Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Gabon’s President Ali Bongo has left hospital in Rabat and will stay at a private residence in the Moroccan capital as he recovers from illness, a presidency source said Wednesday. The 59-year-old, who fell ill on October 24 at an economic forum, arrived in Morocco …
Read More »May accused of misleading MPs over Brexit deal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May was accused on Wednesday of misleading MPs over her Brexit deal as her government published legal advice likely to increase opposition to the agreement ahead of a crucial vote next week. Scottish National Party (SNP) lawmaker Ian Blackford was …
Read More »Gabon president Bongo ‘doing well’ in Morocco after illness: PM
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon’s President Ali Bongo is recovering well after being hospitalised in Morocco, his prime minister said after the two met in the capital Rabat. The 59-year-old president, who fell ill on October 24 at an economic forum, arrived in Morocco last week following a month’s …
Read More »Malawi court blocks contested NGO regulation law
Lilongwe, Malawi | AFP | A Malawi court has blocked parliament debating a contested bill critics say would hamper charities and NGOs while giving government control over their work in the aid-reliant country. Judge Charles Mkandawire ruled on Monday in favour of activists who had sought the injunction of the …
Read More »Angola president holds unprecedented talks with civic groups
Luanda, Angola | AFP | Angolan President Joao Lourenco, elected last year as the country’s first new leader in nearly four decades, met civic groups on Tuesday in unprecedented talks as part of his reforms. The meeting was marred by presidential staff refusing entry of investigative journalist Rafael Marques …
Read More »South Africa names first female top prosecutor
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | President Cyril Ramaphosa named a respected female lawyer on Tuesday to head South Africa’s prosecuting authority which had been accused of improperly protecting former president Jacob Zuma. His appointment of Shamila Batohi further distances him from Zuma’s scandal-tainted rule during which several top jobs, …
Read More »Gabon top officials join ailing president in Morocco
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon’s top government officials gathered Tuesday in Rabat where President Ali Bongo is recovering after treatment for an illness that has not been officially revealed, his office said. The 59-year-old leader, who fell ill on October 24 at an economic forum, arrived in Morocco last …
Read More »Will Macron’s U-turn stop France’s ‘yellow vest’ protests?
Paris, France | AFP | The French government has announced a major U-turn in suspending fuel tax rises in a bid to end increasingly violent demonstrations. But who are the “yellow vest” protesters, and will the tax relief and other concessions be enough to mollify their anger? – Who …
Read More »British MPs deal PM May stinging rebuke on Brexit
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s government suffered a stinging rebuke from MPs ahead of Tuesday’s momentous Brexit debate, exposing Prime Minister Theresa May’s lack of support in parliament. The House of Commons voted 311-293 to censure the government for failing to publish its full legal advice about the …
Read More »Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage quits UKIP
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage resigned Tuesday from the UK Independence Party which he co-founded and turned into an influential force in British politics as its leader for nearly a decade. “With a heavy heart, I am leaving UKIP. It is not the Brexit party …
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