Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | AFP | Some 60 Tanzanian Muslims say they have been held for four years without trial on terror charges and have threatened to boycott any future hearings, local media reported Wednesday. The majority of the suspects, who include preachers, were arrested in the mainly Christian …
Read More »‘Down with Zuma’ chants at S.Africa freedom icon’s funeral
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The funeral of celebrated South African anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada on Wednesday was transformed into a rally against President Jacob Zuma, who had been barred from the event. The family of the African National Congress (ANC) stalwart, one of Nelson Mandela’s closest colleagues in …
Read More »Kenya court orders parliament to pass gender quota
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s High Court on Wednesday gave parliament 60 days to enact legislation that would make it obligatory to have more female lawmakers, or face dissolution. The 2010 constitution requires that no more than two thirds of lawmakers should be men, a principle hailed at the …
Read More »India’s parliament passes key tax reform bills
New Delhi, India | AFP | India’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed four supporting bills that will pave the way for a landmark tax reform and transform the world’s fastest growing economy into a common market. The government aims to launch the goods and services tax (GST) law by …
Read More »Trump love not enough to bring back coal
New York, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump pledged Tuesday to revive America’s coal industry by rolling back regulation, but energy experts expressed doubt his moves would significantly boost prospects for the controversial energy source. Trump, flanked by coal miners and Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, a …
Read More »Samsung eyes rebound with Galaxy S8 phones, virtual assistant
New York, United States | AFP | Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its new Galaxy S8 smartphones, incorporating the virtual assistant Bixby, as the market leader seeks to rebound from a chaotic handset recall and a corruption scandal. The South Korean giant’s mobile chief DJ Koh told a New York event …
Read More »First direct flight from Mogadishu lands in Nairobi after 10 years suspension
NAIROBI (PSCU) – Direct flights between Mogadishu and Nairobi resumed Wednesday with the first commercial plane carrying 49 passengers from the Somali capital landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) shortly after 1.00 p.m. The re-launch of direct flights between Nairobi and Mogadishu was agreed upon at bilateral talks between …
Read More »Chinese player’s wife raises red card after match gaffe
Beijing, China | AFP | The wife of a Chinese player gave her husband a red card Wednesday for playing away, claiming that spending too much time with his mistress led to his embarrassing gaffe in a crucial World Cup qualifier. Jiang Zhipeng, a Guangzhou R&F club left-back, had a …
Read More »Spanish woman sentenced for Twitter jokes about Franco-era assassination
Madrid, Spain | AFP | A Spanish court on Wednesday sentenced a young woman to jail for posting jokes on Twitter about the 1973 assassination of a senior figure in the Franco dictatorship. The National Audience, Spain’s top criminal court, found Cassandra Vera, 21, guilty of glorifying terrorism and humiliating victims …
Read More »Uganda hails surrender of senior LRA commander
Kampala, Uganda | AFP | Uganda’s army on Wednesday hailed the surrender of a senior commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army who was in charge of communication for leader Joseph Kony. Major Michael Omona returned to his hometown of Gulu in northern Uganda on Monday, 23 years after he was kidnapped …
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