Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s film industry, dubbed Nollywood, has long kept viewers entertained with tales of romance and riches, and now foreign investors are increasingly looking for a part of the action. US giant Netflix, France’s Canal+ and China’s StarTimes are among those making moves in the globe’s second …
Read More »In Yakutia, Russia digs for diamonds in permafrost
Mirny, Russia | AFP | Diamonds are forever, and so is the permanently frozen ground of Yakutia in north eastern Siberia, home to huge diamond deposits that ensure Russia’s supremacy in world production of the luxury stone. In the city of Mirny, the sun shines almost continuously during the region’s white …
Read More »African leaders set to sign landmark trade deal at AU Summit
Niamey, Niger | AFP | African leaders will meet Sunday in Niger for the African Union (AU) summit, to sign a landmark free trade agreement, and to discuss looming security and migration crises on the continent. In a “historic” moment for the 55-member bloc, according to its chairman Moussa Faki, heads …
Read More »Tour de Impossible? Pakistan hosts ‘world’s toughest cycle race’
Khunjerab , Pakistan | AFP | Finishing nearly 5,000 metres above sea level after hundreds of kilometres winding past blackened glaciers and snow-capped peaks: a new Pakistani race presents a world-class challenge for cyclists — climbing towards the “Roof of the World”. The Tour de Khunjerab — its name a …
Read More »Greece heads to polls with voters expected to oust Tsipras
Athens, Greece | AFP | Greek voters are casting their ballots on Sunday in the country’s first national election of the post-bailout era, with leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s Syriza party expected to be ousted by the conservative opposition. Polling stations opened at 07.00 am local time (0400 GMT)and will close …
Read More »Rapinoe and USA aim to retain World Cup, but Netherlands stand in their way
Lyon, France | AFP | Led by the charismatic Megan Rapinoe, the United States are aiming to retain the women’s World Cup as they face European champions the Netherlands in the final in Lyon on Sunday. A sell-out crowd of close to 60,000 is expected for the showpiece game of the …
Read More »Sudan deal first step to transition but challenges lie ahead
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | After months of political uncertainty, Sudan has taken its first step towards a democratic transition, but getting the ruling generals to deliver on a power-sharing accord with protesters remains a challenge. “The only path forward is a negotiated deal between the two sides,” said Alan Boswell, …
Read More »Staying on feet pays off for persistent Gabriel Jesus
Teresópolis, Brazil | AFP | At just 22 years of age, a back-to-back Premier League title winner with Manchester City and having scored 17 goals in 34 matches for five-time world champions Brazil, it might seem absurd to say it, but Gabriel Jesus was under pressure coming into the Copa America. …
Read More »UN calls for Libya ceasefire as death toll climbs to 1,000
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | The UN Security Council called Friday for a ceasefire in Libya as the death toll from a three-month offensive on Tripoli reached 1,000, including scores killed in an air strike that hit a detention centre for migrants. The council condemned the late Tuesday attack on the …
Read More »Electric scooters: not so eco-friendly after all?
Electric scooters: not so eco-friendly after all? Paris, France | AFP | E-scooters touted as zero-carbon urban transport are flooding city streets worldwide, but just how green they are remains an open question. The companies — from multinationals to local start-ups — distributing them insist the omnipresent two-wheel vehicles are a …
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