Washington, United States | AFP | A mysterious whistleblower, a telephone call between President Donald Trump and a foreign leader, and military aid to Ukraine. Here’s what we know about the latest political firestorm swirling around Washington: – Whistleblower – On August 12, an unknown whistleblower in the US intelligence …
Read More »School children throng streets in vast global climate strike
New York, United States | AFP | Huge numbers of children skipped school Friday to join a global strike against climate change that teen activist Greta Thunberg hopes will mark a turning point in persuading leaders to act against environmental disaster. Chanting slogans and waving placards, youngsters and adults filled the …
Read More »Wonderkid Fati: from African suburb to Barcelona’s Camp Nou
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau | AFP | Ansu Fati has made a long trip from the fields of Guinea-Bissau, where he played as a child, to Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium where the 16-year-old is playing with some of the biggest stars in the world. Fati’s has made a stirring start to the season, …
Read More »Congress, intel leaders clash over whistleblower report on Trump
Washington, United States | AFP The US intelligence watchdog briefed lawmakers Thursday about the handling of a whistleblower complaint on alleged behavior by President Donald Trump, and a senior Democrat expressed alarm that the administration refuses to share the complaint with Congress. The allegations, rejected by Trump as “presidential harassment,” have …
Read More »Mother or baby die in child birth every 11 seconds: UN
Uganda improved by 35% percent over a 17-year-period from 578 to 375 deaths for every 100,000 live births Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Global child and maternal deaths have fallen sharply in recent decades, but new UN statistics released Thursday show unequal progress, with more than five childbirths a minute ending …
Read More »OBITUARY: Ousted Tunisian president Ben Ali dies at 83
Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Tunisia’s all-powerful leader for over two decades, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced from power and into exile by a landmark popular uprising in early 2011, sparking revolts across the Arab world. The man who once appeared in official portraits with a benevolent smile …
Read More »Clooney group calls for action in South Sudan corruption report
Damning South Sudan Report focuses on regional players, including Uganda London, United Kingdom | AFP | Hollywood star George Clooney’s investigative project The Sentry on Thursday urged the international community to act over alleged links between global corporations, tycoons and foreign governments and rampant corruption in South Sudan. The Sentry …
Read More »RWANDA: Death of warlord in DR Congo ‘good news’ for region
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Kigali on Wednesday welcomed the killing of a Rwandan Hutu rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and said it proved neighbouring President Felix Tshisekedi’s commitment to fighting “negative forces”. Sylvestre Mudacumura, commander of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), who …
Read More »Pompeo heads to Saudi Arabia after US blames Iran
Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departed for Saudi Arabia Tuesday to discuss possible retaliation after Washington said it had proof that attacks on Saudi oil installations originated in Iran. Vice President Mike Pence announced that Pompeo was on his way to the …
Read More »The long road to clean energy
Paris, France | AFP | The vital transition to a zero-carbon economy is likely to be a long and rocky road. So-called green energy is booming, but not fast enough to curb climate change, which is accelerating at an alarming pace as oil, gas and coal consumption soar. – Booming renewables …
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