Ethiopia’s army “summarily executed several dozen civilians” and committed other war crimes in the northwestern Amhara region earlier this year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said, as it called on the United Nations to launch an independent investigation. The incident in the city of Merawi in late January was among the deadliest for civilians since fighting began between Ethiopian federal forces and Fano militia in the restive region in August, the New York-based rights group said in a report on Thursday. “Civilians are once again bearing the brunt of an abusive army operating with impunity,” Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director…
Author: KahawaTungu Editor
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Luton Town on Wednesday despite fielding a much-changed side. https://x.com/premierleague/status/1775621044587397585?s=46&t=Ls0mguxhJYI4nUEFmNSQoQ Captain Martin Odegaard opened the scoring after 24 minutes and an own goal by Daiki Hashioka after good work by Emile Smith Rowe put the hosts firmly in control on the stroke of half-time. Mikel Arteta’s side moved into first place with 68 points from 30 games although Liverpool, who have 67, can reclaim the lead against Sheffield United on Thursday. Arteta opted to shuffle his pack with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka on…
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said alliance members must guarantee long-term weapon deliveries for Ukraine, as ministers discussed a proposal for a 100-billion-euro ($107bn), five-year fund. Speaking before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, Stoltenberg said Kyiv had “urgent needs,” adding that “any delay in providing support has consequences on the battlefield as we speak.” “We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul so that we rely less on the voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments, less on short-term offers and more on multiyear pledges,” he said. Separately on Wednesday, Ukraine lowered…
Uganda’s Constitutional Court has rejected a petition seeking to annul an anti-gay law that has been roundly condemned internationally as one of the toughest in the world. The court found on Wednesday that some sections of the law violated the right to health and it was “inconsistent with right to health, privacy and freedom of religion” but did not block or suspend the law. “We decline to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 in its entirety, neither will we grant a permanent injunction against its enforcement,” Justice Richard Buteera, Uganda’s deputy chief justice and head of the court, said in the landmark ruling.…
Cristiano Ronaldo notched his second hat-trick in the space of 72 hours as Al Nassr routed Abha 8-0 in the Saudi Pro League. https://twitter.com/Cristiano/status/1775269961365405774 The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored three goals and recorded two assists in the first half for the nine-time Saudi Arabian champions on Tuesday. The hat-trick was his third of the league season following his treble in Saturday’s 5-1 win over Al Tai. The Portugal forward leads the league with 29 goals. Ronaldo’s first two goals on Tuesday came from free kicks. With 11 minutes on the clock, he opened the scoring with a low shot…
Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has appointed the country’s first-ever female prime minister, naming planning minister Judith Suminwa to the role. An economist, she takes over as prime minister from Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, following Tshisekedi’s sweeping re-election as president on December 20. Tshisekedi’s inauguration for a second term in January kick-started a lengthy search for a majority coalition in the National Assembly – a key step before a prime minister could be named and a government formed. “I am aware of the great responsibility … We will work for peace and the development of the country,” Suminwa said on national television on…
Senegal’s new president has appointed firebrand politician and key backer Ousmane Sonko as prime minister in his first act as the West African nation’s leader. Bassirou Diomaye Faye made the announcement shortly after he was sworn into office on Tuesday, pledging systemic change after years of deadly turmoil under his predecessor, Macky Sall, a political opponent of Sonko. Speaking after his appointment, Sonko said he would present Faye with a full list of proposed ministerial appointments for his approval. “There will be no question of leaving him (Faye) alone to assume this heavy responsibility”, Sonko said. Faye took the presidential oath in…
United States President Joe Biden has said he is “outraged and heartbroken” by Israel’s killing of seven aid workers in Gaza, delivering some of his strongest criticism yet of the close US ally. Biden’s rebuke is the latest example of his conflicting messages on the war as his administration becomes increasingly critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government while doubling down on the need to supply Israel with weaponry. In a statement issued by the White House on Tuesday night, Biden squarely accused Israel of not doing enough to protect innocent civilians in its war against Hamas. “This conflict has…
Russia’s top security agency says it has seized dozens of kilos of explosives sent from Ukraine concealed in Orthodox Christian religious icons that had transited through the European Union. The seizure took place on Tuesday, following an inspection of cargo in the northwestern Pskov region near the Latvian border, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement. There was no immediate comment by Ukraine, which has been fighting off a Russian invasion since February 2022. The FSB said the cargo had passed through Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and comprised 70 kilos (154 pounds) of home-made explosives and…
World leaders have expressed horror and anger following an Israeli air strike that killed seven aid workers in the central Gaza Strip, and reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire. United States-based aid group World Central Kitchen (WCK) confirmed on Tuesday that its staff members were killed in a “targeted attack” by the Israeli military. The dead were from Palestine, Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and US-Canada. The NGO said its team was traveling in a “deconflicted” area in a convoy of “two armored cars branded with the WCK logo and a soft skin vehicle” at the time of the strike. WCK called…
A child has been killed and another two wounded after another minor opened fire at a primary school in Finland, according to authorities. Finnish police said the 12-year-old shooter was arrested early on Tuesday, shortly after the incident at the Viertola school in Vantaa, a suburb of Helsinki. Like the United States, Finland has high rates of gun ownership, but incidents of gun violence and school shootings in the country are rare. “The immediate danger is over,” the school principal Sari Laasila told Reuters, declining to comment further. The two injured victims, who are the same age as the attacker, were taken…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revived a push to close down Al Jazeera in Israel. The Israeli leader demanded on Monday that his coalition government prepare to push legislation through the Knesset that would allow the prime minister to shut down foreign news networks. Netanyahu, who has long sought to shutter broadcasts from the Qatari-based media outlet, promised to “immediately act to close Al Jazeera” following the law’s adoption, according to a statement from his Likud party. Also Read: Netanyahu says Israel to press on with Rafah assault plan The bill, passed in a first reading in February, would give the…
Kristoffer Ajer’s 99th-minute equaliser salvaged a point for Brentford in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester United on Saturday, denting the Old Trafford club’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1774196438072717460 Substitute Mason Mount thought he had given United an undeserved and dramatic victory when he slotted home in the 96th minute after Brentford had dominated the game. But Ajer smashed home Ivan Toney’s cutback from close range three minutes later to give the Bees a point which sees them remain in 15th, five points above the relegation zone. Also Read: Chelsea held by 10-man Burnley despite Palmer…
Chelsea suffered yet another setback in their erratic season when they were held to a 2-2 home draw on Saturday by 10-man, relegation-threatened Burnley who almost claimed all three points in the dying moments. https://twitter.com/BurnleyOfficial/status/1774119156150829311 Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively assembled but young side looked in the driving seat when Burnley’s Lorenz Assignon was shown a second yellow card for tangling with Mykhailo Mudryk and top scorer Cole Palmer netted the penalty in the 44th minute. Burnley manager Vincent Kompany was also shown a red card for protesting against the contentious spot-kick decision. But Clarets’ captain Josh Cullen stunned Stamford Bridge by scoring two minutes into the second half with a shot off…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed a longtime aide and several advisers in a continuing reshuffle on Saturday, while Russia unleashed new attacks overnight. Zelenskyy dismissed top aide Serhiy Shefir from his post of first assistant, where he had served since 2019. The Ukrainian president also let go of three advisers and two presidential representatives overseeing volunteer activities and soldiers’ rights. No explanation was given immediately for the latest changes in a wide-reaching personnel shake-up over recent months. It included the dismissal on Tuesday of Oleksii Danilov, who served as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, and Valerii Zaluzhnyi…