Al-Asad Air Base , Iraq | AFP | President Donald Trump used a lightning visit to Iraq — his first with US troops in a conflict zone since being elected — to defend the withdrawal from Syria and to declare an end to America’s role as the global “policeman.” Trump …
Read More »US President Donald Trump visits Iraq
Al-Asad Air Base , Iraq | AFP | President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq on Wednesday, his first trip to US troops deployed in a war zone since being elected two years ago. Trump landed at 7:16 pm local time at Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, …
Read More »Early elections in Israel: What you need to know
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israel’s government decided this week to dissolve parliament and hold early elections on April 9, seven months before their November due date. Here are questions and answers on where things stand as polls show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to win despite corruption allegations …
Read More »China confirms death of ex-govt spokesman who denied Tiananmen deaths
Beijing, China | AFP | China has confirmed the death of former government spokesman Yuan Mu, who denied anyone was killed on Tiananmen Square during the bloody 1989 crackdown, nearly two weeks after his passing. A former Communist propaganda official, Yuan defended the Chinese government after soldiers of the People’s …
Read More »US to examine migrant children in custody after second death
Washington, United States | AFP | US Customs and Border Protection announced medical checks on all children in its custody following the death of an eight-year-old Guatemalan migrant — the second child fatality in American detention this month. Guatemala called for an investigation into the boy’s death and some US …
Read More »Trump blasts US central bank again over rate hikes
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his attack on the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, blaming the central bank’s interest rate hikes for a tanking market. With stocks on track for their worst December since the Great Depression, Trump has regularly berated the …
Read More »Queen warns of ‘tribalism’ in Christmas address
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Queen Elizabeth II warned of religious “tribalism” in a Christmas message on Tuesday delivered against a backdrop of Britain bickering over its impending exit from the EU. The 92-year-old monarch’s tone reflected a sombre mood sweeping the island nation as it ponders the perils …
Read More »DRCongo frees pro-democracy activists after year in jail
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Four activists of the opposition Filimbi movement were freed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday after a year in prison, local media reported, days before a much-delayed presidential election. The group’s coordinator Carbone Beni and three of his colleagues were released from …
Read More »Fact checking fibbing politicians works, study finds
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Researchers in Australia say that fact checking can reverse the views of even the most dyed-in-the-wool partisans, and over time could cause voters to shun an often-lying candidate. Scientists from the University of Western Australia, the United States and Britain found that Aussies did change …
Read More »Museveni’s anti-graft crusade
Why the president’s efforts against corruption may be politically appealing but are strategically of little value THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week, President Yoweri Museveni launched an “anti-corruption unit” in his office. This is one in many efforts the president has tried and failed in the last …
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