Tag Archives: politics

Gabon president defends constitutional change after parliament gives okay Libreville, Gabon | AFP |  Gabonese President Ali Bongo on Wednesday defended a plan to change the constitution after the fiercely-contested draft cleared a key hurdle. Parliament on Wednesday approved a raft of changes that the opposition has slammed as a …

Luanda, Angola | AFP |  Angolan President Joao Lourenco removed the son of his predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos from the top job at the oil-rich country’s sovereign wealth fund, the presidency said on Wednesday. Jose Filomeno dos Santos, who was implicated in the “Panama Papers” offshore scandal, will be …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Chancellor Angela Merkel embarks Thursday on last-ditch talks with Germany’s second biggest party to form a government, in what is also a battle to rescue her political career. September’s inconclusive elections left the veteran leader without a majority and struggling to find partners to govern …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s ruling ANC party met behind closed doors Wednesday as pressure grew on President Jacob Zuma to step down ahead of elections next year when the party risks losing power. Zuma was replaced as party leader by his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa in December, and …

Tripoli, Libya | AFP | The UN’s political chief pushed Wednesday in Libya for the country to hold credible elections this year in a bid to ensure a peaceful shift from a failed unity deal. “The goal is a Libyan goal to end the transition phase with inclusive peaceful process that …

Washington, United States | AFP | Several Democratic US congresswomen will wear black to President Donald Trump’s upcoming State of the Union Address in solidarity with the “MeToo” movement opposing sexual harassment, a female lawmaker said Wednesday. Democrat Jackie Speier tweeted that she and other Democratic women in the House of …

Washington, United States | AFP | Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey’s impassioned Golden Globes speech triggered speculation about her political future. A 2020 presidential race between Oprah and Donald Trump, himself a TV titan, would be the celebrity-political battle of the millenium, made for — and by — television. But …

Bamako, Mali | AFP | A regional bank official and the head of an African tech initiative both announced candidacies for the Malian presidency on Wednesday, as the 2018 race for the troubled Sahel nation heats up. Modibo Kone, a rural development expert at the West African Development Bank, and Hamadoun …

Washington, United States | AFP | Washington welcomed North Korea’s invitation to South Korea’s Winter Games on Tuesday, suggesting the outing could show Pyongyang what awaits if it agrees to give up nuclear weapons. The long-standing Korean rivals agreed that Pyongyang’s delegation could head south for next month’s Olympics a formal …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump weighed in Tuesday on fevered speculation about a potential 2020 White House bid by Oprah Winfrey, saying she probably would not run against him, but if she did, he would win. “I’ll beat Oprah,” Trump said of the Oscar-nominated actress and …