Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s influential Catholic bishops said Thursday that they were opposed to fundamental constitutional changes to be voted on in a referendum this month. If passed, the proposed changes could see President Pierre Nkurunziza remain in charge for another 16 years. A statement, signed by 10 …
Read More »Naked Trump statue goes for $28,000 at auction
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | A naked statue of Donald Trump, complete with a distended belly and jowly sneer, is to go on display at a Haunted Museum after a paranormal investigator bought it at auction. Julien’s Auctions announced Wednesday it sold the artwork — believed to be …
Read More »Cambridge Analytica to close after Facebook data scandal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Cambridge Analytica, the British marketing analytics firm, announced Wednesday that it was closing and would file for insolvency in Britain and the United States after failing to recover from the Facebook data scandal. The decision follows weeks of intense pressure on the company, hired …
Read More »Libya in chaos since overthrow of Kadhafi
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Libya, where rival authorities and numerous militias are vying for power, fell into chaos after the ouster of strongman Moamer Kadhafi in October 2011. – Kadhafi killed – Kadhafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, is killed on October 20, 2011, as he tries to …
Read More »Madagascar army calls for end to political crisis
Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | Madagascar’s defence minister has appealed to warring political parties to reach an agreement, as anti-government protests in the capital continued for a twelth day. President Hery Rajaonarimampianina has refused to yield to opposition demands that he resign, seven months ahead of a general election. The opposition …
Read More »Macron says will scrap ‘exit tax’ on high-earners
Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron intends to scrap a 30 percent “exit tax” on top-earners who transfer their assets outside of France, in a bid to boost the attractiveness of the country for foreign investors. The levy was introduced in 2012 under former rightwing president Nicolas …
Read More »India’s Modi twice as popular on Facebook as Trump: study
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | US President Donald Trump may rule the roost on Twitter, but he lags far behind Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook, according to a study published Wednesday. Modi is by far the most followed world leader on the gargantuan social networking platform, counting 43.2 …
Read More »Burundi kicks off campaign for controversial referendum
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi on Tuesday launched the official campaign for a referendum on constitutional change that could enable President Pierre Nkurunziza to stay in power for another 16 years. Twenty-six parties, most of them aligned with the ruling CNDD-FDD party, have been authorised to campaign for the …
Read More »UK MPs pressure Zuckerberg to testify on Facebook data breach
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British MPs threatened Tuesday to issue a formal summons to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg for him to testify over a major privacy row, after he declined to appear. Zuckerberg was grilled by the US Congress last month but sent one of his executives to …
Read More »Trump pledges support for Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump pledged stronger support for Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram jihadists Monday, while demanding greater trade access to Africa’s largest economy. After a meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the first leader from sub-Saharan Africa invited by Trump to the White …
Read More »