For many, walking barefoot across a bed of burning coals might seem like an act of extreme courage, but in some Chinese tribal traditions, it is far more than a daring stunt. Coal walking is an ancient ritual woven into beliefs about health, spirituality, and protection from natural forces. In some parts of Guangdong, Fujian, and Guangxi provinces, coal walking is often tied to temple festivals and Taoist ceremonies. It is a spiritual contract between humans and nature. For centuries, these ethnic tribes believed that walking barefoot across burning coals could bring blessings, ease human suffering, and even shield entire...
Parties Of Both Main Candidates Claim Malawi Election Victory But Results Not Yet Announced
he parties of the two main candidates in Malawi’s presidential election declared victory Thursday, drawing rebukes from the electoral commission which is yet to announce results. Tuesday’s vote is expected to be a close race between President Lazarus Chakwera and challenger Peter Mutharika, the former president who was beaten by Chakwera in the last elections five years ago. Officials from Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party and Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party held separate news briefings and said their candidates had won. The Malawi Electoral Committee says it has counted more than 99% of the votes but hasn’t declared any results, keeping a country struggling through...
‘Children Are Bound To Die’: Corruption, Aid Cuts And Violence Fuel A Hunger Crisis In South Sudan
At 14 months, Adut Duor should be walking. Instead, his spine juts through his skin and his legs dangle like sticks from his mother’s lap in a South Sudan hospital. At half the size of a healthy baby his age, he is unable to walk. Adut’s mother, Ayan, couldn’t breastfeed her fifth child, a struggle shared by the 1.1 million pregnant and lactating women who are malnourished in the east African country. “If I had a blessed life and money to feed him, he would get better,” Ayan said at a state hospital in Bor, 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the capital,...
AP Exclusive: Russia, Vietnam Using Energy Profits To Avoid Possible US Sanctions For Arms Deals
Russia and Vietnam have developed a back-door method of concealing arms deal payments to avoid American and other Western sanctions, using the profits from joint oil and gas ventures to pay off defense contracts without any open transfers of cash through the global banking system, according to internal Vietnamese documents obtained by The Associated Press. Under the system, Vietnam has purchased Russian military equipment including fighter jets, tanks and ships on credit from Moscow, then paid that credit back from its share of profits from a joint Vietnam-Russia oil company operating in Siberia. Such transactions are irregular in international financial...
Indonesian Court Sentences Ukrainian Man To Life For Producing Illegal Drugs In Bali
A Ukrainian man arrested in Thailand and extradited to Indonesia after seven months on the run was convicted Thursday of producing illegal drugs on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali and sentenced to life in prison. Roman Nazarenko, 40, became a suspect after police raided a villa in Bali in May 2024 and found a lab in the basement to grow marijuana and produce a precursor of the synthetic drug ecstasy. As a fugitive listed by Interpol, he was arrested in December at Bangkok’s international airport while he tried to flee to Dubai. Nazarenko, who argued during the trial that he was...
Britain Spy Chief Says He Sees No Evidence Putin Wants To Negotiate Peace In Ukraine
There is “absolutely no evidence” that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin wants to negotiate peace in Ukraine, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency said Friday in an outgoing speech. Sir Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6 as it is more commonly known, said Putin was “stringing us along.” “He seeks to impose his imperial will by all means at his disposal. But he cannot succeed,” Moore said. “Bluntly, Putin has bitten off more than he can chew. He thought he was going to win an easy victory. But he – and many others – underestimated the...
Aina To Miss Nigeria’s Final Two World Cup Qualifiers Clash After Successful Surgery
Nottingham Forest full-back Ola Aina has successfully undergone surgery to repair a hamstring injury sustained while on international duty with Nigeria In a short video post accompanied by an upbeat caption, Aina said the operation “went really well” and that his recovery is progressing. He thanked Nottingham Forest, his teammates and supporters for their support, and expressed eagerness to return to action at the City Ground. Club sources expect Aina to be sidelined until December. This means Aina will miss Nigeria ‘s last two world cup qualifiers game against Benin Republic and Lesotho. The full back is also likely to...
FIFA Opens Disciplinary Proceedings Against South Africa Over Teboho Mokoena Eligibility
FIFA has launched disciplinary proceedings against South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena, after it emerged he played in the March 21 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho despite being suspended for yellow card accumulation. In an official communication to the South African Football Association (SAFA), FIFA confirmed that both the player and the federation are being charged for breaching disciplinary regulations by fielding an ineligible player. SAFA has been given until September 20 to submit its defence to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. Should the charge be upheld, South Africa risk being docked three points, with a possible adjustment to their goal difference...
Nigeria Slip Further in Latest FIFA Rankings
Nigeria has dropped one spot in the just released FIFA rankings. The Super Eagles have endured a poor run of form over the past month. They were knocked out of the African Nations Championship, a tournament for home-based players following 1-0 and 4-0 defeats to Senegal and Sudan. The losses further exposed the weaknesses in the Nigerian Professional Football League. The senior national team also failed to impress, managing only a draw against South Africa in their latest World Cup qualifying tie. That result left Nigeria third in Group C, six points adrift of the top with just two games...
Nigerian Musician Adekunle Gold, Announces Release Of New Project ‘Fuji,’ Slated For October
“I’m grateful for the rooms I walk into, but even more grateful for the stories I carry with me. “My new album FUJI is out Oct 3rd. “Be There!”