Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Seven Sierra Leone athletes have joined a Tanzanian boxer and a Bangadeshi runner on the Commonwealth Games missing list.
Six track and field athletes and a weightlifter — six men and a woman — from the Sierra Leone team were last seen in the athletes village on Tuesday night.
Robert Green, spokesman for the Sierra Leone team, today declined to identify the missing athletes, but did confirm that three of them had failed to compete in a scheduled relay event.
Only one of the athletes was carrying a passport.
"I think it has dampened the rest of the team," Green added. "Obviously there is a feeling that it is not the nicest thing to do to the host country and your teammates to walk out."
Several athletes from Sierra Leone, an African country impoverished after years of civil war, went missing during the Manchester 2002 Games.
Green said he was not aware of any special conditions placed on Sierra Leone athletes entering Australia and he was no "formal concerns" for the missing athletes.
Victoria state police were treating the case as a missing persons investigation.
"We don't have any concerns for their welfare, (but) we'd like to know they're alright," a police spokesman said.
Most athletes were granted entry visas until the end of April. Police said immigration authorities would not become involved until any athlete overstayed his or her visa.
In the meantime, Tanzanian boxer Omari Idd Kimweri and Mohammad Tawhidul Islam, a 400-meter runner from Bangladesh, have not been located since being reported missing from the village on Monday.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments