New Star Wars film's first teaser released
CHICAGO • The ninth film in the original Star Wars saga will be called The Rise Of Skywalker, and will feature the return of evil emperor Palpatine to threaten young heroine Rey and the Resistance, Walt Disney Co has revealed.
Disney last Friday showed fans attending the Star Wars Celebration convention in Chicago the first footage from the movie, which will be released in theatres in December and will conclude the story that began in 1977.
A villainous cackle was heard at the end of the trailer, and the actor who played Palpatine in previous films, Mr Ian McDiarmid, walked onstage to loud applause from an audience of roughly 10,000 fans, many waving colourful lightsabers.
As of Friday afternoon, The Rise Of Skywalker teaser trailer had been viewed online about 11 million times.
REUTERS
'Yellow vest' clash in Toulouse
PARIS • "Yellow vest" demonstrators clashed with riot police in the French city of Toulouse yesterday as President Emmanuel Macron prepared a series of policy announcements aimed at quelling 22 consecutive weekends of anti-government protests.
Police in the south-eastern city fired tear-gas and arrested several people after several hundred demonstrators started throwing objects, burning rubbish bins and trying to enter areas where protests have been banned.
The protests continue to put pressure on Mr Macron, who has vowed to announce a series of measures aimed at easing discontent in the country.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Algeria activists fear police action
ALGIERS • Algerian civil society groups voiced concern yesterday about toughening police tactics, a day after officers in riot gear clashed with protesters, and reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful pro-democracy rallies.
Friday's initially peaceful rally in central Algiers deteriorated into the worst street violence seen so far since marches began in mid-February demanding an end to the 20-year-rule of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who finally resigned on April 2.
Demonstrators have vowed to push on with rallies, arguing that leaders who emerged from the Bouteflika "system" cannot guarantee free and fair polls.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
