Washington, United States | AFP | By tapping conservative firebrand John Bolton as his national security chief and hardliner Mike Pompeo as his top diplomat, US President Donald Trump has dramatically raised the stakes in world affairs. Now, if Trump decides to abandon the Iran nuclear deal he has an adviser …
Read More »Zimbabwe opposition fires deputy leader ahead of key polls
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s main opposition party on Friday fired its deputy president and two other senior officials on misconduct charges, stoking fears of a split in the party ahead of key elections in July, a month after the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The Movement for …
Read More »Trump signs spending bill, averting government shutdown
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $1.3 trillion compromise federal spending bill despite being “unhappy” with many of its provisions — thereby averting what would have been the third government shutdown of 2018. Trump said he signed the measure that had passed the …
Read More »Talks resume between Togo govt and opposition
Lome, Togo | AFP | Talks between Togo’s ruling party and the opposition resumed on Friday after a month-long pause, with Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo acting as a mediator. After an hour of debate between the two sides, Akufo-Addo decided to move to bilateral talks, meeting first with the ruling party …
Read More »Deputy takes over after Mauritius president’s resignation
Port Louis, Mauritius | AFP | The vice-president of Mauritius assumed temporary power on Friday a week after the resignation of President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim over allegations of a credit card scandal. A statement from the presidency said Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory had assumed the functions of the president on 23 March. He …
Read More »Zambia opposition seeks to impeach president
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s main opposition party has filed a motion to impeach President Edgar Lungu for violating the constitution, the presidency said Friday, in the latest development following a disputed 2016 election. The impeachment motion will be put before parliament on March 28 by the United Party for …
Read More »Trump names hawk Bolton as national security advisor
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Thursday named hardline Fox News pundit and former UN ambassador John Bolton as his new national security advisor, ousting embattled army general HR McMaster. Trump took to Twitter to announce the latest in a cascade of staff changes, one …
Read More »Ex-Playboy model says Trump tried to pay her for sex
Washington, United States | AFP | A Playboy model who says she had a months-long affair with Donald Trump a decade before his election as president told CNN that he tried to pay her for sex. Karen McDougal wants to be released from a $150,000 deal she made in 2016 …
Read More »UN urges Liberia to ensure ‘full and true reconciliation’
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | A top UN official on Thursday urged Liberia to implement the recommendations of a truth commission, dating back to 2009, which included prosecuting eight ex-warlords for alleged crimes against humanity. “Liberia is at a turning point”, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference in Monrovia, …
Read More »Liberia’s Weah defends agency chief sacking
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberia’s president George Weah on Thursday denied breaking the law by firing the head of a government agency overseeing the mining and forestry sectors. The mining of iron ore and production of latex to make rubber constitute the bulk of Liberia’s exports, and are rare …
Read More »