Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Amazon said Monday it had acquired the global television rights to “The Lord of the Rings,” based on the celebrated fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, with a multi-season commitment. Set in Middle Earth, the adaptation will explore new storylines preceding Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Officials began counting votes in the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland after residents on Monday took part in its third presidential poll, hoping to bolster its democratic credentials and strengthen the case for independence from troubled Somalia. The northern territory, which is more tribally homogenous and stable …

New York, United States | AFP | Three South American former soccer officials were blinded by greed and accepted millions of dollars in bribes, US prosecutors told the FIFA corruption trial Monday as defense lawyers insisted their wealthy clients were innocent. Forty-two officials and marketing executives, and three companies were indicted …

Washington, United States | AFP | Hate crimes across the United States accelerated in 2016 as the divisive election battle that saw Donald Trump elected president progressed, FBI statistics showed Monday. Hate crimes — acts motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender — rose overall for the …

Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | The High Court in Kampala has resorted to adjourning capital offences indefinately, due to the on-going Prosecutor’s strike which has so far taken one month. According to the Deputy Registrar in-charge of criminal matters Emmanuel Baguma, Prison Authorities have been directed not to bring back …

Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | Principle Judge Yorakamu Bamwine has taken over as mediator in a high-profile case between businessman Sudhir Ruparelia and Bank of Uganda (BOU). Justice Bamwine’s appointment comes after the parties in the case rejected the earlier appointed mediator Harriet Magala. The two parties have said they …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Residents of the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland voted Monday in its third presidential poll, hoping to prove its democratic credentials and strengthen the case for independence from troubled Somalia. The northern territory, which is more tribally homogenous and stable than the rest of Somalia, broke away …

Bonn, Germany | AFP | Climate change imperils one in four natural World Heritage sites, including coral reefs, glaciers, and wetlands — nearly double the number from just three years ago, a report said Monday. The number of sites at risk has grown to 62 from 35 in 2014, when one …

Paris, France | AFP | UNESCO’s new chief on Monday brushed aside the United States’ decision to walk out of the UN cultural body, saying the organisation had survived long periods without Washington before. Former French culture minister Audrey Azoulay, elected on Friday to head UNESCO, said the US was “not …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Hundreds of people marched Sunday in Hollywood, joining a growing movement against sexual harassment and abuse that emerged after movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and later a string of film personalities faced accusations of misconduct. Demonstrators gathered at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood — …