Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Islamist militants Boko Haram on Monday released a new video purporting to show at least 14 of the Chibok schoolgirls whose mass kidnapping nearly four years ago became a symbol of NIgeria’s brutal conflict. But despite a concerted global campaign for their release, and talks between …

Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday threatened to thwart the creation of a new US-backed 30,000-strong border security force in northern Syria before it was even set up. “America has acknowledged it is in the process of creating a terror army on our border. What …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov repeatedly attacked the US at his annual press conference Monday, accusing Washington of issuing ultimatums and failing to recognise “the reality of the emerging multipolar world”. Lavrov said the past year had not been easy from a foreign policy perspective as …

Detroit, United States | AFP | Volkswagen said Sunday that its namesake brand sold more vehicles worldwide in 2017 than ever before, a sign it is recovering from a bruising emissions-cheating scandal three years ago. “We finished 2017 with the best performance ever for Volkswagen,” Herbert Diess, chairman of the board …

New Delhi, India | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he was “disappointed” by India’s refusal to back recognition of Jerusalem as his country’s capital but would not let it spoil his landmark visit to the Asian giant. Netanyahu also vowed that Israel would “catch up” with …

Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Xeno Technologies Uganda Limited is an indigenous investment fund management company that officially launched business on Jan.03. The company’s CEO, Aeko Ongodia spoke to The Independent’s Julius Businge about their plans.   What is your core business like?   Xeno Technologies is a newly licensed …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester City saw their long unbeaten run in the Premier League brought to a shuddering halt at the weekend as Liverpool shrugged off the departure of Philippe Coutinho to claim a dramatic 4-3 victory. A disjointed Arsenal slipped to a 2-1 defeat at struggling Bournemouth, …

How African athletes challenge Western notions of doping Kampala, Uganda | UROS KOVAC | The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expanded the power of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), making it a central authority in the “fight against cheating”. WADA defines doping as the use of prohibited substances and methods designed to …

Paris, France | AFP | Referee Tony Chapron became the pantomime villain of Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 win at Nantes on Sunday, after responding to an accidental collision with Diego Carlos by kicking the Brazilian and sending him off. In injury time and with PSG on the counter-attack, Chapron stepped across the …

Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | The use of giant rats to sniff out tuberculosis (TB) in Tanzania is set to nearly double by the end of the year due to successful detection rates, a charity who trains them is quoted in a Reuters Africa report as saying. African Giant Pouched Rats, …