by Maria Isabel SANCHEZ Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela’s self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido said Monday he was taking control of the country’s foreign assets as he piled pressure on leader Nicolas Maduro by calling for a new wave of protests against the embattled regime. Guaido, the opposition leader who has declared himself the country’s ruler amid violent anti-government protests, says “usurper” Maduro’s rule is illegitimate and wants to set up a […]
Tag: politics
Abe vows Kim meeting to ‘break shell of mutual distrust’
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister vowed Monday to “break the shell of mutual distrust” with North Korea by meeting leader Kim Jong Un face-to-face and restoring diplomatic relations between the two historic foes. In a major policy speech to mark the opening of parliament, Shinzo Abe also vowed to push Sino-Japan ties “to a new stage” and pledged a record budget to improve crumbling infrastructure in the world’s third-biggest economy. “I will act […]
Venezuela’s Guaido calls for protests Wednesday, Saturday
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela’s self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido called for a new round of protests Wednesday and Saturday against elected leader Nicolas Maduro and for free elections. In a video posted on Twitter, the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly called for a “peaceful” strike Wednesday to paralyze the country followed by a “big national and international rally” Saturday. © Agence France-Presse
Kamala Harris launches White House bid in America ‘under attack’
OAKLAND, United States (AFP) — Lamenting that the American Dream and its democracy are under attack in Donald Trump’s the United States, California Senator Kamala Harris formally declared Sunday her candidacy to become the country’s first black female president in 2020. Harris, who was California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2017, made her announcement to supporters outside city hall in Oakland, San Francisco’s grittier neighbor where she was born. Barack Obama introduced himself to Californian […]
Maduro rejects call for elections amid mounting pressure
by Maria Isabel SANCHEZ Agence France Presse CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday rejected a European ultimatum that he call elections as opposition rival Juan Guaido stepped up appeals to the military to turn against the leftist government. The United States, meanwhile, warned there would be a “significant response” if US diplomats, Guaido, or the opposition-controlled National Assembly were targeted with violence and intimidation. The shot across the bows came after […]
US calls to ‘stand with freedom’ in Venezuela as EU gives ultimatum
by Laura BONILLA CAL / Philippe RATER Agence France Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States pressed all nations Saturday to “stand with the forces of freedom” in Venezuela, encouraged by a tougher European line as Russia stood in the minority in backing embattled leader Nicolas Maduro. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a forceful case at a special session of the United Nations Security Council, where he described Maduro as […]
Trump climbs down in wall row, Congress passes bill ending shutdown
by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Friday brought a temporary end to the longest government shutdown in US history, while dropping his previous insistence on immediate funding for wall construction along the Mexican border. The announcement in the White House Rose Garden on the bipartisan deal marked a retreat by Trump, suspending a political row that has paralyzed Washington, disrupted air travel and left more […]
EU hails peaceful conduct of Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite
The European Union Delegation issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in the Philippines: The EU Delegation wishes to congratulate the Philippine Government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Commission on Elections for the generally peaceful conduct of the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite on 21 January 2019 before the second phase to be held on 6 February 2019. The creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao is […]
Remains found of explorer who put Australia on the map
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — The remains of the first British explorer to circumnavigate the Australian continent and popularize the country’s name have been found near a busy London railway station. Archaeologists sifting through a vast burial ground near Euston station said Friday they had found a coffin plate identifying the last resting place of Royal Navy captain Matthew Flinders. Flinders was buried on 23rd July 1814, but not before publishing “A Voyage to Terra […]
Venezuela’s military backs Maduro, as standoff hardens with US
Venezuela’s powerful military threw its weight behind Nicolas Maduro on Thursday as the US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido pressed a direct challenge to his authority, and the fate of the crisis-wracked country hung in the balance. As the death toll from days of street protests jumped to 26, a defiant Maduro announced the closure of Venezuela’s embassy and consulates in the United States, a day after President Donald Trump’s administration declared his regime “illegitimate.” The oil-rich […]
Canada will host Lima meeting on Venezuela: official
OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) – Canada will host the next meeting of the Lima Group on the Venezuela crisis, a senior government official told AFP Thursday. No date has been set for the talks, but the official said on condition of anonymity that “sooner would be better given the escalating crisis in Venezuela.” Most members of the Lima Group — a bloc of 14 Latin American powers and Canada — has urged Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro […]
UN chief warns ‘we are losing the race’ on climate change
DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) — UN chief Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned that the world is “losing the race” on climate change as he demanded that governments make bolder commitments beyond the Paris accord. “Climate change is the defining issue of our time. We are losing the race,” he said on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos. “It is absolutely central to reverse this trend.” Guterres said he was “not hopeful” that nations […]





