Hijackers claiming to have a grenade took over a Libyan plane on Friday and diverted it to Malta before releasing everyone onboard and surrendering to authorities, officials said. Libyan Foreign Minister Taher Siala said the two hijackers were supporters of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi and had requested political asylum in Malta.
Category: Africa
Accused in Amanda Lindhout kidnapping to face trial next October
A man charged with taking journalist Amanda Lindhout hostage in Somalia is slated to face trial by judge alone next October. Three weeks have been set aside for the trial of Ali Omar Ader, which will come more than two years after he was arrested and over nine years after the abduction.
Nominations open for 2016 e.TV Ghana’s Most Influential (GMI) Awards
Nominations for the 2016 edition of e.tv Ghana’s Most Influential Awards have been opened, allowing the general public to nominate and vote for personalities that they feel have been of positive influence to their lives during the year. These awards are aimed at recognizing and celebrating the top 100 most influential Ghanaian personalities as voted by the general public.
Sao Tome won over by ‘One China’ as it parts diplomatic ways with Taiwan
Sao Tome and Principe will reportedly seek to restore diplomatic ties with China after ending its recognition of Taiwan, leaving the island with only 21 diplomatic allies. Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee speaks at a news conference after Sao Tome ended ties with Taiwan, in Taipei, Taiwan on December 21, 2016.
Kenya stops US election education program ahead of polls
Kenya’s government has terminated operations of a U.S.-funded project to educate voters, just months before this East African country holds its next presidential election. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta last week claimed that money coming into the country in the guise of civic education is being used to influence Kenyans’ electoral decisions.
Protesters call for Congo leader Kabila to step down
Residents walk past fuel station closed during demonstrations against Congolese President Joseph Kabila in the streets of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa, December 20, 2016. Peacekeepers serving in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drive past a Congolese riot-police water cannon as they patrol in their armoured personnel carrier during demonstrations in the streets of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa, December 20, 2016.
UN chief warns of South Sudan genocide unless world acts
In this Feb. 25, 2016, file photo, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to the media in Juba, South Sudan. Ban warned Monday, Dec. 19, that South Sudan will be heading toward genocide unless immediate action is taken to impose an arms embargo and pressure leaders of the world’s newest nation to end hate speech, incitement and violence.
Military deploys across Congo’s capital as Kabila stays on
Military and police deployed across Congo’s capital on Monday amid fears of unrest on the last official day of President Joseph Kabila’s mandate. He intends to stay on after the midnight deadline, said a presidential adviser, who also advised there is “no possibility” of elections in 2017.
Military deploys across Congo’s capital as Kabila stays on
Military and police deployed across Congo’s capital on Monday amid fears of unrest on the last official day of President Joseph Kabila’s mandate. He intends to stay on after the midnight deadline, said a presidential adviser, who also advised there is “no possibility” of elections in 2017.
Joseph Kabila prepares to crush protests in Congo power play
Flares are launched by DRCongo Police forces during a demonstration in Goma on September 19, 2016. At least 17 people, mostly civilians, were killed on September 19, 2016 when clashes erupted ahead of a planned opposition rally in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, a minister said, warning the toll was “provisional”.
Bombing Syria was never going to help the people of Aleppo
As the traumatised survivors of Aleppo flee the ruined city – once the size of Newcastle, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow combined – Libya is smouldering evidence that Britain bombing Syria would not have averted the bloodshed. In the 2013 Parliamentary rebellion, Tory dissidents sided with Ed Miliband’s Labour Party to stop David Cameron declaring war on tyrant Bashar al-Assad ‘s regime – and attempts at rewriting history to portray the revolt as a grave mistake ignore hugely uncomfortable facts.
Bombing Syria was never going to help the people of Aleppo
As the traumatised survivors of Aleppo flee the ruined city – once the size of Newcastle, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow combined – Libya is smouldering evidence that Britain bombing Syria would not have averted the bloodshed. In the 2013 Parliamentary rebellion, Tory dissidents sided with Ed Miliband’s Labour Party to stop David Cameron declaring war on tyrant Bashar al-Assad ‘s regime – and attempts at rewriting history to portray the revolt as a grave mistake ignore hugely uncomfortable facts.
.com | Maths pass rate misunderstood
The context was a clumsily managed circular to schools from the department of basic education, reinforced by early press statements, that gave the public the impression that the maths pass rate had been lowered to 20%. There was a crescendo of outrage.
A rare view from inside South Sudan’s most-feared prison
More than 30 political detainees in South Sudan’s most notorious prison face torture, starvation or death, according to a Danish man detained alongside them for over two months before being released in late November. Henrik Tobiesen, a businessman and former United Nations de-mining worker who had lived in South Sudan for 11 years, told The Associated Press he was locked up for 67 days starting Sept.
Talks over Congo’s delayed presidential vote stall
Officials in Congo say negotiations between the country’s political parties over the nation’s delayed election are now on hold until Wednesday. The announcement Saturday comes as the Catholic church attempts to resolve the impasse between President Joseph Kabila and opposition parties over the vote.
‘Uncatchable’ one-eyed jihadi boss ‘dead and buried’…
According to the Al-Araby media outlet, the 44-year-old sustained fatal wounds in the airstrike on Sabha, Libya. He was reportedly buying weapons with the ransom paid for a Canadian and two Italians who were kidnapped last September.
Gambian electoral crisis tops agenda at West African summit ABUJA,…
West African leaders at a summit Saturday discussed how to get Gambia’s longtime ruler to accept an electoral defeat – and a military intervention was among the possible options. Coup leader Yahya Jammeh shocked Gambians by conceding defeat after a Dec. 1 vote, then changed his mind and called for a new election.
Gambian electoral crisis tops agenda at West African summit
In this Friday Dec. 2, 2016 file photo, Gambians celebrate the victory of Opposition coalition candidate Adama Barrow, run past an army soldier on the streets of Serrekunda, Gambia. The United Nations secretary-general says a takeover by Gambia’s security forces of the country’s electoral commission offices could compromise “sensitive electoral material” as the president refuses to accept being voted out of power.
.com | EXCLUSIVE: DRC nationals in SA vow to ‘remove envoy from Pretoria office’
Democratic Republic of Congo nationals living in South Africa are threatening to take things into their own hands and remove their ambassador in Pretoria from office should President Joseph Kabila not step down on Monday. Ilunga Mpanga Kazadi, a Gauteng-based Congolese community leader, told News24 “we will go to the ambassador on Tuesday and ask him to hand over his credentials, and then he must go”.
UN rights chief urges Gambian leader to respect results of presidential election
“This is deeply worrying, given the record of human rights violations in The Gambia, including excessive use of force against demonstrators, arbitrary detention and deaths in custody, as well as allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said . The High Commissioner also urged the Gambian authorities to allow people to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly, association and freedom of expression.