The African members of the U.N. Security Council urged their counterparts on Tuesday to support sanctions imposed this week on Mali’s coup leaders by a bloc of West African nations. “We call for the Security Council to respect and embrace the determination of the heads of state and government of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West […]
The World Health Organization has warned that half of Europe will have caught the Omicron Covid variant within the next six to eight weeks. Dr Hans Kluge said a “west-to-east tidal wave” of Omicron was sweeping across the region, on top of a surge in the Delta variant. The projection was based on the seven […]
The U.N. human rights office says it is seriously concerned about what it sees as a deteriorating human rights situation in Tunisia and is calling on the government to protect and respect the rights and freedoms of its people. One of the latest gross violations occurred on December 31. On that day, two men, one […]
Boris Johnson is to face MPs later at Prime Minister’s Questions amid demands for him to say whether he attended a drinks event in the Downing Street garden during lockdown. It will be the PM’s first public appearance since it emerged 100 staff were invited to the May 2020 gathering. Mr Johnson has so far […]
The South African man charged with arson for burning down large parts of the country’s historic parliament buildings has also been charged with terrorism. Forty-nine-year-old Zandile Christmas Mafe made his second appearance in court Tuesday. He is now facing several charges related to the fire, including terrorism, arson, breaking and entering and theft. Mafe was […]
A Ugandan author who wrote critical comments about President Yoweri Museveni’s son has been charged with offensive communications. Kakwenza Rukirabashaija’s lawyer says he was tortured in detention. Award-winning writer Kakwenza Rukirabashaija appeared before a court Tuesday and was charged with two counts of offensive communication. Rukirabashaija was arrested on December 28 and taken from his […]
US President Joe Biden has called for a historic change to Senate rules as he seeks to overhaul the country’s election laws. In an impassioned speech, he said he supported changes that would allow his voting reforms to be passed without the support of opposition Republicans. Misgivings from two senators in his party are hampering […]
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Monday, expressing his concern about ongoing hostilities in the country and recent airstrikes that killed dozens of civilians in the Tigray region. The White House said the two leaders “discussed ways to accelerate dialogue toward a negotiated ceasefire” after a year of civil […]
European Parliament President David Sassoli has died at the age of 65, his spokesman says. The Italian former journalist and centre-left politician had been seriously ill for more than two weeks and cancelled all official activities. Mr Sassoli was admitted to hospital in Italy last month due to a serious complication with his immune system. […]
Mali’s military government on Monday responded to West African sanctions by closing its borders and withdrawing ambassadors from nations imposing the penalties. Regional bloc ECOWAS imposed the new sanctions Sunday, after Mali’s military leaders postponed promised February elections. In a communique following a summit in Ghana Sunday, leaders of the 15 ECOWAS countries effectively severed […]
