New report accuses technology giants Apple and Intel of illicitly trading in ‘blood minerals’ from DR Congo
A new report has warned that a scheme set up to ensure mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo does not fuel conflict is being abused to launder tainted minerals. Global Witness says companies – including Apple, Tesla and Intel – are relying on the due diligence scheme to source...
Renewed Janjaweed attacks in Sudan’s Darfur region linked to scramble for gold, ICC cases
A major city in Sudan’s Darfur region has been under fierce attack, days after thousands of people arrived there seeking safety after their own town was set ablaze by horse-riding Arab militias known as Janjaweed. “For the first time in Geneina’s history, the hospital has been completely evacuated. All health...
AU Peace and Security Council says Amisom successor in Somalia lacks required resources to do it job
The revamped African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Somalia – now named ATMIS (AU Transition Mission in Somalia) and in place since the start of April – lacks the “required resources” to do its job. An AU statement notes its Peace and Security Council (PSC) adopting the renaming and re-purposing...
New research findings show disinformation has a ‘corrosive effect on social trust and critical thinking’ in Africa
Africa has been identified as a target of deliberate disinformation campaigns, according to a study by African Centre for Strategic Studies (ACSS). In findings released on April 27, ACSS says that in recent years, dozens of carefully designed campaigns have pumped millions of intentionally false and misleading posts into Africa’s...
Brain’s ability to think, write poetry, fall in love and envision higher spiritual realm are a mystery to the mind
Neuroscientists have long aspired to understand the intangible properties of the mind. Our most treasured cerebral qualities, like the ability to think, write poetry, fall in love and even envision a higher spiritual realm, are all generated in the brain. But how the squishy, pinkish-gray, wrinkled mass of the physical...
