Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe shot dead a large crocodile that strayed into the northern town of Hwange and blocked entry to a hospital, an official said Thursday. The crocodile took up position outside the main gate to St Patrick’s hospital and charged at anyone trying …
Read More »Freed Boko Haram girls in Abuja for debrief and president meeting
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | More than 100 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram were in Nigeria’s capital on Thursday, a day after their surprise release that fuelled rumours about how their freedom was won. A total of 104 of the 110 students seized from the school in Dapchi, in the …
Read More »As Facebook scandal mushrooms, Zuckerberg vows to ‘step up’
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has vowed to “step up” to fix problems at the social media giant, as it fights a snowballing scandal over the hijacking of personal data from millions of its users. “We have a responsibility to protect your data, and …
Read More »Security fears shut boarding schools in NE Nigerian state
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Boarding schools have been shut indefinitely in the northeast Nigerian state most affected by Boko Haram violence, the government has said, in the latest blow to children’s education. “All boarding secondary schools in the state, with the exception of those in (the state capital) Maiduguri …
Read More »CARE International: Supporting women and girls in rural areas
Her Dignity, Our Pride: CARE International in Rwanda; supporting women and girls in rural areas to graduate out of poverty and live with dignity **** Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Over the past 34 years, CARE International in Rwanda has and continues to support a significant number of women and …
Read More »Firefighter tells court of finding French nanny’s remains on bonfire
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A British firefighter has described discovering the charred remnants of a young French nanny, during the trial of a couple accused of killing her and disposing of the body in a bonfire in their garden. The remains of 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet were discovered by …
Read More »YouTube follows Amazon into movie theaters
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | YouTube has announced it is making a movie in-house to be released in theaters, in a development seen as a step towards the model of new-media innovator Amazon. “Vulture Club,” which is in post-production, stars Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Dead Man Walking,” “Thelma …
Read More »Commonwealth Games abandons data mining after Facebook scandal
Sydney, Australia | AFP | A plan to mine data from Commonwealth Games visitors who use free and fast wifi in Australia was abandoned Thursday as a privacy scandal swirls around social media giant Facebook. The local Gold Coast council is offering a service up to 10 times normal speed …
Read More »Trump to announce China trade sanctions on Thursday
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump is poised to unveil sanctions against China Thursday for the “theft” of US intellectual property, a White House official said, teeing up a second potential confrontation in as many months. Spokesman Raj Shah told AFP that Trump will announce actions following …
Read More »British PM seeks EU backing on spy attack
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May will on Thursday seek to unite EU leaders in condemnation of Moscow over the poisoning of a former Russian spy, but she faces resistance from states keen to protect their Kremlin ties. May will brief her colleagues at a Brussels …
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