Malema kept out of parliament

SOUTH AFRICA: The South African Communist Party (SACP) welcomed yesterday the suspension from parliament of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema.

Mr Malema was ejected on Wednesday for disruptive behaviour after he refused to withdraw unparliamentary language and defamatory allegations against Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The SACP recalled that the public protector has found that Mr Malema, who owes £750,000 in unpaid tax, was found to have benefited from corrupt government tendering.

People’s Party restricts abortions

SPAIN: The conservative People’s Party government passed legislation on Wednesday night to restrict abortion rights for 16 and 17-year-olds, making parental permission once again obligatory.

It had scrapped a much-criticised plan last September to repeal the Socialist Party’s 2010 abortion law allowing abortion without restrictions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Three People’s Party MPs voted against the Bill.

Taiwan plans for Chinese invasion

TAIWAN: Military exercises held yesterday appeared to simulate a Chinese invasion, in an apparent provocation to Beijing.

“Our most crucial goal is to simulate safeguarding against a possible attack from mainland China, whether on Taiwan itself, an outlying island post, our marine military space or our airspace,” said deputy Defence Ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi.

Maduro wants a border of peace

VENEZUELA: President Nicolas Maduro announced measures toward building a “border of peace” with neighbouring Colombia on Wednesday.

“A new stage in the border policy of the Bolivarian revolution has begun,” he said.

His speech comes after two Colombian paramilitaries were killed in an incident with Venezuelan security forces inside the border on Tuesday.

Valls ends foreign coal plant cash

FRANCE: Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced yesterday that the government was ending subsidies for building coal-fired power plants abroad in anticipation of November’s UN climate talks in Paris.

Coal credits, primarily used by French group Alstom, which exports its technology and builds plants in several countries, will end immediately.

Environment Minister Segolene Royal said that the government would instead provide subsidies for renewable energy plants.

Lavrov warns West against poll spin

UKRAINE: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned yesterday that the West was courting danger by claiming that the Minsk peace agreement would fail if secessionist Donbass held local elections.

Mr Lavrov called for “direct consultations between Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk,” the Tass news agency reported.

On Wednesday the French, Russian, German and Ukrainian leaders held a conference to discuss the progress of the peace deal.

Dozens killed in airbase battle

SYRIA: Dozens of soldiers and Islamic State (Isis) terrorists died in fighting around an airbase near the eastern city of Deir el-Zour yesterday.

Isis claimed to have taken positions held by a Syrian army battalion near the base after launching two car bomb attacks.

Meanwhile, Russia said its flights into Syria are delivering military supplies and humanitarian aid.