Russian opposition to hold new protest march
AFP, Moscow
Russia’s opposition was set to hold a new protest march in central Moscow on Saturday, despite a ban by authorities, a week before controversial regional polls in the capital.Demonstrations have been held on an almost weekly basis since July after authorities denied most opposition candidates registration in the elections for city parliament next Sunday.
Moscow prosecutors warned that the latest rally, called by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny for 2 pm (1100 GMT) on part of the city’s Boulevard Ring, was not authorised and participants would “bear responsibility.”
China expels journalist after report on Xi’s
family
The Washington Post
China effectively expelled a Wall Street Journal reporter from the country, one month after the newspaper published a report detailing allegations that a cousin of Chinese leader Xi Jinping was involved in high-stakes gambling and potential money laundering in Australia.
Chinese authorities told the Journal on Friday that press credentials would not be renewed for Chun Han Wong, a Singapore national who has covered Chinese politics out of the paper’s Beijing bureau since 2014. Those credentials expired Friday.
Taliban attack Afghan city of Kunduz
AFP, Kunduz
Taliban insurgents on Saturday launched a multi-pronged attack on Kunduz, a strategically important city in northern Afghanistan that has come under frequent assault since 2015.
The ongoing attack came as the US and the Taliban continue to seek an agreement in Doha that would see thousands of American troops leave Afghanistan in return for various security guarantees.
Colombian troops kill nine FARC
dissidents in raid
AFP, Bogota
Colombian troops killed nine FARC dissidents in a raid Friday in what the president said was “a clear message” to their leaders who have formally rejected a 2016 peace agreement and announced a return to arms. President Ivan Duque said he had authorized the military operation in rural areas of Colombia’s south. In a statement welcoming the raid, Duque dismissed the group as “a gang of narco-terrorist criminals who are residuals of what was known as the FARC, and who are part of the criminal structures that seek to challenge Colombia.”
Bahamas battens down for Hurricane Dorian
AFP, St. John’s
Residents in the Bahamas rushed to prepare as “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Dorian barreled toward the island chain Friday, with government offices on lockdown and thousands told to evacuate their homes.
Currently a Category 4 storm, Dorian was packing winds near 130 miles per hour (215 kilometers per hour) by Friday evening.
and was expected to make landfall in the Bahamas – a major tourist destination – on Sunday.
