Seoul, South Korea | AFP | More than 2,000 South Korean soccer fans will sue a sports agency after superstar Cristiano Ronaldo stayed on the bench when his Juventus side played a friendly in Seoul last week, a law firm said Monday. The star Portuguese striker did not play a single second of the match …
Read More »Kenya makes strides on doping, but hurdles remain
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya suffered international embarrassment in 2016 when a string of doping scandals brought the country famed for its distance runners within a whisker of disqualification from the Rio Olympics. “It was a time when Kenya faced an enormous challenge in terms of the very integrity of …
Read More »Amid charges of racism, Trump attacks black rights activist
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump branded African-American civil rights activist Al Sharpton a “con man” on Monday, sparking further charges of racism following his recent tirades against prominent black lawmakers. The attack followed a weekend during which Trump drew fire for targeting Elijah Cummings, a Democratic …
Read More »School students shot dead at Sudan rally ahead of talks
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Four Sudanese school students were among five demonstrators shot dead Monday during a rally against shortages of bread and fuel, a day before protest leaders and ruling generals are set to hold new talks on the country’s transition. Authorities announced a night-time curfew in four towns …
Read More »Africa moves to conserve animal genetic resources
Only developed countries including the US, China, India, some in Europe and South America have well–established gene banks Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | For the recent decades, Africa’s indigenous animals such as the East Africa’s sinewy Ankole cattle; a product of the centuries of selection for traits adapted to …
Read More »DRC Ebola concern up
What WHO emergency declaration means | THE INDEPENDENT | On July 17, the second worst Ebola outbreak of all time, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was officially declared an international Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said this means all countries should …
Read More »Outrage as Trump brands mostly-black Baltimore ‘infested mess’
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump was hit with new accusations of racism Saturday after he attacked a prominent African-American lawmaker and branded the majority black city of Baltimore an “infested mess.” Trump’s outburst came in a series of sharply worded tweets aimed at Democratic Representative Elijah …
Read More »Morocco’s two decades under King Mohammed VI
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Here are some milestones in the two-decade reign of King Mohammed VI of Morocco and facts on the North African country: – Breaks with father – On July 23, 1999, Mohammed ascends the throne at age 35 on the death of his father Hassan II, …
Read More »After a year of Trump pressure, US Fed struggles to communicate
Washington, United States | AFP | For the first time since the Great Recession a decade ago, the US Federal Reserve is poised to cut interest rates, shoring up America’s defenses as the global economy weakens. It will mark a striking about-face for the central bank, reversing a rate increase announced just …
Read More »State funeral for Tunisia’s Essebsi as new polls loom
Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Thousands of Tunisians on Saturday attended the funeral of president Beji Caid Essebsi as the North African nation gears up for snap elections as early as September to defend the democratic gains of the Arab Spring. Essebsi, the country’s first head of state elected in …
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