UPDATE: Kenya’s Odinga delays ‘complex’ decision on vote dispute Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga is expected to announce his strategy Wednesday for contesting his election loss, having further delayed a decision that could defuse or exacerbate tensions in the country. The 72-year-old insists he is …
Read More »Kenya seeks to shut down two rights bodies in wake of election
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The Kenyan government has moved to shut down two rights organisations, one of which said Tuesday that it was contemplating court action over last week’s disputed presidential election. Kenyan Human Rights Commission (KHRC) board member Maina Kiai said it was “no secret” the organisation had …
Read More »Grace Mugabe turns self in to police over alleged assault
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe handed herself over to South African police and was due in court Tuesday, officials said, after allegedly assaulting a model who was at a Johannesburg hotel with her two sons. During the incident, which occurred on Sunday, Mugabe, 52, …
Read More »Edgy Kenya awaits Odinga’s next move
Edgy Kenya awaits Odinga’s next move Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | When Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga speaks to supporters Tuesday, his words have the power to ease or deepen the crisis triggered by his rejection of last week’s election result. The 72-year-old insists he is the rightful winner of …
Read More »Trump slams ‘evil’ racism, singles out ‘repugnant’ KKK, neo-Nazis
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump, under pressure to explicitly condemn a weekend rally by white supremacists that ended in bloodshed, on Monday denounced racism and slammed the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis as “repugnant.” Trump had taken heat from Democrats and Republicans alike for his response …
Read More »Pakistan marks 70 years of independence with fireworks, air show
Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Pakistan on Monday celebrated 70 years of independence from British India with a patriotic display including a giant flag and a show of airpower, as the military’s top brass vowed to wipe out terrorists hours before a new bomb attack killed six soldiers. Celebrations began at …
Read More »Obama message goes viral after Charlottesville violence
Washington, United States | AFP | A tweet from Barack Obama drew more than two million “likes” by Monday as the former US president offered a message of tolerance following a deadly weekend clash at a white supremacist rally. “No one is born hating another person because of the color …
Read More »Kenya’s ruling party makes gubernatorial gains, captures Nairobi City
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s general elections on August 8 saw President Uhuru Kenyatta re-elected, while his Jubilee Party and its allies also made big gains at the county level, resetting the political balance. – Jubilee gains, NASA losses – Jubilee and allied candidates won 27 of the 47 …
Read More »Mugabe’s possible successor, Mnangagwa, falls ill, flown to S.Africa
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is seen as favourite to succeed President Robert Mugabe, has been flown to South Africa for emergency medical care, officials said Monday. Mnangagwa, 74, fell ill at a rally where Mugabe spoke on Saturday in the southern town of …
Read More »Zambia opposition leader Hichilema pleads not guilty to treason
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s detained opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema pleaded not guilty to treason Monday, ahead of a trial set to fuel political tension in a country previously known for its relative stability. Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), has been in custody since …
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