Tag: politics

France nods to Ukraine in Bastille Day military parade

by Daphne BENOIT and Jurgen HECKER Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Paris’s traditional Bastille Day military parade on Thursday is a salute to Ukraine, and to France’s eastern European allies who are among guests of honor, officials said. French troops deployed close to Ukraine since the Russian assault in February have a special place at the event, attended by President Emmanuel Macron, his government and foreign leaders. “The parade is marked by, and takes […]

Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after president flees

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Crisis-hit Sri Lanka declared an indefinite nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday, hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, the prime minister’s office said. “Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country,” Dinouk Colombage, spokesman for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, told AFP. Police said they were also imposing an indefinite curfew across the Western Province, which […]

Sri Lanka president flees to Maldives ahead of expected resignation

  by Amal JAYASINGHE Agence France-Presse COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s embattled president flew out of his country to the Maldives early Wednesday, in a likely prelude to his resignation after months of widespread protests against his island nation’s worst-ever economic crisis. Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday and clear the way for a “peaceful transition of power” after fleeing his official residence in Colombo just before tens […]

US VP Harris launches Pacific push with new embassies, envoy

SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — The United States launched a major push into the Pacific Wednesday as it seeks to hold off China’s advances in the region, with Vice President Kamala Harris announcing the opening of new embassies in Tonga and Kiribati at a key regional summit. Washington will also appoint its first-ever envoy to the Pacific, Harris said as she pledged $600 million in funding for the region in her address to the Pacific Islands […]

Japan mourns as funeral for former PM Abe held in Tokyo

by Andrew Mckirdy Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Family and friends of assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe gathered at a Tokyo temple Tuesday for a private funeral, as mourners outside condemned the leader’s “despicable” murder. Abe was shot at close range on Friday while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara, days ahead of upper house elections that saw his ruling party strengthen its hold on power. The murder suspect, 41-year-old […]

More means less for Zimbabweans battling hyperinflation

by Fanuel Jongwe Agence France-Presse HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — With runaway inflation eating into incomes, staple foods have vanished from the tables of Zimbabweans like Emina Chishangwe, who lives in a poor dormitory town south of the capital Harare. “I can’t remember the last time I ate meat. It has become a luxury for some of us,” said the 57-year-old single mother of two adult sons. Zimbabwe has the highest inflation rate in the world, […]

Europe frets over reduced Russia gas supplies

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Russian gas giant Gazprom begins 10 days of routine maintenance on its Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Monday — with Germany and other European countries watching anxiously to see if the gas comes back on. The annual work on the two pipelines was scheduled long in advance. The fear is however that — with relations between Russia and the West at their lowest in years because of the invasion of Ukraine […]

Japan mourns as body of assassinated ex-PM Abe arrives in Tokyo

  by Harumi Ozawa and Katie Forster with Tomohiro Osaki in Nara Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A hearse carrying the body of assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Tokyo on Saturday after he was shot at close range on the campaign trail. The murder of Japan’s best-known politician rattled the country and sent shockwaves around the world, particularly given the nation’s low levels of violent crime and strict gun laws. […]

Former Japan PM Abe killed in shooting: media

by Tomohiro Osaki with Hiroshi Hiyama and Sara Hussein in Tokyo Agence France Presse KASHIHARA, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe died in hospital on Friday, local media reported, hours after being shot at a political campaign event in an attack condemned as “absolutely unforgivable”. Citing a senior member of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party, national broadcaster NHK said “former prime minister Abe died at a hospital in Kashihara city, Nara, where he […]

Japan ex-PM Abe showing no vital signs after attack; suspected gunman arrested

  by Hiroshi HIYAMA Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was feared dead on Friday after apparently being shot at a campaign event in the Nara region, local media reported. National broadcaster NHK said a man in his 40s had been arrested for attempted murder and a gun had been confiscated from him, citing police sources. The former leader had been delivering a stump speech at an event […]

UK PM fires ally and digs in despite calls to quit

by Jitendra JOSHI / James PHEBY Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s scandal-hit Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempted a rearguard offensive late Wednesday against a cabinet and Conservative party revolt, firing a top ally and vowing to “fight on” despite dozens of government members resigning. The dismissal from the cabinet of Communities Secretary Michael Gove — Johnson’s right-hand-man in Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum campaign — dramatically showed that the Conservative leader was not […]

UK PM Johnson faces parliamentary inquisition after top ministers quit

by Jitendra Joshi Agence France-Presse  LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces two high-stakes encounters in parliament on Wednesday after his government was rocked by the shock departures of two senior ministers. Rishi Sunak resigned as finance minister, and Sajid Javid as health secretary on Tuesday night. Both said they could no longer tolerate the culture of scandal that has stalked Johnson for months. They will now sit on the Conservative […]