Other News

Maersk extends suspension of Red Sea passage

COPENHAGEN, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – Shipping giant Maersk said on Tuesday it would not resume passage through a key Red Sea strait “until further notice,” after Yemeni rebels attacked one of its merchant ships. “We have decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden until further notice,” Maersk said in a statement. “In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around […]

Huthi rebels fire on commercial ships in Red Sea: US military

DUBAI, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels fired two missiles late Tuesday toward merchant ships travelling in the Red Sea near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the US military said following a report by the British maritime security agency UKMTO. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations had initially reported explosions near a cargo ship sailing between the coasts of Eritrea and Yemen. “Master reports no damage to the vessel and crew are reported […]

Taiwan ‘will resist’ China interference in election: presidential frontrunner

TAIPEI, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – The Taiwanese people “will resist” China’s attempts to influence the island’s January 13 election, frontrunner presidential candidate Lai Ching-te told AFP on Wednesday as he hit the campaign trial 10 days before the pivotal poll. Beijing claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory, and rejects the stance of Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party which maintains that Taiwan is “already independent”. Dubbed a “troublemaker” and a “separatist” by Beijing, […]

Doctors in England start longest strike in NHS history

LONDON, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – Hospital doctors in England on Wednesday began their longest consecutive strike in the seven-decade history of Britain’s National Service (NHS). Junior doctors — those below consultant level — started a six-day walkout at 0700 GMT, in a major escalation of their long-running pay dispute with the UK government. The industrial action, which ends next Tuesday, comes at one of the busiest times of the year for the state-funded NHS, […]

Ugandan teen Paralympian enjoys busting stereotypes

By Grace MATSIKO KAMPALA, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – At just 14 she was the youngest Paralympian at the Tokyo Games. And Ugandan swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe faces an equally tough test next year in Paris, but the 16-year-old said she is used to smashing stereotypes — starting with her own mum. Born without her right forearm and with an impairment to her left hand, Kukundakwe was three years old when she began paddling in a […]

Gilgeous-Alexander stars as Thunder roll past Celtics

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 36 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped Boston’s six-game winning streak with a 127-123 victory on Tuesday. A heavyweight clash between two of the league’s top teams lived up to its billing as Oklahoma City’s youthful line-up went toe-to-toe with the Celtics, who lead the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Gilgeous-Alexander’s points haul came from 14-of-22 shooting, with the talented point guard adding eight rebounds and six assists on a […]

Snoop Dogg to be Paris Olympics special correspondent for NBC

Acclaimed rapper Snoop Dogg will be a special reporter for US broadcaster NBC at the Paris Olympics this year, the network has announced, reprising his star turn at the Tokyo Games that delighted viewers. “I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris,” he said in a statement issued late Sunday. “It’s a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness… We’re going to […]

Mickey Mouse horror films announced as Disney copyright expires

Oh boy! Barely 24 hours after Disney’s initial copyright on Mickey Mouse expired, two new indie horror films starring the beloved character have been announced. “Steamboat Willie,” the first Disney movie to feature Mickey, entered the public domain under US law on Monday, 95 years on from its initial release. That means anyone is now free to copy, share, reuse and adapt the primitive, early versions of the characters that appear within the film, including […]

Ivory Coast chefs cook up new twist on African food

By Marietou BÂ ABIDJAN, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – In the kitchen of his Abidjan restaurant, Ivory Coast chef Charlie Koffi prepares his country’s staggering tropical bounty with the techniques of fine French cuisine. And he’s far from alone. A growing number of his fellow chefs in the West African nation are retouching local specialities with cooking skills picked up elsewhere. One of Koffi’s signature dishes is an adaptation of gouagouassou sauce, a local specialty. […]

Harvard president resigns after rows over plagiarism, anti-Semitism

By Gregory WALTON NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2024 (AFP) – The president of Harvard University resigned Tuesday after coming under ferocious attack over plagiarism accusations and her response to anti-Semitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Claudine Gay was criticized in recent months after reports surfaced alleging that she did not properly cite scholarly sources. The most recent accusations came Tuesday, published anonymously in a conservative online outlet. Gay was also engulfed by scandal after […]

Hamas says Israel strike in Lebanon kills its deputy chief

By Aya Iskandarani with Adel Zaanoun in Gaza Strip BEIRUT, Jan 3, 2024 (AFP) – Israel’s war against Palestinian militants reached Lebanon on Tuesday, where an Israeli strike killed Hamas’s deputy leader, the group and security officials in Lebanon said. A high-level security official told AFP that Saleh al-Aruri was killed along with his bodyguards in the strike by Israel, which vowed to destroy Hamas after the movement’s unprecedented October 7 attacks on Israel. Israel […]