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New clues suggest slaves were vital to the Viking way of life -- and argue against attempts to soften the raiders' brutish reputation... Archaeologists are using recent finds and analyses of previous discoveries -- from iron collars in Ireland to possible plantation houses in Sweden -- to illuminate the role of slavery in creating and maintaining the Viking way of life. "This was a slave economy," said Neil Price, an archaeologist at Sweden's Uppsala University who spoke at a recent meeting that brought together archaeologists who study slavery and colonization. "Slavery has received hardly any attention in the past 30...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16052074 SNIPPET: "A Nigerian court has sentenced a former spokesman of the militant Islamist sect Boko Haram to three years in prison. Ali Sanda Umar Konduga was arrested last month with Nigerian senator Ali Ndume, who is accused of backing Boko Haram. The group has staged several attacks in Nigeria, including on the UN base and police headquarters in Abuja. Last week, a US Congressional report said Boko Haram was an "emerging threat" to the US and its interests. Nigeria's security services said Konduga spoke on behalf of Boko Haram, using the name Usman al-Zawahiri." SNIPPET: "Boko Haram means "Western...

A German is to become the first ever European to take part in the world's most brutal tournament - the Sanda fight in China. Andre Mewis, 31, from Berlin, has been training for the fight for two years. The sport, known as Sanda, is a mix of judo, karate, boxing and kung-fu and there are no rules. Everything is allowed, kicking, biting and punches and the fights often end in serious injury or in some cases death. He said he had been taking his participation very seriously, training up to 11 hours a day with two Shaolin monks, foregoing sex...