Tanzania's parliament has passed a controversial amendment of its Political Parties Act (1992), that may cripple the country's infant multi-party democracy, reported some media on January 30, 2019. The parliament passed the amendment on late January 29, 2019, according to the reports. The amendment gives almost unlimited powers to the government appointed registrar of political parties over political parties in the country, including among others, power to: invalidate politic

Felix Tshisekedi on January 24, 2019 was inaugurated as the new president of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). President Tshisekedi replaces incumbent President Joseph Kabila whose mandatory term in office as permitted by the country's Constitution has expired. The inauguration which is the first ever peaceful transfer of power in DRC's post-independence history, took place at the Palace of the Nation in Kinshasa in the presence of the incumbent President Kabila and governm

Popular rapper Chris Brown who was under arrest in Paris for rape allegations has been released without charges, reported various world media on January 23, 2019. Chris Brown and two other guys were arrested on January 22, 2019 after a 24 year old woman accused them of sexual assault. The woman claimed the alleged sexual assault took place in a hotel in the French capital sometimes in January 2019. On his release, rapper Brown strongly dismissed the sexual assault allegations

In a damning interview with Stephen Sackur of BBC Hardtalk aired by BBC World Service on January 21, 2019, Tanzania's renowned opposition member of parliament who survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and currently recovering from his injuries in Belgium, Tundu Lissu, mercilessly unleashed strong attack on the government of Dr John Magufuli on various fronts. He said, among other things, the following. Beginning his attack, MP Lissu said it was the government of Dr Magufu

The Constitutional Court of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the early morning of January 20, 2019, confirmed the leader of the country's main opposition party, Union for Democracy and Social Progress, Felix Tshisekedi, the winner of the recently held presidential election hence the next president of DRC. The confirmation follows the court's dismissal of an appeal by the leader of another major opposition party, Engagement for Citizenship and Development, Martin Fayulu,

On January 17, 2019 Ethiopia's parliament passed a new law that grants refugees in the country right to: work, schooling, and access banking and other financial services. With the new law, refugees in the country, currently confined to about 20 refugee camps, will be able to move out of the camps and travel within the country to search for jobs and/or attend schools. Refugees will also be able to officially register births, marriages, and deaths. Ethiopia hosts about 900 000

The leader of Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema, Mr Freeman Mbowe is sick in jail where he has been languishing since November 23, 2018, reported some East African media on January 17, 2019. Mr Mbowe's poor health in jail reportedly emerged when he failed to appear in court in Dar es Salaam on January 17, 2019 with other top officers of his party, to answer controversial charges of sedition and incitement of violence. The allegations relate to a peaceful demonstration

Sweden's incumbent prime minister Stefan Löfven has been voted for by the country's parliament as the new prime minister, more than four months after the country's general elections. The latter were held on September 9, 2018. In a parliamentary voting session aired live by SVT News on the morning of January 18, 2019, on a proposal by the speaker, of Mr Löfven as a new prime minister, 153 members of parliament voted against the proposal. That implied victory for Mr Löfven as n

Rihanna is suing her dad Ronald Fenty and his business partner Moses Perkins for false business claims, reported some media on January 16, 2019. According to the reports, Mr Ronald Fenty and his business partner claimed their firm Fenty Entertainment was operating on behalf of the global music superstar and beauty mogul. Whether the ensuing legal battle will affect Rihannas´s relationship with her dad who she reportedly once said taught her everything, is difficult to establi

At least 21 people have died in a terror attack in Nairobi, Kenya, reported some media on January 17, 2019. According to the reports, the attack took place in the afternoon of January 15, 2019, at a luxury hotel complex called DusitD2, in the city's upmarket district of Westland. Paradoxically, among those killed in the attack was Jason Spindler, an American who survived the September 11 terror attacks in New York City. The attack is said to have been carried out by four heav