‘Baba-qued’ and ‘Hustled’ Kenyans wait with bated breath to vote in close presidential poll in history
Raila Amolo Odinga, a veteran Kenyan political leader and one-time prime minister, has long cast himself as an anti-establishment firebrand, despite belonging to one of the country’s top political dynasties. But his decision to strike an alliance with his arch-rival, President Uhuru Kenyatta, and secure the ruling party’s backing as...
Report: Demoralised Russian troops self-mutilating to escape war as Ukraine resumes grain exports
Vladimir Putin has been humiliated by the news that Russian soldiers are allegedly “self-mutilating” in a desperate bid to escape from the front lines, according to British newspaper The Express. “In order to return to Russia, the invading soldiers are mutilating themselves and pretending to be sick, according to Ukraine’s...
Killing al Qaeda chief al Zawahiri sets off scramble for dominance of Africa by Islamists
It was one of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s last victories. Just over a week before the al-Qaeda leader was killed in Kabul by missiles fired from a US drone, militants from the organisation’s biggest affiliate in sub-Saharan Africa attacked the most important military base in Mali. The tactics of the attack were...
Why Kenyan voter, high on heresy, has thrust an outlier presidential candidate into viral sensation
The presidential candidate swivelled his hips and shimmied his shoulders, reggae music blasting from his campaign bus. As George Wajackoyah danced, an increasingly rowdy crowd sang along to what has become his campaign anthem. “Yes I’m a ganja planter,” blared Marlon Asher’s hit song, “Ganja Farmer.” “Call me di ganja...
Man City will win Premier League, it’s also proved a good shop for gifted players after netting $213 million
Manchester City will start the season as favourites to win the Premier League, but this doesn’t necessarily make them the ‘value bet’. Such is the nature of modern football that the reaction was always going to be distinctly binary, but there was little positive that supporters could take from Erling...
With hair-trigger nature of EPL hiring and firing Arsenal manager is now sitting on time bomb
For all that is said of the grumpiness (and, increasingly, rage) of the football supporter, there is much to be said for optimism. It’s a fleeting feeling, but for a couple of weeks during the summer anything and everything is on the table, although it does usually come crashing back...
Pakistan: Springboard of terrorism pushed further on the periphery of world economy by bad reputation
Pakistan is going through a particularly challenging time, even by the standards of its reputation as a crisis-prone country. Since former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a parliamentary vote of no confidence and was ousted from office in April, the cricketer-turned-politician has been threatening continued street protests by his...
As South Africa plans for smart technology to fix broken policing system, risks of abuse loom large
Emerging technologies are seen as critical tools for making South Africa safer. This includes a rise in spending on city surveillance systems (including CCTV cameras), body cameras for police, automated number plate recognition, and even aerial drones. For many in government and the tech sector, ‘smart’ technologies – including those...
Why and how US spies tracked, traced al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri in Afghanistan and killed him
A US drone strike in Afghanistan this weekend killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, who helped Osama bin Laden plot the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and helped al-Qaida survive and spread in the years after. By finding and striking al-Zawahiri, President Joe Biden said, the US was ensuring that...
Resurgence of armed conflict explains confidence crisis UN, AU peace missions face in eastern DRC
Violent protests erupted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in late July 2022, resulting in the deaths of at least three peacekeepers and several civilians. The United Nations mission in the Congo has long suffered a crisis of confidence among local communities. It has been accused of failing to protect...
