Washington, United States | AFP | The resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen underscored the failure of President Donald Trump to halt uncontrolled immigration, one of the key promises of his presidency. More than two years after he took office, tens of thousands of mostly Central Americans travel across …
Read More »What next for Sudan’s Bashir?
Paris, France | AFP | As thousands of protesters in Khartoum demand President Omar al-Bashir resignation, demonstrators have called for the Sudanese military to back them. So far the army has not intervened, but agents of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and riot police have cracked down …
Read More »The enthronement of Japan’s Emperor Akihito
Paris, France | AFP | Emperor Akihito ascended to the Japanese throne on November 12, 1990 in a tightly choreographed ceremony steeped in tradition but with hints of modernity. Akihito, aged 56, had already succeeded his father, Emperor Hirohito, immediately on his death the previous year after the longest reign …
Read More »How ‘unity’ died in Uganda
Remembering the Moshi Spirit of the 1979 liberation war Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | This week marked 40 years since a combined force of armed groups of Ugandan exiles under the Uganda National Liberation Front/Army (UNLF/A) and the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF) toppled the government of then-president of …
Read More »The winding road to power in Israel: How elections work
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israel will hold general elections on April 9. Here are some facts about the process: Dozens of parties Israel’s system of proportional representation allows small parties a chance of getting a seat in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament. There is however a barrier to the …
Read More »Five pivotal moments behind Brexit chaos
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s decision to hold a referendum on leaving the European Union three years ago has ended up in political chaos that few could have predicted then. Here are five pivotal moments that led to this: – January 23, 2013 – Then prime minister David …
Read More »EU accuses BMW, Daimler and VW of breaking antitrust rules
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Union warned German car giants BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen on Friday that a preliminary inquiry has concluded they colluded to avoid competing on emission control technology. Already reeling in the wake of the devastating “dieselgate” emissions cheating scandal that broke in 2015, the German …
Read More »Britain, EU set out competing Brexit delay dates
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Theresa May asked the European Union on Friday to delay Britain’s departure until June 30 while Brussels suggested that it might be best to postpone the split for up to a year. EU leaders also reacted sceptically, saying that there had to be …
Read More »Macron seeks to shine light on Rwanda genocide
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday appointed a panel of experts to investigate France’s actions in Rwanda during the country’s genocide 25 years ago, a subject that has dogged Franco-Rwandan relations since the 1994 massacres. The commission of eight researchers and historians “will be tasked with …
Read More »Algeria after Bouteflika: what happens now?
Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Mass protests may have pushed long-time Algerian leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power, but demonstrators look unlikely to let up, demanding sweeping changes to the political system. With pressure far from dissipating, what happens now? – Constitutional roadmap – Algeria’s constitution outlines a vague roadmap for …
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