Thousands march for independence in Scottish capital

EDINBURGH, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of Scottish independence supporters marched in Edinburgh on Saturday, as calls grow for a fresh vote on Scotland breaking away from the United Kingdom with Brexit scheduled for within weeks. The demonstrators, many carrying Scottish flags, some wearings kilts and a few playing…

Portugal’s Socialists tipped for re-election

LISBON, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Portugal votes on Sunday with PrimeMinister Antonio Costa’s Socialists tipped to win a second straight termafter presiding over a period of solid economic growth following years ofausterity. Costa’s likely re-election bucks the trend of declining centre-leftfortunes and the rise of far-right, populist parties seen elsewhere…

EU presses UK to resubmit Brexit plan as end-game looms

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnsonstarted phoning EU leaders Saturday to sell his proposals for a managedBrexit, but he met with pressure to revise his offer — and to do so quickly. Finnish counterpart Antti Rinne — whose country currently holds therotating presidency of the European…

Update: Cameroon opposition leader Maurice Kamto walks free from jail

Maurice Kamto YOUNDE, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) – A military court in Cameroon has freed opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who had been in prison for nine months and facing charges of insurrection.His release, along with that of dozens of his supporters, comes as President Paul Biya is aiming to strike a…

US: Four homeless men killed in New York City overnight rampage

NEW YORK, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A homeless man wielding a long metal pipe rampaged through New York City early Saturday attacking other homeless people who were sleeping, killing four and leaving a fifth in critical condition, police said. Chief of Manhattan South Detectives Michael Baldassano said at a news…

37 hurt when double-decker bus overturns in south England

LONDON, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thirty-seven people were injured Saturday when a double-decker bus overturned in Devon in southern England.Eight had potentially serious injuries, said the Devon and Cornwall Police.The injured were being treated at local hospitals, officials said.The bus driver was cooperating and has not been charged, police said.The…

Greek PM asks Pompeo for US help to calm Turkish-Cyprus offshore tensions

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is welcomed by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ATHENS, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged the United States to use its influence to defuse tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Cyprus and Turkey are locked in a dispute over offshore…

South African public broadcaster to get $211 mln government bailout

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa’s cash-strapped public broadcaster will get a 3.2 billion rand government bailout, but will need to meet preconditions including identifying assets to sell, the communications ministry said. Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) would receive…

Cameroon releases 333 prisoners amid peace talks; separatists say not enough

YAOUNDE, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cameroon’s President Paul Biya said he will drop charges against 333 prisoners arrested for their alleged roles in a two-year separatist uprising, but rebel leaders dismissed the move as a political stunt and pledged to keep fighting. The announcement on Twitter comes during peace talks…

Tanzania denies hiding information on suspected Ebola cases

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tanzania denied it was withholding information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on suspected cases of Ebola, saying it was not hiding any outbreak of the deadly disease in the country. “Ebola is known as a fast-spreading disease, whose impact can be felt…