US Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos has said that President Donald Trump values Africa, despite announcing sweeping aid cuts that have caused considerable humanitarian distress across the continent. Trump announced the aid freeze on his first day in office in January in line with his “America First” foreign policy, while Trump’s recent tariffs have … Read more
Opposition MPs in Ghana have fiercely condemned the suspension of the country’s chief justice, accusing President John Mahama of trying to “pack the courts” with justices who are sympathetic to the governing party, the NDC. Gertrude Torkornoo was removed from her post on Wednesday – the first time a chief justice has been suspended in … Read more
Reuters The pace of diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine is quickening. Talks are taking place in London between officials from the UK, Germany, France, Ukraine and the United States. Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Moscow for his fourth meeting with President Putin. And yet there is little clarity … Read more
Sebastian Usher & David Gritten BBC News Reuters Mahmoud Abbas told a meeting in Ramallah that Hamas had given Israel “excuses” to continue the Gaza war Mahmoud Abbas has called Hamas “sons of dogs” in a fiery speech in which he demanded the group release the hostages it is still holding, disarm, and hand over … Read more
Sarah Rainsford and Laura Gozzi Reuters The pontiff’s body, laid out in an open coffin, was moved to the church in a formal procession Mourners are paying their respects to Pope Francis, whose body was moved from his Vatican residence to St Peter’s Basilica before his funeral on Saturday. The Pope’s open coffin was carried … Read more
Opening statements are set to begin on Wednesday in disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein’s retrial in New York for alleged sex crimes. In his third trial in five years, Weinstein is accused of sexually abusing a former television production assistant, an aspiring actress and an unnamed woman. During the first week of the trial, … Read more
The European Union has ordered Apple and Meta to pay a combined €700m (£599m), in the first fines it has issued under recent legislation intended to curb the power of big tech. It has issued a €500m (£428m) fine to Apple over its App Store, while Meta has been fined €200m (£171m) over the way … Read more
Twenty-six people have died and several others have been injured after gunmen opened fire on a group of domestic tourists visiting a popular beauty spot in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday. The attack took place in Pahalgam, a picturesque town in the Himalayas often described as the “Switzerland of India”. There is a shutdown across the … Read more
Former Australia batter Keith Stackpole has died at the age of 84. The right-handed opener from Victoria played 43 Tests between 1966 and 1974, scoring 2,807 runs at an average of 37.42, including seven centuries. Stackpole also played in the first ever one-day international, picking up three wickets with his leg-spin against England at the … Read more
Nine people have been killed after a Russian drone hit a bus transporting workers in Ukraine. The attack occurred on Wednesday morning in the south-central city of Marhanets. Serhiy Lysak, regional chief of Dnipropetrovsk, said at least 30 people were injured, adding that “the number of victims is constantly growing”. The attack comes as diplomats … Read more