Maiduguri, Nigeria | AFP | Maiduguri resident Ahmed Muhammed wanders through the rubble left behind as he recalls the outbreak of fighting in his city a decade ago that launched the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. “We heard shooting — badadadadadada — here, there, everywhere around us,” the 44-year-old railway …
Read More »Fishing for plastic on Amsterdam’s eco-friendly canal cruises
Amsterdam, Netherlands | AFP | Equipped with fishing rods and thick gloves, a group of people peers into the water from one of the many boats that line Amsterdam’s famous canals. But it’s not fish they’re hunting on their cruise along one of the Dutch capital’s most famous tourist attractions …
Read More »From Bethlehem basement, Palestinian distiller toasts global acclaim
Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories | AFP | In his Bethlehem cellar, distiller Nader Muaddi made fewer than 500 bottles of his liquor last year but has won international accolades and now aims to help revive interest at home in the traditional drink. On the outskirts of the city famed for Jesus’s …
Read More »Gambia ex-president accused of ordering murder of two US businessmen
Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Former members of a Gambian death squad known as the Junglers on Thursday accused ex-president Yahya Jammeh of ordering the murder of two US citizens in 2013, having already confessed to the killing of a well known journalist. Since Monday, Gambians have been gripped by live …
Read More »China swim star Sun ‘no drug cheat’ – coach Cotterell
Gwangju, South Korea | AFP | Chinese swim king Sun Yang is no drug cheat and has been the victim of “ill-informed” protests from athletes at the world championships, insists his Australian coach. Denis Cotterell has worked with the 11-time world champion since the 2008 Beijing Olympics and maintains China’s sporting …
Read More »Stella Nyanzi review case fixed for hearing
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The High Court Criminal Division has fixed July 29th to start hearing an application filed by Dr Stella Nyanzi demanding a review of her case. According to the hearing notice signed by the Court Registrar Mary Ikit, the case will be heard by Justice Jane …
Read More »NGO demands release of Nigeria aid workers kidnapped by jihadists
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Charity group Action Against Hunger on Thursday demanded the release of six aid workers kidnapped in northeast Nigeria and held by jihadists aligned to the Islamic State group. The Paris-based charity said a staff member, two drivers and three health workers for one of its projects were …
Read More »Felix happy to be back, Gatlin, Coleman cruise
Des Moines, United States | AFP | Allyson Felix struggled through her first race in 13 months but declared herself happy to be back after scraping into the 400m semi-finals on the opening day of the US Championships here Thursday. More than a year after her last outing as a professional, …
Read More »Parliament demands regular updates on Lubowa hospital
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has asked the Ministry of Health to report to Parliament every two weeks on the status of the International Specialized Hospital in Lubowa. This was after the Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng on Thursday presented a statement on …
Read More »Iran poses loyalty test for ‘British Trump’ Johnson
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Iran’s seizure and continued detention of a UK-flagged tanker deals Boris Johnson an immediate loyalty test: Britain’s new prime minister may have to choose between Gulf escorts led by Europe or by the United States. Which way Johnson leans could set the tone for a …
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