school funds £135k to build eco-friendly therapy classroom 

eco-friendly

A Reading school has raised almost £130,000 to construct a new eco-friendly outdoor classroom. The Local Planning Authority recently authorized plans for the classroom, which will be designed in the style of the Iron Age. Reading’s Wren school on Bath Road wants to provide kids with a “alternative outdoor learning space.” The new classroom, which … Read more

2 suspects identified of Nigeria oil refinery blast

Nigeria

At least 100 people may have killed in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in southeast Nigeria, a local oil official said Sunday as the hunt increased for bodies at the site and for two people suspected of being involved in the blast. The explosion was described as a “catastrophe and a national disaster” … Read more

Nigeria oil blast victims to get mass burial after ‘catastrophe’

Nigeria oil blast

Nigerian authorities gathered the charred remains of over 100 persons killed in an explosion at an illicit refinery in the country’s south on Monday, preparing for a mass burial following the “catastrophe” event. The blast late Friday at a site between Rivers and Imo states was one of the worst in years in an area … Read more

New controversies arise over French language in Canada

French

Is there discrimination against French speakers in Canada, despite the fact that it is an official language alongside English? The debate over the French language’s place in Canada has been reignited by a series of recent leadership nominations and pronouncements, leading Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to respond. The latest blow: There are no longer any … Read more

Macron seeks to heal French divisions after re-election

Macron

After winning re-election against competitor Marine Le Pen in a race that saw the far right come closest to capturing power yet, French President Emmanuel Macron sought to reconcile a severely divided country on Monday. Centrist Macron won 58.54 percent of the vote in the second-round run-off compared with 41.46 for Le Pen, according to … Read more

Aeroflot passenger numbers fall 20% in March

Aeroflot

Following strong Western sanctions over Moscow’s military action in Ukraine, Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot recorded a 20% drop in passenger traffic in March compared to the same month last year. Passenger traffic on international and domestic flights fell to 2.2 million in March, the first full month after the conflict began, from 2.77 million last … Read more

Mali jihadists said arrested fighter with Russia’s Wagner

Russian fighter

The country’s largest jihadist alliance claims to have arrested a Russian fighter working for Wagner, a Kremlin-linked security agency purportedly hired by the military junta. The claim was made in a statement sent to AFP late Sunday by the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), although it provided no evidence to support the assertion. … Read more

Ukraine war has consequences for Asia, EU chief tells India

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

The European Union chief warned Monday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to India’s regional security during a visit to New Delhi aimed at strengthening strategic ties. Ursula von der Leyen is the latest visiting Western ambassador to question India’s impartial posture on the crisis, despite the fact that India obtains the majority … Read more

Russia expels 40 German diplomats: ministry

russia

Moscow announced on Monday that it was expelling 40 German diplomats in reaction for Berlin’s “unfriendly decision” to expel Russian diplomats over the Ukraine conflict. Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement it summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow and handed him a note “declaring persona non grata forty employees of German diplomatic institutions in Russia”.

Mykola’s diary: Chronicling the battle for Donbas

Ukraine

Mykola keeps a “little war diary” of the violence in his part of eastern Ukraine by scouring the frontlines with binoculars from his home in Lysychansk. The date is in the top right-hand corner of every page, and the day’s entry is below it, always beginning with the words “We’re holding on!” The 67-year-old said … Read more

The world of vaccines, before and after Covid

Covid

The Covid-19 pandemic has irrevocably altered the world’s connection with vaccinations, spurring tremendous production and innovation while leaving poorer countries behind. AFP examines the current situation as World Immunization Week approaches. Vaccines for more than 20 life-threatening diseases prevent between two to three million deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization. Until Covid-19, … Read more

Lebanon rescue teams search for migrant boat disaster survivors

After an overcrowded people-smuggling boat capsized while being followed by naval forces, Lebanese rescue teams combed the Mediterranean for survivors on Monday, with many still missing at sea. At least seven people died as a result of the tragedy, which occurred late Saturday just off the coast of the northern port city of Tripoli. It … Read more

Gambian on trial in Germany over AFP Journalist murder

reporter murder

The trial of a Gambian man accused of being a participant of a death squad that executed opponents of former ruler Yahya Jammeh, including an AFP journalist, began in Germany on Monday. The suspect, known as Bai Lowe in the media, is suspected of crimes against humanity, murder, and attempted murder, including the 2004 murder … Read more

supporters enjoy victory of Emmanuel Macron under Eiffel Tower

Emmanuel Macron

As the sun sets on the French capital, supporters of Emmanuel Macron celebrate their candidate’s triumph in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. DJs were spinning dance music, giving the impression that the Champ de Mars had been transformed into a nightclub. When the clock struck 8 p.m. local time, everyone erupted in joyous cheers … Read more

Malaria: Killer of African children set for vaccine zap

Malaria

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people, especially children, die from malaria, a long-standing mosquito-borne disease that exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that 627,000 individuals died of malaria in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, up 12% from 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates … Read more

Malaria: Killer of African children set for vaccine zap

vaccine

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people, especially children, die from malaria, a long-standing mosquito-borne disease that exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that 627,000 individuals died of malaria in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, up 12% from 2019. Ahead of World Malaria Day on … Read more

Cook Islands records first Covid death

death

The Cook Islands, a tiny South Pacific nation, confirmed its first coronavirus-related death on Sunday, more than two years after the outbreak began. On the island of Aitutaki late Saturday, a 63-year-old woman with underlying health issues died on her way to the hospital. “It is with great sadness that I announce that we have … Read more

India PM holds first public event in Kashmir since clampdown

kashmir

During his first public appearance in the disputed territory since India launched a broad security clampdown nearly three years ago, India’s prime minister promised peace and development for Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government has been working to put an end to a long-running insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir and consolidate India’s … Read more