Tag: politics

Canada’s liberal PM takes aim at conservatives 10 days before ballot

by Michel COMTE OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canada’s Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing a possible election defeat and a barrage of criticism over climate and foreign policies, tried to paint his Conservative rival as unready to lead on a debate stage Thursday. The nationally televised primetime debate was Trudeau’s last opportunity to face-off in person against the Tories’ rookie captain Erin O’Toole in a bid to sway voters. Canadians go to the polls on […]

Texas bans social networks booting users over politics

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Texas on Thursday made it illegal for popular social media platforms to ban users “simply based on their political viewpoints.” Political conservatives have accused Facebook, Twitter and other social media giants of stifling their voices, providing no evidence to support the claims. Social media platforms have consistently defended themselves against such accusations. Former US president Donald Trump was booted from Facebook and Twitter after a group of his supporters […]

Solar could comprise almost half US power by 2050, govt says

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Solar power could account for nearly half of the United States’ electricity supply by the middle of the century, according to a government study released Wednesday. The report, released by the Department of Energy, said solar could account for much as 40 percent of the power supply by 2035 and 45 percent by 2050, up from its current level of just three percent. However reaching this level would require […]

Tottenham Spurs aiming to stage world’s first ‘net-zero carbon’ match

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Tottenham are aiming to host the “world’s first net-zero carbon” football match at an elite level when the Premier League team face Chelsea on September 19. Spurs have joined forces with the British government and broadcaster Sky to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change. The London club hope the fixture, branded “GameZero”, will inspire fans to reduce their own carbon footprints. The eco-friendly London derby comes less than […]

Guinea’s new strongman: combat-hardened ex-Legionnaire

CONAKRY, Guinea (AFP) — Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the leader of the latest coup in Guinea, is a highly educated, combat-hardened soldier who once served in France’s Foreign Legion. Doumbouya’s special forces on Sunday seized Alpha Conde, the West African state’s 83-year-old president — a former champion of democracy accused of taking the path of authoritarianism. Sporting a red beret and sunglasses, Doumbouya announced the dissolution of the constitution, whose changes had enabled Conde to […]

UK pledges £5.4 bn for pandemic-hit state healthcare

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The UK government on Monday announced £5.4 billion (6.3 billion euros, $7.5 billion) in extra funding for the state-funded healthcare system to treat virus cases and clear a massive backlog in routine operations. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and health minister Sajid Javid announced the extra cash, to be handed out over the next six months, saying it would help “manage the immediate pressures of the pandemic”. The state-funded National Health […]

Army seizes power in Guinea, holds president

by Mouctar Bah CONAKRY, Guinea (AFP) — Guinean special forces seized power in a coup on Sunday, arresting the president and imposing an indefinite curfew in the poor west African country. “We have decided, after having taken the president, to dissolve the constitution,” said a uniformed officer flanked by soldiers toting assault rifles in a video sent to AFP. The officer also said that Guinea’s land and air borders had been shut and the government […]

PM Johnson says UK owes ‘huge debt’ to Afghan refugees

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said Britain owed “an immense debt” to Afghans who worked with NATO forces as he announced “vital support” for those resettling in the UK. But his government is coming under fire after thousands of Afghans who helped NATO and are eligible to move to Britain under the “Relocations and Assistance Policy” were believed to be have been left stranded in Afghanistan, where they are […]

Biden says he will address nation Tuesday on Afghanistan exit

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden announced he will address the nation Tuesday on the final US exit from Afghanistan after 20 years of war against the Taliban. “Tomorrow afternoon, I will address the American people on my decision not to extend our presence in Afghanistan beyond 8/31,” he said in a statement shortly after the Pentagon announced that the final US military plane had flown out of Kabul. The White House said […]

DR Congo’s former health official held over Covid funds fraud

KINSHASA, DR Congo (AFP) — Former DR Congo health minister Eteni Longondo was detained on Friday over the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, official sources said. Longondo “was placed under a provisional arrest warrant this evening” following lengthy questioning, a government source said. The former health minister, who was in office until April, was taken to the Makala prison in the capital Kinshasa, according to a prison official […]

Macron to attend Baghdad summit amid fears over IS

by Laurence Benhamou BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is among leaders set to attend a regional summit Saturday in Iraq, with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and a deadly jihadist attack in Kabul overshadowing the meeting. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II are due at the Baghdad summit, while the foreign ministers of arch-foes Iran and Saudi Arabia will also be present. Organizers have been tight-lipped on the […]

Trump, Republican lawmakers lash out at Biden after Kabul attack

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Former president Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers lashed out at Democratic President Joe Biden on Thursday after 12 US troops were killed and 15 wounded in suicide bombings in Kabul. Trump, who has been sharply critical of Biden’s handling of the Afghan crisis, called Thursday’s suicide attacks in Kabul a “tragedy” and said they should have been prevented. “This tragedy should never have been allowed to happen, which makes […]