asked

The Kremlin has rejected claims that President Vladimir Putin asked prominent business figures to contribute funds to help shore up Russia’s finances as the war in Ukraine continues. According to reports from unnamed sources, the independent Russian outlet The Bell and the Financial Times said the allegations stemmed from a closed-door meeting Mr Putin held with business leaders yesterday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “It’s not true that Putin made such a request.” He added that one attendee at the…

Prosecutors have asked the Harare Regional Magistrates Court to compel prominent pastor Walter Magaya to enter a plea in a rape case, saying repeated pre‑trial motions have stalled the prosecution and risked harming witnesses and alleged victims. In papers filed at the court, the State described a series of what it called “frivolous and vexatious” applications lodged by Magaya’s defence that, prosecutors argue, were intended to frustrate the prosecution despite what they say is a prima facie case. The filings ask the…

The reunion between Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara was cordial to say the least this Tuesday 27 July evening in Abidjan. Politically, the only concrete demand was from Laurent Gbagbo, who expected to release prisoners who were considered "political" by the opposition. An embrace for the photographers, a few steps hand in…