NEWS ANALYSIS

Washington, United States | AFP  The US intelligence watchdog briefed lawmakers Thursday about the handling of a whistleblower complaint on alleged behavior by President Donald Trump, and a senior Democrat expressed alarm that the administration refuses to share the complaint with Congress. The allegations, rejected by Trump as “presidential harassment,” have …

Uganda improved by 35% percent over a 17-year-period  from 578 to 375 deaths for every 100,000 live births  Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Global child and maternal deaths have fallen sharply in recent decades, but new UN statistics released Thursday show unequal progress, with more than five childbirths a minute ending …

Tunis, Tunisia | AFP |  Tunisia’s all-powerful leader for over two decades, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced from power and into exile by a landmark popular uprising in early 2011, sparking revolts across the Arab world. The man who once appeared in official portraits with a benevolent smile …

Damning South Sudan Report focuses on regional players, including Uganda London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Hollywood star George Clooney’s investigative project The Sentry on Thursday urged the international community to act over alleged links between global corporations, tycoons and foreign governments and rampant corruption in South Sudan. The Sentry …

Kigali, Rwanda | AFP |  Kigali on Wednesday welcomed the killing of a Rwandan Hutu rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and said it proved neighbouring President Felix Tshisekedi’s commitment to fighting “negative forces”. Sylvestre Mudacumura, commander of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), who …

    Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Saudi Arabia Tuesday to discuss possible retaliation after Washington said it had proof that attacks on Saudi oil installations originated in Iran. Vice President Mike Pence announced that Pompeo was on his way to the …

Paris, France | AFP |  The vital transition to a zero-carbon economy is likely to be a long and rocky road. So-called green energy is booming, but not fast enough to curb climate change, which is accelerating at an alarming pace as oil, gas and coal consumption soar. – Booming renewables …

Vienna, Austria | AFP | With his lederhosen and lyrics about his love for the mountains, Andreas Gabalier has become the biggest name in Austrian pop music, but recently has had to defend himself against claims of far-right sympathies. As the political atmosphere in Austria hots up ahead of parliamentary elections …

Uganda offers lessons in tapping it Kampala, Uganda | SHUAIB LWASA | In places where municipalities continuously fail to collect and manage waste, authorities tend to concentrate their efforts in a few areas. These are often in a city’s wealthier sections. Informal settlements remain under-served or are not served at …

Benin City, Nigeria | AFP |  Emerging from her ordeal, Gloria considers herself “privileged”. Last year, the 26-year-old left Nigeria with four other women, dreaming of a better life in Europe. On a tortuous journey, three of the five friends died before reaching Libya, where the two survivors were stranded for …