News

Madagascar's anti-corruption chief Mamitiana Rajaonarison has been appointed as the country's new prime minister, President Michael Randrianirina announced on Sunday. It comes after the strongman sacked the last prime minister and his cabinet on Tuesday. "The Malagasy nation needs bold decisions. We are now at a turning point," the president said in a televised address on Sunday. "This country needs a person of integrity, a person of principle, incorruptible and who cannot be bought with money." Rajaonarison himself did not immediately comment on the news of his appointment. What do we know about Mamitiana Rajaonarison? Since 2021, Rajaonarison has led the Financial Intelligence Unit (SAMIFIN), which combats illicit financial flows, money laundering and terrorism financing. Prior to...

Cuba will release 51 prisoners in the coming days in a gesture of goodwill toward the Vatican, the country's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The announcement comes about two weeks after Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met Pope Leo at the Vatican. The ministry said the decision followed talks with the Holy See and reflected the "close and fluid relations" between the Cuban government and the Vatican on issues including the review and release of prisoners. "All have served a significant ⁠portion ​of their sentences and have maintained good conduct in prison," the ministry statement said. Authorities did not identify the inmates or specify the offenses for which they were jailed. Thousands of prisoners released over the years, says Cuba The nonprofit rights group Prisoners Defenders...

Pakistan carried out new strikes on Kabul and border provinces overnight from Thursday to Friday, according to Afghan authorities. Khalil Zadran, the spokesman for Kabul police, said four people had been killed and 15 wounded in the bombardment that hit homes in the capital, according to the AFP news agency. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X that Pakistani strikes also hit the southern province of Kandahar as well as eastern Paktia and Paktika, which border Pakistan. In a separate post, Zabihullah said that Pakistani aircraft targeted fuel depots of private ⁠airline Kam Air near Kandahar Airport. Pakistan at 'open war' with Taliban Following months of escalating tensions between the two countries and intense cross-border clashes, Pakistan declared open war on neighbo...

Spain permanently withdrew its ambassador to Israel on Tuesday, six months after recalling her for consultations, as a diplomatic standoff between the two countries initially linked to the war in Gaza regained momentum amid the latest US-Israeli attacks on Iran.  Spain's official gazette on Wednesday showed that the step had been taken the previous day, terminating the position of Ambassador Ana Maria Salomon Perez until further notice. The proposal, made by Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, had also been signed by King Felipe VI, the documentation showed.  The Spanish Embassy in Tel Aviv is currently run by a charge d'affaires rather than an ambassador. Spain's ambassador to Israel was first recalled last SeptemberImage: Matteo Nardone/Pacific Press/picture alliance Why are Spanis...

The United States announced two new trade investigations on Wednesday that could lead to new tariffs on major trading partners after the Supreme Court struck down much of US President Donald Trump's global tariff program.  The probes will look into excess industrial capacity and imports made with forced labor. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the probe under Section 301 of the Trade Act would examine structural overcapacity in economies, including the European Union, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico, among others. "These investigations will focus on economies that we have evidence appear to exhibit structural excess capacity and production in various manufacturing sectors," Greer told reporters. USTR calls out EU excess capacity Greer also targeted the EU, sayi...

Senegal's parliament on Wednesday approved a bill doubling the maximum prison sentence for same-sex relations to 10 years. Lawmakers passed the government-backed legislation by 135 votes to none, with three abstentions. The law, which now requires the president's signature to take effect, was a major campaign promise of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in 2024. Law targets so-called 'acts against nature' The latest law strengthens existing legislation that previously allowed prison terms of up to five years for what the penal code describes as "acts against nature." The new law criminalizing the promotion of homosexuality also increased the fine to up to 10 million CFA francs ($17,700, €15,340) from 1.5 million CFA francs ($2,676.18). Furthermore, it b...

Police are investigating whether a deliberate act caused a bus fire in western Switzerland that killed at least six people and injured several others on Tuesday. The bus caught fire around 6:25 p.m. on the main street of Kerzers, in the canton of Fribourg, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) west of Bern. When emergency services arrived, the vehicle was engulfed in flames, and firefighters had to extinguish the blaze. "At this stage, we have elements suggesting deliberate act by a person who was inside the bus," Frederic Papaux, a spokesperson for Fribourg police, said, adding that no other vehicle was involved. The fire "left at least six dead and five injured, three of them seriously," Papaux said. The firefighters extinguished the burning vehicleImage: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP President ex...

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta said Tuesday it is acquiring Moltbook, a social network built for AI agents. The latest move comes as the tech giant pushes deeper into artificial intelligence (AI) development. In a statement, Meta announced that Moltbook co-founders Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr will join its Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), adding that it "opens up new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses." Meta said the platform introduces "novel ideas in a rapidly developing space," as CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushes to make superintelligence a priority for the company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Is it a human or is it AI? Moltbook, launched earlier this year, drew viral attention as an unusual online hub where AI agents "share, discuss, a...