Colombia will cull some of the 166 hippos descended from a small herd imported by deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s, the country’s environment minister said Thursday.Authorities have tried various approaches to curb the population explosion along the Magdalena River, including sterilization and transferring individuals to zoos abroad.  But they have so far been …

Colombia to cull some of Pablo Escobar’s hipposFri, 03 Nov 2023 00:18:20 GMT Read More »

One year after a deal to end the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, there were global calls Thursday for more to be done to protect civilians and ensure justice for victims of atrocities.Human Rights Watch, the European Union and 10 foreign governments said rights abuses were continuing in Africa’s second most populous country despite the …

One year after Tigray peace deal, rights abuses persistThu, 02 Nov 2023 18:41:16 GMT Read More »

Islamist armed groups and Malian soldiers killed at least 175 civilians, many of them children, between April and September in Mali, Human Rights Watch has said, condemning the targeted killing of civilians as war crimes.The Al-Qaeda-linked Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) was responsible for the deaths of at least 135 civilians in two …

Islamist armed groups, army targeting civilians in Mali: HRWThu, 02 Nov 2023 16:18:24 GMT Read More »

Thousands of people gave the World Cup-winning Springboks a roaring welcome in Soweto on Thursday, as they passed through the Johannesburg township where they were once hated for a homecoming tour steeped in symbolism.South Africa edged arch-rivals New Zealand 12-11 to achieve a record fourth Rugby World Cup title and their second in a row in …

World-Cup winning Springboks get roaring welcome in SowetoThu, 02 Nov 2023 15:45:59 GMT Read More »

When he was barely a teenager, Kenyan goatherder Lisoka Lesasuyan lost both arms to an unexploded bomb while crossing a field used in joint military exercises with the British army.For decades Britain has sent its forces to train in central Kenya but their presence has long attracted controversy, with soldiers accused of rape and murder, …

Divisive legacy of British army base in KenyaThu, 02 Nov 2023 09:48:03 GMT Read More »

Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the United Nations and the international community to “maintain pressure” on the Ethiopian government to ensure justice for victims of atrocities, one year after the end of the Tigray war.The two-year conflict in northern Ethiopia between forces loyal to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and the Tigray People’s Liberation …

HRW says abuses persist in Ethiopia despite peace dealThu, 02 Nov 2023 09:24:44 GMT Read More »

The World Cup-winning Springboks on Thursday began a four-day homecoming tour in Pretoria, with President Cyril Ramaphosa hailing the team for uniting a country with a divisive past.South Africa edged greatest rivals New Zealand 12-11 to achieve a record fourth title in a gripping final last Saturday in Paris. With gold medals hanging from their necks, …

Springbok ‘legends’ start homecoming World Cup victory tourThu, 02 Nov 2023 07:49:04 GMT Read More »

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday accused Ugandan authorities of harassing, arresting and beating activists and demonstrators protesting a major East African oil project led by French giant TotalEnergies.The $10-billion project by TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation to develop oilfields in Uganda has been hailed by President Yoweri Museveni as an economic …

HRW accuses Uganda of crackdown on activists protesting oil projectThu, 02 Nov 2023 07:08:27 GMT Read More »

Working as a nurse in her rural Nigerian village, Andat Datau faced more than her share of challenges. But delivering babies by torchlight was always hard.Off-grid for years, her Sabon Gida village relied on diesel generators or lamps and, like millions of other Africans, Datau often got no light at all.But a year ago, Datau’s …

Solar mini-grids offer clean-power hope to rural AfricaThu, 02 Nov 2023 03:45:44 GMT Read More »

King Charles III paid tribute on Wednesday to Kenyan soldiers who fought for Britain in two world wars, after acknowledging there was “no excuse” for colonial-era abuses committed in the East African country.But his comments Tuesday on the first day of a state visit to Kenya disappointed some who were seeking a formal apology for …

King Charles meets Kenya veterans after admitting colonial abusesWed, 01 Nov 2023 18:25:25 GMT Read More »