Botswana’s foreign minister said his country had been approached by the U.K. to take some of what he called their “unwanted immigrants” but declined the request. Lemogang Kwape’s comments in a telephone interview with South African television channel Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday came hours after the British Parliament finally passed legislation allowing a contentious plan to send some migrants to …
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Togo cracking down on media, opposition ahead of parliamentary elections: report
Authorities in Togo have repressed the media and prevented civilians from gathering to protest peacefully, Amnesty International said in a report published Wednesday, ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled to take place at the end of this month. Amnesty International said in its annual report on human rights around the world that two newspapers in Togo were forced to close for …
Read More »Rwanda's Hope Hostel, which once housed genocide survivors, ready to take in migrants from UK
Rwanda says it’s ready to receive migrants from the United Kingdom after British Parliament this week approved a long-stalled and controversial bill seeking to stem the tide of people crossing the English Channel in small boats by deporting some of them to the East African country. There is even a place ready and waiting for the migrants — a refurbished …
Read More »UK plan to send migrants to Rwanda criticized by human rights groups after Parliament backs new law
Britain’s plans to send some asylum-seekers to Rwanda were swiftly condemned by international humanitarian organizations after Parliament approved legislation allowing the deportation flights to begin later this year. Both the U.N. refugee agency and the Council of Europe on Tuesday called for the U.K. to rethink its plans because of concerns that the legislation undermines human rights protections and fears …
Read More »Morocco wants to become an aviation hub, but airplane makers struggle to meet demand
Moroccan officials want to turn the country into an aviation hub, luring investors aiming to spread out their supply chains to more nations with available and affordable workers. The North African kingdom is among a longer list of countries vying for contracts with big manufacturers looking to speed up production and deliver more planes to meet demand. Companies like Boeing …
Read More »US military begins process to remove troops from troubled African nation
The Biden administration has begun the process of removing U.S. troops from Niger, though a timeline on the effort is not immediately clear. A U.S. defense official confirmed the beginning stages of the removal process in a statement to Fox News Digital on Saturday, saying discussions between the U.S. and Niger for the “orderly removal” of troops had started. “We …
Read More »In New York City, chess champion sets new world record for 'longest chess marathon'
A Nigerian man has set the Guinness World Record for “longest chess marathon” after playing for nearly five straight days. Tunde Onakoya, 29, began his 60-hour chess game in Times Square in New York City on Wednesday, April 17, before calling it quits at 12:40 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, said The Associated Press. The previous record was 56 hours, …
Read More »US renews effort to retain foothold in Niger as junta looks to push troops out
The United States is attempting to create a new military agreement with Niger that would allow it to remain in the country, weeks after the junta said its presence was no longer justified, two Western officials told The Associated Press Friday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Washington was actively …
Read More »Chess champion in NYC attempts to break world record for longest chess marathon
A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate is attempting to play chess nonstop for 58 hours in New York City’s Times Square to break the global record for the longest chess marathon. Tunde Onakoya, 29, hopes to raise $1 million for children’s education across Africa. He is playing against Shawn Martinez, an American chess champion, in line with Guinness …
Read More »Zimbabwe grants clemency to over 4,000 prisoners, some of whom were sentenced to death
Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa granted clemency to more than 4,000 prisoners, including some who were on death row, in an independence day amnesty on Thursday. Zimbabwe marked 44 years of independence from white minority rule, which ended in 1980 after a bloody bush war. The country’s name was changed from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. The presidential amnesty, the second in less …
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