Nigerian court acquits leader Biafra separatist group Nnamdi Kanu accused of terrorism, treason
A Nigerian separatist leader accused of terrorism and instigating violence in the country’s southeast was acquitted on Thursday by a local court, his lawyer told journalists. The Nigerian Court of Appeal dismissed the government-filed charges against Nnamdi Kanu in Abuja, the nation’s capital, after a jury faulted the legality of...
Uganda president signs into law a bill that bans some internet activity and social media use
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed into law legislation criminalising some internet activity despite concerns the law could be used to silence legitimate criticism. The bill, passed by the legislature in September, was brought by a lawmaker who said it was necessary to punish those who hide behind computers to...
Ukraine’s liberated east faces cold season minus humanitarian aid and heating worries as winter sets in
In late September, as Albina Iliushchenko drove down the familiar streets of her childhood in Izium in eastern Ukraine, she choked back tears looking at the cracked, blackened facades of apartment blocks, and at the restaurants and shops reduced to rubble. At the elementary school where her mother used to...
Understanding bereavement: An emotional black hole for which puzzled psychologists prescribe ‘acceptance’
It was early springtime in Australia when my son died. I took jasmine and dark-red sweet peas from my garden to his funeral and laid them carefully beside him, wondering how I could even keep breathing through the pain. His name was Adam. He was 38, and more than six...
Little known Nigerian ‘keeper Uzoho denied Man United strikers 30 times, now he’s a hero of Europa League
Owen Hargreaves heaped praise on Omonia Nicosia goalkeeper Francis Uzoho after his stunning display in his side’s 1-0 defeat against Manchester United on Thursday night at Old Trafford. The Cypriot outfit were on the backfoot for the majority of the Europa League clash, but United could not find a way...
An Ivorian teenager once dreamed of living in Italy, 23 years later he’s elected to the nation’s parliament
When Aboubakar Soumahoro was a teenager in his native Ivory Coast, he used to clean shoes and dream of going to Italy, filling a scrapbook with pictures of Italian fashion designs that he cut out of magazines. He eventually made it to Rome in 1999, aged 19, but was shocked...
Alert: China’s diplomacy in Horn of Africa that’s anchored on firming ruling regimes protects its interest only
At the outset of the conflict in Tigray in November 2020, China worked with the Ethiopian military to evacuate 600 Chinese citizens from the massive Wolkaiyt sugar refinery near the frontlines and a water project near Mekelle run by the Gezhouba Group, one of China’s largest energy state-owned enterprises. In...
China’s parallel peace agenda in Horn of Africa questioned as it lures region toward the Communist Party
The launch of China’s Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa initiative in March 2022 to facilitate a Chinese-led peace process in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa highlights Beijing’s interest in the region that is grappling with humanitarian crises touched climate change and scramble for natural...
Ebola rampage: Uganda President Museveni bans herbalists, witchdoctors and miracle healing prayers
Uganda has imposed an indefinite ban on the work of herbalists and other traditional medicine men to halt the rapid spread of Ebola outbreak that already killed scores – including Health-workers – in the past three weeks. The ban was announced on Thursday by President Yoweri Museveni as new assessment...
Disaster beckons as Barcelona count themselves alive by a miracle after shock Champions League draw
Around Camp Nou, it was mostly an eerie silence on the final whistle of Barcelona’s 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, as it dawned on fans that the Catalan side are almost certainly eliminated from the competition already. As Inter’s players, coaches and fans celebrated in their small pockets, most of...
