Author: admin@primenews

Thirty years after the transition from apartheid to a democratic South Africa, Fergal Keane returns to a country experiencing increasing political violence in a key region to see what happened to the hopes and promises of a better nation. Thembinkosi Lombo may not have known the man who gunned him down – but he may well have known the person who ordered the hit. The 35-year-old local councillor from South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) was shot dead in Greytown in the eastern coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal last year. He left behind a wife and nine children – the…

Severe flooding and landslides have killed at least 47 people and wounded 80 others in northern Tanzania, local officials say. It happened near the slopes of Mount Hanang, where President Samia Hassan has now deployed national security forces to help rescue efforts. Homes and infrastructure were also damaged by the adverse weather. Flooding is said to be the greatest natural hazard in Tanzania, affecting tens of thousands of people each year. East Africa has been badly hit by floods and landslides in 2023, partly caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon. Last month in Tanzania, higher than usual rainfall resulted…

Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour was full of fashion moments, with her three-hour sets featuring numerous dazzling looks. For her Atlanta show, that came in the form of a flowing neon green sari – a traditional South Asian outfit. It was the work of Indian fashion designer Gaurav Gupta and took hundreds of hours to finesse. “My purpose in life is for people to think differently,” he tells BBC Asian Network. Gaurav designed three looks for the Renaissance world tour. As well as the neon green sculpted sari he also made Beyoncé a gem-encrusted gown and a crystal body suit. Both…

A US warship engaged and shot down three drones after three commercial vessels came under attack in the Red Sea, US Central Command has said. It said the USS Carney assisted the ships – which had links to 14 nations including the UK – on Sunday after they were targeted from areas of Yemen held by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Two of the ships were hit by missiles but there were no casualties, it added. A Houthi spokesman said the group’s navy had attacked two Israeli ships. The Israeli military said the vessels had no connection to Israel. The Iranian-backed Houthis…

Are you good at chatting up or flirting with potential partners? If so, you may already have rizz, even if you didn’t know it. The Oxford word of the year, internet slang for romantic appeal or charm, is mostly used by young people. It was one of eight words on a shortlist, all chosen to reflect the mood, ethos or preoccupations of 2023. The list was narrowed down in a public vote, before Oxford lexicographers made the final decision. Other contenders ranged from Swiftie to beige flag to situationship. What is rizz, and do you have it? The word might…

A German man has died and two others, including a British man, have been injured in a knife and hammer attack on a street in central Paris. The attack occurred near the Eiffel Tower shortly before 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday. A 26-year-old French man was later arrested, and anti-terrorism prosecutors opened an investigation. Prosecutor Jean-François Ricard said the suspect had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group (IS). Mr Ricard told a briefing on Sunday that the suspect Armand R, a French national born in France to Iranian parents, made the pledge in a video posted on…

The Gold Coast has withdrawn its bid to host the next Commonwealth Games, ending any hope the tournament could still be held in Australia. The coastal city hosted the 2018 Games, and mayor Tom Tate had – unilaterally – insisted it could do it again. But the federal and state governments have repeatedly ruled out supporting the event, as had his own deputy mayor. Organisers have said they may have to postpone or cancel the next instalment of the Games. The Commonwealth Games are a multi-sport tournament that take place every four years. They have only ever been cancelled during…

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow says she is jumping bail and will not be returning home from her studies in Canada. Ms Chow was jailed in 2020 for taking part in the anti-government protests of 2019, and was released in 2021. She is still under investigation for “collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security”. Local media reported that Hong Kong police “strongly condemns” the 27-year-old’s actions. It also urged her not to “take the road of no return by remaining a fugitive for the rest of her life”, Hong Kong broadcaster TVB said in a report on Monday.…

A young Chinese couple whose struggles to own a flat shed light on the country’s economic downturn have captivated the nation. Zhang Yiliang and his wife Dong Lijun, both in their 30s, have documented the last two years of their lives, starting with the moment they purchased the flat. Their account “Liangliang Lijun couple” has earned more than 400,000 followers on Douyin. What began as a celebration eventually ran into trouble, including rows with the property developer who they said owed them money. In recent weeks, they alleged they were assaulted and had their videos censored, which gained them the…

Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won three of the four key state elections in India ahead of the crucial general elections next year. The BJP retained power in Madhya Pradesh and took Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The main Opposition Congress ousted a regional party to win the southern state of Telangana. More than 160 million people or a sixth of India’s electorate were eligible to vote in the polls held in November. Counting of votes for a fifth state, Mizoram, is due on Monday. Did these elections serve a litmus test for Mr Modi’s prospects in securing a historic…