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 …
Read More »Andreas Gabalier, Austria’s ‘populist’ pop star, faces far-right claims
Vienna, Austria | AFP | With his lederhosen and lyrics about his love for the mountains, Andreas Gabalier has become the biggest name in Austrian pop music, but recently has had to defend himself against claims of far-right sympathies. As the political atmosphere in Austria hots up ahead of parliamentary elections …
Read More »The power of solid waste
Uganda offers lessons in tapping it Kampala, Uganda | SHUAIB LWASA | In places where municipalities continuously fail to collect and manage waste, authorities tend to concentrate their efforts in a few areas. These are often in a city’s wealthier sections. Informal settlements remain under-served or are not served at …
Read More »Nigerian migrants struggle to reintegrate after Libya ordeal
Benin City, Nigeria | AFP | Emerging from her ordeal, Gloria considers herself “privileged”. Last year, the 26-year-old left Nigeria with four other women, dreaming of a better life in Europe. On a tortuous journey, three of the five friends died before reaching Libya, where the two survivors were stranded for …
Read More »Under-pressure Merkel govt to unveil climate strategy
Berlin, Germany | AFP | Feeling the heat from a vocal climate protest movement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government plans Friday to unveil a multi-billion-euro grand plan for tackling global warming. Days before a UN climate summit in New York, Merkel’s team was due to announce details as the top EU …
Read More »Outsider leads after upset Tunisia presidential poll
Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Law professor and political outsider Kais Saied on Monday led Tunisia’s presidential polls with two-thirds of the votes counted, the electoral commission said, after the country’s second free vote for head of state since the 2011 Arab Spring. Saied was on 18.9 percent, ahead of imprisoned …
Read More »Uganda tourism ranking exposes best prospects
Country tops on natural resources, price competitiveness Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The latest Travel & Tourism (T&T) Competitiveness Report 2019 shows the challenges of implementing a business strategy for Uganda’s tourism sector. The T&T Competitiveness Index (TTCI) measures factors and policies that enable the development and competitiveness of …
Read More »Netanyahu: Israel’s longest-serving premier fights for his future
Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Benjamin Netanyahu has become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister with his right-wing leadership and by repeatedly besting rivals with deft political moves, but he will have to pull another rabbit out of the hat in Tuesday’s elections. The 69-year-old is fighting his second election in …
Read More »Start-ups shaping future of Africa’s cities
Africa also needs urban innovation groups such as Uber actively reimagining its emerging cities and their slums | Jonathan Hursh & Emmanuel Adegboye | By the end of the century, it is estimated that 13 of the world’s 20 largest cities will be in Africa – and none of them …
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