South Africa president told to take leave absence pending criminal investigation into theft of $4 million at his farm
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing a criminal investigation after a revelation that he failed to report the theft of about $4 million in cash from his farm in northern Limpopo province. An account of the theft is contained in an affidavit by the country’s former head of intelligence...
How African media giants are adopting ‘sachetisation’ to survive in brutally competitive market
How do you price media products in a market where food is the biggest competitor for every dollar? In Nigeria, for instance, food expenditure accounts for nearly 60 cents out of every dollar spent. In Kenya, it’s a little over 52 cents. In Cameroon, it’s almost 46 cents. These three...
Why medics are key to detecting, preventing and punishing crime – the South African scenario
A mass shooting in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape on May 8 and another on May 21 have drawn attention to the high violence levels in the province and South Africa. New official crime statistics for the first quarter of 2022 show a 22 pe cent increase in murders compared...
A year into Taliban rule academic life has become unbearable for Afghan female scholars and students
Life is growing increasingly unbearable for academics in Afghanistan, almost a year into the Taliban’s rule. It has become particularly tough for female scholars and students. Since the Taliban seized power last August, the country has descended into a humanitarian crisis. Many Afghans are not getting enough food; there is...
New study reveals intermittent fasting can slow diabetic kidney disease with reduced albumin in urine
In 2021, researchers published the findings of a ground-breaking study looking into the effects of intermittent diet on type 2 diabetes care. They concluded that a fasting-like diet might help reduce the amount of albumin in the urine, which could have a positive effect on the kidneys. Intermittent fasting is...
DRC crisis: UN envoy terms recent spate of killings in Congo ‘a repeat of a brutal history of violence’
The recent spate of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is, according to a senior United Nations (UN) official entrusted with African affairs, “a repeat of a brutal history of violence” in the central African country. Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the departments of Political...
Morocco welcomes back millions of citizens trapped abroad in ‘biggest cross-continental migrations’
Morocco began welcoming back an influx of its citizens living in Europe after the pandemic led to a halt in what has been called one of the world’s biggest cross-continental migrations. The last such effort in the summer of 2019 saw 3.3 million people and more than three quarters of...
Rwanda terms fighting in DR Congo ‘internal matter’ as Kinshasa says ‘there’s no doubt’ Kigali backs M23 rebels
Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has said “there’s no doubt” that Rwanda supported M23 rebels in clashes in the east of his country that have displaced tens of thousands. Rwanda has consistently denied accusations of backing the rebels. On Monday, there was renewed fighting between the Congolese army...
Chelsea in pole position to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele as PSG, other suitors cool interest in the France international
Paris Saint-Germain have pulled out of the race for Ousmane Dembele, leaving Chelsea as the only club who could take him away from Barcelona, TalkSport reports. The online publication says Dembele is due to become a free agent at the end of the month unless Barcelona can renew his contract....
Displaced residents of Ethiopian border town of Abala narrate horrors visited on their businesses by Tigrayan rebels
Mubarak Nur, an Afar teenager who stuck out the rebel occupation in Abala in northern Ethiopia, recalls the looting and killings his home town witnessed. Nur recalls, “ did what you can see. They looted everything when they entered: blankets, food, wheat, vehicles. They also killed some people...
