Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s main opposition party is facing the threat of damaging splits just months before a historic election, as feuding erupts after the death on Wednesday of its leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai’s final months were accompanied by increasingly public quarrelling between his three deputies over who would …
Read More »Thousands in Israel anti-graft demo after Netanyahu indictment call
Tel Aviv, Israel | AFP | Thousands of Israelis marched against corruption in Tel Aviv on Friday, in the first protest since police recommended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be indicted for graft. Several thousand people gathered for the protest calling on Netanyahu to step down, carrying banners reading ‘Crime …
Read More »Coca-Cola reports 4Q loss on hit from US tax reform
New York, United States | AFP | Coca-Cola reported a fourth-quarter loss Friday due to a one-time hit from US tax reform as growth in some non-cola beverages helped offset continued sluggishness in soda sales. The soft drink giant reported a loss of $2.8 billion in the quarter ending December …
Read More »Four questions about the Ethiopian PM’s resignation
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned unexpectedly on Thursday, the first leader to do so in the country’s recent history. As Africa’s second most-populous country enters uncharted political territory, here are four questions about what happened — and what comes next. – Why did …
Read More »Ethiopian PM departure brings no change, opposition says
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s opposition reacted cautiously on Friday a day after the surprise resignation of the prime minister, warning it did not herald real change since the ruling party remains in power. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned on Thursday after weeks of anti-government demonstrations and growing …
Read More »Oxfam unveils action plan after ‘stain’ of sex scandal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Oxfam unveiled an action plan Friday to tackle sexual misconduct following a prostitution scandal described as “a stain on Oxfam that will shame us for years” by the charity’s global chief. The organisation said it would create a commission which will “operate at arms-length …
Read More »S.Africa new president to stamp his mark in key speech
Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s newly-minted president, Cyril Ramphosa, will deliver his first major policy speech Friday, seizing the chance to offer the country a fresh start after nine bruising years under Jacob Zuma. The State of the Nation address is an annual mix of political …
Read More »Microenterprise graduation leads to higher consumption, asset ownership
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A one-year microenterprise graduation program targeting the ultra-poor in rural Africa offers a cost-effective way to tackle extreme poverty, according to preliminary results of a new study released in Kampala on Thursday. These preliminary results suggest that Village Enterprise’s integrated “graduation” model—comprised of targeting, training, …
Read More »Against Putin, seven candidates and one glaring absence
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Seven candidates are lined up against Vladimir Putin in a Russian presidential election next month that he is all but guaranteed to win, extending his Kremlin term to 2024 with a fourth term in office. His competitors include a former reality TV star and a …
Read More »Tears and guilt grip survivors at US school shooting vigils
Parkland, United States | AFP | Florida teen Stacey Sayers says she is on an emotional roller coaster — happy to have survived the carnage at her high school, but overwhelmed by what her classmates have lost. The 15-year-old was one of thousands who honored the victims in a series …
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