Category: Int’l News
Questions over safety as 16 pupils die in another Kenya school fire
The death of 16 students in a fire on Thursday has once again sparked concerns over the safety of Kenya’s boarding schools. The tragedy, which occured at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) north-west of capital city Nairobi, follows a string of deadly fires at boarding schools in recent years. The authorities…
Foden and Palmer to miss out on World Cup squad
Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are set to miss out when Thomas Tuchel names his 26-man England squad on Friday for this summer’s World Cup. Manchester United defender Harry Maguire will also be left out, with the 33-year-old saying he is “shocked and gutted” at the decision. Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is set to…
Russia and China condemn US over indictment of former Cuban leader
China and Russia have condemned a US decision to charge Cuba’s former president Raúl Castro with murder. The Chinese foreign ministry called on the US to stop using “coercion” and “threats” against its ally, while the Kremlin said the pressure being exerted on Havana “borders on violence”. The US has accused Castro over the 1996…
Flattery and fanfare as Trump welcomed to China – but thorny issues remain
Xi Jinping threw a grand welcome for Donald Trump on the first day of a visit that could reset ties between the rival superpowers. The military honour guard lined up outside the Great Hall of the People to welcome Trump, complete with a gun salute and a band playing the US national anthem. The president…
Former Nigerian minister sentenced to 75 years in rare corruption verdict
Saleh Mamman, a former Nigerian power minister, has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8bn naira ($24.7m; £18.5m), a rare conviction against corrupt officials in the West African nation. Last week, Mamman was found guilty of 12 counts, including using private firms to funnel money linked to government-funded power plants. The 68-year-old…
How worried should we be about hantavirus?
Passengers from the cruise ship struck by a hantavirus outbreak are being evacuated and sent to their home countries to isolate and receive medical treatment if necessary. Some other passengers from MV Hondius left on earlier flights or connections and their contacts are now being traced as a precuation. Officials say the risk of the…
South Africa president faces call to resign after court ruling
Leading South African opposition figure Julius Malema has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign after the Constitutional Court ruled parliament had violated the constitution by blocking moves to impeach him in 2022. The judgement follows a legal challenge by Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and others, and could result in fresh impeachment proceedings. Ramaphosa’s…
Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship not start of pandemic, UN health agency says
An outbreak of hantavirus on board a cruise ship is not the start of a pandemic, the UN health agency has said. Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO), told a news briefing that it was not the same situation as six years ago with Covid-19, because hantavirus spreads…
Rwandan singer dies as he was being released from prison
Rwandan singer Aimable Karasira has died as he was being released from prison in Kigali, according to the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS). The RCS said he had died at Nyarugenge Hospital after he had allegedly overdosed on his prescription medication. RCS spokesperson Hillary Sengabo later said Karasira was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and poor…
Trump’s hopes for an Iran peace deal come with caveats
Donald Trump’s pause on a short-lived “Project Freedom” to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as he claimed progress had been made towards clinching a “Complete and Final Agreement” with Iran, soothed oil markets and sent hopes soaring of a breakthrough. But expectations were soon tempered by the US president himself. Iran said on…