ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s government is negotiating the release of another 83 of the Chibok schoolgirls taken in a mass abduction two-and-a-half years ago, but more than 100 others appear unwilling to leave their Boko Haram Islamic extremist captors, a community leader said Tuesday. The unwilling girls may have been radicalized by Boko Haram … Continue reading
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police raided a university student residence in Johannesburg early Sunday, arresting a leader of sometimes violent protests for free education who caused an outcry last year when he declared admiration for Adolf Hitler. The arrest of Mcebo Dlamini, a former student council president at the University of the Witwatersrand, followed … Continue reading
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Joy, jubilation and dancing erupted Sunday, Oct. 9, when a group of Nigerian parents were reunited with 21 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram 2 ½ years ago and freed in the first negotiated release organized by the government and the Islamic extremist group. The girls were hugged and embraced by their … Continue reading
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu shed tears of gratitude on his 85th birthday on Friday in South Africa, where he presided over a cathedral Mass despite his poor health. Separately, in a newspaper column, the former archbishop said he would like to have the option of a “dignified assisted death” … Continue reading
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Millions of Moroccans headed out to vote Friday, with worries about joblessness and extremism on their minds as they chose which party will lead their next government. Adultery scandals and thwarted election-day attacks marked the unusually venomous campaign in this North African nation, which is allied with the U.S and seen … Continue reading
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — United Nations peacekeepers abandoned their posts when fighting erupted in South Sudan’s capital in July and then used tear gas on frightened civilians who sought shelter at the center of the U.N. base, a new report says. Wednesday’s report by the U.S.-based Center for Civilians in Conflict adds to a … Continue reading
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — In a racially charged scene, a mostly black group of South African student protesters on Wednesday confronted white students who want demonstrations for free education to stop so they can complete the academic year. The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg said “many racist remarks” were made when demonstrators disrupted a march … Continue reading
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Recent violent protests at some South African universities have caused about $44 million in property damage and threaten to sabotage the country’s system of higher education, President Jacob Zuma said Monday. Zuma spoke at a national education forum as the University of Cape Town re-opened despite some disruptions by students who said … Continue reading
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Violence flared again Monday, Sept. 26, in Ethiopia’s restive Oromia region, where 52 people were killed a day earlier in a stampede when police tried to disrupt an anti-government protest amid a massive religious festival. Clashes between security forces and protesters erupted Sunday evening and continued Monday morning in the towns … Continue reading
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria is suing several leading oil companies for $12.7 billion of crude oil that allegedly was exported illegally to the United States between 2011 and 2014, officials said Tuesday. The Federal High Court in Lagos begins hearings next week in cases filed against Nigerian subsidiaries of U.S. multinational Chevron, British-Dutch Shell, … Continue reading
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Tears filled Amina Nur’s eyes as she cuddled her frail-looking child with a sunken chest. She and her family returned to Somalia five months ago after several years in a refugee camp in neighboring Kenya, but she regrets that now. “We decided to return home voluntarily, but that was a wrong … Continue reading
AWEIL, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s government is challenging a new report by a U.S.-based watchdog group that says the country’s leaders have amassed wealth abroad amid a conflict in which tens of thousands have been killed. A spokesman for President Salva Kiir says the allegations by The Sentry report “can only jeopardize the … Continue reading
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari apologized Saturday, Sept. 17, for plagiarizing President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory speech and said he will punish those responsible. The announcement came as Obama is set to meet Buhari, the leader of Africa’s largest economy and most populous country, next week in New York. Adeola Akinremi in her … Continue reading
WAKALIGA, Uganda (AP) — Deep in a Kampala slum, young men kick each other while a stout man with a salt-and-pepper beard watches them, sometimes nodding in approval. With luck, a stylish blow could become a stunt in the latest action movie to emerge from this tin-roofed collection of houses known as Wakaliwood, named after … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will review military strategy against the Islamic State group, press nations to admit more refugees and review progress around the world, despite new challenges, when he makes his final appearance at the U.N. General Assembly session in New York next week, the White House said Friday. On the sidelines … Continue reading
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