WFP raises red flag over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, citing looming food shortages in Middle East and Africa
The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing food prices to fluctuate, and risks pushing families across the Middle East and North Africa into severe hunger. Russia is the largest exporter of wheat in the world, while Ukraine has significantly climbed the ranks in grain exports over the...
Deployment of UNMISS peacekeepers in South Sudan’s conflict hotspots contributed to 42 per cent drop in violence – report
Evidence of the good work done by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) comes in a just released report showing a 42 per cent drop in violence against civilians in the world’s newest country. The UNMISS Human Rights Division annual brief on violence affecting civilians documented 3,414 civilian...
West Africa has become playground for foreign armies as European and Russian militaries tussle for grip of the region
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the withdrawal of Barkhane and Takuba forces from Mali, but expressed commitment to “continue … joint action against terrorism in the Sahel region, particularly in Niger and the Gulf of Guinea. Presenting a common front, Macron announced this at a press conference that included...
Aubameyang puts former coach to shame with a hattrick as Barcelona sees off Valencia in La Liga clash
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s career at Barcelona is off and running as the former Arsenal striker scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Valencia on Sunday. After joining as a free agent in the closing stages of the January transfer window, Aubameyang failed to score in his first three appearances for...
How hackers supported by Russian breached classified information, compromised American defence
Hackers backed by the Russian government have breached the networks of multiple US defines contractors in a sustained campaign that has revealed sensitive information about US weapons-development communications infrastructure, the federal government has revealed. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica, a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis,...
Kenya Defence Forces keen on bolstering its fleet by acquiring more MD 530 helicopters from the US
Kenya has expressed interest in acquiring additional MD 530 helicopters from the United States, the US Army has revealed. A US Army spokesman told Janes magazine that India, Kenya, and Lebanon have shown interest in procuring new MD 530s. “We are working towards resuming production for Kenya as part of...
Analysis: Successes and apparent popularity of recent coups in Africa have set a precedent that may inspire copycats
On the evening of February 15, 2022, reports emerged that key police and military officials in Djibouti were put under house arrest, reportedly amid fears of a coup d’état. This was the latest in the string of successful and attempted coups in Africa – from Mali to Madagascar and Guinea...
Africa’s leading jailer and suppressor of journalists travels to Brussels for EU-Africa summit
Africa’s biggest jailer of journalists, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, will visit Brussels to attend the European Union – Africa summit from February 17-18, 2022. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has appealed to the European Union leaders and the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo to speak out against...
Earth-like third planet spotted orbiting Sun’s closest neighbour that’s likely to ‘have oceans of liquid water’
Astronomers have discovered a third planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the Sun. Called Proxima Centauri d, the newly spotted world is probably smaller than Earth, and could have oceans of liquid water. “It’s showing that the nearest star probably has a very rich planetary system,” says Guillem...
New milestone in medical research as scientists in the US use umbilical cord blood to treat HIV and leukemia
A woman of mixed race appears to be the third person ever to be cured of HIV, using a new transplant method involving umbilical cord blood that opens up the possibility of curing more people of diverse racial backgrounds than was previously possible, scientists announced on Tuesday. Cord blood is...
