Foreign Affairs

GHANA’S NEW PRESIDENT REDUCES MINISTRIES FROM 30 TO 23 TO SAVE COST Ghana President John Mahama has reduced the country’s ministries from 30 to 23 in a bid to cut government spending. Mahama’s decision – an executive order – to trim the number of government ministries was contained in a gazette dated January 9 – two days after he took …

FRANCOPHONE AFRICA IS ABANDONING FRANCE. WHAT WENT WRONG? The previous expulsion of French troops from the region saw countries invite and embrace alternative partners like Russia and China. To usher Ivorians into the new year, President Alassane Ouattara announced that French troops in Côte d’Ivoire will hand over the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIMA), a French army base located in …

US COURT SENTENCED TRUMP 10 DAYS TO INAUGURATION A New York state court has sentenced U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump, to unconditional discharge in his hush-money case. This means he’ll face no jail time, penalties or probation. Judge Juan Merchan pronounced his sentence on Friday, which gave Trump an unconditional discharge, as expected. The sentencing, however, means Trump will remain a …

ALL FIVE LIVING US PRESIDENTS UNITE AT FUNERAL OF JIMMY CARTER Former President Barack Obama and incoming commander-in-chief Donald Trump were seen chatting as American leaders gathered to pay their respects to Carter. The one-term president died on Christmas Eve in Plains, Georgia after spending more than a year in a hospice. His death was confirmed by his son – …

UK OPPOSITION LEADER, KEMI BADENOCH DEMANDS NATIONAL INQUIRY INTO RAPE GANGS BY MUSLIM MEN Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch, leader of the British opposition Conservative Party, has called for full inquiry to expose those who turned a blind eye to the grooming gangs in the UK, responsible for raping thousands of girls. Badenoch, in an article, lamented that “Britain has witnessed the …

FRANCE’S PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, LAMBASTS AFRICAN LEADERS, SAYS THEY’RE UNGRATEFUL Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, has criticized African leaders for what he called their “ungratefulness” He made this statement when discussing regional developments. According to him, “We actually had a two-way relationship that was founded on security. On the one hand, we have been fighting terrorism since 2013. We …

TRUMP FILES MOTION TO DELAY SENTENCING ON HUSH MONEY United States President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team has filed a motion to delay the sentencing in his hush money trial, which is scheduled for January 10. The motion argues that the sentencing is unlawful, citing a recent Supreme Court decision on immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other legal …

WEST AFRICA’S SEASON OF FAREWELLS AND QUESTION MARK, BY CHIDI AMUTA Frances’s major military base in Cote d’Ivoire is billed to close down at the end of this month. The long -standing base, Port Bouet, is to be rid of its French troop occupants and is to be renamed General Quattara Thomas d’Aquinn base after an indigenous military figure. No …

CATHOLIC PRIEST JAILED 11 YEARS FOR CRITICIZING GOVERNMENT A Catholic priest in Belarus was convicted on Monday of high treason for criticising the government and sentenced to 11 years in prison. This marks the first instance of politically motivated charges against Catholic clergy since Belarus gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Rev Akalatovich’s conviction comes …

177 KILLED IN SOUTH KOREAN PLANE CRASH AS POPE FRANCIS MOURNS A Jeju Air passenger plane with 181 persons aboard burst into flames on the ground early Sunday morning in South Korea. According to BBC, the Transport Ministry has identified the plane as a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet returning from Bangkok in Thailand, with two Thai nationals on board. About …