Brussels, Belgium | AFP Paris attacks suspect Mohamed Abrini confessed Saturday to being “the man in the hat” caught on video with suicide bombers at Brussels airport last month, images that had sparked a massive manhunt. Abrini made the admission on the day he was charged with terrorist murders …
Read More »Real suffer shock first leg defeat at Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg 2 Madrid 0 PSG 2 Man City 2 Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid suffered a shock 2-0 Champions League defeat at Wolfsburg in Wednesday’s quarter-final, first-leg to leave them on the verge of a European exit. In Paris, away goals by Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho handed Manchester City …
Read More »Industry threatens nearly half of natural heritage sites: WWF
Paris, France | AFP Almost half of all natural World Heritage Sites, including the Great Barrier Reef and Machu Picchu, are threatened by industrial activities such as mining, oil exploration and illegal logging, conservation group WWF warned Wednesday. The 114 threatened sites, virtually half the total listed by UNESCO, provide …
Read More »Netanyahu looks to changing Africa for new Israeli allies
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP Four decades after his brother was killed during a rescue operation in Uganda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is embarking on an African mission of his own — but with very different aims. Galvanised by a growing demand for Israeli security assistance and his government’s search …
Read More »Tanzanian UN troops face paternity claims after alleged sex abuse
United Nations, United States | AFP Eleven girls and women from the Democratic Republic of Congo claim they became pregnant as a result of sexual abuse by Tanzanian troops serving in the UN peace mission there, the UN said Tuesday. “Seven of the alleged victims have already given birth and …
Read More »Angola, hit by collapse of oil prices, seeks IMF aid
Washington, United States | AFP Angola said Wednesday it had asked the International Monetary Fund for help after the crash in oil prices ravaged government finances. The IMF said discussions would begin next week in Washington on what could be a three-year support plan for the government. “The sharp decline …
Read More »WhatsApp toughens encryption after Apple-FBI row
Washington, United States | AFP | The popular messaging service WhatsApp said Tuesday it had implemented “full end-to-end encryption,” a move which steps up privacy but may lead to conflicts with law enforcement agencies. The Facebook-owned mobile application with one billion users worldwide made the announcement following weeks of intense …
Read More »At least 17 killed in Monday’s clashes in Congo capital
Brazzaville, Congo | AFP | At least seventeen people died Monday in fighting in Congo’s capital Brazzaville, the government said, adding they had been killed in a “terror attack” and the subsequent “rapid intervention” by security forces. “Three members of the security forces, two civilians and 12 attackers” were …
Read More »S.African President Zuma survives impeachment vote
Cape Town, South Africa | AFP South African President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday easily survived an impeachment vote after a stormy session of parliament over a court ruling that he had violated the constitution. Lawmakers from Zuma’s African National Congress party rallied to his defence, defeating the motion by …
Read More »War crimes judges drop charges in Kenya Ruto case
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP War crimes judges on Tuesday threw out charges of crimes against humanity against Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto over his alleged role in post-election bloodshed in 2007-2008, but left the door open to a possible new trial. In a fresh blow to the prosecution, the …
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