Sierra Leone election observers flag “statistical inconsistencies”
Dakar, SenegalReuters European election observers in Sierra Leone said there were “statistical inconsistencies” in the presidential results published by the electoral commission, which declared President Julius Maada Bio the winner of Saturday’s vote. The European Union Election Observation Mission called on the commission on Wednesday to promptly publish disaggregated results data per polling station to […]
United States planning to rejoin UNESCO organisation – announcement
Paris, FranceReuters The United States plans to rejoin the UNESCO organisation from this July onwards, UNESCO announced on Monday. The United States withdrew from the UN cultural agency in December, 2018, under President Donald Trump over accusations of anti-Israel bias and mismanagement. The UNESCO logo is seen during the opening of the 39th session of […]
Sudan factions agree to extend ceasefire deal amid clashes
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesReuters Sudan’s warring military factions agreed on Monday to a five-day extension of a ceasefire agreement, after renewed heavy clashes and air strikes in the capital threw fresh doubts on the effectiveness of a truce designed to ease a humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia and the United States, which brokered a week-long ceasefire […]
G7 tightens Russia sanctions, looks to cut China trade reliance
Hiroshima, Japan Reuters Leaders of the world’s richest democracies acted on Friday to stiffen sanctions against Russia, while a draft communique to be issued after their talks in the Japanese city of Hiroshima stressed the need to reduce reliance on trade with China. The Group of Seven leaders, to be joined this weekend by Ukrainian […]
Migration through Panama’s Darien Gap spikes despite US plan
Panama City, Panama Reuters The number of people arriving in the treacherous Darien Gap linking Panama with Colombia soared in April and early May, Panamanian government data shows, dealing a blow to US efforts to curb undocumented migration to the north. According to figures from Panama’s Security Ministry seen by Reuters on Tuesday, 40,297 migrants […]
Western countries pile pressure on Mali over Wagner Group role
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Western countries on Tuesday raised concerns over Russian private military contractor Wagner Group’s activities in Mali, including allegations of its role in the killings of civilians, at a UN human rights meeting in Geneva. The United States, Canada, Great Britain and Ukraine were among countries that raised the alleged role of Wagner contractors […]
Peru’s Toledo returns home to join two other former heads of state in jail
Lima, PeruReuters Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo returned on Sunday to Peru from the United States, becoming the third head of state to be imprisoned as the South American country seeks to shake off years of corruption by its rulers. Toledo, 77, has been ordered to serve a pre-trial detention of 18 months inside a […]
Sudan’s army pounds paramilitary bases with air strikes in power struggle
Khartoum, Sudan Reuters Sudan’s army appeared to gain the upper hand on Sunday in a bloody power struggle with rival paramilitary forces after blasting its bases with air strikes, witnesses said, and at least 59 civilians were killed including three UN workers. The fighting erupted on Saturday between army units loyal to General Abdel Fattah […]
Canada, US amend decades-old pact after surge in irregular asylum seekers
Reuters Canada and the United States on Friday changed a two-decade-old refugee agreement as part of their attempts to reduce the record influx of asylum seekers entering Canada via unofficial border crossings. The deal was the news highlight of US President Joe Biden’s first visit to Canada as president and could provide some relief to […]
US releases video of drone incident it says exposes Russian lies
Washington DC, US Reuters The United States on Thursday released a de-classified video showing Russia’s intercept of a US military surveillance drone downed over the Black Sea two days ago, images that the White House said exposed how Moscow was lying about what happened. The downing of the US MQ-9 drone on Tuesday was the […]