Paris, France | AFP | The French government will give police officers a long-sought raise after a strike called in the wake of the “yellow vest” anti-government protests, which have strained security forces already on high alert after years of jihadist terror attacks. The accord was announced just before midnight …
Read More »Putin says wants to push Russia into top five economies
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he wants to see his country’s economy in the world’s top five. “The main thing is that we need to get into a new league economically,” Putin told his annual press conference, adding: “We could very well take …
Read More »Facebook defends data sharing after new report on partner deals
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook defended its data sharing practices Wednesday after a report revealing that certain partners of the social network had access to a range of personal information about users and their friends. The New York Times late Tuesday reported that some 150 companies — including …
Read More »Obama delights sick children as Santa in Washington
Washington, United States | AFP | Former US president Barack Obama took on a new high-profile role as Father Christmas on Wednesday for a surprise visit to sick children in Washington. Sporting a festive Santa hat and armed with a sack of gifts, he delighted young patients at Children’s National …
Read More »Sudanese opposition leader returns from exile
Oumdourman, Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s main opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi returned to the country on Wednesday after almost a year in exile, an AFP pgotographer at the scene said. Mahdi arrived in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city on the west bank of the Nile, where he was greeted by a …
Read More »Brazil high court suspends order that could free Lula
Brasília, Brazil | AFP | Brazil’s leftist former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva remained in prison Wednesday as two supreme court judges issued competing orders over whether he should be released while he tries to get his graft conviction overturned. Lula, 73, was given unexpected hope earlier in the …
Read More »Tanzania opposition vows fight against Magufuli ‘dictatorship’
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Tanzania’s opposition parties on Wednesday declared they would join forces in a campaign against the “dictatorship” of President John Magufuli. “The government has launched a war against opposition parties,” six groups said in a joint statement issued after a four-day meeting. “We declare the year …
Read More »S.Africa issues arrest warrant for Grace Mugabe: police
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African police said Wednesday an arrest warrant had been issued for Grace Mugabe, wife of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, after she allegedly assaulted a model in Johannesburg in 2017. “The police investigated and we made an application to the courts and the …
Read More »Cuba decides to scrap same-sex marriage law in new constitution: official
Havana, Cuba | AFP | Cuba will leave out of its new constitution changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage, despite majority support in local assemblies, a government official said Tuesday. It was a surprising twist given public popular support shown nationwide — and earlier remarks …
Read More »COMMENT: The feminization of African politics
Evidence shows that women’s political leadership strengthens governance capacity and cooperation with allies COMMENT | FATIMA AL ANSAR & SHONA BEZANSON | Last month, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a new cabinet; ten of the 20 positions went to women. One week later, the country’s parliament unanimously elected Sahle-Work Zewde …
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