Lesotho’s Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, 80, is to be charged with the murder of his estranged wife Lipolelo Thabane, police have said. Mr Thabane announced he would be stepping down in July because of old age, without commenting about the case. His current wife Maesaiah Thabane has already been charged with the murder.

He would be the first African leader to be charged with a domestic murder while in office, in a case that has shocked the tiny mountain kingdom.  Lipolelo, 58, was shot dead two days before Mr Thabane became prime minister in 2017. At the time, he described her killing as “senseless” but police now accuse him of being involved in her killing.

“The prime minister is going to be charged with the murder,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Paseka Mokete was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. “The police are preparing directives and he will probably be charged tomorrow [Friday],” he added.(BBC)…[+]

US Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren is being praised online for her fiery performance in a televised debate on Wednesday. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg was appearing in his first presidential debate in the contest and floundered in the face of rivals’ attacks.

Ms Warren has fallen behind in the race but her attacks on Mr Bloomberg won her the debate on social media. Bernie Sanders is currently the frontrunner to win the nomination. The tone for the night was set when Ms Warren, a former teacher who has talked about her experiences of discrimination and unequal pay, branded Mr Bloomberg a “billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians”.

She repeatedly attacked his record on women’s rights, referring to private agreements he made to settle sexual harassment and hostile workplace lawsuits. She continued her criticism in a tweet after the debate saying: “I hope you heard what Mayor Bloomberg’s defence of decades of mistreatment of women was: ‘I’ve been nice to some women.'” The post was widely shared and #WarrenForTheWin was a top trend on Twitter on Thursday. Memes celebrated Ms Warren’s “take-down” of Mr Bloomberg.(BBC)…[+]

President Donald Trump has appointed Richard Grenell, the current ambassador to Germany, as the acting intelligence chief in charge of US spy agencies. The move was a surprise to many given his lack of relevant experience and controversial record of pushing conservative policies as a diplomat.

But Mr Grenell is a staunch Trump loyalist and has been outspoken in his defence of the president. Critics say this bias will impede his ability to deliver neutral facts. As the acting Director of National Intelligence, Mr Grenell will manage the National Security Agency, FBI, and CIA among other agencies, as well as advise the president on intelligence concerns. The president announced the appointment via Twitter on Wednesday, saying Mr Grenell had “represented our Country exceedingly well” as ambassador.

But US media report some officials and Trump allies are concerned that Mr Grenell was given the directorship based primarily on his loyalty to Mr Trump. Mr Grenell is a former Fox News contributor and served as US spokesman at the United Nations during President George W Bush’s term. He was confirmed by the Senate to the ambassador role in April 2018. He is believed to be the first openly gay member of Mr Trump’s cabinet.

Mr Grenell will replace the current acting director, Retired Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, who must leave the post by 12 March in accordance with federal law. When the last director, Dan Coats, left in July, the president attempted to fill the role with another loyalist, Republican congressman John Ratcliffe. Mr Trump eventually decided against doing so after bipartisan pushback over Mr Ratcliffe’s lack of experience and outspoken support for him. It was clear he was unlikely to be confirmed by the Senate.(NU)…[+]