Bamako, Mali | AFP | A regional bank official and the head of an African tech initiative both announced candidacies for the Malian presidency on Wednesday, as the 2018 race for the troubled Sahel nation heats up. Modibo Kone, a rural development expert at the West African Development Bank, and Hamadoun …
Read More »US: Olympics may show North Korea what it’s missing
Washington, United States | AFP | Washington welcomed North Korea’s invitation to South Korea’s Winter Games on Tuesday, suggesting the outing could show Pyongyang what awaits if it agrees to give up nuclear weapons. The long-standing Korean rivals agreed that Pyongyang’s delegation could head south for next month’s Olympics a formal …
Read More »Trump on Oprah: She won’t run in 2020 but I’d win anyway
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump weighed in Tuesday on fevered speculation about a potential 2020 White House bid by Oprah Winfrey, saying she probably would not run against him, but if she did, he would win. “I’ll beat Oprah,” Trump said of the Oscar-nominated actress and …
Read More »Migration to dominate southern EU meet in Rome
Rome, Italy | AFP | The heads of seven southern European states gather in Rome on Wednesday to tackle one of the stubbornest thorns in the EU’s side: flows of migrants from war-torn and impoverished countries. The leaders of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain will meet in the …
Read More »US judge blocks Trump move rescinding immigrant program
San Francisco, United States | AFP | A US judge on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from ending an Obama-era program that provided legal status to young immigrants who entered the country illegally as children. San Francisco-based Judge William Alsup issued his 49-page ruling Tuesday evening, ordering the administration to …
Read More »When hip-hop is political force
FEATURE | Alice Aterianus-Owanga | In Gabon as in other African states, rap has become instrumental in constructing political identity. On August 17, Gabon celebrated 57 years of independence with a massive free concert in the capital, Libreville. The aim: to promote national unity in a festive fashion. An impressive …
Read More »S.Africa’s graft-tainted Zuma announces anti-corruption probe
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s graft-tainted president Jacob Zuma on Tuesday announced a probe into corruption at the highest levels of the state after parliament indicated it would this week deliberate procedures for impeachment. Corruption allegations have tarnished Zuma’s image as well as eroded his support base and …
Read More »North Korea to attend Olympics in rival South
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea will send its athletes to the Winter Olympics in the South, the rivals said Tuesday after their first formal talks in more than two years following high tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme. The two sides also decided to hold military talks to …
Read More »2018: Time to restore hope
Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | As 2017 ended, many political pundits, the clergy, and academicians used their pulpits and punditry to describe what, in their view, the year had been like and predict 2018. Makerere University professor of Political Science, Sabiti Makara, said political intolerance has been on the …
Read More »Angolan leader denies tensions with predecessor despite clean-up campaign
Luanda, Angola | AFP | Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Monday denied “any tension” with his long-serving predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos, many of whose relatives and friends he has sacked from public office in a fight against corruption in the oil-rich southern African nation. In November, within three months …
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