Author: catfish

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria took the helm of the West African regional bloc of countries last month, he thundered before a roomful of his presidential peers that he would show no tolerance for military coups in an area that had faced five in less than three years.“We will not allow coup after coup,” he said, drawing a round of applause.Two weeks later, mutinous generals took power in neighboring Niger, prompting Mr. Tinubu and the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (known as ECOWAS) to draw a line in the sand: The mutineers in Niger…

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Picture this: after months of planning and anticipation, the most awaited time has arrived! Finally, the work pressure has reduced, and schedules have aligned, offering you the perfect opportunity to set off on that long-overdue girls’ trip. However, as enthusiasm fills the air, a question remains: ‘What’s the perfect destination for your girls’ trip?’ If you’re looking for a place to relax, reconnect and create unforgettable memories with your friends, a trip to Sevierville is the best choice. The city in Tennessee offers visitors the unique opportunity to witness and enjoy the breathtaking scenery and views. Whether you want to…

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  Hi, Mira Reisberg here and I’m excited to introduce our new Blogfish blogger, Amanda Lieber, who will be doing First Mondays. Amanda is a debut author, who will be sharing about Aussie children’s books, and the trials and triumphs of publishing in Australia. Below is a video that we made together to get Amanda oriented with lots of fun and interesting info. Amanda here, this is so exciting. And of course I couldn’t resist sharing some of Kathy Creamer’s wonderful art. Thank you you so much Kathy for helping to make my dreams come true and thank you Little Pink…

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West African leaders on Thursday said they had ordered the immediate deployment of a “standby force” ready to intervene against a coup in Niger, amid reports that coup leaders told a U.S. diplomat this week that they would kill the elected president in response to any such intervention.Mutinous generals have been holding the president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and his family hostage in their residence for more than two weeks. They have shunned mediation efforts and ignored an ultimatum by the West African leaders to relinquish power.The threat to kill Mr. Bazoum was made to the acting U.S. deputy secretary…

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Adventure Playspace in Cleve, South Australia Cleve has an impressive updated playspace with loads of equipment to entertain kids of all ages.  The main feature is the huge climbing tower featuring a tunnel slide, plus there are lots of extra climbing structures, swings and a hamster wheel.  Brightly coloured equipment along with natural elements make this a fun stop for the family on your next road trip along the Central Eyre Peninsula. There is also a skate park and pump track for some extra adventure and plenty of lawn areas to take a break and have a picnic. Opened in December…

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Former President Jacob Zuma of South Africa returned to prison early Friday morning to continue serving a sentence for contempt, but was released almost immediately under a program to relieve overcrowding in the country’s jails, the authorities said.With his release under the program, it is unlikely that Mr. Zuma will serve more time in prison on the contempt charge. Political opponents accused the government, run by Mr. Zuma’s political party, of giving him preferential treatment, saying it had intentionally started to roll out the overcrowding program on the day he reported to jail.Mr. Zuma had served just two months of…

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Fighting between Ethiopia’s military and a local ethnic militia in the northwestern Amhara region has intensified in recent weeks, pushing the government to block the internet and declare a state of emergency and leading Israel to evacuate more than 200 Ethiopian Jews and Israelis.The clashes follow monthslong tensions over Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s proposal to dismantle special regional forces nationwide and integrate them into the army — a move Amhara nationalists said would undermine security in their region.The ethnic militia, known as Fano, had been allied with Mr. Abiy in his two-year effort to crush rebel fighters in the neighboring…

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When a fisherman showed up for work on a recent morning at a popular beach in Dakar, the capital of the West African nation of Senegal, he found a horrifying scene: Dead bodies splayed across the sand and a painted wooden boat bobbing unattended.He plunged into the water to help search for survivors. The pirogue, a wooden fishing boat, had been loaded with migrants hoping to reach Spain, but instead it struck a ring of underwater rocks early on July 24.At least 16 bodies were recovered, the latest in a string of tragedies to befall people risking the treacherous ocean…

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The four stowaways aboard a cargo ship had no idea where they were when they were met by federal police officers last month at a Brazilian port. Told they had landed in Brazil, they were stunned.They had hopped on the ship while it was docked 3,500 miles away — in Lagos, the most populous city in the West African nation of Nigeria.They didn’t know where it was going but didn’t care. They were jobless and desperate, they said, and wanted to go anywhere that might offer better prospects.After rowing out to the vessel, the Ken Wave, they said they climbed…

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