Rome, Italy | AFP | The United Nations has approved an emergency loan of $22 million (20.3 million euros) in a bid to prevent another famine in drought and crisis-hit Somalia, its food agency said Tuesday. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is releasing the funds to the Food and Agriculture …
Read More »Pope tells young to resist ‘false’ reality of social media
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Tuesday warned young people to resist the lure of “false” versions of life presented on social media or reality TV shows. Instead, the Internet generation needs to write their own histories, become masters of their destiny and establish real connections …
Read More »Nude-photo scandal prompts US Marines to update social media rules
Washington, United States | AFP | The US Marine Corps has revised its social media guidelines amid a scandal involving the nonconsensual online sharing of nude Marines. The scandal centers upon the revelation this month that pictures of female Marines in various states of undress had been shared in a secret …
Read More »UK issues laptop, tablet flight ban after US warning
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain tightened airline security on flights from Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa on Tuesday, banning laptops and tablet computers from the plane cabin following a US security warning. Passengers flying directly to Britain from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey …
Read More »Another ACFON qualifier begins with spotlight on minnows
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations begins on Wednesday, just 45 days after Cameroon snatched victory over Egypt in the final of the previous edition. The “Indomitable Lions” of Cameroon and the “Pharaohs” of Egypt will not be involved, however, as they …
Read More »Ghana shuts tourist site where 20 died in freak tree accident
Accra, Ghana | AFP | Ghanaian authorities have closed the popular tourist destination of Kintampo Falls after 20 people died in a tree fall tragedy, officials said Monday. A group of high school and university students were swimming on Sunday afternoon at the picturesque waterfalls in the Brong-Ahafo region, some 450 …
Read More »Supreme Court nominee on Trump: ‘No man above the law’
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, stated repeatedly at his confirmation hearing Tuesday that “no man is above the law,” as senators grilled him on his willingness to take on the nation’s commander in chief. The hearing unfolded along partisan lines in …
Read More »UK banks ‘handled’ $740 mn in laundered Russian money
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Several British banks processed nearly $740 million in a multi-billion dollar Russian money-laundering scam, The Guardian newspaper said on Monday. According to documents obtained by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, at least $20 billion was moved out of Russia between 2010 and 2014 …
Read More »China’s Xi calls for peace in meeting with Netanyahu
Beijing, China | AFP | Chinese President Xi Jinping called Tuesday for peace between Israel and an independent Palestine “as soon as possible” during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, state media reported. “A peaceful, stable and developing Middle East is the common interest of all parties… China appreciates …
Read More »PSG contract offer ‘fake news’ – Wenger
Paris, France | AFP | Under-pressure Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger dismissed as “fake news” reports that Paris Saint-Germain had offered him a two-year deal at the French champions. The Frenchman is facing a fan backlash at Arsenal after a rotten run of form and British tabloid The Sun said on Monday …
Read More »
The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price