India’s Modi Arrives in Uganda in Trip Focusing on Trade

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a $205 million loan to Uganda during a visit to the country, the second stop in his tour of Africa ahead of this week’s summit of the BRICS emerging economies. The money will be used to expand Uganda’s electricity grid and to promote agriculture and dairy farming, …

Congo Opposition Leader Bemba to Return for Presidential Bid

Congolese opposition leader and former warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba, whose war crimes convictions were quashed in May, will return to the country next week to submit his candidacy for president, a party official said on Monday. His homecoming after serving a decade in prison at The Hague could dramatically shake up Congolese politics ahead of December’s …

UN Rights Chief Sharply Criticizes Israel Over Gaza Killings

The U.N. human rights chief sharply criticized Israel on Monday, calling recent killings by its soldiers during Palestinian demonstrations along the Gaza border fence “shocking” and saying living conditions inflicted by Israel’s 11-year blockade of the territory are “grossly inadequate.” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in a video address to the U.N. Committee on the …

Despair as Bulldozers Destroy Hundreds of Homes in Kenyan Slum

Kenya’s largest slum was woken on Monday by the sounds of cranes and bulldozers that demolished hundreds of shanties overnight to make way for a road, leaving desperate residents homeless. Kibera lies on the outskirts of Nairobi and is one of Africa’s largest slums, home to more than 400,000 people, but parts of it are …

New Scandal Revives Memories of Tainted Chinese-Made Products

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for an investigation of a domestic drug manufacturer accused of violating regulations in making a rabies vaccine. Changsheng Biotechnology has been ordered to stop production and recall the vaccine after the China Food and Drug Administration discovered it had been falsifying production and inspection records. Premier Li issued a …

Trump Warns Iranian President ‘Never Threaten the US’

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to “never threaten the United States,” in a Twitter comment that came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a speech critical of Iran’s leaders. “To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES …

US Senators Push Sanctions to Send Putin Election Meddling Warning

A pair of prominent Republican U.S. senators said on Sunday that the United States must move promptly to prepare new sanctions against Russia to discourage interference in upcoming elections. Senator Lindsey Graham said additional sanctions needed to be teed up before President Donald Trump holds a second meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the …

Poll: British Reject May’s Brexit plan, Some turn to Boris, Far Right

Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans to leave the European Union are overwhelmingly opposed by the British public and more than a third of voters would support a new right-wing political party committed to quitting the bloc, according to a new poll. May’s political vulnerability was exposed by the survey which found voters would prefer Boris …

Trump Tweets it Looks Like his Campaign Spied Upon Illegally

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter on Sunday it was looking more and more like his campaign for the 2016 presidential election had been illegally spied upon. Trump issued the tweet after saying documents about his former presidential campaign adviser Carter Page confirmed with little doubt that the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau …

Plagued by Cuts, Lebanon Survives on Floating Power Plants

Lebanon has for decades struggled with daily power cuts that leave residents sweating through their shirts summer after sticky summer.   The bankrupt national power company, unable to build new power plants, has been buying electricity from Turkish barges docked off-shore. Last week, Lebanon received its third floating power station – the 235-megawatt Esra Sultan, …

Cuba Cabinet, Largely Unchanged, Gets Lawmakers’ OK

Cuban lawmakers on Saturday approved the Cabinet named by new President Miguel Diaz-Canel, keeping most of the ministers from Raul’s Castro government in place, except for in the key post of economic reform. Cuba’s national assembly was also considering a proposed reform of its 1976 constitution that would reshape its government, courts and economy, creating …

Russia, France Cooperate on Aid to Syria’s Civilians

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone on Saturday to discuss joint humanitarian efforts in Syria, a day after France sent 50 tons of medical aid. France sent the aid after Russia agreed to facilitate transport of the aid to government-controlled eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus …