Congo’s President Is Preparing for War Against His Own People

KINSHASA, Congo — In a calm corner of this typically chaotic capital city, the expressionless face of President Joseph Kabila stares down from a billboard urging patience and dialogue. “I launch a final appeal to those who still hesitate to respond to the resounding call of their homeland,” the sign reads in a veiled reference to the country’s dangerous electoral impasse.

Sex Slavery Is Thriving On Social Media Apps

The members of the United Nations Security Council hear terrible stories from conflict zones with alarming frequency. So it takes a truly horrific tale to bring them to tears.

Yet as officials in the Council listened in December to Nadia Murad Basee Taha bravely recount her torturous ordeal as an Islamic State sex slave, some wept openly.

Christian Father Beheaded by ISIS: 'Teach My Children the Principles of Jesus Christ'

Among the 21 Coptic Christian workers beheaded on a beach in Libya last year by ISIS was a father who, before he went to Libya as a migrant worker, told his wife he knew it was dangerous and that if he did not make it back alive, to please teach their children "the principles of Jesus Christ." So testified lawyer and humanitarian Jacqueline Isaac, who met in Egypt with the families of 15 of the 21 victims and told Congress about the genocide being perpetrated by the Islamic State.

Iranian Prince Living On American "Food Stamps"

Authorities say an Iranian royal living in Ohio was spending big bucks while misusing food stamps and Medicaid—but the prince claims he’s name-rich and cash-poor. The wealthy son of an Iranian prince is under investigation for food-stamp fraud in Ohio, authorities say.

But Ali Pascal Mahvi, a 65-year-old businessman who lives between St. Lucia and Geauga County, claims he’s innocent.

World's Strongest Tent???

If you're looking for a proper tent, you'll find a wealth of brands: REI, ALPS Mountaineering, The North Face, Tarptent. What you won't get, though, is something strong enough to survive disasters. 

Martin Zemitis is trying to change that. A former North Face product designer with 33 years in the outdoor equipment industry, Zemitis claims he has created the world's strongest tent.

Meet The Group Trying To Take Down North Korea With USB Sticks

Human Rights Foundation

A human-rights organization is trying to influence people living in one of the most closed societies in the world with nothing more than USB sticks.

Charges Dropped Against Husband Who Killed Wife's Attacker: 'This Case Was A Tragedy'

Charges have been dropped against a 61-year-old New York cab driver who beat to death his wife’s would-be rapist.

Mamadou Diallo walked from court a free man Wednesday after prosecutors threw out assault and weapon possession charges against him at the urging of the dead man’s family.

The Bronx man had originally been charged with manslaughter in the May killing of Earl Nash, 43, who police said forced his way into the couple’s home and attacked Nenegale Diallo. He ripped off her clothes and pulled his pants down, authorities said.

Watch: 8-Year-Old Golfer Knocks Drone Out Of The Sky

Australia’s top youth golfer has added a new title to her Instagram profile: “Drone Killer.”

A 48-second video shows the golfer, 8-year-old Ruby Kavanagh, driving a golf ball directly into a $1,900 drone. The damaged drone, which had been filming her swing from above, wobbles a bit, and then plummets into some nearby grass.

“An eight-year-old girl killed this drone,” a male voice, seemingly belonging to the cameraman, can be heard saying over the wreckage.

The video has encountered both fanfare and skepticism on YouTube, where some have charged that it’s a fake. Doubters point to the strange timing of the fall and the graininess of its aerial footage, among other things. Others have simply chosen to enjoy the sight of a small girl smashing an expensive piece of spying equipment out of the sky.

Watch the video above and judge for yourself.

Nigeria's Startups Get Boost from Buhari, Zuckerberg

ABUJA, NIGERIA — 

Nigeria has a growing technology scene full of ambitious young entrepreneurs who are seeking out solutions to various social challenges.

There is Angel Adelaja, the CEO of Fresh Direct Nigeria, which specializes in urban farming to meet Nigeria's dependence on importing food products.

"We take a 20-foot container that you would put a car in to ship, and we fit it with hydroponic farming technology and we farm vertically, so we're using as much space as we can in the system," she said.

Nigerian Students Shorted And Treated ‘Like Animals’ By Alabama State University

Godsgift Moses, Promise Owei, Thankgod Harold, Success Jumbo, Savior Samuel, and 30 more Nigerian students came to America hoping it would be the promised land.

It’s only fitting that “Opportunity is here” is the motto of Alabama State University, listed as one of America’s 100 Historic Black Colleges and Universities, and where they got full scholarships from a Nigerian government fund for four years of education. Instead of getting opportunity, they say the school took their country’s millions and used the money to discriminate against them.

Despite Her Achievements,Serena Williams Is Constantly The Target Of Disgusting Racist And Sexist Attacks

Serena Williams, who's widely considered the greatest woman tennis player ever, has made history again: Monday, she defeated Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova in the fourth round of the US Open, giving her more Grand Slam victories (308) than any other tennis player.

But longtime fans know that, along with celebrating, they should brace for more of the expressions of bigotry have threatened to tarnished nearly every victory, magazine cover, and interview of her entire incredible career. All too often, instead of being celebrated, she's targeted with outrageous racist and sexist comments.

Near-Fatal Ambush for U.S. Diplomats

On the night of July 7, seven American diplomats in Juba left a farewell dinner early and were headed back to the U.S. Embassy, anxious to avoid the city’s deepening chaos, when their two-car convoy was ambushed by the South Sudanese presidential guard of Salva Kiir.

South Sudanese troops fired between 50 and 100 rounds at the two armored SUVs as soon as they passed the presidential palace. No one in either vehicle, which included James Donegan, the second-highest ranking U.S. official in South Sudan, was hurt or killed in the attack, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying: Three separate clusters of South Sudanese soldiers unloaded on the unarmed diplomats’ vehicles. Eventually, a U.S. Marine rapid response team from the embassy had to fetch three of the waylaid Americans and their South Sudanese driver.

A UFO Causing The SpaceX Rocket Explosion?

Last week, one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets spontaneously combusted on the launch pad while undergoing testing. It was a dramatic explosion (although Elon Musk would prefer to call it a "fast fire"), but according to the foil-hat-wearing corners of the internet, it was caused by aliens, or possibly a drone.

Grainy videos are doing the rounds on YouTube that claim to show a drone hitting the rocket right around the time of the explosion. At first glance, they are actually convincing: a dark blob travels right above the rocket as it explodes. Illuminati? Mars people threatened by Musk's desire to nuke Mars? Or, just a bird.

No More Burka In Northern Iraq: ISIS

Isis have banned the burka in some of their security centres in northern IraqReuters

In a seeming U-turn, the Islamic State (Isis) has reportedly banned women wearing the burka in northern Iraq after claiming that its fighters have been targeted by a veiled female. The hard-line faction has previously beaten and killed women for not wearing a veil covering their face and hair in public.

Now, IS (Daesh) has outlawed women wearing veils entering their security centres near their stronghold of Mosul after a number of commanders were killed by an unknown assailant. In neighbouring Syria, the feared IS al-Hisbah — or 'religious police' — have meted out punishments to woman who left their face uncovered.

Nigerian Military Denies 'Arrest' of Boko Haram-Linked Reporter

A Nigerian journalist accused of having information about the whereabouts of the Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram has been arrested according to multiple reports, though the Nigerian military has denied the claims.

Ahmad Salkida was declared wanted in August by the Nigerian military, along with two other persons, after Boko Haram released a video purporting to show scores of the girls, who were abducted from their school in Chibok, northeast Nigeria, in April 2014. Salkida was one of the first journalists to circulate the video on social media.

World's Best Universities In 2016, Part 1

It’s that time of year again: when rival analysts offer their competing versions of the global university rankings.

This year, it’s QS that’s first off the mark, with a table that shows the U.S. consolidating its grip at the top of the rankings, but the emerging threat from Asia is gaining traction.

For the first time since the rankings were compiled in 2004, the U.S. occupies all three top spots. Massachusetts Institute of Technology hangs onto its top ranking, followed by Stanford and Harvard. Along with California Institute of Technology (5th) and Chicago (10th), they ensure that the U.S. has half of the top 10.

Bad Luck:Two Boko Haram Members Planning To Infiltrate Nigeria Army

Nigeria's Department of State Services announced it arrested two Boko Haram members planning to infiltrate the Nigerian army. Photo courtesy of Beeg Eagle/Wikipedia

ABUJA, Nigeria, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Nigeria's Department of State Services said it arrested two Boko Haram members attempting to infiltrate the Nigerian army.

The two men were identified as Ibrahim Abubakar and Idris Audu, high-level members of the militant organization violently attempting to establish a Muslim caliphate in Nigeria. Their arrests came Sunday in Kano.

-1.8% In Real GDP For 2016, Not 'Too Bad' For Nigeria!

 

Nigeria will have to turn to industries other than oil to help pull itself out of recession, experts say, as the latest sobering government figures reveal that the economy fell by just over 2 percent in the second quarter.

The overall decline of Nigeria's economy is - gross domestic product (GDP) fell 2.06 percent in the second quarter - largely attributed to the global drop in the price of oil, which saw growth of -17.48 percent in real terms in the same period.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte To President Barack Obama: I'm NOT Your Colony!

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned President Barack Obama on Monday not to question him about extrajudicial killings, or “son of a bitch I will swear at you” when they meet in Laos during a regional summit.

Duterte said before flying to Laos that he is a leader of a sovereign country and is answerable only to the Filipino people. He was answering a reporter’s question about how he intends to explain the extrajudicial killings to Obama. More than 2,000 suspected drug pushers and users have been killed since Duterte launched a war on drugs after taking office on June 30.