AFP Video - Politics

Democrat Barack Obama Wednesday made history as Democrats formally nominated him by acclamation as the first black presidential nominee of a major political party. Obama's defeated rival Hillary Clinton dramatically halted a roll-call vote at the Democratic National Convention and proposed the Illinois senator be nominated by acclamation in a gesture of unity after a bruising primary race. Images and soundbites.

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Opposition protestors have besieged Thailand's main government compound to demand the resignation of Prime Mininster Samak Sundaravej. The protests against the government, which they believe acts on behalf of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, have been ongoing since May. Authorities are scrambling to find a peaceful end to the stand-off.

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Hillary Clinton Tuesday ordered her grieving supporters to unite behind Democratic nominee Barack Obama, in an emotional final act to a White House quest which fell just short of history."Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose," said Clinton, who got a euphoric welcome for her prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention.

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Denver is gearing up to host the Democratic National Convention starting on Monday. Democrats will officially nominate Barack Obama as their candidate at one of the most anticipated national conventions in history.

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Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama on Saturday officially announced that he has chosen Senator Joseph Biden as his vice presidential pick.

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French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama on Friday as the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader inaugurated a Buddhist temple in the south of France. Images.

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Celebrations erupted across the country, after Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday in the face of looming impeachment charges, ending a turbulent nine years in power for the key US ally.

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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will take a set of documents to Tbilisi aimed at consolidating the fragile ceasefire with Russia, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday after holding talks with the top US diplomat in southern France.

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The Dalai Lama accused China Wednesday of pursuing its crackdown in Tibet in spite of the Olympic Games, French lawmakers said following talks with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. The Tibetan Spiritual Leader met with French lawmakers during a 12-day trip to France.

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The Dalai Lama led a private ceremony early Tuesday at a Buddhist centre in Veneux-les-Sablons outside Paris, before beginning his official 12-day visit in France with the blessing of a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in nearby Evry.

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Sakhalin is no ordinary village: the border between Lithuania and Belarus runs straight down the middle, dividing families. And, since Lithuania joined the Schengen Agreement, the border is even harder to cross.

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Bolivian President Evo Morales easily survived a recall referendum Sunday, according to exit polls -- but so did a coalition of political enemies he had sought to weaken with the vote. The result was likely to deepen a political crisis gripping South America's poorest nation.

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US President George W. Bush urged China's leaders not to be afraid of religious freedom as he attended a church service in Beijing on Sunday and held talks with Chinese leader Hu Jintao.

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A referendum called by President Evo Morales in Bolivia is being seen as a showdown between him and rebellious governors wanting autonomy. But the vote, on Sunday, could simply deepen the political crisis that is dividing the country.

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Thousands of people across Asia and Europe took part in human rights protests Friday as China launched the Beijing Olympics with a dazzling, three-hour opening ceremony. Reporters without Borders held a protest in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington. Images and soundbites.

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When Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, thousands of Israeli families were removed from their homes and re-located. But work is hard to come by and, three years on, some are still waiting for their compensation.

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Iraqi journalist and poet Hatem Saleh is finally free to walk the streets safely, 8000 miles away from home. The Casa Refugio Citlaltepetl, a safe house in Mexico City for persecuted writers, recently welcomed Saleh, who had been attacked and threatened for his work in Iraq.

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The ruling party in Turkey has escaped a ban by the Constitutional Court. The conservative AK Party stood accused of undermining the secular system, something many have feared since it was voted into office six years ago.

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Turkey's prime minister is under pressure to reconcile with secularist opponents after his party narrowly escaped a ban over charges that it was seeking an Islamist regime.

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Many Belgians in Flanders resent subsidising the less affluent, French-speaking region to their south. But is a break-up of the country really the solution?

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Calls for Belgium to break up along cultural and linguistic lines are adding to the country's current political crisis. But not everyone wants to see the nation split. Eric is a French-speaking Belgian from the south -- Sylvie, a Flemish speaker from the north. A portrait of a 'mixed' couple spanning the divide.