Seoul, South Korea | AFP | The epic scandal that led Friday to the jailing of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye for 24 years broke more than 18 months ago. The once-popular leader and her confidante Choi Soon-sil were ensnared by allegations of dodgy links with big business, abuse …
Read More »Zuma appears in court over graft, says charges ‘politically motivated’
Durban, South Africa | AFP | South African former president Jacob Zuma appeared in court Friday on corruption charges over a multi-billion dollar 1990s arms deal, with the judge adjourning the case after a 15-minute hearing. Zuma, 75, smiled broadly and gave a thumbs-up as he walked into the …
Read More »Zambia’s opposition knows impeachment will fail. So what’s its game?
Lusaka, Zambia | AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | On 23 March, Zambia’s main opposition party filed a motion seeking the impeachment of President Edgar Lungu. The action was led by the United Party for National Development (UPND) party and backed by a third of MPs. The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) immediately derided the move. Presidential spokesperson …
Read More »Nigeria ex-president ‘unaware’ of Cambridge Analytica campaign role
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian former President Goodluck Jonathan “wasn’t aware” of any use of Cambridge Analytica in his 2015 bid for re-election, his spokesman said Thursday. The Nigerian government is probing claims that Cambridge Analytica, a British-based political consultancy, illegally used Facebook data in past election campaigns. In …
Read More »South Africa’s Zuma due in court on graft charges
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Former South African president Jacob Zuma is to appear in court Friday on 16 corruption charges over a suspect arms deal that dogged much of his rule before he was ousted in February. Zuma will attend the brief preliminary hearing at the Durban High …
Read More »America remembers Martin Luther King Jr, 50 years on
Memphis, United States | AFP | Americans on Wednesday marked 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, a day seared into the national consciousness that transformed the civil rights leader into a symbol of the fight for racial equality. In a country still torn over issues of race …
Read More »In mourning, S.Africa defends Winnie Mandela as a hero
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | In life, Winnie Mandela was known as a brave anti-apartheid activist whose reputation was badly tainted by criminal convictions and thuggish gang violence. But in death, her chequered record has largely been forgiven in South Africa, with the president declaring 12 days of mourning and …
Read More »Sudan prosecutor charges ex-PM of plotting ‘regime overthrow’: media
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s state security prosecutor has charged the country’s main opposition leader, Sadiq al-Mahdi, with collaborating with rebel groups to overthrow the regime of President Omar al-Bashir, a media network reported Tuesday. Bashir, backed by Islamists, toppled Mahdi’s civilian government in a 1989 coup after which …
Read More »Putin launches Turkey nuclear project, vows faster arms delivery
Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday launched the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power station and vowed to accelerate the delivery of air defence systems to Ankara, in a new tightening of an increasingly close alliance that has alarmed NATO. Putin held several hours of talks with …
Read More »Trump vows to deploy military to Mexican border
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to deploy the military to secure America’s southern border, as a caravan of Central American migrants heads north through Mexico toward the United States. The US leader has spent three days attacking the Mexican government for failing to block …
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