NEWS ANALYSIS

  Nigerian economy glimpses dim light at end of tunnel Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Suffering from rampant inflation, stalled investment and mass layoffs, Nigeria is still gripped by one of the worst economic crises in its history. But for the first time in months, the West African economic giant …

Paris, France | AFP |  Once his high school drama teacher, now wife of incoming French president Emmanuel Macron, 64-year-old Brigitte Macron stepped into the spotlight long before her husband was elected. The 25-year age difference and the extraordinary way they met — he pursued her when he was her …

MIDRAND, SOUTH AFRICA: The Chairman of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, Amb. Mull Katende, has said heavy reliance on donor funding was affecting peace efforts on the continent. “Our major challenge is donor dependence, and this defeats the whole idea of African solutions to African problems,” …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Another self-inflicted crisis has left Donald Trump’s critics outraged and some of his Republican allies dismayed, but a bedrock of support for the billionaire US leader means the political endgame is far in the distance. A few weeks ago, only Trump’s most rabid opponents …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  It is rare when the pivotal moment in a title race occurs in September — rarer still when it can be pinpointed to the minute — but such has been Chelsea’s season. After drawing with Swansea City and losing to Liverpool, Chelsea found themselves …

Macron’s party unveils new faces for French parliamentary polls, including Rwanda-born candidate Paris, France | AFP | French president-elect Emmanuel Macron’s party on Thursday unveiled more than 400 candidates who will stand in parliamentary elections in June, with half of them newcomers to politics and half of them women. It …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Somalia struck a new stability pact with the international community on Thursday, aimed at steadying the fragile state by bolstering its security, staving off famine and rebooting its economy. New President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed hailed a “historic day for Somalia” after concluding the pact …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Since President Donald Trump’s shock dismissal of FBI director James Comey, the official account of how and why he was sacked has shifted, with Trump appearing on Thursday to contradict the initial version of events. Here is a timeline of explanations provided by the …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The White House Wednesday slapped down calls for a special prosecutor to investigate allegations that Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia, after the US president abruptly fired his FBI director. Trump’s shock dismissal of James Comey — the man overseeing federal investigations into suspected …

Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump’s sudden dismissal of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday has seen the betting odds of a Trump impeachment skyrocket, bookmaking sites told AFP on Wednesday. Opposition Democrat lawmakers have ramped up calls for an independent investigation into possible collusion between the …