16 Niger villagers die in Boko Haram attack
Niamey: Boko Haram jihadists killed 16 civilians in an attack this week on a southeast Niger village, near the Nigerian border, a local official said on Saturday.
Opp candidates quit Burundi prez race
Bujumbura: Three candidates, including two former Presidents have withdrawn from the Burundi’s upcoming presidential race predicting the contest will not be free and fair. The letter announcing their withdrawal from Tuesday’s election is the latest blow to the country’s political system.
Pluto resembles frozen mud cracks on Earth
Washington: A close-up image of Pluto has revealed a vast, craterless plain — resembling frozen mud cracks on Earth — that appears to be no more than 100 million years old and is still being shaped by geologic processes. This frozen region is north of Pluto’s icy mountains, in the centre-left of the heart feature named Tombaugh Region after Clyde Tombaugh who discovered Pluto in 1930.
Syria frees political prisoners in Eid gesture
Damascus: Syrian authorities have released more than 200 prisoners, many of whom were detained under “anti-terror” laws, to mark the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, a lawyer said. Dozens of women were among 240 detainees who were released on Saturday, said attorney and leading human rights activist Michel Shammas.
Taiwan claims its island in South China Sea
Taipei: As China builds artificial islands in a vast resource-rich South China Sea and neighbours in Southeast Asia brace for possible conflict, Taiwan is cutting carbon emissions and offering a hospital for humanitarian aid on the sea’s largest natural islet to seek international approval for easing tension.