghold — seen as tests of President Donald Trump’s political standing ahead of the 2020 elections. In a sign of trouble for Trump, Democratic challenger …
Read More »Democrats change tactics, to hold first US House formal impeachment process vote
Washington, United States | AFP | The US House of Representatives will hold its first formal vote Thursday on the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, a senior aide said, as Democrats forge ahead with a process that includes public hearings. The move marks a shift in strategy by …
Read More »British PM Johnson loses election bid after EU backs Brexit delay
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British MPs on Monday defeated yet another attempt by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to force an early election, just hours after the European Union agreed to postpone Brexit for up to three months. The Conservative leader immediately announced an alternative plan to hold a …
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