London, United Kingdom | AFP | Boris Johnson said Wednesday he would only take Britain out of the EU without a deal as a “last resort”, officially launching his campaign to be prime minister with a promise to unify a country still deeply divided over Brexit. The former foreign minister is …
Read More »Solo, yet tutti: App puts orchestra in your living room
Aix-en-Provence, France | AFP | It’s a musician’s dream — rehearse alongside a full orchestra, but in your own living room. And the immersive experience is possible because, yes, there’s an app for that, courtesy of a French start-up, Digital Music Solutions. “NomadPlay” is all down to an algorithm which separates …
Read More »Catalan separatists’ trial: Five key facts
Madrid, Spain | AFP | The high-stakes trial of 12 Catalan separatist leaders over their role in Catalonia’s failed 2017 independence bid is due to wrap up on Wednesday after four months of hearings. Here are five key facts about the trial: Who are the accused ? Nine former ministers in …
Read More »Taboo-breaking TV soap on sex and women has Senegal in a lather
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Cheikh hoists his second wife Mareme onto his shoulder and carries her to their rose petal-covered bed, where he lays her down. The frolicking couple embrace and…. what happens next is left to the viewer’s imagination as the camera suddenly switches to a pair of white …
Read More »Africa hopes stars can shine in Egypt after officials cause shame
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Top African football officials hope the history-making Cup of Nations in Egypt from June 21 can deflect attention away from a string of embarrassing incidents involving them. In recent weeks, CAF president Ahmad Ahmad and senior vice-president Amaju Pinnick and VAR have been dominating the …
Read More »Mbarara tops with murder cases
Mbarara, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID is to study the persistent number of murder cases in Mbarara district. The CID Director, Grace Akullo recently observed that Mbarara district has continued registering a high number of murder cases since 2001. “The District of Mbarara continues to register high …
Read More »Sudan rivals agree to new talks as protest strike ends: mediator
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Protest leaders have agreed to end a campaign of civil disobedience launched after a deadly crackdown on demonstrators and to resume talks with Sudan’s ruling generals, an Ethiopian mediator said Tuesday. The apparent breakthrough, which the military rulers had yet to confirm, came as a top …
Read More »Nearly 100 killed, 19 missing in central Mali village massacre
Bamako, Mali | AFP | Nearly 100 people were killed in a gruesome overnight attack on a village in central Mali, in the latest violence to strike the fragile region, authorities said Monday. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the massacre, targeting a village inhabited by the Dogon community, …
Read More »Beating Boris: Race to replace UK’s May kicks off
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The contest to succeed Theresa May as Britain’s next leader heated up on Monday, with candidates lining up to define themselves against the “bluff and bluster” of Brexit-backing frontrunner Boris Johnson. Ten Conservative MPs gathered enough support to qualify by Monday’s deadline for the race …
Read More »Amazon dethrones Google as top global brand
London, United Kingdom | AFP | US retail giant Amazon has moved past hi-tech titans Apple and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand, a key survey showed Tuesday. The brand value of Amazon surged by 52 percent to $315 billion, global market research agency Kantar said in its 2019 …
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