Tag Archives: politics

Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | The World Health Organisation said Sunday it was boosting its response to a plague outbreak in Madagascar that has killed 24 people, as the government banned public meetings to reduce infections. In a televised address Saturday, Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana said no public meetings or …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday railed against separatists seeking Nigeria’s “dismemberment” as it marked its 1960 independence from Britain and said corruption remained the African oil giant’s “number one enemy”. Buhari, who fought in the 1967-70 Biafran war, said those seeking to carve up the country …

Dublin, Ireland | AFP | Thousands of demonstrators marched in Dublin on Saturday in favour of liberalising Ireland’s tight abortion laws ahead of a planned referendum on the fiercely-debated issue. Protesters chanted, “My body, my choice” and waved placards reading “Not the church, not the state, women should decide their fate” …

Buea, Cameroon | AFP | The main city in a restive English-speaking region of Cameroon was a virtual ghost town Saturday, with armed police patrolled the streets on the eve of an expected — but symbolic — declaration of independence from the French-speaking country by anglophone separatists. In Buea, the …

Washington, United States | AFP | Traffic through the exit door of Donald Trump’s administration has been astonishingly high since he became president on January 20. On Friday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price became the latest casualty of eight months of bedlam in the executive offices of the …

Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump’s embattled health secretary was forced out of the US administration Friday amid a scandal over his use of costly private jets for government travel. Tom Price was the latest top official to join in a stream of steady and embarrassing exits …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  Government shutdowns of the internet have cost sub-Saharan Africa about $237 million since 2015, according to a study released Friday, as authorities increasingly implement planned disruptions. At least 12 countries have had internet shutdowns, often before elections or when protests erupt, with mobile internet …

Kparatao, Togo | AFP | The cow belonging to the butcher in Kparatao, northern Togo, was tied to a tree and minding its own business when the soldiers pumped it full of bullets. Within days, the stricken animal became a symbol of the popular protests against President Faure Gnassingbe which have …

Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter on Thursday revealed that nearly 2,000 ads were placed on the messaging service in 2016 by a Russian media group suspected of trying to interfere with the US presidential election. A Twitter statement said the social media company shared data with congressional investigators about …

Washington, United States | AFP | The White House has launched an internal probe of the use of private email for official business by senior aides to President Donald Trump, news outlet Politico reported Thursday. The administration is scouring the White House server for emails to and from private email accounts …