World to wait longer to know if Pfizer vaccine is effective against Covid variants
An unpublished study by the Israel’s health ministry and Pfizer says the latter’s vaccine is around 93 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic covid-19. Pfizer and its partner, the German biotechnology firm BioNTech, had found 95 per cent effectiveness in their clinical trials carried out in 2020. Researchers are, in...
Leaked report shows Pfizer’s vaccine is conquering Covid in its largest real-world test
A leaked scientific report jointly prepared by Israel’s health ministry and Pfizer claims that the company’s covid-19 vaccine is stopping nine out of 10 infections and the country could approach herd immunity by next month. The study, based on the health records of hundreds of thousands of Israelis, finds that...
Kagame regime in eye of a storm as human rights body questions death of activist
Often cited as a paragon for countries emerging from bloody past of human rights violations, the killing of gospel singer and human rights activist Kizito Mihigo has restored the searchlight on President Paul Kagame government’s willingness and ability to break with the era of repression. Human Rights Watch, an international...
Fifa plans African schools football competition that’ll kick off in DR Congo
Fifa and the African Union have agreed to launch African schools football competition following a meeting in Kinshasa between world football governing body President Gianni Infantino and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi, who is also the current chairperson of the African Union (AU). The two presidents,...
After years of defying Cites, China finally has its own list of endangered species
Thirty-two years after first publishing its List of Wild Animals Under State Priority Conservation, China has finally made an update, more than doubling the size of the list. Key additions include wolves and many endangered bird species. “At last,” the post began, “I hope in the years to come, they...
Fifa president inaugurates regional development office in Congo Brazzaville
A new Fifa regional development office has been inaugurated in Brazzaville, the capital city of the Republic of the Congo. The inauguration of the new office is a statement of Fifa’s commitment to supporting member associations in the delivery of infrastructure, competitions, development and education projects, Fifa President Gianni Infantino...
Jailed rapper: Spanish monarchy accused of gagging free speech
A dramatic arrest earlier this week of Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél, who was convicted of criticising the monarchy and supporting a Basque separatist group in his social media posts, has sparked days of protests across Spain and renewed debate over free speech in the country. Thousands of Hasél supporters have...
Tanzania gets $50m Opec Fund to finance poverty reduction projects
Opec Fund for International Development (Opec Fund) has agreed to finance the fourth phase of Tanzania’s poverty reduction project that will cost the East African nation of approximately 60 million people $50 million. Dar es Salaam says it will use the loan to build rural infrastructure to boost economic opportunities...
Nigeria still in the crosshairs of Boko Haram terror group – HRW
Armed militiamen in Nigeria have persist with terror campaign after they unleashed horror on civilians during which they abducted hundreds of schoolboys in the country’s north-western Niger State. Human Rights Watch, an international rights civil society, reports that the attackers, suspected to be related to the dreaded Al Qaeda-leaning Boko...
African jobs agency Careerbox awarded for 2021 Global Impact Sourcing
Leading non-profit company, Careerbox, has been recognised for its influence in promoting the benefits of Impact Sourcing by the global association. The association represents stakeholders in the outsourcing value chain, International Academic Orientation Programme (IAOP). The company has to date placed over 35,000 previously disadvantaged and unemployed youth and women...
