Gambian Foreign Affairs Minister, Neneh Macdouall Gaye, has resigned from her post. She indicated in a letter addressed to the country’s President, Yahya Jammeh that, “I am of the conviction that under the prevailing circumstances, I cannot effectively serve as Foreign Minister. I thank you for the opportunity you gave me to serve my country.” … Read more
Facebook is introducing new tools in Germany to help combat the spread of fabricated news stories. The world’s largest social network said it would enable German users to flag potentially false stories. The stories will then be passed to third-party fact-checkers and if found to be unreliable, will be marked in users’ news feeds as … Read more
Facebook is introducing new tools in Germany to help combat the spread of fabricated news stories. The world’s largest social network said it would enable German users to flag potentially false stories. The stories will then be passed to third-party fact-checkers and if found to be unreliable, will be marked in users’ news feeds as … Read more
President Nana Akufo-Addo’s wish for the Appointments Committee of Parliament to vet his ministerial nominees as quickly as possible may just be granted. By Parliamentary procedures it will take two weeks from the day the House receives the list of nominees from the president before a nominee will be vetted. According to the Deputy Minority … Read more
Ethiopian authorities have disclosed that some 9,800 people detained under the current state of emergency will be released next week after receiving training. According to the Command Post in charge of implementing the State of Emergency, some 2,449 others will be arraigned before the courts. Some of the reasons given in November for the arrest … Read more
The Supreme Court has temporarily granted businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome’s application for a stay of proceeding regarding his examination by Former Justice Minister Martin Amidu. Mr Woyome also requested the Court to reverse Justice Anin Yeboah’s ruling to have Mr Amidu examine him. At Court on Thursday, the businessman’s first request was temporarily granted, pending … Read more
South Africans are divided over the country’s decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Last month, South Africa wrote to the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, advising him of the country’s intention to withdraw from the ICC. The withdrawal will take effect one year after the secretary general receives notification. Justice … Read more
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has withdrawn a bill that would pardon men convicted of sex with underage girls if they had married them. The government acted just before the controversial legislation went to a final vote in parliament, which is dominated by the ruling AK Party. The bill sparked protests and was met with … Read more
Thousands have protested in Istanbul in Turkey against a bill that would let off men who assaulted underage girls if they marry their victims. The government insists the legislation is aimed at dealing with the widespread custom of child marriage, but critics say that it will legitimise child rape. Protesters clapped and chanted: “We will … Read more
A bill which would allow men accused of raping underage girls to be cleared if they marry the girl has been preliminarily backed by Turkish MPs. The government says the bill is aimed at pardoning men who did not realise they were engaging in underage sex. Critics say it legitimises rape and child marriage, and … Read more
Foulmouthed Mahama hangers-on like Mr. Abraham Amaliba, the so-called National Democratic Congress’ legal-team member, can throw all the insults in his vocabulary arsenal, as well as the proverbial kitchen sink, against Nana Akufo-Addo, the thee-time presidential candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), in a bid to having the former Justice Minister docilely … Read more
South Africa’s main opposition party has filed papers with the Constitutional Court to challenge the government’s decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it said on Monday. South Africa will become the first country to quit the Hague-based court next year, after formally declaring its departure last week, saying ICC membership conflicted … Read more
Thailand’s military government said on Tuesday it would ask other countries to extradite people suspected of insulting the nation’s monarchy following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej last week. Thailand has entered a year of mourning and sensitivities are running high following the death of the revered king last week after seven decades on the … Read more
Back in August, when Mr. Steve Mallory (real Ghanaian birth name Kwadwo Osei-Poku) published his so-called lowdown on the purported state of the health of the three-time Presidential Candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), I categorically noted that the editor-publisher of Africawatch was a cud-chewing “ruminant journalist” who was simply regurgitating old … Read more
Barring any unforeseen development, the United States (US) will be repatriating the $550 million Abacha loot, still trapped in the country, to Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has said. Speaking in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, Malami confirmed that Nigeria had met major conditions set out for … Read more
A Syrian refugee suspected of planning a bomb attack “with Islamist motives” on a Berlin airport has strangled himself to death with his shirt in detention, Saxony state justice officials said Thursday. Investigators believe that 22-year-old Albakr, who arrived in Germany last year, was close to staging a terrorist attack. German police have said that … Read more
Gabon’s newly re-elected president, Ali Bongo, said Saturday that he would seek to form a new government based on a national political dialogue that will “most likely” include leading opposition figures. Bongo spoke in Libreville, a short while after the country’s Constitutional Court validated his August 27 victory, and just two weeks after opposition leader … Read more
Turkey has removed 24 mayors accused of links to Kurdish separatist fighters, replacing them with state-appointed trustees in a major shake-up under emergency powers enacted after a failed coup attempt. The mayors were suspended from their posts over the past month on suspicion of links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group that has … Read more
Gabon’s opposition leader appealed on Monday for a general strike in response to what he said was a fraudulent re-election of President Ali Bongo, while the justice minister resigned over the government’s failure to organise a recount. Their protests undermined Bongo’s attempts to project stability following the election’s violent aftermath, though few citizens in the … Read more
Malawi’s ex-justice minister has been given a 13-year jail term for conspiracy to murder a civil servant, in a crime believed to be linked to a multi-million dollar corruption ring. Raphael Kasambara was sentenced for his role in the attempted murder of ex-National Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo. Mr Mphwiyo’s shooting in 2013 is believed to … Read more