Gambian president to step down
BANJUL (Gambia)• Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh said yesterday that he would step down to keep peace in his country after 22 years in power, following last-chance talks with West African leaders before a military intervention.
Mr Jammeh spent hours with Guinea's and Mauritania's presidents last Friday in Banjul, where an agreement was reached that he would hand over power to Mr Adama Barrow, the declared winner of an election held last month.
Mr Jammeh said his decision to leave office - after weeks of stalling through threats and legal action - was his alone, despite immense pressure from the international community.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
New Ukip chief to stand in by-election
LONDON• Mr Paul Nuttall, who succeeded Mr Nigel Farage last November as the leader of Britain's UK Independence Party (Ukip), said yesterday that he would stand for Parliament in an election next month, a move that is shaping up to be a big test for the main opposition Labour Party.
Mr Nuttall will be a candidate in the Midlands constituency of Stoke-on-Trent Central which recorded one of the highest numbers of "Leave" votes in last June's European Union membership referendum. The election will shed light on the depth of electoral support for Ukip, which despite its influence still holds only one of the 650 seats in Britain's Lower House.
REUTERS
Bomb blast at Pakistan market kills 20
PESHAWAR • A bomb exploded at a market yesterday in a mainly Shi'ite area of Pakistan's north-western tribal belt, killing at least 20 people and wounding 40 others, officials said.
The bomb detonated in a crowded vegetable market in Parachinar city, the capital of the Kurram tribal district near the Afghan border.
Kurram is one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts which are governed according to local laws and customs. It is known for sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shi'ites.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Italy avalanche: 4 more survivors found
PENNE (Italy)•Emergency workers yesterday pulled out four more survivors from the ruins of an Italian hotel that was buried under an avalanche three days ago, after the "miracle" rescue of a woman and four children the day before.
Two women and two men were pulled out from the rubble of Hotel Rigopiano in the mountains of central Italy.
This brings to 11 the total number of survivors of the disaster.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
