Moscow, Russia | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would “take action to hold Russia accountable” for the poisoning of a spy on British soil, as another ugly war of words erupted between Moscow and London over the Cold War-style attack. In a phone call with Vladimir …
Read More »UK’s Johnson likens Putin’s World Cup to 1936 Berlin Olympics
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson agreed Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin would exploit the 2018 football World Cup in Russia as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler did the Berlin Olympics. Johnson agreed with an MP who suggested, “Putin is going to use it in the way …
Read More »Japan condom makers hope for 2020 Olympic lift
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Japanese condom makers are ramping up preparations ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, seeing a golden opportunity to showcase their world-record ultra-thin products. For years, hundreds of thousands of condoms have been distributed for free to competitors at Olympic Games in a bid to encourage …
Read More »Why is your eyebrow twitching?
Kampala, Uganda | BETHANY CADMAN | Eyebrow twitching can be caused by everyday things that might include caffeine, stress, and eyestrain. It may also be a sign of an underlying disorder, such as Bell’s palsy or Tourette syndrome. Twitching of the eyebrow is when the skin around the eyebrow moves or …
Read More »In Somalia, women defy strict rules to play football
Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Shortly after sunrise, a group of young women arrives at a football pitch in Mogadishu, where they shrug off their hijabs — some changing underneath the billowing veil — to reveal their team kit. Young Somali men stand nearby, some disapproving but all watching closely, as …
Read More »Empire of delusion
Today the Commonwealth exists as an organisation in search of a rationale Kampala, Uganda | MICHAEL WESLEY | Anyone interested in power must visit Persepolis. Its ruins stand defiantly in a parched valley in southern Iran, the ultimate statement of the capacity of humans to dominate vast multitudes of their fellow …
Read More »Abducted Nigeria schoolgirls ‘brought back’ by Boko Haram: parents
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Boko Haram Islamists who kidnapped more than 100 schoolgirls in Dapchi, northeast Nigeria, just over a month ago have returned the students to the town, two parents told AFP on Wednesday. A senior government source in Abuja and police in Yobe state also confirmed the …
Read More »Macron unveils plan to boost French, ‘language of liberty’
Paris, France | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled plans to get more people speaking French, saying the “treasure shared by 700 million people” belonged to all and should be given more prominence in the EU ahead of Brexit. France’s youthful president has impressed foreign audiences with his near-flawless …
Read More »Surgeon says Neymar’s recovery is ‘going well’
Neymar Paris, France | AFP | Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said on Tuesday that Neymar’s recovery from foot surgery “is going well”, as the star forward bids to be fit for the World Cup in Russia. Lasmar, who operated on Neymar on March 3, said he speaks “two or three …
Read More »Public smiles, private problems as Saudi prince visits White House
Washington, United States | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s crown prince received an effusive welcome at the White House Tuesday from US President Donald Trump, who hailed a “great friendship” with the kingdom — but made no public mention of the sticking points in the burgeoning alliance. In front of the cameras, …
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