Tag Archives: politics

Beijing, China | AFP |  China has officially opened its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, state media said Tuesday, a major step for the country’s expansion of its military presence abroad. Chinese military personnel, officials and guests attended a flag-raising ceremony and military parade to mark the occasion, the …

JUST IN: Pakistan parliament elects ex-oil minister Abbasi as new PM Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Pakistan’s parliament elected ex-oil minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister on Tuesday, days after three-times premier Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court. Abbasi is seen by the ruling party as a placeholder for Sharif’s designated successor, …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Ten days ago, Anthony Scaramucci — then newly named as White House communications director — dismissed reports of infighting in the West Wing, saying that things were “on track.” On Monday, he was out of a job. The following events trace the meteoric rise …

Malawi issues warrant of arrest for former president Banda Blantyre, Malawi | AFP |  Malawi police on Monday issued an arrest warrant for former president Joyce Banda in connection with the country’s “Cashgate” corruption scandal, which involved large-scale looting of government coffers. “Malawi fiscal and fraud police have unearthed credible …

Monrovia, Liberia | AFP |  Twenty candidates will contest presidential elections in Liberia in October, among them a former warlord, a footballer and a fashion model, as Ellen Johnson Sirleaf steps down after two terms, the electoral commission said Monday. There is no obvious frontrunner to replace the Nobel Prize-winning …

Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Pakistan’s parliament will meet on Tuesday to elect a new prime minister after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif following an investigation into corruption allegations against his family. The ruling party named Sharif’s younger brother Shahbaz as his successor over the weekend, but he must first …

Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | The Turkish government on Sunday strongly defended a plan to let state-approved clerics conduct marriage ceremonies, rejecting fierce criticism that this would undermine the modern republic’s secular foundations. Turkey is mainly Muslim but officially is a secular state. Under its current laws, even religiously observant couples …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s military has been ordered to strengthen its response to Boko Haram after 69 people were killed in an ambush earlier this week, the government said on Sunday. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo held emergency talks with top brass to discuss Tuesday’s attack, which targeted an oil exploration …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe, declaring “I am not dying,” sought Saturday to brush aside growing concerns about his health after his wife urged him to name a successor. Mugabe’s medical trips to Singapore have become frequent in recent years, fuelling questions about his health. His …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Elite Kenyan security forces on Sunday killed a man at the home of Deputy President William Ruto, ending a 20-hour siege that left one officer dead and another wounded, security officials said. Ruto and his family were not at the vast property in the northwest of …