Mugabe’ son kills a person and just pays $800 to avoid jail
The eldest son of Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe has been convicted of manslaughter and fined $800 (£520).Russell Goreraza knocked down and killed an unidentified man in his car in the capital, Harare, in February. “I regret and want to apologise for the incident,” President Robert Mugabe’s 31-year-old stepson told the court. The magistrate said […]
Sudan frees kidnapped Russian pilots
Two Russian pilots taken hostage in Sudan’s Darfur region in January have been freed, Russian officials say. The two men, Sergei Cherepanov and Mikhail Antyufeev, had been captured by an unidentified group in the town of Zalingei in January. They had been working for UTair, which runs aircraft for the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission […]
European vessels rescue migrants off Libya coast
European warships and coast guard vessels have rescued more than 2,000 migrants off the coast of Libya. The Malta-based, Migrant Offshore Aid Station, said it coordinated the operation along with Italian, Irish and German ships. Italy’s coastguard could not confirm the numbers, but said it was trying to help around a dozen other vessels. The […]
Morocco bans prostitution movie – but widely available
A risqué film about prostitution hit a raw nerve in Morocco and – despite being banned – leaked raw footage has been viewed by millions online. “Much Loved” tells the story of four prostitutes in the tourist city of Marrakech. It’s fictional but is meant to honestly portray the lives of Moroccan sex workers. But […]
Turkey votes in crucial election
Turks are voting in a general election on Sunday which will determine whether the ruling party can change the constitution. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who first came to power as prime minister in 2003, is seeking a big enough majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic. However the pro-Kurdish HDP may cross the 10% […]
Swiss politeness contributed to Fifa crisis
The crisis that has engulfed football’s governing body, Fifa, has largely focused on Zurich where the organisation has its headquarters. This is not the first financial scandal to hit Switzerland – so what is it with this country and money? Once again the Swiss are opening their morning papers, and choking over their muesli to […]
Off the rails – Himalayan tea train facing a slow extinction
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway once took precious tea from the foothills of the mountains to the teapots of the world. But it’s become a victim of the colossal inefficiency of the state-run system and is facing a slow extinction through neglect, says David Baillie. When a man who grows tea that sells for more than […]
Gambia expels EU diplomat
The European Union (EU) has summoned the Gambian ambassador for an explanation after its representative to the country was expelled. The EU is astonished by the move, which appeared to have no justification, a spokeswoman said. Agnes Guillaud has 72 hours to leave the country, without getting a reason. The EU has been critical of […]