Democratic

Russia meddling in Mexican election, claims McMaster

Dubai - Emirates Voice

The Russian government has launched a sophisticated campaign to influence Mexico’s 2018 presidential election and stir up division, a senior White House official said in a video clip published by Mexican daily newspaper Reforma. US national security adviser HR McMaster said in a speech last month to the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation that there was already evidence of Russian meddling inRead more

DR Congo sets elections for December 2018

Kinshasa - Emirates Voice

The Democratic Republic of Congo will hold its much delayed presidential and legislative elections in December 2018, the election commission announced Sunday. "Direct voting" will take place on December 23, 2018, covering presidential, legislative, regional and local elections, said Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) official Jean-Pierre Kalamba. Elections had been due to take place this year under a deal wherebyRead more

Venezuela opposition governors refuse to be sworn in

Caracas - Emirates Voice

Venezuela's opposition said its newly-elected governors would refuse to participate Wednesday in a swearing in ceremony before the pro-government Constituent Assembly, which it does not recognize. The Democratic Union Roundtable (MUD) said it would not allow its five governors to be subjected to "the blackmail of the fraudulent Constituent Assembly" after President Nicolas Maduro threatened to remove them from officeRead more

US-backed force says has fully captured Raqa from IS

Beirut - Emirates Voice

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said Tuesday they had fully captured the Islamic State group's former Syrian stronghold Raqa, after more than four months of fighting. "Everything is finished in Raqa, our forces have taken full control of Raqa," SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP.Read more

Foreign, Syrian IS fighters to evacuate Raqa in deal

Kobane - Emirates Voice

Syrian and foreign Islamic State group fighters are to evacuate their one-time bastion Raqa as part of an agreement brokered by tribal leaders, a senior local official told AFP Saturday. Omar Alloush, a top official of the Raqa Civil Council, said a deal had been reached to allow fighters out of the city, which is on the verge of beingRead more

FVP receives congratulation from Mighani

Khartoum - Arab Today

The First Vice President and the Prime Minister, Barki Hassan Salih, has received a phone call from leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and head of the Katmya religious sect, congratulating him on his appointment as Prime Minister, expressing his confidence that Bakri was the right man to lead the executive to ward new success and achievements. On his part,Read more

Iran, Russia, Turkey and the future of Assad’s Syria

Damascus - Arab Today

A story in Al Hayat newspaper on February 18 highlighted the convoluted nature of foreign interventions in Syria. The article noted that the United States was studying three plans for the takeover of Raqqa from ISIL. One of those plans was presented by Turkey, which does not want to see the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces entering the city. However, limitingRead more

Japan’s main opposition party elects female leader promising ‘revolution’

Tokyo - Arab today

Japan’s main opposition party elected its first woman leader Thursday, with Renho Murata triumphing over two men to head the left-of-centre Democratic Party. Murata will now face the task of reinvigorating an opposition largely viewed as being in disarray and unable to convincingly take on the conservative Liberal Democratic Party that has held power for all but four of theRead more

Rival to seek South Korean leader’s resignation

Seoul - Arab today

Moon Jae-in, the front-runner to become South Korea’s next president, said Tuesday he would seek the resignation of scandal-hit incumbent Park Geun-hye. “We have reached an irreversible situation,” Moon said in a televised briefing. “I will run a nationwide campaign to push her out until she declares unconditional resignation.” Moon’s campaign will ratchet up pressure on the president who isRead more