NEWS ANALYSIS

Paris, France | AFP | Emperor Akihito ascended to the Japanese throne on November 12, 1990 in a tightly choreographed ceremony steeped in tradition but with hints of modernity. Akihito, aged 56, had already succeeded his father, Emperor Hirohito, immediately on his death the previous year after the longest reign …

Remembering the Moshi Spirit of the 1979 liberation war Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | This week marked 40 years since a combined force of armed groups of Ugandan exiles under the Uganda National Liberation Front/Army (UNLF/A) and the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF) toppled the government of then-president of …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |  Israel will hold general elections on April 9. Here are some facts about the process: Dozens of parties Israel’s system of proportional representation allows small parties a chance of getting a seat in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament. There is however a barrier to the …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Britain’s decision to hold a referendum on leaving the European Union three years ago has ended up in political chaos that few could have predicted then. Here are five pivotal moments that led to this: – January 23, 2013 – Then prime minister David …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Union warned German car giants BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen on Friday that a preliminary inquiry has concluded they colluded to avoid competing on emission control technology. Already reeling in the wake of the devastating “dieselgate” emissions cheating scandal that broke in 2015, the German …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Theresa May asked the European Union on Friday to delay Britain’s departure until June 30 while Brussels suggested that it might be best to postpone the split for up to a year. EU leaders also reacted sceptically, saying that there had to be …

Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday appointed a panel of experts to investigate France’s actions in Rwanda during the country’s genocide 25 years ago, a subject that has dogged Franco-Rwandan relations since the 1994 massacres. The commission of eight researchers and historians “will be tasked with …

Algiers, Algeria | AFP |  Mass protests may have pushed long-time Algerian leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power, but demonstrators look unlikely to let up, demanding sweeping changes to the political system. With pressure far from dissipating, what happens now? – Constitutional roadmap – Algeria’s constitution outlines a vague roadmap for …

Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Every April 7, Rwanda recalls the hundreds of thousands of people who perished in the 1994 genocide — an occasion that for many survivors triggers terrifying memories. But for the two-thirds of the population born in the aftermath of the slaughter, the trauma is of …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Messaging app Snapchat, which is widely popular among younger users but has struggled to turn a profit since its creation in 2011, on Thursday unveiled new features including an integrated gaming platform, an expansion of its original series and new partnerships with developers. “Friendship …