How drone rapidly grew into insurgents’ choice arsenals in Africa; used to hit civilian and military targets
In recent years, the uses for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have multiplied across Africa. Drones have been used to fertilise crops, monitor wildlife and deliver medicine to hard-to-reach places. Drone technology has grown rapidly worldwide and is projected to be a $43 billion global industry by...
Sudan’s ruling military sacks six envoys who criticised Monday ouster of PM Abdalla Hamdok
Sudan’s ruling military has sacked six ambassadors and security forces have tightened their crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, even as international pressure against this week’s coup grows. The decision, announced late on Wednesday on state media, included Sudan’s ambassadors to the US, the European Union, China, Qatar, France and the head...
Civil society groups raise alarm over lack of transparency in Madagascar’s lucrative mining industry
A dozen civil society groups have denounced a lack of transparency in Madagascar’s lucrative mining sector, which accounts for 30 per cent of its exports. Rich in gold, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, Madagascar and its wealth have done little to contribute to its development or improve the living conditions of...
For over 50 years, abortion was a human rights issue in US, now Supreme Court ban looms
An upcoming case in the US Supreme Court might hasten the end of abortion across roughly half of the United States – a right that the country has defended for nearly 50 years. More than 800 scientists and several scientific organisations have provided evidence to the court showing that abortion...
Honey is a natural pharmacy with everything-in-one for the headache, stomach-ache or bacterial infections
Research on bees and honey has unearthed the effects of additional phytochemicals in honey. Abscisic acid boosts bees’ immune response, improves wound-healing time and tolerance to cold temperatures, studies show. Other phytochemicals blunt the impact of parasites, one of the major causes of honeybee decline: For example, giving fungus-infected honeybees...
US Homeland Security reports ‘startling’ rise in number of illegal immigrants after Biden came to power
Not only was the record for illegal immigrant apprehensions along the southern border shattered in 2021, the fiscal year, which ended in September. The month concluded with a bang – a final month spike of migrants from Haiti (132 per cent), Turkey (89 per cent), India (82 per cent), Ukraine...
East African countries on alert as terrorists fleeing Mozambique scatter in the region
Shaky cell phone videos captured the scene of a lone terrorist engaged in a shootout with police on the streets of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in late August. Walking in the afternoon sun, the man held an assault rifle in his hands with a second rifle hanging around his neck....
China won’t recognise Afghanistan’s new regime, watching US cooperation with India
China will not take the lead in recognising Afghanistan’s Taliban government and will only do so in a concerted move with Pakistan, Russia and Iran, an expert familiar with China’s foreign policy considerations says. The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August and set up an interim government in September...
Sudan’s new military strongman al-Burhan justifies PM Hamdok’s ouster as necessary to ‘avoid civil war’
Sudan’s armed forces chief defended the military’s seizure of power, saying he had ousted the government to avoid civil war, while protesters took to the streets on Tuesday to demonstrate against the takeover after a day of deadly clashes. The military takeover on Monday brought a halt to Sudan’s transition...
We’re not out of the woods yet, Covid vaccine makers warn as world braces for variants worse than Delta
Companies are updating vaccines and testing them on people to prepare for whatever comes next in the pandemic. Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, made a bold promise in June. Standing next to US President Joe Biden at a press conference in St Ives, UK, just before the G7 summit meeting,...
