London, United Kingdom | AFP | The UK arm of public relations firm Bell Pottinger entered administration Tuesday after being “heavily financially impacted” by the fallout from an alleged racially charged ad campaign in South Africa. “Bell Pottinger has been heavily financially impacted by the well-publicised issues resulting in losses of …
Read More »Angola court upholds government poll win
Luanda, Angola | AFP | Angola’s constitutional court on Wednesday upheld the ruling party’s landslide win in last month’s election which will usher in the MPLA’s fourth decade in power and rejected opposition claims the poll was flawed. The ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola won 61.7 percent …
Read More »Police ordered to seize ballot boxes ahead of Catalonia vote
Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Prosecutors in Catalonia on Tuesday ordered police to seize ballot boxes, election flyers and any other item that could be used in a banned independence referendum called by the Spanish region’s separatist executive. The vote is set for October 1 and the northeastern region’s separatists are …
Read More »Zimbabwe can feed itself again, Mugabe claims
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe produced enough food to feed its people for the first time since adopting a controversial policy to strip land from white farmers, President Robert Mugabe told parliament on Tuesday. From the year 2000, hundreds of white farmers were evicted from their farms, often violently, …
Read More »Despite protests, reform off the menu as Togo MPs meet
Lome, Togo | AFP | Opposition lawmakers in Togo forced the adjournment of parliament on Tuesday in protest at a constitutional reform bill being left off the day’s agenda, despite days of anti-government protests. The president of the National Assembly, Dama Dramani, agreed to suspend the extraordinary session as lawmakers …
Read More »Anger as Singapore gets first female president without a vote
Singapore, Singapore | AFP | Singapore got its first female president Wednesday, but the milestone was overshadowed by criticism that her selection was undemocratic after she was handed the job without a vote. Halimah Yacob, a former speaker of parliament from the Muslim Malay minority, did not have to face …
Read More »Why observers are under fire for ‘rubber stamping’ Kenya vote
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Accused of glossing over flaws in Kenya’s election which later caused the result to be overturned, international observers are under a harsh spotlight ahead of a re-run next month. The August 8 poll, which saw President Uhuru Kenyatta reelected, was annulled by Kenya’s Supreme Court earlier …
Read More »Republicans want to make it easier to buy silencers for guns
Washington, United States | AFP | Republican lawmakers on Tuesday proposed making it easier to buy silencers for firearms, scandalizing Democrats. The proposed legislation aims mainly to benefit hunters or owners of firing ranges and contains several provisions, including the one on silencers. Since 1934, a government permit has been required …
Read More »TANZANIA: Opposition blames Magufuli govt for critic’s shooting
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Tanzania’s main opposition party claimed Tuesday that the government of President John Magufuli played a role in the gun attack last week that wounded an outspoken politician and shocked the country. The lawmaker, Tundu Lissu, has had a series of run-ins with the government and …
Read More »Kenya opposition boycotts parliament opening
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s opposition boycotted the opening session of parliament on Tuesday after the Supreme Court cancelled the result of last month’s presidential election and ordered a fresh vote. President Uhuru Kenyatta — who had his victory in the August 8 poll annulled on September 1 — …
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