Liberia is heading for a rematch of the 2017 presidential runoff between incumbent George Weah and opponent Joseph Boakai, as official provisional results Tuesday placed them neck and neck.With more than 94 percent of ballots counted, Boakai, 78, won 43.70 percent, while Weah, 57, a former international footballer who is running for a second term, …

Liberia heading for presidential run-offTue, 17 Oct 2023 17:10:42 GMT Read More »

Captain Scott Edwards smashed an undefeated 78 while Roelof van der Merwe returned to stun his homeland with a late cameo as the Netherlands made a fighting 245-8 against South Africa in the World Cup on Tuesday.Edwards’s runs came off 69 balls and featured 10 fours and a six. Meanwhile, 38-year-old Van der Merwe, who played 13 …

Edwards, Van der Merwe take Dutch to 245 against South AfricaTue, 17 Oct 2023 14:13:31 GMT Read More »

Belgian police on Tuesday shot and fatally wounded an alleged Islamist accused of gunning down two Swedish football fans visiting Brussels, as Sweden faces what its premier said was an unprecedented security threat.The attack was launched in central Brussels late on Monday, when a gunman opened fire on Swedes ahead of a football match, killing …

Gunman who murdered two Swedes is shot dead by Belgian policeTue, 17 Oct 2023 11:51:16 GMT Read More »

Brussels police on Tuesday shot and fatally wounded an attacker accused of gunning down two Swedish football fans in what Belgium’s prime minister condemned as an act of “terrorist madness”.Police opened fire on the suspect after he was cornered following an overnight manhunt in north central Brussels. He later died of his wounds, prosecutors said. “The …

‘Terrorist’ murders two Swedes, is shot dead by Belgian policeTue, 17 Oct 2023 09:03:03 GMT Read More »

Belgian police on Tuesday arrested a suspected gunman who shot dead two Swedish football fans in what authorities said was a “terrorist attack”.The arrest, in the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaerbeek, followed an intensive manhunt in the capital for the assailant armed with an automatic rifle.Police opened fire during the arrest, a spokesman for the Belgian …

Suspect arrested in Brussels after two Swedes killed in ‘terror attack’Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:37:43 GMT Read More »

UN peacekeepers in Mali announced Monday their pullout has started from two camps in the tense Kidal region, opening a new phase in a forced withdrawal igniting fears fighting will intensify between troops and armed actors.The UN stabilisation mission known as MINUSMA had expected to leave the camps in mid-October has brought the date forward …

UN peacekeepers leaving two more camps in tense northern MaliMon, 16 Oct 2023 19:13:20 GMT Read More »

Textile trader Yusuf Abdullahi admitted he could not afford to marry despite being 30 years old until Nigeria’s northern Kano state financed and staged mass weddings for 1,800 couples.Customary gifts for newlyweds were also provided by the state as part of efforts to enable the poorest to get married.Abdullahi was one of the grooms dressed …

Nigerian state holds mass weddings for 1,800 couplesMon, 16 Oct 2023 17:20:58 GMT Read More »

Facebook content moderators in Kenya said settlement talks to resolve a lawsuit against the social media giant’s parent Meta collapsed on Monday, setting the stage for a renewed court battle.In March, 184 moderators sacked by Sama, a company contracted by Meta to review Facebook posts, brought a lawsuit claiming unfair dismissal and alleging that workers …

Sacked Kenya moderators say mediation with Meta collapsesMon, 16 Oct 2023 16:56:11 GMT Read More »

Kenyan marathon runner Titus Ekiru has been slapped with a 10-year ban for doping and trying to obstruct the investigation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said Monday.The 31-year-old tested positive for prohibited substances after winning the Milan marathon in May 2021 and the Abu Dhabi event in November that year, it said in a statement.Kenya …

Kenyan marathon runner Ekiru hit with 10-year doping banMon, 16 Oct 2023 15:43:44 GMT Read More »

As Israel prepares for a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip, the international community has mobilised to try to protect civilians and prevent the conflict spreading across the region.But Israel’s avowed determination to crush Hamas, the group behind the October 7 attack on Israel, are hampering mediation efforts. So too are clashes along Israel’s northern …

World leaders seek to contain Israel-Hamas war, protect civiliansMon, 16 Oct 2023 10:29:44 GMT Read More »