The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a controversial travel ban affecting citizens of Libya and Somalia hoping to enter the U.S. will stand, despite legal challenges dating to the first days of President Donald Trump’s administration. The 5-4 ruling keeps in place a reworked version of the ban…
Chinese officials have again denied using lasers directed at United States military pilots, a claim that first surfaced in Djibouti in April but has now reemerged in the South China Sea. Some 20 incidents were recorded since September of last year, a U.S. military official tells CNN, with the most…
The French government on Thursday said it remains concerned about the political crisis in Cameroon, but did not announce any specific initiatives to engage in mediating the conflict between President Paul Biya’s government, and the opposition activists and separatists from its Anglophone regions. “We are closely monitoring the situation in…
The United States has issued an arrest warrant for a South African hunting guide accused of illegally shooting elephants inside Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe and bribing officials to have the ivory released. The U.S. Department of Justice says that 44-year-old Hanno Van Rensburg took an unnamed Colorado resident on…
Officials in Burundi verified on Monday the final vote tally on a referendum, initiated by President Pierre Nkurunziza, which extends presidential term limits to allow him to run for and remain in the office through 2034. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said the referendum passed with 73 percent of…
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a body that counts half of all African nations among its 57 members, plans an extraordinary summit on Friday in Istanbul following the call of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to address the Israeli-Palestinian crisis in Gaza. The OIC has condemned the United States…
United States President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement has been met with a flurry of diplomatic responses, including concerns expressed by the African Union. Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the AU Commission, released a statement Wednesday in support of the July 2015 agreement, known…
Authorities in the United States have filed a formal complaint with China over the reported use of lasers directed at U.S. pilots in Djibouti, where both countries have military bases near each other. Four laser incidents occurred over the last several weeks at Djibouti, U.S. military officials said. Three involved…
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria became the first leader of a sub-Saharan African nation to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, where the two discussed counterterrorism and security concerns, bilateral trade and humanitarian issues on Monday. “Nigeria and the United States share a long history of close and cordial…
As if Morocco’s FIFA World Cup bid isn’t already contentious enough, now a Twitter message from United States President Donald Trump has sent FIFA officials toward the guidelines on undue political influence over the World Cup host selection process. “The U.S. has put together a STRONG bid w/ Canada &…
The African nations on the United Nations Security Council voted in favor Tuesday of Russia’s resolution on the chemical weapons situation in Syria which – along with one introduced by the United States – failed to pass. It was the latest in the long struggle to achieve consensus and act…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The United States has lifted its travel ban for Chad, citing a positive review of the Sahel nation’s identity-management and information sharing practices. “Chad is a critical and vital partner to the U.S. counterterrorism mission. Chad has made significant strides and now meets the baseline criteria,” the U.S. Department of…
China again defended its record on Africa Friday, this time while taking a volley of questions from reporters during a routine press briefing with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang. It’s the latest round of responses as Beijing has pushed back in recent weeks against comments, primarily from the…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The United States said Tuesday it is ending its long-standing protected status policy for Liberians, one that allowed them to continue living in the U.S. under one of two programs dating back to 1991 and the civil war. “I have been informed that conditions in Liberia have improved,” said President…
China has defended its role on the African continent, following word that United States lawmakers plan to investigate Beijing’s expanding footprint in African nations and across the globe. Devin Nunes, a Republican member of Congress from California and Chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that as part…