Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | A leading Sudanese activist who was released after a presidential pardon said Wednesday that defending human rights was “not a crime”, as he vowed to continue fighting against rights abuses. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, an engineering professor at the University of Khartoum, told AFP in an interview …
Read More »Kremlin confirms Trump lawyer emailed Kremlin during campaign
Moscow, Russia | AFP | President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman on Wednesday confirmed that the Kremlin last year received an email from a lawyer working for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump about building a Trump Tower skyscraper in Moscow. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the Trump Organization’s chief counsel at the …
Read More »France calls off probe into Gabon, Equatorial Guinea elite’s wealth
Paris, France | AFP | French judges have ended their investigation into the substantial assets of Gabon’s late president Omar Bongo and his family, none of whom have been charged, sources close to the case said Wednesday. French prosecutors have been investigating since 2010 whether the fortunes amassed in France …
Read More »S. Korea’s ex-spy chief jailed for election meddling
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | A former South Korean spy chief was jailed for four years Wednesday for leading an online smear campaign against the man who is now president, Moon Jae-In, during the 2012 election. Won Sei-Hoon, who led the National Intelligence Service (NIS) from 2009 to 2013, orchestrated …
Read More »Supporters rally for Grace Mugabe after assault claim
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Thousands of Zimbabweans marched through Harare on Wednesday in a show of support for first lady Grace Mugabe who evaded assault allegations in South Africa by claiming diplomatic immunity. The march, organised by President Robert Mugabe’s all-powerful ZANU-PF party, came two weeks after Grace was accused …
Read More »Nigeria president leads first cabinet meeting in 5 months
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday led his first cabinet meeting for five months after a long stay in London where he received treatment for an undisclosed condition. The 74-year-old retired general, who flew back to Nigeria on August 19 after more than 100 days in …
Read More »After jail, Zambia opposition leader vows won’t seek revenge
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s main opposition leader on Tuesday vowed to forgive his political opponents and not seek revenge following four months in jail for allegedly failing to give way to the presidential motorcade. Hakainde Hichilema addressed a prayer meeting two weeks after his release from prison telling thousands …
Read More »Sudan’s Bashir pardons top activist accused of spying
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Tuesday pardoned a leading human rights activist who was facing trial on charges of spying for foreign embassies, state media reported. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, an engineering professor at the University of Khartoum, was arrested by security forces in December as part …
Read More »Iran’s Rouhani dismisses military site inspections
Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday dismissed the idea of inspections at its military sites, reportedly floated by the United States, saying they were not required under a nuclear deal with world powers. “Our commitments to the world are clear… our relations with the IAEA (International …
Read More »Melania Trump makes waves with ‘storm stilettos,’ FLOTUS hat
Washington, United States | AFP | First Lady Melania Trump is making waves … for her flood fashion. The former model is always elegantly turned out and perfectly coiffed, and Tuesday was no exception as she left the White House with her president husband for storm-ravaged Texas. Trump was photographed walking …
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