Britain’s Charles III reaches the milestone of his first year as king this week, with his reign so far characterised by a smooth transition from that of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The anniversary on Friday is expected to be marked privately, given the date is also that of his mother’s death at the…
General Brice Oligui Nguema, the head of the elite Republican Guard, led officers in a military coup on Wednesday against President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that had ruled for more than five decades. The ousting came just moments after Bongo, 64, was proclaimed victor in last month’s presidential election — a result…
Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov has confirmed that he is leaving his post. Mr Reznikov had led the ministry since before the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Mr Reznikov’s dismissal on Sunday, saying it was time for “new approaches” in the defence ministry. Rustem Umerov, who runs Ukraine’s…
Two Chinese nationals and two others were killed in an attack on a convoy carrying gold in the Republic of Congo’s lawless east, local authorities said Saturday. Friday’s ambush targeted a four-vehicle convoy belonging to TSM Mining which was carrying gold from a site near the Kimbi river in the Fizi region of South Kivu…
Niger braced Friday for a weekend of planned anti-French rallies as tensions mount between the country’s new military rulers and its traditional ally. A coalition of civil society groups opposed to the presence of French forces in Niger has called a three-day sit-in, starting Friday. The protest, organised by the M62 grouping, is set to…
The African Union’s Peace and Security Council on Thursday suspended Gabon following the Wednesday overthrow of President Ondimba Ali Bongo by soldiers led by the head of the Republican guards, Gen Brice Nguema. The continental body in a post on X, formerly Twitter, condemned the military takeover of power in the Central African country. This…
Britain’s Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, who last month announced he would step down in the next UK government cabinet reshuffle, has resigned, the prime minister’s office said Thursday. In a letter to Wallace, 53, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised the “dedication and skill” he brought to the role that saw him take a leading role…
A fire that engulfed a five-storey building killed more than 60 people including children in central Johannesburg on Thursday, the South African city’s emergency services said. Another 43 were injured, some suffering from smoke inhalation, and were taken for treatment at local hospitals, Emergency Management Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said. “The death toll is at…
Gabon’s President Ali Bongo has appeared in a video calling for his “friends” to “make noise” after military officers in the oil-rich Central African state staged a coup. “I’m sending a message to all friends that we have all over the world to tell them to make noise for (…) the people here who arrested…
Eleven airline passengers and crew were hospitalized Tuesday following severe turbulence on a Delta flight from Milan to Atlanta, the US-based airline said. “Delta Care Team members are mobilizing to connect with customers on Delta Flight 175 that experienced severe turbulence before landing safely in Atlanta Tuesday,” a spokesman said. “Our priority is taking care…