Police imposed an overnight curfew in several parts of Sri Lanka’s main city of Colombo early on Friday after protests over the government’s handling of the country’s worst economic crisis in decades turned violent, an official said. Hundreds of protesters gathered near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s private residence in a Colombo suburb late on Thursday and… Read More Sri Lanka imposes curfew as economic protests turn violent
International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said on Thursday during a visit to Venezuelan capital Caracas that the court will open an office there, amid a preliminary investigation into alleged human rights violations by officials. Khan, who appearing on state television with President Nicolas Maduro, said his three-day visit to the South American country had… Read More International Criminal Court to open office in Venezuela
Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding foreign buyers pay for Russian gas in roubles from Friday or else have their supplies cut, a move European capitals rejected and which Germany said amounted to “blackmail”. Putin’s decree on Thursday leaves Europe facing the prospect of losing more than a third of its gas supply. Germany, the… Read More Russian President Vladimir Putin demands foreign clients pay for gas supply in local rouble currency
Eight peacekeepers were killed when a U.N. helicopter crashed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday amid rebel fighting, the United Nations said. The bodies of the peacekeepers have been taken to Goma and an investigation was underway into the circumstances of the crash, the United Nations said in a statement. They included six… Read More Eight peacekeepers dead as UN chopper crashes in eastern DR Congo
Ethiopia has released several former government officials from prison, a lawyer working with them said. The group of ethnic Tigrayans included former members of the government-appointed administration and a member of the ruling party. The state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said on March 18 that at least eight officials had been arrested, but gave no… Read More Ethiopia releases former Tigray government officials
Ghana’s parliament approved a new 1.5% tax on electronic payments, known as the “e-levy,” on Tuesday after the opposition walked out in protest. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta proposed the e-levy in November to widen the tax net and has presented it as a panacea for Ghana’s raft of financial woes. Opposition was so fierce that… Read More Ghanaian parliament approves electronic payments tax
The East African Community trade bloc admitted Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as its seventh member on Tuesday, the group said, increasing the market by half to 300 million people. The EAC common market, which consists of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, was set up in 2010 to allow the free movement… Read More DR Congo joins East African Community trade bloc
A lawmaker in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party said on Wednesday he planned to change his gender identity to become Britain’s first openly transgender member of parliament, a decision he said followed a series of harrowing episodes in his personal life. Jamie Wallis, 37, who represents an area in Wales, said in a statement… Read More UK lawmaker Jamie Wallis announces gender identity change
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