United Nations, United States | AFP | The United States on Monday backed plans by the Democratic Republic of Congo to hold elections in December 2018 and warned President Joseph Kabila must stick to the timeline. The election commission in Kinshasa announced on Sunday that the long-awaited presidential, legislative, regional and …
Read More »S.African publishers of Zuma book vow to fight gag efforts
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The publishers of a book alleging widespread corruption against South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma vowed on Monday to resist a demand from the country’s spy agency that they withdraw it. The State Security Agency demanded on Friday that NB Publishers remove from bookstores the work …
Read More »Egypt rights lawyer announces presidental bid
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | A rights lawyer and former candidate for Egypt’s presidency who challenged the government over Red Sea islands given to Saudi Arabia announced his campaign Monday to stand in 2018 elections. Leftist Khaled Ali rose to prominence after he tried to get the courts to stop the …
Read More »Zimbabwe’s Mugabe fires VP, clears wife’s way to top job
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday, the government said, as the veteran leader appeared to clear the way for his wife Grace to succeed him. The dramatic move came after a tense weekend in which Mnangagwa and Grace Mugabe — …
Read More »Erdogan hails opera house project as ‘symbol’ of Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday launched a controversial project to build a brand new opera house in Istanbul, saying the new building would be a symbol for the city. The 2,500-seat opera house, due to open in early 2019, will be built on the …
Read More »Saudi royal purge: the big names
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia has arrested 11 princes, four sitting ministers and dozens of former ministers, in what authorities hailed as a decisive anti-corruption sweep. Separately, key security chiefs were replaced in high-profile sackings. Here are some of the high-profile names swept up in the purge: Prince …
Read More »A year after election, poll has Trump lower than any president in decades
Washington, United States | AFP | A new poll, released a year after Donald Trump’s stunning electoral victory, shows the US president suffering historically dismal approval ratings as the Russia investigation casts a continuing shadow. The Washington Post, which conducted the survey with ABC News, said Trump’s approval rating was “demonstrably …
Read More »Mugabe’s wife says ready to take over in Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | President Robert Mugabe’s wife on Sunday said she is ready to succeed her husband as tensions rise in Zimbabwe’s ruling party over who will take over from the country’s ageing leader. “I say to Mr Mugabe you should … leave me to take over your …
Read More »Crisis of the state in Uganda
How foreign interests have captured Uganda’s politics thereby turning our people from citizens to clients THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Police recently raided the offices of some Non-government Organisations (NGOs) including Action Aid Uganda and Great Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies (GLISS) and froze their accounts. The government …
Read More »DR Congo sets elections for December 2018
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The Democratic Republic of Congo will hold its much delayed presidential and legislative elections in December 2018, the election commission announced Sunday. “Direct voting” will take place on December 23, 2018, covering presidential, legislative, regional and local elections, said Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) …
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