International
Boakai Wins Liberia Presidential Election
Political veteran Joseph Boakai was on Monday declared winner of Liberia’s presidential election, beating incumbent George Weah, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) said after completing the ballot count.
Boakai won with 50.64 percent of the vote, against 49.36 percent of the vote for former international football star Weah, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, president of the commission, told reporters.
Boakai won with only a 20,567-vote margin.
Weah had already conceded defeat on Friday evening, based on the results of more than 99.98 percent of the polling stations.
The outgoing president and former football star won praise from abroad on Monday for conceding and promoting a non-violent transition in a region marred by coups.
Liberians have once again demonstrated that democracy is alive in the ECOWAS region and that change is possible through peaceful means,” the Economic Community of West African States said in a statement.
Since 2020, ECOWAS states have seen abrupt regime changes with military forces seizing power by force in four of the fifteen member countries: Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The election six years ago of Weah — the first African footballer to win both FIFA’s World Player of the Year trophy and the Ballon d’Or — had sparked high hopes of change in Liberia, which is still reeling from back-to-back civil wars and the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic.
But critics have accused his government of corruption and him of failing to keep a promise to improve the lives of the poorest.
While his party lost, “Liberia has won,” Weah had said on radio.
Weah said he had spoken to the man he called the “president-elect” to congratulate him and urged his own supporters to accept the election result.
“This is a time for graciousness in defeat,” he said, adding “our time will come again”.
The African Union sent its congratulations to the president-elect on Monday.
AU chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat also called on “all parties to continue to display maturity and embrace dialogue to consolidate democracy”.
– ‘Defied the stereotype’ –
The West African bloc also said that the post-election phase was “crucial”, and called on “the people of Liberia to maintain and safeguard peace and security”.
However, the electoral commission head said that on Friday it had received two appeals from Weah’s party concerning the conduct of the election in Nimba County.
The commission has 30 days to investigate and reach a decision, she said.
Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, who led a mediation mission for the election, said he was “deeply pleased with the successful outcome of the democratic process”, in comments posted on X, formerly Twitter.
He went on to congratulate Boakai, urging him “to be magnanimous in victory and seek to continue the efforts to unite” Liberia.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is a heavyweight in the West African bloc, commended Weah’s concession saying it had averted any form of socio-political crisis.
“He has defied the stereotype that peaceful transitions of power are untenable in West Africa,” Tinubu said.
Several presidential elections in the region are upcoming in 2024, including polls in Senegal, Ghana and Mauritania, as well as military-ruled Mali and Burkina Faso.
AFP
International
Nestle shareholders wants chairman Paul Bulcke to step down
Mr Freixe’s removal came a year after predecessor Mark Schneider suddenly departed and 2½ months after Mr Bulcke said he would step down in 2026.
PHOTO: AFP
Nestle investors have called for chairman Paul Bulcke to step down over the departure of a second chief executive in just over a year.
The Financial Times (FT) reported that shareholders are concerned about the manner the former chief executive Laurent Freixe and the way investigations into his conduct were handled exacerbated their concerns over governance at Nestle and led them to question Mr Bulcke’s decision-making.
“I don’t think Mr Bulcke will move on before April but he should have left when Mr Mark Schneider was forced out,” Mr Alexandre Stucki, founder of AS Investment Management, which represents founding family investors in Nestle,” said.
The Swiss food giant abruptly dismissed Mr Freixe at the beginning of September for failing to disclose a romantic relationship with a subordinate.
Mr Freixe’s removal came a year after predecessor Mark Schneider suddenly departed and 2½ months after Mr Bulcke said he would step down in 2026.
The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office on Friday released video footage of the man suspected of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk fleeing a rooftop after the incident on September 10, 2025.
The bureau, in a statement accompanied by the video link shared on X on Friday, noted that the video shows the shooter climbing onto a rooftop shortly before the attack and then jumping off and fleeing the scene after firing the fatal shots.
Investigators also reportedly found the weapon and ammunition used in the shooting in a wooded area near the university.
The agency wrote, “The FBI has released a video and more photos of the shooter in the Utah Valley shooting. The subject is seen jumping from the rooftop of a building after the shooting.
“Around 12 pm Mountain Time on September 10, 2025, the subject climbed up to a rooftop; after he shot and killed Charlie Kirk, he jumped off and ran away. He left a gun and ammunition in a wooded area near the university.
“Trace evidence collected from the rooftop scene included shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm print. Anyone with information in this case should call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit fbi.gov/utahvalleyshooting.”
The bureau added that it is working closely with law enforcement partners to seek justice in the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Credit: X| FBISaltLakeCity
Burkina Faso’s military government has eliminated visa fees for all African nationals, aiming to strengthen Pan-African ties and promote regional integration.
The announcement was made Thursday by Security Minister Mahamadou Sana following a cabinet meeting led by junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
“From now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees,” Sana said. However, visitors must still complete an online application, subject to approval.
The move aligns Burkina Faso with other African nations like Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya, which support the African Union’s free movement agenda.
While West African nationals had already enjoyed visa-free access under ECOWAS, the new policy extends this to all Africans—months after Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger exited the bloc, accusing it of advancing Western interests.
Officials say the visa waiver reflects Burkina Faso’s Pan-Africanist vision and is expected to boost tourism, cultural exchange, and the country’s global profile.
The decision comes amid ongoing security challenges, as the country continues to battle a growing Islamist insurgency controlling parts of its territory.
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