‘Not coping’: Crisis at overcrowded Dutch asylum centre

Ter Apel, Netherlands, Aug 26 (AFP/APP): Asylum seeker Lawrence resigned himself to another night sleeping outside near an overcrowded Dutch refugee centre, as aid groups warn of a humanitarian crisis at the facility where a three-month-old baby recently died. The Ter Apel centre is in […]

Fleeing British conman injures police in remote French village

Guéret, France, Aug 26 (AFP/APP):A British conman who was the subject of a Netflix documentary is on the run in France after injuring two police officers while fleeing a raid, local officials said Friday. Robert Hendy-Freegard, a 51-year-old former bartender, had been illegally breeding dogs […]

Zimbabwe opposition says supporters assaulted as vote nears

Harare, Aug 26 (AFP/APP): Zimbabwe’s main opposition group claimed Friday that its supporters have come under systematic attacks ahead of next year’s national vote, as rights groups warn of a worsening crackdown on opponents. Nelson Chamisa, who leads the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), […]

In India, Hindu extremists unleash an anti-Muslim pogrom

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (APP):The release of 11 men convicted of the rape and murder of a Muslim family testifies to a climate of impunity towards those who persecute this religious minority. This is a matter that India had forgotten. A crime that resurfaced on August […]

Russia frees ex-mayor from custody ahead of trial for Ukraine remarks

Yekaterinburg, Russia, Aug 25 (AFP/APP): A Russian court on Thursday released opposition politician Yevgeny Roizman from custody as he awaits trial on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army. One of the last opposition figures still in the country and not behind bars, the former mayor […]

More US states ban abortion as Democrats push back

Washington, Aug 25 (AFP/APP): Abortion became illegal in three more US states on Thursday, further restricting access to elective terminations for millions of women despite some signs of popular and judicial pushback. Two months after the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion, […]

Former British ambassador to Myanmar detained in Yangon: source

Yangon, Aug 25 (AFP/APP): Myanmar authorities have arrested Britain’s former ambassador to the country and her husband, a prominent artist and one-time political prisoner, for allegedly violating immigration laws, a diplomatic source said on Thursday. Vicky Bowman, who served as envoy from 2002 to 2006, […]