THOUSANDS GATHER IN TOGO TO PROTEST PRESIDENT
LOME: Tens of thousands of demonstrators thronged the streets of the Togolese capital on Saturday, the latest in a series of mass protests against the rule of President Faure Gnassingbe. Anti- government marches have been held across the country nearly every week since August, attracting hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding the exit of Gnassingbe, who has ruled for more than 15 years. “We will never tire. This time we are going to see this fight, which started several months ago, through to the end,” said a motorcycle taxi driver who joined the marches in Lome on Saturday. “Nobody will give up because we are already seeing the end of this regime,” another said. The scion of one of Africa’s longest-ruling dynasties, Gnassingbe took power in 2005 after the death of his father General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the country for 38 years. Opposition parties have persistently called for the introduction of a maximum two-term presidential mandate and a two-round voting system. However, Gnassingbe has refused to rule out running for president again. Although Saturday’s demonstration passed peacefully, there have been confrontations with police at several previous rallies, most recently on Thursday when 12 people were hurt after officers fired tear gas at protesters.
JANUARY 1 MARKS MASS BIRTHDAY IN AFGHANISTAN
KABUL: January 1 is Samad Alawi’s birthday. It’s also the birthday of his wife, his two sons, 32 of his friends and thousands of other Afghans -- a date chosen for convenience by a generation who do not know when they were born. In the absence of birth certificates or official records, many Afghans have long used the seasons or historical events to help determine their age. But the explosion of social media networks such as Facebook, which require users to register their birthday, and the growing demand for passports and visas have forced Afghans to pick a day -- any day. January 1 has become a common choice, although the date is more about practicality than parties. “It seemed all Afghans had birthdays on January 1,” Samad Alawi, who is 43, said. Even those who know their real birth date often choose January 1 because they do not want the hassle of converting their birthday from the Solar Hijri, an Islamic calendar used only in Afghanistan and Iran.
SAINT PETERSBURG SUPERMARKET ATTACK SUSPECT ARRESTED
MOSCOW: Russian investigators on Saturday arrested a suspect linked to the Saint Petersburg bomb which tore through a supermarket, wounding 18 people, in an attack labelled by President Vladimir Putin as an “act of terror.” Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second city, and Putin’s hometown, was the scene of a deadly metro bombing in April and is set to host games during next year’s football World Cup, raising fears of similar attacks. “The suspect is being questioned,” a spokeswoman for the Russian Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko, said in a statement. “The organizer and direct perpetrator who triggered an improvised explosive device on December 27 in a supermarket in Saint Petersburg was arrested during a special operation by the FSB”, the security services added, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
MACRON TO RAISE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WITH ERDOGAN
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron will raise human rights issues with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan when they meet next Friday, the Elysee said on Saturday. Erdogan’s visit to France comes as he faces widespread criticism over a far-reaching crackdown against opponents linked to last year’s failed coup attempt, which has seen the arrest of opposition politicians, journalists and activists, and led to accusations of human rights abuses. The meeting “will be an opportunity to discuss issues related to bilateral relations between our two countries, as well as regional issues including a particular focus on the Syria issue... but also the on the Palestinian issue,” said the Elysee, adding that “the issue of human rights” would be discussed. Earlier on Saturday, Erdogan announced he would travel to France to discuss bilateral relations in a televised speech to members of his ruling AKP party.