New UN report says rape and sexual violence in Sudan’s ongoing conflict are war crimes
The report, which covers a period from the outbreak of the fighting up to December 15, documents abuses in a country that has been largely inaccessible to aid groups and rights monitors recently, clouding the impact of a conflict that been overshadowed by wars in places like Gaza and Ukraine.
Moon landing in 50 years: Spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based private company lands near moon’s south pole
The uncrewed six-legged robot lander, dubbed Odysseus, touched down at about 2323 GMT, the company and NASA commentators said in a joint webcast of the landing from Intuitive Machines’ opens new tab mission operations centre in Houston.
MSF boss shocks UN, US with revelations that children as young as five in Gaza prefer to die
The US has vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions since the start of the current fighting on October 7, most recently blocking on Tuesday a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire as it instead pushes council to call for a temporary ceasefire linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Senegal President Sall pledges to leave office in April, but that’s likely to create a power vacuum
Senegal has been seen as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies, but disputes over the election have plunged the country into a political crisis that has sparked deadly protests. At least three people have been killed by security forces and dozens injured.
Financial pledge for Kenya-led multinational security mission in Haiti nears $300 million
A US statement said Canada, Benin, France and Jamaica “announced financial, personnel, and in-kind commitments to the mission” during Thursday’s meeting. Blinken later said countries committed at least another $120 million to the initiative during the meeting.
Thy kingdom come: Revisiting political, cultural contests at the heart and soul of Busoga ‘Kyabazingaship’ in Uganda
The Kyabazinga is also called Isebantu, which means “father of the people”. This name was a symbol of unity derived from the expression and recognition by the people of Busoga that their leader was the “father of all people who brings all of them together”, and who also serves as their cultural leader. The wife of a Kyabazinga is called Inyhebantu or the mother of all Basoga.
EU watching keenly how Italy’s planned asylum seekers processing centres in Albania will work
The centres could help relieve chronic overcrowding at initial asylum processing centres in Italy, where hundreds of thousands of migrants are held after risky sea voyages across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya, Tunisia, Turkey and other countries.
Maize farmers in US in a quandary on back of a glut that’s driven prices into the ground
Record-large harvests in the United States and Brazil, increased competition for US grain exports, and limited domestic demand led to hefty amounts of corn locked away in storage, pushing US corn prices to their lowest level since November 2020 on Wednesday.
Why South Sudanese should be wary of ‘spoilers’ bent on wrecking December 2024 polls
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement splintered into two factions in 2014. One is led by Kiir, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Government and the other by Machar, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition.
Kenyans mourn marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum as body returns home for burial
Kelvin Kiptum had only run three marathons but each was among the fastest seven times ever recorded. He set the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October in two hours and 35 seconds, eclipsing the 2:01:09 run by compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in 2022.
