Africa's week in pictures: 27 June
From the BBC in Africa this week:
Big shake-up in Nigerian politics as heavyweights join forcesQueen of Katwe's gambit still in play for Uganda's slum chess playersDR Congo-Rwanda peace deal met with scepticism in rebel-held city
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Prince Harry's strict reason for not taking Meghan Markle on surprise Angola trip
As Prince Harry touched down in Africa to continue his charity work of clearing landmines in the war-torn country, a royal source has revealed why Meghan Markle stayed behind Prince Harry is set for the second day of his unannounced trip to the African country of Angola to continue his work of helping to clear landmines from the war-torn nation. He arrived in the country's capital city of Luanda yesterday where he plunged straight into a programme of events. This included a meeting with Angola's president, João Lourenço, and the prince was pictured sitting alongside other dignitaries for a discussion with the nation's leader about the ongoing efforts to clear the war-torn country from unexploded landmines. However, many were quick to notice that the Duke of Sussex had made the trip alone, with his wife Meghan Markle and their children remaining in California. And it seems there is an important reason as to why Meghan is not at Harry's side during the trip - and it's all down to security concerns. A source told Daily Mail: "The Duke won't let his wife go to England over security concerns, so there was no chance he'd allow her to go to Angola to walk across landmines." Harry previously admitted in a BBC interview earlier this year that he "can't see a world" in which he would be able to bring Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, to the UK without key security measures that were stripped from the Sussexes after they quit royal life in 2020 and relocated to America. In a statement, CEO of The Halo Trust, James Cowan, said, "It was an honour to have an audience with His Excellency President Lourenço today alongside Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to discuss HALO's continued demining efforts in Angola. 'We thanked him for his extraordinary dedication to and investment in the vision of a mine-free country, and he expressed his intention to continue to support our work with a further significant contract for the next three years. Our partnership is strengthened and renewed, and we are grateful to President Laurenço for his leadership on this critical issue.' Angola was ravaged by a brutal 27-year civil war that ended in 2002, but the country is still trying to uncover the millions of landmines buried across the countryside that still pose a threat to locals and wildlife. Prince Harry has been a patron of the HALO Trust since 2019, when the Angolan government pledged £46million to create safe wildlife corridors and protect endangered species in conservation areas. The charity and the Angolan government set a target of clearing all landmines by 2025 and Harry is said to hope that his presence there will boost efforts to meet the target. Since 1994, Halo has cleared more than 123,000 landmines, and works to transform former war zones into farmland, national parks and 'safe' villages. The Duke of Sussex is hoping the publicity surrounding his surprise visit will encourage more donations from the Angolan government, as a source told the Daily Mail: 'Usually these trips help to drive a bit more money from the government.' Prince Harry's trip to Angola echoes the same trip made by his late mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, who walked through an active minefield in Huambo, Angola, stepping out in partnership with the HALO Trust just months before her untimely passing. Harry's trip to Angola is the first time he has stepped out since rumours of peace talks between the Duke of Sussex and his estranged father, King Charles, emerged. Senior aides to both father and son held a secret peace summit last week - said to be a "significant" step in reuniting the feuding pair. At least three representatives from either side were seen speaking at the Royal Over-Seas League which sits just three minutes from Clarence House. The meeting has prompted many to wonder if the aides had been discussing a possible meeting between the King and Harry, when he is due to visit the UK in September.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
US President Donald Trump's administration deports five migrants to Eswatini
The US says it has deported what it described as five "criminal illegal aliens" to the southern African kingdom of board the flight were five deportees from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen who have been convicted of crimes ranging from child rape to murder, US Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an online post."This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back," McLaughlin wrote on X. Earlier this month, after weeks of delays, the US sent eight migrants from several countries to South Sudan. The country initially agreed to accept the deportees. As a result, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked all visas for South Sudanese passport holders. It is not clear if that has now week, Nigeria said it would not bow to pressure from the Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees or third-country prisoners from the US. President Donald Trump's pledge to conduct mass deportations was a centrepiece of his election campaign and an issue on which he drew widespread support, including many Hispanic said he wanted to deport people living in the US illegally but White House efforts have been much broader in scope - taking aim at people in the US on student visas, suspending admissions of refugees except white South Africans, and moving to revoke temporary work permits and other protections that had been granted to immigrants by previous crack down on immigrants, Trump's administration has resumed raids at workplaces, a tactic that had been suspended under his predecessor, Joe has 'enough problems' and can't take deportees from US, minister says'We can't do without these people': Trump's migrant crackdown has businesses worriedIn a series of posts on the X social media platform, McLaughlin listed the crimes the five had been convicted of, describing them as "depraved monsters" who had been "terrorizing American communities". "A safe third country deportation flight to Eswatini in Southern Africa has landed," she said, adding: "They are off of American soil". Eswatini, the last absolute monarchy in Africa, has not commented on the arrival of the flight. But the tiny African country had been named in media reports as a potential recipient of deportees from the known as Swaziland, Eswatini is landlocked by neighbours South Africa and Mozambique. It has been led by King Mswati III since month, the US Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume deporting migrants to countries other than their own. Rwanda has confirmed discussions have taken place, while Benin, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Moldova have been named in media reports as potential recipient administration has already deported people to El Salvador and Costa Rica. You may also be interested in: US cuts visa validity for applicants from four African countriesSix things Trump should know about Liberia after he praised leader's 'good English'Why Trump invited five African leaders to the White House Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Richard Murphy in huge spat with BBC presenter over 'pro-Union bias'
Murphy took part in the phone-in on the Mornings show presented by Connie McLaughlin on Wednesday when the pair got into a spat. Midway through an extensive discussion on impartiality at the BBC, Murphy came onto the programme to say he did not have confidence in the BBC, highlighting that the 'nationalist community' does not trust the broadcaster because it is 'so absolutely pro-Unionist'. After former BBC political editor Brian Taylor was brought back into the discussion – having spoken on the programme already – alongside ex-BBC Radio 4 presenter Roger Bolton, Murphy and McLaughlin then got into a heated back-and-forth. READ MORE: Media expert raises fears over BBC Gaza documentary review When Murphy was brought in to have his 'final word', he said: 'We've gone on for 40-plus minutes and all I've heard so far is pro-BBC propaganda from the BBC.' McLaughlin then interrupted to say: 'Well not really because they've allowed you to speak.' 'No, let me finish Connie please,' Murphy then said. McLaughlin then hit back saying: 'Richard, come on.' Murphy then said he had just heard a programme 'which is entirely about how good the BBC is from BBC editors and producers' which he claimed is 'bias'. McLaughlin interrupted him again saying: 'Have you not been speaking on the programme for the last eight minutes or so because I don't think then that's accurate?' (Image: Ian West/PA Wire) Murphy then said: 'Every time I do, you interrupt me Connie and you are not interrupting your BBC colleagues.' McLaughlin said it was 'not fair' for Murphy to make that accusation as she warned him that he had a minute and a half left to speak. 'The BBC is biased in favour of big business, it is biased in favour of the right wing media because it uses that as its news sources in the main for discussion, it is biased against the nationalist cause in Scotland, it is biased against the Palestinian cause in its claim and its right to have a state, it is biased in favour of Israel very clearly,' Murphy concluded. McLaughlin replied: 'Thank you for that, you've had your say and hopefully you think you had enough time there.' The squabble had been preceded by Murphy clashing with Taylor after the economist claimed Taylor had said he had never heard any complaints about BBC bias in his time at the broadcaster. READ MORE: Scottish Tories in cronyism row as THIRD ex-spin doctor gets public cash Taylor clarified that he had said he was 'never at any point asked within the BBC by managers to tailor a report to fit an agenda dictated by the BBC' adding that he had witnessed 'endless complaints' about BBC Scotland coverage. But Murphy hit back by claiming the BBC bases its news agenda on a printed press heavily skewed in favour of the Union. He said: 'You're saying there's never been an instruction but let's look at how the BBC constructs so much of its news output. 'Almost every day the BBC's news agenda is tailored by what is in the media, the rest of the media, in particular the printed media. 'Have you noticed the bias in the printed media in Scotland? There is one pro-independence newspaper and a raft of those who are opposed. 'So, if the BBC reflects equally each of the newspapers, the nationalist cause does not get represented.' McLaughlin said: 'The purpose of the BBC is not to reflect every newspaper out there.' The BBC has come under fire from a variety of angles after an independent review found it had breached an accuracy guideline in failing to disclose that the narrator of a documentary on Gaza was the son of a Hamas official. However, the report also concluded that in terms of the programme's content, there were no issues with accuracy, fairness or impartiality. The BBC has also sacked both MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode, following a review into the behaviour of Wallace. The report, commissioned by MasterChef production company Banijay UK and led by law firm Lewis Silkin, found 45 out of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated, alongside two standalone allegations made against other people, including one for using racist language. Wallace was sacked by the BBC last week. In a post on Instagram, Torode confirmed he was the person alleged to have used racist language but said he had 'no recollection of the incident' and was 'shocked and saddened' by the allegation. Torode has been told his contract on MasterChef will not be renewed on Tuesday.
