Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, came under fire on Friday for unveiling a debut cabinet that named two military allies to top positions, reappointed figures from Robert Mugabe’s discredited era and sidelined the opposition. Mnangagwa gave key jobs to two top military officers, including Sibusiso …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic promised to avenge his side’s humiliating 4-1 thrashing by Colombia at the 2014 World Cup following Friday’s draw for next summer’s finals in Russia. The firebrand Franco-Bosnian admitted “it could have been worse” after the Blue Samurai were drawn alongside the …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nearly 1,300 Nigerian migrants were brought home from Libya in November — nearly twice as many as in the previous month, the head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Friday. “1,295 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in November after being stranded in …

Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberia’s Supreme Court on Friday began hearings of an appeal filed by two political parties claiming fraud in the first round of the presidential election and calling for a re-run of the vote. “We remain optimistic till the final ruling is given. This is the …

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | A summit gathering European and African leaders from more than 80 countries drew to a close Thursday with plans for the immediate evacuation of some 3,800 African migrants stranded in Libya. Wrapping up the summit in the Ivorian capital, a top African Union official said …

Oslo, Norway | AFP | Breaking with tradition, nearly all ambassadors of the world’s nuclear powers will not attend this year’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony which honours efforts to ban atomic weapons, the Nobel Institute said Thursday. Russia and Israel will be the only exceptions, with their ambassadors due to …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is not expecting Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to set his team up defensively when the sides clash on Saturday despite his reputation for “parking the bus” in big matches. United travel to the Emirates Stadium sitting second in the Premier …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester City’s dramatic 2-1 win over Southampton on Wednesday restored their eight-point lead at the Premier League summit and further enhanced their status as overwhelming title favourites. Pep Guardiola’s sparkling team have smashed record after record since the start of the season and are currently on a …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain First is a fringe far-right group that was relatively little known in the country until US President Donald Trump retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by its deputy leader, Jayda Fransen. The group’s rallies typically attract just a few dozen supporters at a time and …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | London will host the world chess championship match on November 9-28 next year against current incumbent Magnus Carlsen of Norway, organisers said on Wednesday. The 12-game match will see Carlsen defend his title against a challenger to be decided at a separate tournament in …