It’s hurray and gunfire celebration for Taliban Islamists as last American soldiers leave Afghanistan
Celebratory gunfire resounded across the Afghan capital on Tuesday as the Taliban took control of the airport following the withdrawal of the last US troops, marking the end of a 20-year war that left the Islamist group stronger than it was in 2001. Shaky video footage distributed by the Taliban...
Egypt frees comedian, journalist and political activist to clean image of being among world’s top jailers
Egypt has released an online comedian, a journalist and a political activist after they spent months in pre-trial detention, two lawyers say. It was the latest in a series of recent releases amid concerns by the United States and international rights groups over the arrest and harassment of rights advocates...
Transfer deadline dash sees Arsenal rope in Takehiro Tomiyasu to replace departing right-back Bellarin
Arsenal are moving closer to securing a deal for defender Takehiro Tomiyasu after agreeing an initial £17 million ($23.5 million) fee with Bologna and he will now undergo a medical. The Gunners have been in the market for defensive cover throughout the summer and have been looking to offload Hector...
Inside Latin America’s $500b loot: We’re not suffering from just one pandemic, we’ve others within Covid context
Transparency International estimates that an average of more than $500 billion a year is lost to corruption in the public health sector globally. Ravages wrought by coronavirus has made it even worse. Jonathan Cushing, head of global health at Transparency International said reports of corruption have increased around the world...
Latin America’s Covid millionaires: How narcotics and corruption feed the pandemic in the region
After coming down with Covid-19 in December, Vinicio Sánchez visited three health centres in a single day. At the first, a clinic in the south of Ecuadorian capital, Quito, he was told he needed oxygen but they had none left to give him. He was referred to a specialist Covid-19...
South Sudan army on high alert in capital Juba as agitation for president’s removal builds up
Internet services in South Sudan were disrupted on Monday and security forces patrolled the streets after activists called for protests against President Salva Kiir’s government. The capital Juba was quieter than usual as residents sheltered inside. A coalition of activist groups reiterated their call on Sunday for rallies demanding Kiir’s...
Bilingualism and brain power: Multiple-language use helps delay onset of Alzheimer’s disease
Even when you’re fluent in two languages, it can be a challenge to switch back and forth smoothly between them. It’s common to mangle a split verb in Spanish, use the wrong preposition in English, or lose sight of the connection between the beginning and end of a long German...
Gene therapy gives researchers ammunition needed to find cure for sickle-cell disease at its molecular roots
Seventy years ago, sickle-cell disease was at the cutting edge of biomedical research as the first medical condition to be linked to a molecular cause. But the ensuing decades saw little progress in terms of clinical care, leaving patients afflicted with severe pain and dramatically shortened life expectancy. “There was...
