The ruling Patriotic Front’s expulsion of one of its founding members paves the way for President Lungu to be its presidential candidate. But they’d be wrong to think they’ve seen the end of Chishimba Kambwili. Lusaka, Zambia| AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | Last week, Chishimba Kambwili MP, an ambitious firebrand and possible presidential aspirant, was expelled …
Read More »After Rwanda, now Togo looks to join the Commonwealth
Lome, Togo | AFP | Diplomatic talks and visits by experts are gathering pace in Togo as the former French colony looks to follow another Francophone nation and join the Commonwealth. Rwanda joined the 52-member bloc in 2009, 14 years after Portuguese-speaking Mozambique became the first member never to have had …
Read More »Pakistan court disqualifies PM Sharif from office
Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over long-running corruption allegations, a highly anticipated decision that forces him out of office. “He is disqualified as a member of the parliament so he has ceased to be holding the office of Prime Minister,” Justice …
Read More »In Senegal, Sall faces 91-yr-old ex-president and jailed mayor
President Sall faces double challenge as Senegal elects MPs Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Senegal holds a legislative election on Sunday following a campaign gripped by tension between the rival coalitions of President Macky Sall, his predecessor Abdoulaye Wade and Dakar’s detained mayor. The election is seen as a crucial test …
Read More »Mugabe’s wife calls for him to name successor
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | President Robert Mugabe’s wife Thursday urged her 93-year-old husband to name his chosen successor, fuelling renewed speculation about the race to take over from the world’s oldest national leader. Mugabe has always refused to publicly reveal his favoured heir, but Grace Mugabe — who is seen …
Read More »Adama Barrow: how do you solve a problem like The Gambia?
Adama Barrow: how do you solve a problem like The Gambia? Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Six months ago, businessman and political novice Adama Barrow took power in Africa’s smallest mainland country after delivering a stunning defeat against ex-leader Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled brutally for 22 years. When Barrow …
Read More »Firing Russia special counsel could sink Trump: Republican senator
Washington, United States | AFP | If Donald Trump fires the special prosecutor investigating his team’s ties to alleged Russian meddling in the US election, it could mark “the beginning of the end” of the billionaire’s presidency, a senior Republican lawmaker warned Thursday. Senator Lindsey Graham, who briefly ran against …
Read More »Hillary to explain ‘What Happened’ in new book
New York, United States | AFP | Defeated Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton promises to let her guard down and explain what happened in her shock electoral defeat to Donald Trump, including the mistakes she made, in a book to published in September. Publishers Simon and Schuster revealed Thursday …
Read More »Under pressure, Trump turns attention back to Clinton
Washington, United States | AFP | Two chants emerged as hallmarks of Donald Trump’s campaign rallies as he made his improbable run for the White House. One was “Build the wall!” and the other was “Lock her up!” The plan for a wall on the border with Mexico has been …
Read More »Macron courts the stars; meets Rihanna on education
Paris, France | AFP | France’s Emmanuel Macron continued to reach for the stars Wednesday, hosting R&B icon Rihanna for what she called “incredible” talks at the presidential palace in Paris two days after Irish rocker Bono. Barbados-born Rihanna is an ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education, which is …
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