Sudanese woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery determined to overturn verdict
A woman in Sudan has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, the first known case in the country for almost a decade. Maryam Alsyed Tiyrab, 20, was arrested by police in Sudan’s White Nile State last month. Tiyrab says she is appealing against the decision. The majority of...
Mosquirix vaccine trials in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi show the drug reduces malaria infection by 30 per cent
Malaria vaccine manufacturer GSK’s Breuer expects the Mosquirix deal with Bharat to accelerate production. The British drugmaker will continue to produce the adjuvant – immune-boosting portion – of the vaccine. The manufacturer recently committed to doubling production to 30 million doses annually, without offering a timeline. Bharat Biotech, which has...
Malaria vaccine: Even after WHO approved Mosquirix, production funding still falls far short of budget
After decades of work, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the first-ever malaria vaccine last year – a historic milestone that promised to drive back a disease that kills a child every minute. In reality, efforts are falling well short of that, with a lack of funding and commercial potential...
US warns China it will defend Philippines against attacks on its ships or aircraft in South China Sea
The United States has warned it will defend the Philippines against any attack on its ships or aircraft in the South China Sea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the statement on the sixth anniversary of a 2016 decision by an international arbitration tribunal that largely ruled in favour...
Environmental expert cautions South Sudan on dredging of rivers, equates ongoing projects to treason
South Sudan’s president has ordered the suspension of all dredging-related activities in the country until evidence-based studies are carried out on their impact on surrounding communities and the ecosystems they rely on. President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s announcement, which was made during his address on the country’s 11th independence anniversary on...
Kenya heads to elections with serious integrity concerns hanging over polls agency, technology reliability
Leading candidates in next month’s presidential election in Kenya, Raila Odinga and William Ruto have expressed reservations about the country’s polls agency’s capacity to deliver free, fair and credible election. They fear the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is unprepared for the upcoming polls, raising alarm bells that the...
How long running and bitter standoff between Kenya president and deputy will impact August 9 polls results
Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto had a falling out with President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, ending a decade-old partnership dubbed “Uhuruto.” Ruto presents himself as an “insurgent candidate,” deriding the Odinga ticket as a continuation of the dynastic politics of the Odinga and Kenyatta families that have loomed large over...
Kenya’s August 9 elections a test of its bumpy road to democracy in politically volatile continent
Kenya’s competitive presidential elections reflect hard-earned progress in establishing independent constitutional and judicial guardrails, although a history of electoral violence demands all sides show restraint. Kenyans will vote on August 9 in their fifth presidential election since the re-introduction of multiparty politics in 1991. The competitiveness of the elections, and...
Kuje prison break is stark possibility that Nigeria is out of security options and criminal gangs run the show
On July 5, the Boko Haram breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) led a successful attack on a well-secured prison in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The group shot its way into the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre after overpowering security guards in a well-coordinated assault. The government said 879...
Interpol coordinated clampdown on illicit firearms in West and Central Africa seizes 480 firearms, 6,000 parts
An Interpol co-ordinated police operation targeting illicit firearms in Central and West Africa saw 120 arrests and seizure of firearms, gold, drugs, fake medication, wildlife products and cash. Operation Trigger VIII over six days in June, involved 520 law enforcement officials targeting 35 hotspots across Burkina Faso, Central African Republic...
