Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | MTN Uganda has started its six month long campaign to celebrate its 20th anniversary with an Expo that thrilled revellers with artiste performances, a circus, robotics, fireworks display and a special production from renowned Uganda playwright Alex Mukulu. Lillian Mbabazi, Jose Chameleone, comedian Salvador Idringi …
Read More »America remembers Martin Luther King Jr, 50 years on
Memphis, United States | AFP | Americans on Wednesday marked 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, a day seared into the national consciousness that transformed the civil rights leader into a symbol of the fight for racial equality. In a country still torn over issues of race …
Read More »Libyans mark seven years since protests that ousted Kadhafi
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Thousands of Libyans on Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of the start of protests that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rallies and concerts despite the country’s political and economic morass. In the capital Tripoli, and across many cities in the North African country, thousands packed …
Read More »Algeria gas plant marks five years since bloody hostage siege
In Amenas, Algeria | AFP | Workers at Algeria’s In Amenas gas plant gathered Tuesday around a black marble memorial to mark five years since a deadly raid by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists left 40 hostages dead. All trace of the four-day siege — which saw workers from Japan, the Philipines, Britain, …
Read More »Elizabeth II, Prince Philip mark 70th wedding anniversary
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years of marriage on Monday to the man she calls her “strength and stay”, making them Britain’s first reigning couple to mark a platinum wedding anniversary. The bells of Westminster Abbey, where Elizabeth married Prince Philip on November 20, …
Read More »Protestants, Catholics mark 500 years since Reformation
Wittenberg, Germany | AFP | Catholic and Lutheran leaders Tuesday asked forgiveness for violence sparked by the Reformation, as worshippers celebrated 500 years since the religious revolution that created the Protestant church. Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived for a service at the church where German theologian Martin …
Read More »South Sudan cancels independence day celebrations
Juba, South Sudan | AFP | South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation gripped by civil war, has cancelled its official independence day celebrations for the second year running. “We are not celebrating… because our situation does not require us to celebrate at a time when there are people in need …
Read More »Troubled EU renews vows on 60th anniversary
Rome, Italy | AFP | European Union leaders renewed their vows at a special summit in Rome on Saturday, celebrating the troubled bloc’s 60th anniversary with a commitment to a common future without Britain. With British Prime Minister Theresa May absent, the other 27 countries signed a new declaration on …
Read More »Libya still in the mire as another anniversary passes
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Libya’s transition has been bogged down by insecurity and chaos, leaving the country looking like a “failed state” six years after the NATO-backed uprising that ended Moamer Kadhafi’s rule. “We got rid of one dictator only to see 10,000 others take his place,” said Fatma …
Read More »Happy 15th birthday, euro: key things to know
Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | The euro, used by nearly 340 million people each day, celebrates its 15th birthday on Sunday. Like a teenager in the throes of adolescence, the euro has lurched from crisis to crisis in recent years, but still manages to enjoy firm support across …
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