Ahmadinejad barred as Iran Guardians pick vote candidates Tehran, Iran | AFP | Former Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was barred from running in next month’s election Thursday while President Hassan Rouhani was among six candidates approved by Iran’s conservative-controlled Guardian Council, state media reported. The other candidates selected were hardliners …
Read More »TRAFFIC: India bans red car beacons to end elitist culture
New Delhi, India | AFP | India said Wednesday it will ban ministers and senior officials from using red beacons on their cars to cut through traffic, a longstanding privilege that has caused resentment and accusations of elitism. From May 1 only emergency services will be allowed to use …
Read More »Athletics: Farah doctor to brief UK lawmakers in drugs probe
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The doctor who gave athletics great Mo Farah a controversial supplement is to appear before British lawmakers on Wednesday as part of an ongoing inquiry into doping in sport. Dr Robin Chakraverty, formerly of UK Athletics, is to give evidence to the House of …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Five key issues as Britain heads to general election
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May’s surprise call for a snap general election comes with the country facing a host of challenges — all closely bound up with the country’s exit from the European Union. Here are some of the major issues May or her …
Read More »BREXIT: British PM calls for snap election
May calls for June 8 election before Brexit talks London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Theresa May on Tuesday called for snap elections on June 8, catching the country by surprise in a bid to bolster her position before tough talks on leaving the European Union. “We need a …
Read More »Trump congratulates Erdogan on referendum win
Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Trump congratulates Erdogan on referendum win, the Turkish state media reported. Turkey’s top security body meanwhile backed the extension for another three months of the state of emergency imposed after last July’s failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, broadcaster NTV reported. The decision, taken at …
Read More »China’s Q1 growth stabilises at 6.8%: AFP poll
Beijing, China | AFP | China’s growth stabilised in the first quarter thanks to rising investments and a recovery in exports, experts said, though they warned the reprieve may be temporary. According to an AFP survey of 16 economic analysts, the gross domestic product expanded 6.8 percent in the first …
Read More »Twenty-one arrested in California at Trump tax protest
San Francisco, United States | At least 21 people were arrested after opponents of President Donald Trump and supporters clashed at a march in Berkeley, California, US media said Saturday. Hundreds of people gathered at a park, including Trump supporters who held a free speech rally, while opponents of the …
Read More »South Korean expert warns about new Pyongyang ICBM
N.Korea puts ‘new ICBM’ on show, say analysts Pyongyang, North Korea | AFP | North Korea unveiled what could be a new intercontinental ballistic missile at a giant military parade in Pyongyang on Saturday, analysts said. Nearly 60 missiles rolled through Kim Il-Sung Square at an event to mark …
Read More »Egypt’s Sisi declares war on corruption
Sisi starts crack down as Egypt faces uphill battle against corruption Cairo, Egypt | AFP | When Egyptian real estate developer Hassan tried building an apartment block without paying bribes, officials stalled the project, going so far as to suggest there were ancient relics beneath the lot. Hassan buckled and …
Read More »