Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Zimbabwe have pulled out of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup starting in Kenya this week, citing security concerns. Zimbabwe had been invited to take part in the December 3-17 tournament as one of two guest teams, along with Libya. “Following wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders, …
Read More »Slavery scandal overshadows EU-Africa summit
Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara demanded action Wednesday to combat migrant slave trading in Libya, as the issue dominated a Europe-Africa summit meant to focus on long-term growth and stability. Summit host Ouattara lashed slavery as a “wretched drama which recalls the worst hours …
Read More »Togo: opposition parties promise sustained pressure on president
Lome, Togo | AFP | Togo’s opposition on Wednesday vowed to maintain the momentum of anti-government protests, as thousands again took to the streets before promised talks with the president. The leader of the National Alliance for Change (ANC) party, Jean-Pierre Fabre, led the crowds in the capital but similar …
Read More »Several dead in gold mine clashes on Mali-Guinea border
Conakry, Guinea | AFP | Several people were killed in clashes between gold miners on the Mali-Guinea border this week, Guinean and Malian officials said Wednesday. Despite having areas rich in gold, both Guinea and Mali are among the world’s poorest countries, with many miners going it alone or in …
Read More »Libya slave auctions hurt African unity: Ghana
Accra, Ghana | AFP | Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, has criticised Libya over migrant slave markets, saying the abuses call into question wider African unity. A furore over the auctions is expected to dominate discussions between African Union and European Union at a two-day summit starting Wednesday in Ivory Coast’s …
Read More »HRW condemns summary executions in eastern Libya
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned a series of summary executions of dozens of people in areas of eastern Libya under the control of controversial strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The New York-based watchdog called on Haftar’s Libyan National Army to make good on a …
Read More »US believes it can defend against N. Korea missiles, for now
Washington, United States | AFP | The US military remains confident it can — at least for the moment — protect against any North Korean missile threat, a US official said Wednesday after Pyongyang tested a new rocket type. North Korea earlier launched a previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missile, which …
Read More »N. Korea claims nuclear statehood with US in missile range
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said his country had achieved full nuclear statehood on Wednesday after a groundbreaking missile test, in a challenge to US President Donald Trump who responded with promises of “major sanctions”. Pyongyang on Wednesday tested its third intercontinental ballistic missile …
Read More »Michael Jackson’s impact on art revealed in new show
Paris, France | AFP | Pop legend Michael Jackson’s “huge impact” on contemporary art will be explored in a new exhibition in Paris and London next year. The “groundbreaking” show claims it will tell the “untold story” of how the king of pop became “one of the most influential figures …
Read More »New tests at Jesus’s presumed tomb back traditional beliefs
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Scientific testing at what is believed to be Jesus’s tomb dates material there to the fourth century, supporting traditional beliefs surrounding the site, an expert involved in the study said Tuesday. The study offers no further evidence whether or not Jesus was actually buried at …
Read More »