Russia announces positive coronavirus vaccine results from controversial trial
For the second time this week, researchers have announced positive results for the final, human stages of a coronavirus vaccine trial. This time, the results are from the Russian vaccine trial, dubbed Sputnik V.On November 9, New York City-based drug company Pfizer put out a press release on positive interim...
Life and times of former Ghana president Jerry Rawlings who died at 73
Former Ghana President John Jerry Rawlings has died. The curtains came down on Mr Rawling’s life on Thursday morning at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.Mr Rawlings is remembered for leading a military junta until 1992, before he later served two terms as elected president of Ghana. He resigned from...
Uganda’s electricity regulator rated best in Africa
Uganda has for the third year running emerged as the top performer in Africa’s Electricity Regulatory Index Report published by the African Development Bank.The East African country, along with Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Kenya, the other top performers, have regulators with the authority to exert the necessary oversight on the...
How to stop restaurants, gyms from driving up coronavirus infections
In cities worldwide, coronavirus outbreaks have been linked to restaurants, cafes and gyms. Now, a new model using mobile-phone data to map people’s movements suggests that these venues could account for most Covid-19 infections in US cities.The model, published this week, also reveals how reducing occupancy in venues can significantly...
Game-changer: New drug more effective in preventing HIV infection in women
A single shot given every two months has proved to be more effective than a daily pill at preventing HIV in women, researchers reported this week, an advance that medical experts hailed as ground-breaking in the fight against the deadly virus that causes AIDS.The finding that the long-acting drug would...
Kenya tops Africa as East Africa dominates World Travel Awards
Kenya and South Africa won multiple awards in this year’s prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA), with Africa’s leading tourist destination in 2020 being reserved for the East African nation.While and South Africa basked in the glory of being picked as Africa’s destinations of choice, Ethiopia took pride in being Africa’s...
Scientists criticise use of unproven Covid-19 drugs in India
In India, which has the world’s second-largest Covid-19 outbreak, there is a desperate need for effective treatments. But researchers are concerned about how the country’s drug regulator is handling potential therapies.The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved several repurposed drugs for ‘restricted emergency use’ for treating the disease,...
New NBA season set for December 22
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association have set the date for the start of the 2020-2021 season.The two bodies have reached agreement in principle on the start of the new season as well as adjustments to some provisions of the current collective bargaining agreement as...
Fund launches business competition in refugee hosting areas
The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) and its partners International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, the United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) and the Turkana County government have launched a global competition for private sector and social enterprise projects to support investment, development and...
Environment: Lives of activists in South Africa under serious threat
While environmental activists in South Africa are hunted and killed like common thieves, the government remains tight-lipped, timid not to dabble with the wealth that is scooped out of the bowels of the harmless earth.As mining companies decimate the environment, in the process the lives of indigenous people, in the...
