Tecomán, Mexico | AFP | Like any other 10-month-old, Luis Manuel Gonzales babbles and touches anything within reach. But he stands out in a stunning and perhaps life-threatening way: he weighs 28 kilos (62 pounds). He might need medical treatment costing a fortune, but his father earns a little over …
Read More »Statue of actor Bud Spencer unveiled in Budapest
Budapest, Hungary | AFP | A year after his death, a massive bronze statue of Spaghetti Western actor Bud Spencer, born Carlo Pedersoli in 1929, was unveiled in Budapest Saturday before a crowd of adoring fans. The burly and bearded actor, who died in June 2016, earned cult status in …
Read More »Morocco, Tunisia take different paths to Russia 2018 World Cup
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | North African nations Morocco and Tunisia took contrasting routes Saturday as they qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Morocco scored twice within five minutes through Nabil Dirar and Medhi Benatia during the opening half to triumph 2-0 in the Ivory Coast and …
Read More »Museveni, Magufuli condemn ICC action on Burundi
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC) President Yoweri Museveni and visiting Tanzania President John Magufuli have urged caution before any action is taken against Burundi. On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) revealed that its judges had given the go-ahead …
Read More »Foundation stone for 1,445km oil pipeline laid in Hoima
Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni and Tanzania foreign minister Dr. Augustine Mahiga have laid a foundation stone at the start point of the 1,445km-long East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Hoima, Uganda. Saturday’s function marked the climax of the visit by Tanzania’s president John Magufuli, who …
Read More »Britain’s Africa minister says DR Congo vote target ‘achievable’
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Britain’s minister of state for Africa Rory Stewart met DR Congo authorities on Friday and said plans to hold long-deferred elections late next year were “achievable.” The DRC had weathered months of unrest and violence over the vote, which was delayed by President Joseph …
Read More »Trump and Xi lay out competing trade visions at APEC
Danang, Vietnam | AFP | The leaders of the US and China laid out sharply divergent visions for the future of global trade on Friday, with Donald Trump doubling down on his “America First” rhetoric, leaving counterpart Xi Jinping to defend the “irreversible” tide of globalisation. Xi, who has emerged …
Read More »First pineapple farm opens in Gaza
Khan Yunis, Palestinian Territories | AFP | Pineapples are being harvested in the Gaza Strip for the first time as part of efforts to help the impoverished Palestinian territory work towards food self-sufficiency. The fruit, for domestic sale, is grown in a 1,000 square metre greenhouse in the southern Gaza …
Read More »Pope warns of nuclear terror threat
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Friday renewed calls for global nuclear disarmament, warning that new technology had increased the risk of deadly weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. “You only have to note that nuclear technologies are spreading, partly because of digital communications, and …
Read More »Uber loses employment rights case in Britain
London, United Kingdom | AFP | US ride-hailing company Uber on Friday lost its appeal against a landmark court ruling in Britain that would give drivers the right to paid holidays and the national minimum wage. The London employment tribunal upheld an October 2016 judgment in a case that is …
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