New constitution, old playbook: Chad’s Deby continues power play in Sahel | Politics

New constitution, old playbook: Chad’s Deby continues power play in Sahel | Politics

Millions of Chadians voted for a controversial new draft constitution last week, despite resistance from critics of the military government which accuse it of perpetuating itself in power. According to the National Commission Charged with the Organisation of the Constitutional Referendum (CONOREC), 86 percent of voters chose “yes”. The turnout…

‘Don’t worry about me. I’m fine’: Kremlin critic Navalny from Arctic jail | Prison News

‘Don’t worry about me. I’m fine’: Kremlin critic Navalny from Arctic jail | Prison News

Russian opposition leader says he has seen his lawyer after 20 days travelling to penal colony above the Arctic Circle. Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny has confirmed he is being held in a remote Arctic prison and has seen his lawyer after his spokespeople said they had lost touch…

Why do evangelical Christians support Israel? | Israel-Palestine conflict

Why do evangelical Christians support Israel? | Israel-Palestine conflict

Palestinian human rights activist Jonathan Kuttab explains how Christian Zionism affects US policy in the Middle East. In the evangelical Christian worldview, the 1948 creation of Israel was a fulfilment of Biblical prophecy and the Palestinians are either “non-existent” or “the enemies of God, because they are the enemies of…

Ukraine proposes lowering age for military conscription from 27 to 25 | Russia-Ukraine war News

Ukraine proposes lowering age for military conscription from 27 to 25 | Russia-Ukraine war News

Draft bill proposed as military looks for hundreds of thousands of new recruits in its fight to eject Russia. Ukraine has proposed reducing the age of those who can be mobilised into the armed forces from 27 to 25 after the military said it needed as many as 500,000 more…

Ukraine officially celebrates Christmas on December 25 for the first time | Russia-Ukraine war News

Ukraine officially celebrates Christmas on December 25 for the first time | Russia-Ukraine war News

The change reflects Ukrainians’ dismay at the 22-month-old Russian invasion and their assertion of a national identity. Ukrainians have celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the first time, as part of an ongoing effort to remove Russian influence from their country. The change was enacted in a law signed by…

Serbia police fire tear gas as opposition backers demand election annulled | Politics News

Serbia police fire tear gas as opposition backers demand election annulled | Politics News

President Aleksandar Vucic condemns ‘attempted violent takeover’ amid protests over alleged election fraud. Riot police in Serbia have fired tear gas and pepper spray at opposition supporters demanding the annulment of elections marred by claims of widespread fraud. Hundreds of protesters attempted to storm Belgrade City Hall on Sunday evening…

Chad votes in favour of new constitution backed by military rulers | Military News

Chad votes in favour of new constitution backed by military rulers | Military News

Referendum held earlier this month has been approved by 86 percent of voters, say the officials. Chadians have voted in favour of a new constitution that critics say could help consolidate the power of military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby. The referendum held earlier this month was approved by 86 percent…

Iran summons Russia’s envoy again over islands dispute | Politics News

Iran summons Russia’s envoy again over islands dispute | Politics News

This is the second time the Russian envoy to Tehran is being summoned over the same issue. Tehran, Iran – Iran has once more summoned the Russian envoy to Tehran after Moscow signed another joint statement with Arab nations calling for negotiations over three disputed islands that the United Arab…

Ex-Palestinian PM Fayyad: ‘PLO should expand to include Hamas’ | Israel-Palestine conflict

Ex-Palestinian PM Fayyad: ‘PLO should expand to include Hamas’ | Israel-Palestine conflict

Former Palestinian Authority PM Salam Fayyad says Palestinians should be tending to their own interests, not Israel’s. “No national liberation movement in history is based on what its enemy wants,” says the former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, Salam Fayyad. For the Palestinian Authority to have any legitimacy in…

‘Our lives are still fractured’: Northern Ireland’s ‘peace babies’ | Politics

‘Our lives are still fractured’: Northern Ireland’s ‘peace babies’ | Politics

Belfast, Northern Ireland — The political leaders caught up in the 30-year Troubles of Northern Ireland were so consumed with fighting over “land, soil, territory”, that they completely neglected the environmental welfare of that very same land, soil and territory, say young people born since the Good Friday Agreement (GFA)…