Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s prosecutor general on Thursday ordered the questioning of deposed president Omar al-Bashir over money-laundering and “financing terrorism”, as protesters staged a vast rally in Khartoum to demand a civilian government. A source in the prosecutor general’s office confirmed reports on state media that acting public …
Read More »Don’t provoke army, Sudan opposition chief warns protesters
Omdourman, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s main opposition chief on Wednesday warned protest leaders against any provocation of the country’s army rulers, saying they will soon hand power to a civilian administration as demanded by demonstrators. The call by Sadiq al-Mahdi, chief of Sudan’s opposition National Umma Party, comes amid a …
Read More »S.Africa opposition party seeks to claim Mandela mantle
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | In the busy centre of Johannesburg on one short stretch of pavement, men search through a dumpster, women sell wigs — and South Africa’s main opposition party unveils its latest election slogan. “Honour Mandela’s vision to build one South Africa for all. Vote DA,” it …
Read More »In revamp, Facebook bets on small-scale connections, and romance
San José, United States | AFP | Got a crush on another Facebook user? The social network will help you connect, as part of a revamp unveiled Tuesday that aims to foster real-world relationships and make the platform a more intimate place for small groups of friends. Changes coming to the …
Read More »Sudan protesters call mass rally as tensions rise
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese protesters on Tuesday called for a mass rally, insisting the army is not serious about handing power to civilians nearly three weeks after it toppled autocratic president Omar al-Bashir. The call came as tensions mounted over the make-up of a new joint civilian-military council to …
Read More »Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State group’s elusive leader
Baghdad, Iraq | AFP | Islamic State group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who purportedly appeared for the first time in five years in an IS propaganda video released Monday, remains the world’s most wanted man, despite the jihadists’ “caliphate” imploding weeks ago. After declaring himself caliph in 2014, Baghdadi held sway …
Read More »Despite record diversity, 70-something white men rule 2020 race
Washington, United States | AFP | Democrats seeking to reclaim the White House are calling for generational change. It may be time for a woman, they say, or a minority figure. But for all the talk of breaking new presidential ground, the opposition party’s top candidates to become the new …
Read More »Modi’s ‘free cooking gas’ leaves bitter taste for some Indians
Naubatpur , India | AFP | Reena Devi says her life changed when she got a cooking gas connection under a billion-dollar programme championed by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meaning she no longer has to cook with wood or coal and breathe in smelly, toxic fumes. But the programme …
Read More »Sudan can avoid past mistakes
By drawing lessons from its history it can ensure negotiation of settlements of the country’s broader conflicts AFRICA ANALYSIS | WILLOW BERRIDGE | A military coup d’etat in Sudan has ended Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule. This is the sixth coup the country’s military have led since independence in 1956. The …
Read More »Why NRM fears Independent MPs
Numbers show if not checked, 30% MPs to be Independent Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | Finally, President Yoweri Museveni’s ruling NRM party and the four opposition parties represented in parliament have something they agree on; aspiring Independent MPs must be failed at the next election in 2021. They accuse …
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