Romanian president nominates regional politician as next PM

December 30, 2016

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania's president on Friday nominated a regional politician as the next prime minister, after turning down an economist who could have become the country's first female Muslim premier.

President Klaus Iohannis endorsed Sorin Grindeanu, 43, to become premier. Grindeanu is a member of the Social Democratic Party that won Dec. 11 elections, and chairman of the Timis county council. Parliament needs to approve him.

Grindeanu said he hoped the new government would be approved by Jan. 4. He said he hoped that the government would be able to "put in practice" the government's program which includes hiking the minimum salary, reducing the sales tax, increasing students' grants and scrapping taxes for retirees who have low pensions. It is unclear where the government will find the funds to cover the extra expenditure.

Grindeanu said he found out he'd been nominated, after the president sent him a text message wishing him "success." The nomination came after Iohannis declined to endorse Sevil Shhaideh. As well as her lack of political experience, Shhaideh sparked concerns due to reports about her Syrian-born husband's support of Syrian President Bashar Assad on his Arabic-language Facebook page.

However, Social Democrat chairman Liviu Dragnea — who cannot become premier himself because he was convicted this year of election fraud — complained Friday that the president had not publicly said why he declined to nominate Shhaideh.

Polish lawmakers occupy parliament in holiday protest

December 24, 2016

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish lawmaker Michal Stasinski arrived at parliament pulling a suitcase and carrying a bag filled with his mother's homemade cabbage-and-mushroom stuffed dumplings. While most lawmakers were home for Christmas, Stasinski on Friday was joining a group of opposition lawmakers hunkering down in the dimly lit and chilly building to protest what they consider backsliding on democracy by a populist government whose anti-establishment and nationalistic views echo those of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

The protesting lawmakers have vowed to stay in the main assembly where laws are voted on, taking turns in shifts, until parliament returns on Jan. 11. In its 13 months in power, the ruling Law and Justice party has moved to weaken the Constitutional Tribunal — the country's highest legislative court — tried to limit certain press freedoms, supported criminalizing abortion and approved some restrictions on public gatherings. Opponents fear that the constitution and free elections might be next.

"What they are doing is building a kind of velvet dictatorship, step by step," Stasinski, a member of Modern, a pro-business party involved in the protest, told The Associated Press. "I cannot agree to what they are doing and this is why I have decided to spend Christmas here."

The way the ruling party is cementing power has unleashed off-and-on street protests in Warsaw and other cities. However, the party's support remains strong in small towns, boosted by cash bonuses paid monthly to families with at least two children and poorer families that have only one child. The party also lowered the retirement age to 60 for women and 65 for men, a popular change but one economists say the aging society can't afford.

Stasinski's family in Bydgoszcz were sorry he wouldn't be home for Christmas, but even his ailing 86-year-old father supports his decision to protest. The 48-year-old lawmaker planned to get through the holiday on his mother's pierogi, along with food from his fellow lawmakers and supporters, and some warm clothing. Anti-government activists were planning to organize a meal outside the parliament for the protesting lawmakers on Christmas Eve, the most important moment in three days of Christmas celebrations in Poland.

Poland has been in a state of tension since Law and Justice swept to power, winning first the presidency and then a majority in parliament — the most power any party has had in the democratic era. Party leaders argue they have a mandate to rebuild Poland in line with their traditional, Catholic and patriotic worldview. They say they have had to exert greater control over some institutions to remove the continued influence of political opponents who would stifle their agenda — including former communists and members of Civic Platform, the party led by the former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, now the president of the European Council.

The European Union, while accusing the government of eroding the rule of law, has proven powerless to reverse the course of a nation long seen as one of the most successful democracies to emerge from the ashes of Eastern European communism.

Many of the ruling party leaders accuse the protesting opposition of trying to destabilize the state, saying that they represent an establishment that will not accept its loss of privileges. The reason for the sit-in goes back to events Dec. 16, after news broke that the ruling party planned to impose some restrictions on media access in parliament.

Opposition lawmakers, seeing an attack on democratic freedom, occupied the area around the speaker's podium in parliament, blocking work on legislation. Ruling party lawmakers then moved the session to another room and voted on the 2017 budget.

Authorities, amid the uproar, have since backed away from the plans for media restrictions in parliament. But the opposition parties are demanding a repeat of the budget vote, arguing that the procedure was highly irregular and that there is no evidence there was a quorum.

Ryszard Petru, leader of the Modern party, said if that vote is allowed to stand, it could set a dangerous precedent for the ruling party to hold other votes that violate procedures, "perhaps even changing the constitution."

"If this illegal vote is repeated, then they'll be able to pass whatever they want. It's dangerous. This is a real political crisis, and to some extent a constitutional crisis," Petru told the AP. "We are going to stay here and show that this is unacceptable."

Poland's president talks with opposition, protests spread

December 18, 2016

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Police removed several protesters blocking a prominent Polish governing party member's car Sunday in a southern city as the president met in the capital with opposition leaders to help solve a growing political crisis.

The demonstrators sat in a street in Krakow trying to prevent Law and Justice party member Ryszard Terlecki from entering Wawel Castle. He was joining party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who was on a private visit to the tomb of his twin brother, the late President Lech Kaczynski.

Police officers dragged the protesters away and ensured safe passage. Later, people chanted "Shame! Shame!" at the car that was carrying Kaczynski out of the castle. Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-European Union opposition over the ruling party's plan to restrict journalists' access to lawmakers in parliament. The wider conflict started building last year after the Law and Justice party took power and began introducing sweeping reforms.

The steps that the government has taken to gain influence over a top court have also put it at odds with EU leaders, who say Poland's democracy and rule of law are threatened. On Sunday, a few thousand Warsaw residents rallied in front of the court, the Constitutional Tribunal. They were supportive of its outgoing head, Andrzej Rzeplinski, for having opposed changes that critics say are against the rule of law. The appointment of Rzeplinski's successor is expected to create further tension in the coming days.

Carrying Polish and EU flags, the crowd then marched to parliament, where Poland's most serious political crisis in years began Friday. Some protesters were still there late Sunday. "We have lost confidence in the government and only the media can watch the government, the lawmakers and tell us what they are really doing," 56-year-old economist Ewa Cisowska said.

Former President Lech Walesa said that there was no easy way out of the crisis unless the Law and Justice party resigns from power. But the government has remained defiant. Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski told a huge crowd of supporters in front of the Presidential Palace that the government was defending democracy.

President Andrzej Duda, aligned with the ruling party, expressed deep concern over the crisis and held talks with four opposition leaders Sunday. He will meet Kaczynski on Monday. The ruling party has increased welfare spending and still remains popular with many Poles, particularly those outside of the cities and on modest incomes. But its declarations that some social groups have been unjustly privileged under previous governments have angered many, especially after government backers started chanting "thieves," in reference to the opposition.

EU's Tusk, Poland's PM differ on nation's democracy

December 17, 2016

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Two days of anti-government protests have exposed clashing views on the shape of Poland's democracy, with a European Union leader and the protesters saying it is threatened by the government, and the prime minister insisting the threat is coming from the opposition's actions.

European Council President Donald Tusk and Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo made separate comments Saturday on the rising political tension between Poland's conservative government and the pro-EU opposition.

They spoke after protesters rallied outside the presidential palace and the parliament building in Warsaw for a second day over a ruling party's plan to restrict journalists' access to lawmakers in parliament.

Tusk, Poland's former prime minister, invoked the word "dictatorship" and reminded his audience of protests in Poland under communism that ended in bloodshed. "I appeal to those who hold real power in our country to respect the people, the principles and values of the constitution, the standing procedures and good practices," Tusk said in Wroclaw, southwest Poland, where he was attending a cultural event.

He warned that whoever was undermining the "European model of democracy" in Poland was "exposing us all to strategic risks." A few hours later, Szydlo said in a nationwide televised address that Poland was a firm democracy and that the opposition was guided by a sense of "helplessness and frustration" over having lost power and was hurting Poland's interest with its actions.

"Noise, perturbation, destabilization have, alas, become the tools of the opposition parties," Szydlo said, appealing for dialogue, responsibility and calm. The crowd of a few thousand in Warsaw chanted "Freedom! Equality! Democracy!" and waved Polish and European Union flags, a reflection of the pro-European views of many liberal, urban Poles who oppose the ruling party. Protests were held in Krakow and Lodz, too.

"I feel terrified when I see what is going on around," said Maria Krykiel, a retired bookkeeper. "Only divisions and no calm. Where will that take us?" President Andrzej Duda, who is allied with the ruling party, expressed deep concern and declared a readiness to mediate in the dispute.

The ruling party, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has increased welfare spending and still remains popular with many Poles, particularly those outside of the cities and on modest incomes. Some protesters held up copies of the constitution, to show they believe it was not being observed by the ruling party. They also chanted "Solidarity!" reflecting how many link today's protests to the anti-communist opposition of the past.

Ryszard Petru, head of the Modern opposition party, told the crowd in Warsaw that Poles would not accept the "dictators" who are trying to restrict the access of journalists to parliament. He even suggested an early election.

In Poland's biggest parliamentary crisis in years, opposition lawmakers protested the government media plan Friday, blocking a vote on the budget. Governing party members then voted in another hall, but the opposition says the vote was flawed and illegal.

Opposition lawmakers are now demanding a repeat vote on Tuesday. The Senate speaker was to meet with media representatives to discuss the new rules for reporters.

Macedonian conservatives secure win after rerun

December 26, 2016

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia's conservatives, led by former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, secured victory on Sunday in a bitterly contested national election after a poll rerun in a single station did not give the leftist opposition enough votes to overtake their rivals.

The rerun, in the northwestern village of Tearce, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the capital of Skopje, gave the opposition, led by the Social Democrats, 245 votes to 149 for the conservatives, led by Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE party. There were 402 people voting out of 714 registered.

The rerun had been ordered following complaints about voting irregularities from the opposition Social Democrats. The result has not been officially announced but has been posted on the website of Macedonia's Election Commission.

With the rerun result in, VMRO-DPMNE wins 454,577 votes and 51 seats in the 120-member Parliament to 436,981 votes and 49 seats for the Social Democrats. The latter needed to secure 307 votes over the conservatives in a rerun to gain a 50th seat at the conservatives' expense.

What is certain is that Gruevski will need to form a coalition government with onee or more of the Albanian-minority parties, as he has done in the past. But, this time, coalition-building will be complicated by the emergence of two new Albanian-minority parties. The largest Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration, has been a reliable Gruevski partner in the past.

In the annulled vote in Tearce, on Dec. 11, 404 registered voters had cast ballots. VMRO-DPMNE won 91 votes to 87 for the Social Democrats, while the rest were split among four Albanian-minority parties.

In the lead to the rerun, Gruevski's party had been spreading rumors that the Albanians would vote massively for the opposition and had even claimed it would not recognize the result. Antonio Milososki, a VMRO-DPMNE senior official, has blamed the leftist opposition of trying to "falsify the electoral will of the citizens".

"They (the opposition) are trying with some reruns to manipulate or to create conditions for falsifying the will of the people," he said. The national election was called two years early as part of a Western-brokered deal to defuse a two-year political crisis sparked by a massive wiretapping scandal. The left-wing opposition blamed Gruevski for an illegal wiretapping operation targeting more than 20,000 people.

Voting in the rerun went generally smoothly. It was halted for 15 minutes due to problems with the ultra-violet lamps used in the voting verification process. Election authorities use invisible spray on voters' thumb to mark them as having cast votes and check all voters with UV lamps to make sure they will not try to vote again.

Police said Sunday they got a report that two individuals allegedly tried to bribe an unidentified number of residents, offering them from 100 to 500 euros, in order not to vote. The bribers allegedly asked for identity documents from voters as proof they would not vote. Authorities are investigating the allegations.

According to the monitors of civic organization "Civil", attempts were made to bribe about 40 residents.

Brazilian police: Greek ambassador killed by wife's lover

December 31, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Police in Brazil believe that Greece's ambassador to the country was killed by his wife's lover under her orders in a house in the Rio area and have detained three suspects, authorities said Friday.

Ambassador Kyriakos Amiridis went missing on Monday in Nova Iguacu, a city just north of Rio de Janeiro, where the ambassador had been vacationing. The couple lived most of the time in the capital of Brasilia.

On Friday, police investigator Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes said that 29-year-old police officer Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho had confessed to killing Amiridis, alleging self-defense. He said the policeman was having an affair with the ambassador's 40-year-old wife, Francoise.

Filho's cousin, Eduardo de Melo, acknowledged taking part in the killing as a lookout, Magalhaes said. The cousin accused Francoise of offering him the equivalent of $25,000 to participate. A judge ordered the detention of Francoise, her lover and his cousin, and the three were in custody.

Francoise has denied any role in the alleged plot. According to Magalhaes, Francoise said she couldn't stop Filho from killing her husband and insisted she was not at home at the time of the crime. But the police investigator said in a press conference late Friday that the "evidence clearly puts the ambassador's wife as a co-author of the crime."

He said she started plotting with her lover to kill the ambassador after the couple had a serious fight three days before Christmas. "All our evidence suggests that her motivation was to use the financial resources left by the ambassador so she could enjoy life with Sergio," the police officer, Magalhaes said.

The first signs the ambassador had been murdered emerged late Thursday, when police found blood spots believed to be his on a sofa inside the house the couple kept in Nova Iguacu, where the wife's family lives.

Filho told police that he strangled the ambassador during a fight, but the blood evidence found on the scene makes his claim unlikely, Magalhaes said. Neighbors said they did not hear any shots, leading police to believe the policeman stabbed Amiridis.

The investigation showed that Amiridis' body was removed from the house in a carpet at the same time that Francoise arrived with their 10 year-old daughter, who did not see the body of her dead father, Magalhaes said.

Police believe a body found in a burned-out car that Amiridis had rented on Dec. 21 belongs to the ambassador, but forensics experts are still working to confirm that it is him. Brazil's government has offered its condolences to Greece over his death.

The Greek Embassy website in Brazil says Amiridis started his career as diplomat in 1985 in Athens and became Greece's top diplomat in Brazil in 2016. He earlier was Greece's ambassador to Libya and worked as consul in Rio from 2001-2004.

Greek ambassador murdered in Rio; body found in burned-out car

By Andrew V. Pestano
Dec. 30, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Police in Rio de Janeiro said a body found inside of a burned-out car is that of Kyriakos Amiridis, Greece's ambassador to Brazil who has been missing for days.

Amiridis, 59, had been missing since Monday. He was last seen in the city of Nova Iguacu, near Rio de Janeiro, where the car was found underneath an overpass on a main road.

Amiridis was not heard from after he spoke to his wife to let her know he was going out. No ransom was sought.

Brazilian investigators said Amiridis was killed at home and his body was then transported in the car he rented, which was later burned. A blood-stained sofa was found at his home, O Globo reported.

Investigators urged a court to arrest Brazilian military police officer Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho and two alleged accomplices over Amiridis' death.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/12/30/Greek-ambassador-murdered-in-Rio-body-found-in-burned-out-car/7301483108117/.

Merkel tells Germans their country is stronger than terror

December 31, 2016

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel is telling Germans in her New Year message that their country is stronger than terrorism and the government will do everything to ensure "security in freedom." Merkel said in her annual televised address being broadcast Saturday that 2016 had been "a year of severe tests," the toughest of them Islamic extremist terror. She added, however, that she is "confident for Germany."

On Dec. 19, 12 people were killed in a truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that rampage, as it did for two attacks in Bavaria in the summer in which the assailants — who came to Germany as asylum-seekers, like the chief suspect in Berlin — were killed and a total of 20 people were wounded.

"It is particularly bitter and sickening when terror attacks are committed by people who claim to seek protection in our country," said Merkel, who has faced criticism for allowing in large numbers of migrants in 2015.

However, "in going about our life and our work, we are telling the terrorists: you are murderers full of hatred, but you will not determine how we live and want to live," she said, according to the text released by the government ahead of the message's broadcast. "We are free, considerate and open."

Germany is sending the same message in saying, in the face of pictures of the devastated Syrian city of Aleppo, "how important and right it was for our country to help those who really need our protection find their feet here and integrate," Merkel added.

Germany's democracy and values are the opposite of "the hate-filled world of terrorism, and they will be stronger than terrorism," she said. "We are stronger together. Our state is stronger. Our state is doing everything to guarantee its citizens security in freedom."

She pledged that in 2017 the government will take action quickly "where political or legal changes are necessary." Merkel is seeking a fourth term as chancellor in an election expected in September, and already has said that she expects her toughest campaign yet. She called for "an open view of the world and self-confidence, in ourselves and our country."

The chancellor assailed "distorted pictures" of the European Union and of parliamentary democracy. She acknowledged that Europe is slow and difficult and said it should concentrate on "what it really can do better than the national state."

"But, no, we Germans should never be deceived into thinking that a happy future could ever lie in going it alone nationally," Merkel said.

Strike closes Eiffel Tower for 5th day

December 17, 2016

PARIS (AP) — The Eiffel Tower has closed for a fifth day in a strike over working conditions — causing disappointment for scores of tourists. The monument's management apologized Saturday to the visitors.

The CGT Union said it wants workers to be included in the decision-making process and more funds to be directed to the site's maintenance, claiming it fears risks to the employees' health and safety. Unions have held repeated meetings in recent days with officials from the company that manages the tower, SETE.

New negotiations are scheduled on Saturday. The strike comes as Paris is struggling to revive tourism after a string of deadly attacks, floods and polluted air.

It's a crowded starting line for France's Socialist primary

December 17, 2016

PARIS (AP) — France's once-powerful left wing is fighting for its political survival as it prepares for a cacophonous primary for the Socialist presidential candidate. Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls leads the pack but is facing tough challengers who say he's betrayed leftist ideals. Here's a look at the left-wing contenders, their rivals, and the issues.

WHEN DO THE VOTES TAKE PLACE?

Nine candidates declared their candidacy by Thursday's deadline to represent the Socialist party and its allies in France's two-round, April-May presidential election. The candidates' list was being finalized Saturday for the left's nationwide primary, which will take place in two rounds on Jan. 22 and 29. All French citizens are allowed to vote if they pay 1 euro ($1.04) and sign a document saying they share the values of the left.

Whoever wins the primary will face strong competition: the anti-immigrant far-right represented by the National Front, the traditional conservatives and other centrist and far-left candidates wooing voters fed up with Socialist President Francois Hollande.

WHY IS FRANCE'S SOCIALIST PRESIDENT NOT RUNNING?

Hollande, acknowledging that his personal unpopularity might cost his party the Elysee Palace, decided not to run for re-election — clearing the way for Valls to seek the Socialist nomination instead.

Valls, an immigrant from Spain who became French as an adult, is campaigning against populism and wants to be the candidate of "reconciliation."

The primary is a "great way to be united again," Valls said in his first campaign speech.

Yet divisions within the Socialist party remain deep. The pro-business shift that Hollande and Valls adopted has prompted rebellion among some Socialists who believe they betrayed the leftist values that underpin France's social welfare system and its worker protections.

WHAT SOCIALIST CANDIDATES ARE CRITICAL OF VALLS?

Among Valls' critics is Arnaud Montebourg, who may be his most serious Socialist challenger. Montebourg, France's industry minister and then its economy minister from 2012 to 2014, lost his portfolio amid feuding over the country's economic policy.

"We have an enormous problem with Valls. His policies have been, if I summarize, pro-free market and authoritarian ... it has dislocated the left," Montebourg told the Le Monde newspaper.

Montebourg pledges to boost the economy through protectionist measures and state intervention.

Former French Education Minister Benoit Hamon is also running to present a more leftist alternative to Valls' centrist views.

A wild card could be Vincent Peillon, another former education minister who presents himself as the candidate of "unity" and has a less divisive reputation than Valls.

WHO ARE THE POPULAR LEFTIST WILD CARDS?

In a sign of the French left's deep malaise, other left-wing candidates have decided to run for president without taking part in the January primary.

Polls show far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon and centrist figure Emmanuel Macron — Valls' former economy minister — currently have more support than the eventual Socialist nominee and will be on the ballot for at least the first presidential round on April 23.

UP NEXT, THE RIGHT WING AND FAR RIGHT

Whoever wins the Socialist primary must also face strong challengers on the right for France's presidential vote on April 23 and — if the Socialists survive the first round — the presidential runoff on May 7.

Former Prime Minister Francois Fillon was designated last month as the conservatives' presidential nominee.

Another serious presidential contender is far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who wants to restore France's borders and its national currency and has strong anti-Islam, anti-migrant views.

Political analysts say Le Pen may reach the second round of the French presidential election by coming among the top two contenders in April.

At least 26 killed in Congo protests, rights group says

December 21, 2016

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Security forces in Congo killed at least 26 demonstrators Tuesday and arrested scores more amid protests against President Joseph Kabila's hold on power, a rights group said. The deaths were the first reported since Kabila's mandate ended at midnight.

Military and police forces were firing live bullets, raising fears that more people have been killed, Human Rights Watch said. Its researcher Ida Sawyer said on Twitter that the killings took place in the capital, Kinshasa, the southern city of Lubumbashi and elsewhere. Residents told the group that Republican Guards were carrying out door-to-door searches and arresting youths.

Protesters burned the headquarters of the ruling party in Kinshasa. Kabila, who took office in 2001 after his father's assassination, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term, but a court has ruled that he can remain in power until new elections, which have been delayed indefinitely. They were meant to be in November, but the ruling party says it needs more time — until 2018, at least.

The leader of Congo's largest opposition party, Etienne Tshisekedi, urged peaceful resistance to what he called Kabila's "coup d'etat." In a statement posted on YouTube on Tuesday, he called the president's actions "treason" and appealed to the Congolese people and the international community to no longer recognize Kabila's authority.

Political talks between the ruling party and opposition, which stalled over the weekend, were expected to resume on Wednesday with mediators from the Catholic church. The political impasse has fueled fears of widespread unrest in the vast Central African nation that has trillions of dollars' worth of natural resources but remains one of the world's poorest and most unstable countries.

After Kabila's mandate ended, people blew whistles and rattled pans as part of a protest meant to symbolize the "end of the match." The political negotiations that stalled over the weekend failed to reach an agreement on a date for new elections or the release of political prisoners. Both are key demands of the opposition parties, along with the dropping of criminal charges against opposition leader Moise Katumbi, who fled the country as authorities announced plans to try him. Katumbi's supporters say the charges of hiring mercenaries are politically motivated, as he had been a leading presidential candidate.

Kabila's government has tried to ease tensions by including some opposition figures. A few minutes before midnight, the new opposition Prime Minister Sami Badibanga announced his new transition government.

Although a small part of the opposition, including Badibanga, took part in an earlier national dialogue mediated by the African Union, most of the opposition, including Tshisekedi, refused to take part and rejected an agreement signed in October.

People inside and outside Congo fear a repeat of the dozens of deaths in September, when the opposition took to the streets after the electoral commission failed to schedule the presidential election.

In Kinshasa's Matonge neighborhood on Tuesday, people played soccer in the street to block traffic as a form of protest amid the heavy police and military presence. "Kabila has betrayed our country. He must leave," said Jean-Marcel Tshikuku, a mechanic. "He announced a new government just at the end of his mandate. It's an insult! We don't want him anymore. We don't want negotiations to resume. He must get out, that's all."

AP writers Carley Petesch and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, contributed.

Up to 20 dead as Congo police, protesters over president

By Stephen Feller
Dec. 21, 2016

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Residents of the Congo took to the streets Tuesday to protest their president deciding the stay on through 2018 after President Joseph Kabila refused to vacate his office.

Kabila's last day in office was scheduled for Monday but his decision to stay on through at least April 2017 caused protests, leaving at least 20 dead and more than 150 arrested as they react to the president's bucking of the national constitution.

The Congolese constitution allows presidents to serve two terms, but Kabila announced in a last-minute move -- literally five minutes before his term was set to expire -- that he'd formed a new government and expected to stay in office until the next election in 2018.

Protesters gathered in areas of the Congo's capital, Kinshasa, quickly after the announcement, burning tires and erecting barricades, and then protests spread across the country in the latest transfer of power there to not go smoothly.

"Today we are taking things into our own hands," Peter Kabongo, a protester on his way to join the crowds, told The Washington Post. "The police have guns, but there are millions of us who want Kabila out."

Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960 and has never had a peaceful transition of power. Kabila became president in 2001 after his father, President Laurent Kabila, was assassinated, winning reelection in 2005 and 2011.

Kabila claimed he should step down until after the next election, noting he could not hold one now because his government does not have the money or logistical ability to run an election.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/12/21/Up-to-20-dead-as-Congo-police-protesters-over-president/6411482288306/.

At least 3 killed in Congo protests, rights group says

December 20, 2016

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Security forces in Congo killed at least three demonstrators in the capital Tuesday and have arrested scores more amid protests against President Joseph Kabila's hold on power, a rights group said. The deaths were the first reported since Kabila's mandate ended at midnight.

Military and police forces were firing live bullets and tear gas, raising fears that more people have been killed or arrested, Human Rights Watch said. Residents told the group that Republican Guards were carrying out door-to-door searches and arresting youths.

Protesters burned the headquarters of the ruling party in the capital, Kinshasa. Kabila, who took office in 2001 after his father's assassination, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term, but a court has ruled that he can remain in power until new elections, which have been delayed indefinitely. They were meant to be in November, but the ruling party says it needs more time — until 2018, at least.

The leader of Congo's largest opposition party, Etienne Tshisekedi, urged peaceful resistance to what he called Kabila's "coup d'etat." In a statement posted on YouTube on Tuesday, he called the president's actions "treason" and appealed to the Congolese people and the international community to no longer recognize Kabila's authority.

Political talks between the ruling party and opposition, which stalled over the weekend, were expected to resume on Wednesday with mediators from the Catholic church. The political impasse has fueled fears of widespread unrest in the vast Central African nation that has trillions of dollars' worth of natural resources but remains one of the world's poorest and most unstable countries.

After Kabila's mandate ended, people blew whistles and rattled pans as part of a protest meant to symbolize the "end of the match." Angry demonstrators put up barricades in Kinshasa, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowds. Human Rights Watch said there was heavy security deployment in the southern city of Lubumbashi as well. At least 41 opposition members and activists were arrested in the eastern city of Goma on Monday, according to the rights group and local residents.

The political negotiations that stalled over the weekend failed to reach an agreement on a date for new elections or the release of political prisoners. Both are key demands of the opposition parties, along with the dropping of criminal charges against opposition leader Moise Katumbi, who fled the country as authorities announced plans to try him. Katumbi's supporters say the charges of hiring mercenaries are politically motivated, as he had been a leading presidential candidate.

Kabila's government has tried to ease tensions by including some opposition figures. A few minutes before midnight, the new opposition Prime Minister Sami Badibanga announced his new transition government.

Although a small part of the opposition, including Badibanga, took part in an earlier national dialogue mediated by the African Union, most of the opposition, including Tshisekedi, refused to take part and rejected an agreement signed in October.

People inside and outside Congo fear a repeat of the dozens of deaths in September, when the opposition took to the streets after the electoral commission failed to schedule the presidential election.

In Kinshasa's Matonge neighborhood on Tuesday, people played soccer matches in the street to block traffic as a form of protest amid the heavy police and military presence. "Kabila has betrayed our country. He must leave," said Jean-Marcel Tshikuku, a mechanic. "He announced a new government just at the end of his mandate. It's an insult! We don't want him anymore. We don't want negotiations to resume. He must get out, that's all."

AP writers Carley Petesch and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, contributed.

Congo opposition: Peacefully resist Kabila's 'coup d'etat'

December 20, 2016

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The leader of Congo's largest opposition party on Tuesday urged peaceful resistance to the "coup d'etat" he said President Joseph Kabila carried out by staying in power after his mandate expired at midnight. Angry demonstrators began putting up barricades in the capital, Kinshasa, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowds.

The political impasse has fueled fears of widespread unrest in the vast Central African nation that has trillions of dollars' worth of natural resources but remains one of the world's poorest and most unstable countries.

At midnight, people blew whistles and rattled pans as part of a protest meant to symbolize the "end of the match" for Kabila. In the early morning hours, barricades were set alight and small groups of protesters in the streets were quickly met by police and army forces using tear gas.

Congo's presidential election once set for November has been delayed indefinitely, adding to fears that Kabila will not step aside. Kabila, who took office in 2001 after his father's assassination, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term, but a court has ruled that he can remain in power until a new election. The ruling party says there is "no possibility" of one in 2017, saying it needs time to prepare. The opposition wants a vote as soon as possible.

In a statement posted on YouTube on Tuesday, opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi called the president's actions "treason." "I launch a solemn appeal to the Congolese people to not recognize the illegal and illegitimate authority of Joseph Kabila, and to peacefully resist a coup d'etat that was carried out with the blessing of the constitutional court," said the 84-yearold Tshisekedi, a longtime Kabila foe who once declared himself president following the 2011 elections.

Until now, opposition figures had refrained from calling publicly for demonstrations, but political negotiations stalled over the weekend without reaching an agreement on a date for new elections or the release of political prisoners.

Both are key demands of the opposition parties, along with the dropping of criminal charges against opposition leader Moise Katumbi, who fled the country as authorities announced plans to try him. Katumbi's supporters say the charges of hiring mercenaries are politically motivated, as he had been a leading presidential candidate.

A presidential adviser said Monday that no election was feasible until 2018 and maintained that Kabila's extended term was legitimate. "The constitution clearly states that the president remains in his position until his successor is elected by the people of the Congo, not by a loud and insistent mob," said Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi, the president's diplomatic adviser.

Kabila's government has tried to ease tensions by including some opposition figures. A few minutes before midnight, the new opposition Prime Minister Sami Badibanga announced his new transition government, a blow to ongoing negotiations between the government and the wider opposition coalition.

Although a small part of the opposition, including Badibanga, had taken part in an earlier national dialogue mediated by the African Union, most of the opposition, including Tshisekedi, refused to join in and rejected an agreement signed in October.

In a last-ditch effort to find a political solution, Catholic church officials had been leading talks. Over the weekend, they announced those efforts had stalled and said negotiations would resume Wednesday.

People inside and outside Congo fear a repeat of the dozens of deaths in September, when the opposition took to the streets after the electoral commission failed to schedule the presidential election.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said Saturday that concerns about unrest are high, especially since "no one to date has been held accountable" for the protesters' deaths in September.

Associated Press writer Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, contributed

Nigeria to open major roads after strike on Boko Haram

25 December 2016 Sunday

Nigeria Sunday will reopen at least two major roads in the country's northeast previously closed due to repeated attacks by Boko Haram militants, the government announced.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed Mohammed said the Maiduguri-Gubio-Damasak and the Maiduguri-Mungono-Baga roads, both strategically important for international trade among Lake Chad nations, would be reopened at a ceremony attended by top government and military officials.

The reopening follows Saturday’s announcement that the army has finally dislodged Boko Haram from the vast Sambisa forest, including the so-called “camp zero” known as the militants’ stronghold.

President Muhammadu Buhari had announced the victory in a statement, claiming it marked the final defeat for Boko Haram.

Mohammed said the reopening ceremony will be witnessed by military chiefs, followed by a lunch with the troops who crushed the insurgency.

Most analysts welcomed the announcement of Boko Haram’s “final defeat” with cautious optimism, warning that security forces letting down their guard could lead militants to exploit this and launch costly attacks on civilians.

Nigeria’s December 2015 announcement of a so-called technical defeat of Boko Haram was followed by rising militant attacks and suicide bombings.

Ambushes on military targets have claimed the lives of dozens of soldiers, including three lieutenant-colonels, although the group's ability to launch physical attacks is thought to have waned considerably.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/182215/nigeria-to-open-major-roads-after-strike-on-boko-haram.

Nigeria: Army claims capture of Boko Haram stronghold

24 December 2016 Saturday

Nigeria’s army has driven Boko Haram militants out of their strongest hideout in the dreaded Sambisa Forest, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday, claiming a huge blow has been dealt to the insurgents.

“I am delighted at, and most proud of the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army, on receipt of the long-awaited and most gratifying news of the final crushing of Boko Haram mlitants in their last enclave in Sambisa Forest,” the president said in a goodwill message to the troops.

He said the militants were driven out of the notorious “camp zero” located deep inside the vast northeastern forest, a day after an army spokesman alerted Nigerians of the need to be vigilant and report strange persons to security agencies.

“I was told by the Chief of Army Staff that the camp fell at about 1:35pm on Friday, Dec. 23, and that the terrorists are on the run, and no longer have a place to hide. I urge you to maintain the tempo by pursuing them and bringing them to justice,” said the president.

“I, therefore, call on all Nigerians to cooperate and support the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies by providing useful information that will expose all the terrorists hiding among the populace.”

He added, “Further efforts should be intensified to locate and free our remaining Chibok girls still in captivity,” referring to 276 female students abducted by Boko Haram in 2014.

Boko Haram occupied Sambisa – a huge colonial-era forest reserve estimated at the size of Lagos – shortly the 2009 crackdown which led to the killing of their leader Muhammed Yusuf. The militants have used various camps in the forest to launch attacks across the northeast region.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/182178/nigeria-army-claims-capture-of-boko-haram-stronghold.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon bids colleagues, staff farewell

December 31, 2016

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ban Ki-moon joked to hundreds of diplomats and U.N. staff as he left United Nations headquarters Friday for the last time as secretary-general that he feels "like Cinderella — tomorrow at midnight, everything changes."

Flanked by the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, the native South Korean thanked U.N. workers for their hard work and commitment over the course of his 10-year tenure, which ends at midnight Dec. 31.

"Tomorrow night on the eve of the new year, I'll be in Times Square for the ball drop. Millions of people will be watching as I lose my job," he said with a broad smile. He told his colleagues he had two words for them: "Thank You."

As the top U.N. official over the last decade, Ban fostered a global agreement to combat climate change and new U.N. goals to combat poverty and inequality. However, he leaves amid continuing conflicts from Syria and Yemen to South Sudan and Libya.

Ban urged staff members to stay focused on advancing U.N. development goals and working to address issues ranging from climate change to gender empowerment. "Keep the focus on people — on people's rights and people's dignity," he told them.

Ban will be succeeded by former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres, who begins a five-year term on Sunday. Ban was thronged by U.N. staff as he made his way out of United Nations headquarters for the last time. At the top of the escalator leading out of the building, a line of staffers held up signs saying "We We Love Love You You SG and Madam," using the initials for secretary-general and paying tribute to his wife Yoo Soon-taek.

At the bottom, a line of top U.N. officials said farewell, many receiving hugs from Ban. The visibly emotional secretary-general, when asked about the sendoff before walking out the door and getting into his car, said: "It's very moving. I'm so grateful for the support and friendship that they have shown me. ... I'm honored to have served this great organization."

Ban returns to South Korea amid widespread speculation he will be a candidate to replace the country's president, who has been impeached.

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Putin urges Russian nuclear weapons boost

By Maria Antonova
Moscow (AFP)
Dec 22, 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for the country to reinforce its military nuclear potential and praised the army's performance in its Syria campaign.

In a speech that recapped military activities in 2016, Putin said the army's preparedness has "considerably increased" and called for continued improvement that would ensure it can "neutralize any military threat".

"We need to strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces, especially with missile complexes that can reliably penetrate any existing and prospective missile defense systems," the Kremlin strongman said.

"We must carefully monitor any changes in the balance of power and in the political-military situation in the world, especially along Russian borders, and quickly adapt plans for neutralizing threats to our country."

He said Russia's military had successfully demonstrated its capabilities in Syria, showcased its technology to potential arms buyers and helped the Syrian army make considerable advances.

"The Syrian army received considerable support, thanks to which it carried out several successful operations against militants," he said.

"The effective use of Russian weapons in Syria opens new possibilities for military-technical cooperation.

"We must take maximum advantage of this. We know there is interest in modern Russian weapons from foreign partners."

Russia began its bombing campaign in Syria in September 2015 in support of President Bashar al-Assad, with its special forces also operating on the ground in the country.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the military had used "162 types of modern armaments during the military campaign in Syria," including its Sukhoi warplanes and MiG and Kamov helicopters.

"They have shown to be highly effective," he said.

- '35,000 fighters' -

Shoigu produced figures for the entire campaign in Syria but did not mention any estimate of civilian casualties.

Russian warplanes have "liquidated 725 training camps, 405 weapon factories and workshops, 1,500 pieces of terrorist equipment, and 35,000 fighters, including 204 field commanders," he said.

The Russian airforce has conducted a total of 18,800 sorties and carried out 71,000 strikes since the start of its campaign, Shoigu said.

"In general, the operation has allowed (us) to solve several geopolitical problems," he said.

"We have considerably damaged international terrorist organisations in Syria, stopped their expansion... (and) prevented the breakup of Syria."

Russia is prioritizing its Asian partners including India and China for arms sales, he added.

Shoigu said NATO activities along Russia's western borders have grown eight-fold over the past decade, forcing Moscow to send more warplanes to prevent breaches of Russian airspace.

Next year, four additional S-400 anti-missile defense systems will be delivered to the army, and Russia will pay particular attention to its Western flank and the Arctic, he said.

"First and foremost, we will continue to increase military capabilities... take measures to reinforce troops in the western, southwestern and Arctic strategic sectors," Shoigu said.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Putin_urges_Russian_nuclear_weapons_boost_999.html.

Russian ambassador to Turkey shot dead in Ankara art gallery

Monday 19 December 2016

Russia’s ambassador to Turkey has died after being shot by a gunman inside an art exhibition in the Turkish capital Ankara on Monday evening, local media reported.

Andrey Karlov was among a group visiting an exhibition at the modern arts center in Ankara when he was targeted by a gunman. “An unknown person opened fire during a public event in Ankara. As a result, the Russian ambassador to Turkey received a gunshot wound,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told journalists.

Karlov’s condition was initially reported as critical and he was transferred to hospital. A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry confirmed that he had died of injuries.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was in contact with the Turkish government over the shooting, and said they had received assurances that punishment would be meted out to those responsible.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly called an urgent meeting with his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the heads of the security services.

The gunman was reported to have been shot dead, according to Turkish media. A media blackout was imposed on the scene shortly after the shooting happened.

The gunman reportedly shouted that the attack was “revenge” for Aleppo. He then shouted, “You will not be allowed to get away with this.”

About 15 to 20 gunshots were reported by eyewitnesses at the scene.

A Hurriyet photojournalist at the scene told broadcaster CNN-Turk that he saw the Russian ambassador get shot. He said the assailant only targeted the ambassador and did not fire at anyone else.

Russian officials at the embassy claim Islamist extremists are behind the attack, according to the Hurriyet newspaper.

The site has been evacuated and is currently surrounded by police.

A number of sources, including Melih Gokcek, the mayor of Ankara, said that gunman had been a 22-year old riot police officer named Mevlut Mert Altinas. Gokcek - who has been known for making outlandish claims in past - also suggested he was a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, the exiled Islamic cleric the government blames for the failed 15 July coup attempt.

Russian and Iranian missions in Turkey have been the site of various protests over the past week, as anger has mounted over events unfolding in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where thousands of people have been stuck in besieged rebel-held areas in the east of the city after a weeks-long offensive by the Syrian government backed by Russian and other allied forces.

Turkish and Russian officials have been in intensive talks during the past fortnight and Moscow and Ankara played a major role in negotiating a ceasefire and facilitating a corridor to evacuate civilians and rebels trapped in parts of eastern Aleppo.

The foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran were set to meet on 20 December to discuss developments in Aleppo.

Russia and Iran are the biggest backers of the Bashar al-Assad government, whose forces launched an offensive and retook rebel-held areas of Aleppo last week.

Separately, Turkey was targeted twice in major terrorist attacks over the past 15 days. On 10 December twin bombings next to the Besiktas football club’s stadium in central Istanbul killed 45 people.

On 17 December, a public transit bus carrying off-duty soldiers was targeted in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri, killing 14 soldiers and injuring 55.

Source: Middle East Eye.
Link: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/russian-ambassador-ankara-targeted-gunmen-local-media-1223148265.

Australia and France sign deal to build 12 submarines

December 20, 2016

SYDNEY (AP) — Australia and France signed an agreement Tuesday to build the world's largest diesel-electric submarines in the Australian industrial town of Adelaide. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian signed the agreement in Adelaide, where they officially opened the Australian headquarters of DCNS, a French state majority-owned company that will design the Shortfin Barracuda subs.

Turnbull described the 56 billion Australian dollar ($41 billion) contract to build 12 subs as the largest capital project in Australia's history. The contract is also DCNS's largest outside France. A workforce of 2,800 people will begin building the first sub in an Adelaide shipyard in 2022.

"Security is uncertain around the world and that is why we are re-equipping our navy and our defense forces," Turnbull told reporters. France beat German and Japanese rivals to secure the Australian contract in April.

France offered the Australians a diesel-electric version of the Barracuda-class nuclear submarine under construction for the French navy. Japan proposed a longer version of its Soryu-class diesel-powered propulsion system with advanced stealth capabilities.

Germany, which had publicly offered to build the entire fleet in Adelaide for AU$20 billion — less than half the navy's expected cost — offered a larger variation of its Type 214 submarine made for Australian specifications called a Type 216. It promoted as its edge over competitors its partnership with German engineering firm Siemens which would have provided the submarines' software and promised to create a digital shipbuilding center in Adelaide.

The French bid offered the same pump jet propulsion that gave its nuclear submarines their advanced stealth capacity. Other diesel-electric submarines are too small to be fitted with the same stern-heavy technology.

Australia's Shortfin Barracuda Block1A will be 97 meters (318 feet) long and weight 4,500 metric tons (5,000 U.S. tons) — 2.5 meters (8 feet) shorter and 200 metric tons (220 U.S. tons) lighter than its French nuclear cousin.

Australia already has one of the world's largest conventional submarines, the Australia-built Collins class, and the navy insisted that its replacement at least match its range of 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 kilometers). At 3,100 metric tons (3,400 U.S. tons) and 77 meters (253 feet long), the Collins will be dwarfed by the next-generation Shortfin Barracuda.

World's oldest male panda in captivity dies at 31

By Ed Adamczyk
Dec. 30, 2016

CHENGDU , China, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The world's oldest male panda in captivity has died at age 31, China's State Forestry Administration announced.

Pan Pan died early Wednesday at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda in Sichuan province. The panda, referred to as "hero father," was diagnosed with cancer in June, and in his last days stopped eating and moving, his keepers said. They added his health deteriorated rapidly in the three days before his death.

He was born in the wild but lived in captivity at the center for all but the first few months of his life. Although pandas are difficult to breed in captivity, his 130 descendants account for one-quarter of the world's captive-bred pandas.

An autopsy will be undertaken to learn the exact cause of death, Tan Chengbin of the center said. The current oldest female panda is Basi, 36, who also lives in China.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced in September that the status of pandas in the wild was changed from "endangered" to "vulnerable" due to an increase in their numbers. An estimated 1,864 adult pandas now live in the wild, all in China. The State Forestry Administration added 422 more live in captivity. The IUCN has warned that climate change is predicted to wipe out more than one-third of the panda's bamboo habitat and food source in the next 80 years.

Source: United Press International (UPI).
Link: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/12/30/Worlds-oldest-male-panda-in-captivity-dies-at-31/9891483108323/.