Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Rwandan leader Paul Kagame warned Monday of a “showdown” with Paris after French investigators last week said they would reopen a probe into the genocide-triggering assassination of president Juvenal Habyarimana. The shooting down of Habyarimana’s French-crewed plane on April 6, 1994, kickstarted the genocide that …
Read More »Germany’s Merkel in Africa on trip aimed at stemming migrant flows
Bamako, Mali | AFP | German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday warned against Africa suffering from a “brain drain” as she arrived on a three-day tour of the continent focused on security and stemming the migrant influx to Europe. Merkel also underscored the need to “establish coherent cooperation” in development …
Read More »Zimbabwe’s Mugabe in surprise visit to Malaysia, health back in focus
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | Zimbabwe’s 92-year-old strongman Robert Mugabe will pay a surprise one-day working visit to Malaysia on Friday, the Southeast Asian country said. Malaysia’s government said late Thursday Mugabe will have a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Razak but otherwise gave scant details on the purpose …
Read More »With US focused on vote, Russia takes advantage in Syria
Washington, United States | AFP | With Barack Obama’s presidency coming to a close and US policy for Syria at an impasse, Vladimir Putin’s Russia has stepped up efforts to secure its ally Bashar al-Assad in power. US officials fear the Kremlin is racing to consolidate its gains in Syria …
Read More »Security Council powers weigh in to pick new UN chief
United Nations, United States | AFP | The race to become the next UN chief takes a decisive turn on Wednesday when the big powers at the Security Council will for the first time indicate which candidates they are prepared to block. During the sixth straw poll to pick the …
Read More »Philippines, US hold war games after Duterte tirades
Manila, Philippines | AFP | The Philippines and the United States launched war games on Tuesday against the backdrop of the unusual threat of American forces being ejected from the Southeast Asian nation, as its firebrand leader pivots to China. President Rodrigo Duterte has sustained a verbal assault on the …
Read More »China flies military planes over strait near Japan
Beijing, China | AFP | China has sent fighter planes for the first time over a strait near Japan, the two governments said Monday, after Tokyo announced it may patrol alongside the US in the disputed South China Sea. More than 40 Chinese military aircraft on Sunday traversed the …
Read More »French fighter jet deal: an Indian saga
New Delhi, India | AFP | The less-than-supersonic sale of French Rafale fighter jets to India has highlighted the obstacles facing foreign arms firms seeking to do business with the world’s biggest weapons importer. India has signed a series of key defence deals under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as …
Read More »Morocco asks to rejoin African Union after 32 years
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Morocco on Friday made an official request to return to the African Union, 32 years after quitting the bloc in protest at its decision to accept Western Sahara as a member. “The Kingdom of Morocco has officially submitted a request to accede to the …
Read More »India buys 36 Rafale fighter jets to counter China
New Delhi, India | AFP | India signed a deal Friday to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets for 7.9 billion euros ($8.8 billion), France’s biggest ever such sale, as it seeks to bolster its military against an increasingly assertive China. Defence experts say the aircraft, manufactured by France’s Dassault, will …
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