M23 rebels withdraw from Rumangabo area of eastern DRC, to hand over to East African force
The rebel group M23 has announced its withdrawal from a strategic military base that it captured in October 2022 in the Rumangabo area in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In a statement, the group said it would hand over the camp on Thursday to the East African regional force. It...
UN boss hails outgoing Monusco commander, who’ll be replaced by another Brazilian general
Lt-Gen Otávio Rodrigues de Miranda Filho is the new Force Commander of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (Monusco). Brazilian Filho succeeds his countryman Lt-Gen Marcos de Sá Affonso da Costa, who completes his tour of duty on February 28. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent...
Tanzania opposition free to hold political rallies after six years in the cold for ‘insulting’ former president
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has lifted a six-year ban on opposition rallies imposed by her autocratic predecessor, a move that was cautiously welcomed as a gain for democracy by the main opposition party. The ban was introduced in 2016 by political strongman John Magufuli at the onset of his...
Arsenal plans to prise Ferran Torres away from Barcelona if Shaktar’s Mudryk is hijacked by Chelsea
Arsenal reportedly preparing swoop on Barcelona’s Ferran Torrres should they be gazumped by London rivals in their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk’s wide-man Mykhailo Mudryk. However, the Gunners may fail to prise Torres away from Barcelona this month, reports say. The Spaniard is an alternative target to Mudryk, who is now...
Day King Charles III besought princes William and Harry: ‘Don’t make my final years a misery’
In his highly anticipated autobiography, Spare, Prince Harry recounts what he says was a physical attack by his brother, William, now Prince of Wales, as their relationship fell apart over the younger prince’s marriage to actor Meghan Markle. Describing a confrontation at his London home in 2019, Harry says William...
Why virologist Geert Vanden Bossche vouches for natural immunity, not vaccination to rein in Covid infections
In light of the danger posed Covid-19 booster vaccination, independent virologist and vaccine expert, Prof Geert Vanden Bossche, says he has been guardedly optimistic as he sees natural immunity succeeding against the new viral strains, despite the ineffectiveness of the vaccines. “The population is now regaining the functionality of its...
Covid vaccine boomerang: Experts in US warn of risks of booster vaccines fuelling surge in Omicron infections
As scientists and mainstream media sounded the alarm this week about a new Covid-19 variant sweeping through the Northeast, in the United States, the author of an opinion in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) suggested Covid-19 vaccines could be fuelling new variants. In her January 1 opinion piece, Allysia Finley...
Nairobi Securities Exchange suspends trading in Kenya Airways shares for another years
Trading in Kenya Airways shares has been suspended for another year, the local stock exchange said on Wednesday, as the troubled national carrier battles to return to profitability. Last month, Kenyan President William Ruto said the government was ready to sell its entire stake in the airline, which has been...
American mother, daughter who own a funeral home jailed for 20 years for dissecting and selling 570 body parts
A funeral home operator accused of illegally dissecting 569 bodies and selling their parts has been sentenced to 20 years in jail. Megan Hess, 46, ran the business, Sunset Mesa – and the body parts entity Donor Services – from the same building in Montrose, Colorado, in the United States....
Shakhtar tempted to trash Arsenal’s second bid for highly rated winger Mudryk as Chelsea looks to steal the deal
Arsenal are reportedly set to have their second bid for Mykhaylo Mudryk rejected, after upping their offer to £62 million ($76 million) as Shakhtar Donetsk are holding out for a fee closer to the deal that saw Jack Grealish move to Manchester City for £100 million ($122.2 million). The Gunners’...
