Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
by Aminu Abubakar with Phil Hazlewood in Lagos © Agence France-Presse DAMATURU, Nigeria (AFP) — More than 100 girls were missing on Wednesday, two days after a Boko Haram attack on their school in northeast Nigeria that has raised fears of a repeat of the 2014 Chibok kidnapping that shocked the world. Islamist militants stormed the Government Girls Science Secondary School in Dapchi, Yobe state, on Monday evening. Locals initially said the girls and their teachers fled. […]
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar and Chad are to restore diplomatic relations, severed in August soon after the start of a Saudi-led boycott of the emirate, Doha’s foreign ministry said Tuesday. Lolwah Al-Khater, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on social media that both countries would return their ambassadors with immediate effect. “Moments ago MOU (memorandum of understanding) was signed between Qatar and Chad; Diplomatic relations to be resumed with immediate exchange of ambassadors,” she tweeted. Al-Khater added […]
ABUJA, Nigeria (AFP) — Nigeria has freed another 51 Boko Haram suspects in the latest round of dropped cases for lack of evidence, the justice ministry said Monday. Over the course of last week, hundreds of suspected Boko Haram extremists appeared before a court at the Kainji military base in central Niger state. A total of 526 suspects have been released from custody after it was found there was not enough evidence to prosecute them, underscoring concerns […]
by Emile Kouton with Celia Lebur in Lagos © Agence France-Presse LOME, Togo (AFP) — After six months of political crisis, a dialogue between Togo’s government and the opposition opening on Monday is seen by many as the last chance to resolve a bitter dispute over the rule of embattled President Faure Gnassingbe. But the talks have raised a welter of emotions in this tiny west African country, ranging from hope to incredulity. “It’s a ‘last […]
by Célia Lebur IKOM, Nigeria (AFP) — For the first time in his life, Victor Obi believes that the only way to win freedom in Cameroon is with a gun. “I don’t want to die, but the only future is our independence, and they will not give it to us,” said the student, whose name has been changed for his own safety. The 25-year-old is camped out in a small Nigerian village just kilometres from his home […]
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The latest round of Ethiopia-led peace talks on South Sudan will wrap up on Friday with a possible agreement that could pave the way to further negotiations on ending the war, the UN envoy said. The talks that opened on February 5 in Addis Ababa are aimed at finding a settlement to one of Africa’s worst conflicts. “We are hoping that there will be some form of agreement signed tomorrow,” UN […]
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — South Africa’s parliament will elect Cyril Ramaphosa as the country’s new president on Thursday, the ruling ANC party said, after Jacob Zuma resigned in a late-night television address. The African National Congress (ANC), which has a large majority in parliament, said it would nominate Ramaphosa, a wealthy former businessman, “to be elected as the new President of the Republic of South Africa”. After being voted in, Ramaphosa will address lawmakers […]
by Ben Sheppard Agence France Presse JOHHANESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — South Africa readied to welcome wealthy former businessman Cyril Ramaphosa as its new president Thursday after scandal-tainted Jacob Zuma resigned under intense pressure from his own party. Zuma announced he had stepped down in a late-night television address in which he took some digs at the African National Congress (ANC) party that had threatened to oust him via a parliament no-confidence vote. In a […]
TRIPOLI, Libya (AFP) — At least 19 migrants were killed on Wednesday and more than 100 injured when the truck transporting them crashed in Libya, a hospital said. Over 300 migrants, mostly Eritrean and Somali nationals, were on board the vehicle which overturned near the town of Bani Walid. A child was among the at least 19 migrants killed in the accident, the head of the town’s hospital, Mohamad al-Mabrouk, told AFP. The hospital, which had earlier given […]
by Gregory Walton © Agence France-Presse CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — Cyril Ramaphosa’s long and eventful career has taken him from trade union activist to multi-millionaire — and is now likely to become president of South Africa. After South Africa dismantled apartheid, Ramaphosa saw his hopes for the country’s top job apparently dashed. True to his pragmatic character, he opted instead for life in business — a move that brought him spectacular wealth. But Wednesday’s announcement […]
by Fanuel Jongwe © Agence France-Presse HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — Morgan Tsvangirai, the veteran Zimbabwean opposition leader who confronted Robert Mugabe’s regime for many years, died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, a party official said. He was 65. Tsvangirai, who founded the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party in 1999, was among the most prominent critics of Mugabe, the long-time authoritarian leader who was ousted from power in November. “It is sad for me to […]
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Egyptian police arrested on Wednesday a leading government critic and party leader Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh along with five of his aides, security officials said. The reason for the arrest of Abul Fotouh, a candidate in the 2012 presidential election, was not immediately clear. It comes after the arrest of a party deputy leader and a call by Abul Fotouh and several other politicians for a boycott of next month’s election. President Abdel […]
