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Mustafa Muhumed Omer began demanding justice after his uncle disappeared and continued despite threats to his mother and sister, and the torture and death of his brother. Now in charge of the sprawling Ethiopian Somali region, the former activist and aid worker has seven months before people vote on his reforms to a system where extrajudicial killings were rife. Authorities this month set Aug. 16 as the date for Ethiopia's landmark elections.

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:00:59 -0500

Skilled workers coming to Britain should earn at least 25,600 pounds, lower than the existing proposed threshold, a government commissioned report said on Tuesday while warning the planned overhaul of the immigration system could hit economic growth. With Britain leaving the European Union on Friday, the government is introducing the biggest shake-up of Britain’s border controls in decades, ending the priority given to migrants from the bloc over those from other countries. The Migration Advisory Committee, an independent body which gives the government advice, recommended lowering a minimum salary threshold for skilled migrants to 25,600 pounds ($33,648) a year from 30,000 pounds.

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:00:00 -0500

LAGOS/ABUJA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Ask a Nigerian what corrupt politicians do with public funds and he or she may say, "They chop it." The Oxford English Dictionary agrees. Hailing from the streets of Nigeria, "to chop" - meaning to illicitly make money, and "rub minds" - a synonym for "confer", are among 29 distinctive aspects of Nigerian English to obtain pride of place in the august dictionary. "By taking ownership of English and using it as their own medium of expression, Nigerians have made, and are continuing to make, a unique and distinctive contribution to English as a global language," the dictionary said in notes accompanying its latest update this month.

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:00:00 -0500

Emerging market equities declined for a fourth straight session on Tuesday, set for their longest losing streak in four months, on rising worries about the economic impact from a virus outbreak in China as the death toll rose. MSCI's index for emerging market equities fell 0.7%, tracking stock market losses across Asia. The coronavirus spreading across China claimed its first victim in Beijing, as the death toll rose to 106.

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 04:36:50 -0500

European markets rebounded early on Tuesday after the previous day's thumping, which saw investors worried about the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak in China huddle in safe-haven assets. There was relief as Europe's STOXX 600 and Wall Street futures bounced as much as 0.5% from their closing levels on Monday, which was the worst day for world stocks since October. Chinese markets remain closed all week, but the 0.5% overnight drop in Tokyo's Nikkei was more modest than Monday's and many of Asia's other bourses that were open rallied from the day's lows too.

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 04:35:59 -0500