London, United Kingdom | AFP | Security has been stepped up on the London Underground network, police said Saturday, following the arrest of a 19-year-old man after a suspicious item was discovered on a Tube train. “The public will see more officers, including armed police, in and around transport hubs,” …
Read More »Mutharika says he is in ‘excellent health’, dismisses rumours of illness
Blantyre, Malawi | AFP | Malawian President Peter Mutharika said Friday he was in “excellent health”, dismissing rumours of illness as he made his first comments after an extended trip to the United States. “I am not sick. I am still alive and I have more than nine lives,” the …
Read More »China slams ‘provocative’ US sail-by in South China Sea
Beijing, China | AFP | China has slammed the US for sailing a warship near disputed territory in the South China Sea, saying the move was a “serious illegal act” and “deliberately provocative”. In a statement on its website late Friday night, the country’s defence ministry said two Chinese naval …
Read More »Bemba, Lubanga, Ongwen – Africa in the dock at the ICC
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | The International Criminal Court — dealt a blow Friday with South Africa’s decision to withdraw from the tribunal — has launched nine investigations in eight African countries since its establishment in 2002. A 10th was opened in Georgia, the only country outside Africa. Here …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Five questions on the ICC
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | Once a champion of the International Criminal Court (ICC), South Africa dealt a blow to the world tribunal Friday by announcing its intention to withdraw, a move that came on the heels of a similar move by Burundi. Here are five key questions following …
Read More »DPP appeals widow acquittal in Kasiwukira murder case
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has appealed the acquittal and subsequent release of Sarah Nabikolo Ssebunya, widow to deceased businessman Eria Ssebunya Bugembe aka Kasiwukira. In the notice filed in Court of Appeal, the DPP says he is dissatisfied with the High Court decision that found Nabikolo innocent of her …
Read More »Burkina Faso govt says it has thwarted coup plot
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | AFP | Burkina Faso said Friday it thwarted a “vast conspiracy” earlier this month by forces loyal to ousted leader Blaise Compaore, which aimed to seize power in the impoverished Sahel state. The plot called for attacking the presidential palace and detaining “certain authorities”, said Interior …
Read More »ENTERTAINMENT: Brad Pitt hasn’t answered divorce petition
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Brad Pitt has missed the deadline to respond to Angelina Jolie’s divorce petition, seeking to avoid sparking an acrimonious legal battle that could harm the children, media reported on Friday. The 52-year-old actor will not file an official reply, despite being two days …
Read More »Ongoing cyber attack hits Twitter, Amazon, other top websites
Washington, United States | AFP | Major internet services including Twitter, Spotify and Amazon suffered service interruptions and outages on Friday as a US internet provider came under sustained cyber attack. The internet service company Dyn, which routes and manages internet traffic, said that it had suffered a distributed denial …
Read More »MTN denies illegal transfer of $14 bn from Nigeria
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | South Africa’s MTN has denied it illegally transferred $13.9 billion from Nigeria in the latest scandal to hit the telecom firm in its largest market in the continent. The Johannesburg-based firm is facing a parliamentary probe over accusations it connived with senior Nigerian officials to …
Read More »