International

Pro-EU rallies draw tens of thousands in Poland

Tens of thousands of Poles rallied on Sunday in defence of their country’s EU membership, after Poland’s top court last week issued a landmark ruling against the primacy of EU law. The pro-EU demonstrations were called by former EU chief Donald Tusk, now leader of the country’s main opposition grouping, Civic Platform, who has warned of the prospect of a “Polexit”. “Tens of thousands of people in Warsaw and in over 100 cities and towns […]

18 hurt in Chile clashes between indigenous protesters and police

Riot police clashed with protesters Sunday during a rally by the indigenous Mapuche community, leaving 18 people injured and 10 arrested, authorities said. About a thousand activists marched in the center of Santiago, many wearing ponchos and traditional head ornaments, demanding autonomy for the Mapuche, when police moved in to disperse the protest with water cannons and tear gas. Protesters responded with sticks and stones in a confrontation that lasted about 40 minutes, according to […]

Sixteen killed in Russian parachutists’ plane crash

Sixteen people were killed when a plane carrying parachutists crashed in central Russia on Sunday, the emergencies ministry said. The L-410 plane carrying 22 people crashed around 9:23 am (0623 GMT) near the town of Menzelinsk in the republic of Tatarstan, the ministry said on its Telegram channel. “Six people were rescued, 16 were taken out without signs of life,” the ministry said. The ministry had earlier said 15 people died and that the aircraft […]

Czechs in post-vote limbo as president rushed to hospital

The Czech Republic was plunged into uncertainty on Sunday as President Milos Zeman was rushed to hospital a day after his ally, populist billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis, narrowly lost an election. The president, who plays a critical role in nominating any future prime minister, was taken to hospital by ambulance shortly after meeting Babis and appeared to be unconscious upon arrival, with someone seen holding up his head. His doctor said he was in […]

Algerian president demands ‘total respect’ from France

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday demanded France’s “total respect”, following a row over visas and critical comments from Paris about the North African country. Last weekend Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris and banned French military planes from its airspace, which France regularly uses to reach its forces battling jihadists in the Sahel region to the south. The moves came after a bitter row over visas, followed by media reports that French President Emmanuel […]

Dubai police say $136 million worth of cocaine seized

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — The UAE authorities seized half a tonne of cocaine worth more than $136 million, Dubai police said on Sunday, in one of the biggest drug busts in the Gulf country. Officers “recently thwarted a smuggling attempt of 500 kilograms of pure cocaine into the country”, a police statement said. “The narcotics, worth more than 500 million dirhams ($136 million) in street value, were well-hidden within the structure of a […]

Taiwan leader says island will not bow to China

  by Sean CHANG Agence France Presse TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan will not bow to pressure by Beijing and will defend its democratic way of life, President Tsai Ing-wen said Sunday, following a spike in incursions by Chinese warplanes into its air defence zone. Self-governed Taiwan’s 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, […]

N.Irish police probe abuse at Church-run women’s homes

  DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) — Northern Irish police on Wednesday began probing historic allegations of abuse at women’s homes run by the Protestant and Catholic Churches in the UK province, where thousands were ostracized from society. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) launched the probe after a panel commissioned by the regional government on Tuesday called for a full inquiry into the Church-run homes for women. Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony McNally said specially trained […]

China’s Xi says reunification with Taiwan ‘will be realized’

  BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s President Xi Jinping said Saturday “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan “will be and can be realized”, days after Chinese warplanes made record incursions into the air defence zone of the democratically ruled island. Self-governed Taiwan, which has never formally declared independence, lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which views the island as its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. “Realising […]

Suicide bomber kills at least 55 at Shiite mosque in Afghanistan

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (AFP) — A suicide bomb attack on worshippers at a Shiite mosque in the Afghan city of Kunduz has killed at least 55 people in the bloodiest assault since US forces left the country in August. Scores more victims from the minority community were wounded in Friday’s blast, which was claimed by the Islamic State group and appeared designed to further destabilise Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover. The regional branch […]

Latin America’s Covid death toll surpasses 1.5 million: AFP tally

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AFP) — Latin America’s death toll from Covid-19 surpassed 1.5 million Friday, according to an AFP tally drawn from official figures. The toll is at least 1,500,350 deaths, with more than 45 million cases of the virus recorded. Brazil in particular surpassed 600,000 deaths on Friday, the second hardest hit country after the United States. After Brazil come Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Argentina in terms of deaths. Peru has the highest per capita […]

Journalists Maria Ressa, Dmitry Muratov win Nobel Peace Prize

  by Pierre-Henry DESHAYES Agence France Presse OSLO, Norway (AFP) — Investigative journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their work promoting freedom of expression at a time when liberty of the press is increasingly under threat. Ressa, also a US citizen, is co-founder of Rappler, a digital media company for investigative journalism. Muratov is a co-founder of Russia’s leading independent newspaper Novaya […]