Impounded contraband cigarettes smuggled through Zimbabwe linked to South African army
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has recorded multiple seizures of illicit cigarettes being smuggled into South Africa, with several million dollars’ worth of cigarettes confiscated recently. The SANDF said a joint operation with members of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) based at the Beitbridge Port of Entry...
International maritime body reports lowest piracy incidence in Africa waters in two decades
Piracy incidents in the first nine months of 2021 are the lowest reported in 17 years with, at the other end of the scale, 51 crew kidnapped, eight taken hostage and one killed. The latest piracy report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) released this week shows 85 vessels boarded,...
Red flag raised over imminent takeover of Namibia’s Walvis Bay port by Dubai royal family
A government-backed Dubai-based port management company is at the tail-end of a process that will see the company, DP World, take complete control of Namibia’s main seaport, Walvis Bay, at the expense of Namport. Walvis Bay port managing entity Namport, will cede its functions to the concessionaire at the new...
Reporting on humanitarian crises can be exploitative and offensive, a fount of lazy and racist tropes
You might think that reporting on humanitarian issues is like any other kind of journalism. But after years of being both an aid worker and a reporter at The New Humanitarian, (and before that, IRIN News), I think it has a special set of rewards and difficulties. First, the international...
AI: Training machines based on earlier examples can embed past prejudices, uphold discrimination
In the past decade, data-driven technologies have transformed the world around us. We’ve seen what’s possible by gathering large amounts of data and training artificial intelligence to interpret it: computers that learn to translate languages, facial recognition systems that unlock our smartphones, algorithms that identify cancers in patients. The possibilities...
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry on managing Tottenham: That would never happen in a million years
Thierry Henry has, unsurprisingly, admitted that he would never manage Tottenham after reflecting on Arsenal’s start to the new season. The Gunners completely outplayed Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in the first north London derby of the season last month, as Mikel Arteta led his team to a comfortable 3-1 win...
British government, scientists made ‘fatalistic’ decisions that led to many Covid deaths – parliament
The British government and scientists made a fatalistic decision by backing a strategy that amounted to “herd immunity” in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, costing many thousands of lives in “one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced”, a parliamentary inquiry has...
Electric cars: Consumers main worry about losing power or being unable to recharge on a long trip
Driving range is important for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Most consumers buy cars on the basis of reach because they worry about losing power or being unable to recharge on a long trip. Yet, most car journeys are short – to the shops or school. In the United...
Challenge Third World countries face as developed nations prepare to phase out fossil-fuelled cars by 2030
Electric vehicles are here, and they are essential for decarbonising transport. The United Kingdom, California, the European Union, Canada and others plan to phase out the sale of fossil-fuelled vehicles as early as 2030 – Norway plans to do it sooner. Consumers are interested. In May, the Ford Motor Company...
Wobbly: Economy hurting as Kenya’s president and deputy trade accusations of graft in energy sector
With no elections at stake to lose, Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta has trained his eyes on cartels in the energy industry said to be fleecing consumers through hefty electricity and fuel rates. His targets, Deputy President William Ruto and allies have been on the receiving for end allegedly fronting companies...
