International news Archives - Page 14 of 18

24Aug

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

International news

Ex-President Guebuza’s son on trial

The son of Mozambique's ex-president and 18 others have gone on trial over the $2bn (£1.5bn) "tuna bonds" affair. Ndambi Guebuza, son of former President Armando Guebuza, and the others face charges of blackmail, embezzlement and money laundering. They have not yet commented on the charges. Mozambique's biggest corruption scandal led donors including the IMF to cut funding for the country and the economy to collapse. The trial is being held in a large canvas tent in the grounds of a maximum-security prison in the outskirts of the capital, Maputo. The city's courtrooms were deemed too small for the scores of lawyers, 70 witnesses and 250 media workers who have been accredited to attend. In the opening court session, the judge said all the accused must attend court in ...

Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema to take oath of office

24Aug

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

International news

Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema to take oath of office

Zambia's newly-elected leader Hakainde Hichilema takes office on Tuesday after a comprehensive election victory hailed as a rare triumph over authoritarianism and a milestone in African democracy. Hichilema, 59, will take the oath of office before a crowd that will notably include opposition politicians from regional countries as well as current and former African leaders. On his sixth bid for the presidency, Hichilema defeated the incumbent Edgar Lungu, 64, by almost one million votes -- a landslide spurred by economic hardship and restricted freedoms under the previous regime.

Zambia Election Opposition Leader who Lost 5 Times Finally Becomes President

16Aug

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International news

Zambia Election Opposition Leader who Lost 5 Times Finally Becomes President

Hichilema, who tried his luck at clinching the presidency for a record five times, trounced the incumbent Edgar Lungu with over a million votes on his sixth stab. Taking to their social media platforms, many opined that the unrelenting spirit of the Opposition leader had earned him the top job with many likening his situation to that of ODM leader Raila Odinga who has also tried his luck at the presidency four times. This simply means Raila Odinga is the next president of Kenya. You don't need schooling to understand this." Hichilema's seemingly shone a ray of hope to the Orange supremo's supporters who said he should not be written off because he could win the election despite his previous losses. "So in 2027, Raila will win in his sixth attempt," one user noted. Calvin Khayot...

Panic and disbelief as thousands flee Taliban onslaught in Afghanistan.

13Aug

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International news

Panic and disbelief as thousands flee Taliban onslaught in Afghanistan.

The UN has urged Afghanistan's neighbours to keep their borders open as the number of civilians fleeing the Taliban onslaught swells. Many of those internally displaced have been arriving in Kabul, seeing the capital as their last safe refuge. Food shortages are "dire", the World Food Programme (WFP) said. It warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. On Friday, the Taliban seized the country's second largest city Kandahar, the latest provincial capital to fall. The southern city of 600,000 people was once the Taliban's stronghold, and is strategically important as a trade hub. The insurgents also took the nearby city of Lashkar Gah and now control about a third of Afghanistan's provincial capitals. Many of those seeking safety in Kabul are sleeping on the streets. About ...

Two dead and dozens trapped in India landslide

11Aug

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International news

Two dead and dozens trapped in India landslide

At least two people have died and dozens more are trapped under debris in a huge landslide in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Falling boulders have buried a truck, a passenger bus and other vehicles, according to local reports. Police and local officials have begun rescue efforts, said Jairam Thakur, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. There have been several deadly landslides in India in recent months during an unusually heavy monsoon. It's still unclear what caused Wednesday's landslide - it happened on a highway in Kinnaur district. Local reports say five people have been rescued, but around 30 others are still trapped. Indo-Tibetan Border Police teams have been dispatched to help with rescue efforts and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has ...

11Aug

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International news

US issues travel advisory against Kenya

The United States has issued a travel advisory against Kenya over Covid-19 and terrorism. In a notice on Wednesday, the US said its citizens should reconsider travel to Kenya due to Covid-19. “Exercise increased caution in Kenya due to crime, terrorism, health issues, and kidnappings. Some areas have increased risk,” the advisory read. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Kenya due to Covid-19. This indicates a high level of Covid-19 in the country. In June, the CDC issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Kenya due to Covid-19, indicating a moderate level of Covid-19 in the country. But on Wednesday, CDC said one risks contracting the disease when they visit Kenya.

China battles worst Covid outbreak since Wuhan

30Jul

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International news

China battles worst Covid outbreak since Wuhan

A Covid outbreak first discovered in the Chinese city of Nanjing has spread to five provinces and Beijing, with state media calling it the "most extensive contagion after Wuhan". Almost 200 people have been infected since the virus was first detected at the city's busy airport on 20 July. All flights from Nanjing airport will be suspended until 11 August, said the Global Times. Officials also began city-wide testing amid criticism for their "failure". All 9.3 million of the city's residents - including those visiting - will be tested, said state-controlled Xinhua news. Posts on social media show long lines of people queuing, and authorities have reportedly urged people to wear masks, stand one metre apart and avoid talking while they wait. Officials said the hig...

Ethiopia temporarily closes Bole airport to civilian aircraft over mist

26Jul

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International news

Ethiopia temporarily closes Bole airport to civilian aircraft over mist

Ethiopia has temporarily closed Bole International Airport to civilian aircraft due to bad weather. In a statement on Monday, Ethiopia airlines said all flights have been diverted to nearby airports. There was severe fog and heavy rain on Sunday overnight that forced the aviation to reroute all flights. Passengers were seen complaining about the flights as planes were orbiting at Bole International Airport. Two Ethiopian Airlines flights and one from Turkish Airlines were scheduled to land at Bole Airport could not do so over the weather. “Out of an abundance of caution, flights heading to Addis Ababa are diverting to nearby airports due to bad weather at around Bole Airport,” the airline said. “As safety is our top priority, flights to Addis Ababa are now landi...

First group of Zimbabweans to be deported from UK arrive home

23Jul

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International news

First group of Zimbabweans to be deported from UK arrive home

The first group among dozens of Zimbabweans slated for deportation from Britain landed in the southern African country Thursday on a charter flight. According to Harare, as many as 150 of its citizens are held in detention centres awaiting removal from the UK after being convicted of crimes. Fourteen arrived in the Zimbabwean capital on Thursday following what the UK Home Office described in a statement as "a landmark and historic agreement to return foreign national offenders". UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said the Zimbabweans "committed murder, rape and other despicable crimes." Last-minute legal challenges against the deportations delayed the removal of many among the 50 scheduled to be on the first flight. Tendai Biti, vice-president of Zimbabwe's main opposition p...

22Jul

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International news

Record rains kill 25 in central China

People look out at cars sitting in floodwaters after heavy rains hit the city of Zhengzhou in China's central Henan province on July 21, 2021. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT The military blasted open a dam to release floodwaters threatening one of its most heavily populated provinces, as at least 25 died in torrential rains in central China. Those who died include a dozen passengers trapped in a flooded subway. The dam was blasted late Tuesday night in the city of Luoyang, just as severe flooding overwhelmed the Henan provincial capital of Zhengzhou, trapping residents in the subway system and stranding them at schools, apartments and offices. President Xi Jinping described the situation as "extremely severe" with flood control measures entering a "critical stage"...