BAMAKO, Mali (AFP) — The Malian government on Wednesday declared a state of emergency, a day after an attack in the centre of the country left 17 soldiers dead and 35 wounded. In a statement, the government said a period of national mourning would begin on Thursday “in homage to the victims of the terrorist attack” in Nampala, and that the state of emergency would last “for a duration of 10 days”. In the hours […]
International
Global alarm grows as 50,000 hit by Turkey purge
ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) – by Stuart WILLIAMS with Fulya OZERKAN in Istanbul Turkey faced fresh accusations it was flouting the rule of law with its purge of 50,000 people after an attempted coup, as the president gathered security chiefs Wednesday for the first time since the putsch. Authorities have rounded up or sacked tens of thousands of police, judges, teachers and other civil servants from across the state bureaucracy in the aftermath of Friday’s failed […]
Doubt cast on German train attacker’s nationality
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – by Deborah COLE German authorities cast doubt Wednesday on whether a teenager who went on an axe rampage on a Bavarian train was really an Afghan refugee, saying he might have been from Pakistan. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the teenager was believed to be a “lone wolf” attacker who appeared to have been “inspired” by the Islamic State group but was not a member of the jihadist network. “This […]
Erdogan critics glad coup failed, fearful of backlash
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) by Fulya OZERKAN Three years ago, critics of Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan rallied against him in mass protests. Last Friday they were appalled by a coup attempt against him. Now they fear what may come next. A gloomy mood pervades Istanbul’s chic, secular neighbourhood of Besiktas, a left-wing stronghold and centre of opposition against Erdogan. While most here have no taste for military rule and are grateful the putsch failed, they are […]
Taiwan buses recalled after deadly fire disaster
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan authorities ordered some tour buses off the road Wednesday after one caught fire and killed 26 on board as questions swirl over why emergency doors and windows did not open. Local media reported that bodies were found stacked at the escape routes at the back of the bus full of Chinese tourists, which caught fire then crashed through an expressway barrier Tuesday on its way to Taipei’s main airport in […]
Trump son presents dad as president ‘for all’
CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s eldest son on Tuesday electrified the Republican National Convention with a passionate speech painting his “best friend” and father as the candidate most qualified to lead America. It was a sweeping speech peppered with personal anecdotes seeking to humanize his father and which sought to expand Trump’s paltry appeal among minorities, presenting him as a man who can do the impossible. Donald Trump Jr, a married father of […]
South African Ambassador visits Iglesia Ni Cristo Central Office
NEW ERA, Quezon City (Eagle News)– The Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa visited the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) Central office on Wednesday. His Excellency, Martin Slabber, arrived at the INC Central office complex at around 8:45 in the morning and was welcomed by INC Executive Minister, Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo. According to Bro. Joel V. San Pedro, INC minister, Slabber initiated the said visit. San Pedro adds that Slabber reached out to the […]
‘Lock her up,’ shout Republicans denouncing Clinton
CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — Republican delegates savaged Hillary Clinton Tuesday by breaking into angry chants of “lock her up” and “guilty” as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie laid out a criminal-style case against her. While the FBI stopped short of recommending charges against the presumptive Democratic nominee over her email scandal, Christie, himself a former federal prosecutor went into attack-dog mode on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. “Let’s do […]
Kerry to meet Abbas as part of global tour
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Paris this week for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on peace prospects with Israel, the State Department said Tuesday. The meeting with Abbas will be the top US diplomat’s second stop on a global tour that will kick off late Thursday. Kerry will discuss with the Palestinian leader “ongoing efforts to advance a two-state solution,” the State Department said in […]
France National Assembly votes to extend state of emergency
PARIS, France (AFP) — France’s National Assembly voted in the early hours of Wednesday to extend the country’s state of emergency for six months following last week’s massacre in Nice. The state of emergency has been in place since the Paris attacks in November, and the extension would take it until the end of January 2017. The extension now needs to be approved by the Senate. © 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse
N. Korea says missile tests simulated nuclear strike on South
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea said Wednesday its latest ballistic missile tests trialled detonation devices for possible nuclear strikes on US targets in South Korea and were personally monitored by supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. Tuesday’s test firing of three missiles in violation of existing UN resolutions was seen as an angry reaction to the planned deployment of a US missile defense system in the South. The launch of the two Scud missiles and […]
Republican Party nominates Donald Trump for president
CLEVELAND, United States (AFP) — The Republican Party formally nominated Donald Trump for president of the United States Tuesday, capping a roller-coaster campaign that saw the billionaire tycoon defeat 16 White House rivals. “It’s my honor to be able to throw Donald Trump over the top in the delegation count tonight,” his son Donald Trump Jr told delegates at the Republican National Convention which erupted in cheers and applause. Trump is expected to formally accept […]
