The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has honoured independence hero Patrice Lumumba, marking 60 years since his assassination in a plot linked to the fledgeling country’s colonial master, Belgium. President Felix Tshisekedi on Sunday paid tribute to the charismatic political leader at a site in the capital, Kinshasa, where a memorial is to be installed in his honour. Lumumba became the country’s first democratically elected prime minister after independence from Belgium in 1960, his government lasted just three months before he was overthrown and assassinated by firing squad. Lumumba’s body will never be recovered, however. Shot by Katangan separatists … Continue reading DRC honours Patrice Lumumba 60 years after his assassination

The Russian parliament’s lower house – the Duma – has backed a bill granting Russian presidents and their families immunity from criminal prosecution after they leave office, it is among constitutional amendments approved in a referendum in July, supporters of President Vladimir Putin dominate both houses of parliament. Mr Putin’s fourth term ends in 2024, but the amendments allow him to run for two more terms. He is 68 and has no obvious successor, the immunity bill revives speculation about Mr Putin’s political future, he has been in power since 2000, exercising huge influence and patronage. His arch-critic Alexei Navalny … Continue reading Russia moves to protect Putin from prosecution

Opposition candidate Maia Sandu holds a narrow lead over current leader Igor Dodon in Sunday’s presidential run-off election in Moldova, preliminary results say, with more than 99% of the vote counted, Ms Sandu is ahead with nearly 57.1% to President Dodon’s 42.9%. Ms Sandu, a former World Bank economist, favours closer ties with the EU, President Dodon, meanwhile, is openly backed by Russia, according to preliminary results, Maia Sandu has scored an emphatic victory. Moldova’s former prime minister said that as president she would make it her priority to tackle corruption and unite the country, she faces huge challenges, not … Continue reading Pro-EU candidate Maia Sandu leads in preliminary results

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been criticised for interrupting a senior minister who was responding to a question about what it’s like to be a woman in parliament. Anne Ruston, minister for families and social services, was asked if the political culture for women had improved, but she was interrupted a few words into her response. The incident comes amid reports of sexual misconduct in parliament, an investigation by ABC News’ Four Corners looked at allegations of inappropriate behaviour by ministers within the conservative government. Mr Morrison addressed the investigation in a press conference on Tuesday, where he defended his … Continue reading Australian PM under fire for interrupting female minister

Lebanon’s leading politician Saad Hariri has secured enough support in parliamentary talks to be named prime minister and try to form a government to tackle the worst crisis since the country’s 1975-1990 civil war. A tally of nominations declared by politicians after consultations with President Michel Aoun showed Hariri had won the backing of 47 parliamentarians, more than the number of MPs yet to formally declare their stance, Reuters news agency reported on Thursday. Hariri would still face major challenges to navigate Lebanon’s power-sharing politics and agree a cabinet, which must then address a mounting list of woes, a banking … Continue reading BREAKING NEWS: Saad Hariri renamed Lebanon PM a year after stepping down

The C-SPAN television network has suspended its political editor after he admitted to lying about his Twitter account being hacked last week, Steve Scully, tapped to moderate this week’s presidential debate before it was cancelled, had appeared to solicit advice from a former Trump adviser, when the exchange prompted controversy, Scully suggested he had been hacked. In a statement apologizing, Scully said he had let down his colleagues. “I ask for their forgiveness,” he wrote. The news comes on the same day that the political veteran had been scheduled to moderate the second debate between President Donald Trump and Joe … Continue reading Top US journalist suspended after false Twitter hacking claims

Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov has resigned after days of protests following a disputed election that plunged the country into turmoil. “I do not want to go down in Kyrgyzstan’s history as a president who shed blood and shot at his own citizens,” he said in a statement. Kyrgyzstan has been in crisis since parliamentary elections on 4 October, subsequent protests forced electoral officials to annul the results, and also toppled the government. Mr Jeenbekov becomes the third president of the Central Asian state, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, to be ousted by a popular uprising since … Continue reading BREAKING NEWS: Kyrgyzstan President Jeenbekov resigns after protests

A power vacuum is threatening to destabilize Kyrgyzstan, which is struggling to come up with legitimate ways of initiating a power transfer following the violent uprising over a disputed parliamentary election result, the euphoria felt after opposition groups seized the parliament building has quickly turned to uncertainty and insecurity, as the government appears to be demoralized by past events, mob rule is spreading across the country, people are storming into government offices and appointing their leaders to positions of chairperson, mayor or minister. However, these self-declared “appointments” can quickly be overruled by another, bigger mob. This is what happened to … Continue reading Developing story: Insecurity grows in Kyrgyzstan as mob rule spreads, over disputed elections

Kyrgyzstan’s prime minister has resigned after widespread post-election protests which plunged the country into political chaos, Kubatbek Boronov has now been replaced by Sadyr Japarov, who protesters released from jail the day before, opposition groups had earlier seized control of parliament, protesting election results they say were rigged. Facing mounting pressure, the country’s electoral body has annulled the results of Sunday’s parliament elections. The election results had seen parties allied to the country’s president Sooronbai Jeenbekov win the largest share of the votes, amid accusations of mass vote-buying. President Jeenbekov is still in power but has hinted that he is … Continue reading Update: Kyrgyzstan PM Boronov resigns as election results annulled

Protestors in Kyrgyzstan calling for the country’s parliamentary election to be annulled have broken into parliament in the capital, Bishkek, footage showed people in the office of President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, and throwing paper from windows, parts of the building appeared to be on fire. The break-in follows a day of clashes with police, who initially dispersed crowds with water cannon and tear gas, the clashes come amid allegations of vote-rigging in last Sunday’s election. Following the vote, only four parties out of 16 passed the 7% threshold for entry into parliament, three of which have close ties to President Jeenbekov. … Continue reading Kyrgyzstan erupts in Protest over vote-rigging claims

Japan’s governing party is set to vote Monday on a new leader to succeed Shinzo Abe, with the winner almost certain to be the next prime minister. Last month Mr Abe announced his resignation due to health reasons. The winner is widely expected to be 71-year-old Yoshihide Suga who serves as chief cabinet secretary in the current administration. He is considered a close ally of Mr Abe and likely to continue his predecessor’s policies. Once the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has chosen its new leader, there will be another vote on Wednesday in parliament, where he is almost certain … Continue reading Japan’s governing party chooses Shinzo Abe’s successor

Jamaicans go to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament as the country grapples with a surge in coronavirus infections. Prime Minister Andrew Holness called for the early vote last month in what analysts saw as a bid to capitalize on people’s satisfaction with his economic agenda and early response to the virus. But he has faced criticism amid a rise in cases as restrictions are lifted .Face masks and temperature checks will be mandatory in polling stations. Jamaica’s parliament has 63 seats, and members are elected in a first-past-the-post system. The campaign was dominated by discussions over … Continue reading Jamaica election: Voters go to polls amid surge in Covid-19 cases