Malibamatso, Lesotho | AFP | Lesotho’s King Letsie III said Thursday the killing of the country’s army commander last week had caused “embarrassment” and”scared”the small mountain kingdom. Khoantle Motsomotso was gunned down by rival officers as the struggle between the tiny nation’s military and politicians continues to be marred by …
Read More »Trump, Democrats agree on DACA, but no border wall for now
Washington, United States | AFP | Top US congressional Democrats emerged from a meeting with President Donald Trump Wednesday claiming progress on a deal that protects young immigrants and boosts border security, while not including a border wall. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi said …
Read More »S.Africa’s Zuma seeks to dodge graft charges again
Bloemfontein, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s embattled president Jacob Zuma goes to court on Thursday in a fresh attempt to fend off the reinstatement of 783 graft charges relating to a 1990s arms deal. The country’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has sought in 11 court …
Read More »Constitutional reform in Togo ‘urgent’: parliament head
Lome, Togo | AFP | Lawmakers in Togo will begin to look at a constitutional reform bill from as soon as the end of this week, the head of the National Assembly said on Wednesday. Parliamentary groups and commissions met to read the government proposals, which came after opposition calls for …
Read More »Togo bucks the trend of political reform in W.Africa
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | His family has ruled Togo for more than 50 years but President Faure Gnassingbe has in the last week faced unprecedented public pressure to step down. He and his country stand alone in West Africa in resisting calls for constitutional reform, even as parliament begins …
Read More »S.Africa ex-minister convicted of assaulting women
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A former South African minister was convicted on Wednesday of brutally beating two women at a Johannesburg nightclub after one of them called him gay. Ex-deputy higher education minister Mduduzi Manana pleaded guilty to three counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm …
Read More »PR firm Bell Pottinger puts UK arm into administration
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The UK arm of public relations firm Bell Pottinger entered administration Tuesday after being “heavily financially impacted” by the fallout from an alleged racially charged ad campaign in South Africa. “Bell Pottinger has been heavily financially impacted by the well-publicised issues resulting in losses of …
Read More »Angola court upholds government poll win
Luanda, Angola | AFP | Angola’s constitutional court on Wednesday upheld the ruling party’s landslide win in last month’s election which will usher in the MPLA’s fourth decade in power and rejected opposition claims the poll was flawed. The ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola won 61.7 percent …
Read More »Police ordered to seize ballot boxes ahead of Catalonia vote
Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Prosecutors in Catalonia on Tuesday ordered police to seize ballot boxes, election flyers and any other item that could be used in a banned independence referendum called by the Spanish region’s separatist executive. The vote is set for October 1 and the northeastern region’s separatists are …
Read More »Zimbabwe can feed itself again, Mugabe claims
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe produced enough food to feed its people for the first time since adopting a controversial policy to strip land from white farmers, President Robert Mugabe told parliament on Tuesday. From the year 2000, hundreds of white farmers were evicted from their farms, often violently, …
Read More »