AFP, Geneva
Tens of thousands of people – around 100,000 according to organisers – marched through the Swiss capital Bern Saturday calling for action to stop climate change, three weeks ahead of parliamentary elections.
They marched a day after smaller demonstrations in Swiss cities for Friday’s “climate strikes”, which was also observed in cities across Europe. Saturday’s march was organised by 80 campaigning groups who together call themselves the Climate Alliance.
Ukraine must investigate Biden’s son, says
ex-Ukrainian PM
Reuters, Moscow
Ukraine must investigate the activities of U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son to establish whether his role in a Ukrainian gas company complied with the country’s laws, Mykola Azarov, Ukraine’s former prime minister, said in an interview. Azarov did not specify to which Ukrainian laws he was referring.
Hunter Biden’s role in the company, Burisma Holdings Limited, is in focus after the White House published a memo showing U.S. President Donald Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a July phone call to get prosecutors to look into his activities. Zelenskiy agreed.
Iraq’s removal of
counterterrorism chief sparks controversy
AP, Beirut
The Iraqi prime minister’s removal of a top military commander from his post triggered heated political protests and uncertainty over the weekend, at a time of soaring tensions between the country’s chief security partners in the region, Iran and the United States.
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi removed Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi from his post as the commander of the country’s elite counterterrorism forces and transferred him to the Defense Ministry on Friday, without providing an explanation.
Yemen vows to end attempts to divide country
AP, United Nations
Yemen’s new foreign minister is vowing that the government will “end any attempt to tear apart our homeland.” He’s sharply criticizing Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who control much of the country’s north and the United Arab Emirates, which supports forces seeking their own nation in the south.
Mohammed Abdullah al-Hadrami called Iran “the main sponsor of terrorism throughout the world” and urged an end to “this Iranian-Houthi coup d’etat in Yemen.”
Russians set to rally to demand release of jailed protesters
Reuters, Moscow
Russian opposition leaders expect thousands of people to attend a rally on Sunday demanding the release of protesters jailed in what Kremlin opponents says is a campaign to stifle dissent.
The protesters were arrested in demonstrations against the exclusion of many opposition candidates from a local election.
