Sudan’s famine-hit Zamzam camp comes under fire, say residents and MSF
Cairo, Egypt Reuters Sudan’s famine-stricken Zamzam displacement camp has been struck by shelling from the Rapid Support Forces, volunteers and medical aid agency MSF said, as the paramilitary group seeks to tighten control of the Darfur region in the country’s war. The RSF denied attacking the camp, hitherto a safe haven from devastating fighting in […]
StrangeSights: ‘Brain rot’ the Oxford Word of the Year; Rudy aims for a new underwater living record; and, a Mars bar with no ripples?
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
US congregations, agencies race to resettle refugees ahead of Trump inauguration
Durham, North Carolina, US RNS At a quickly convened Zoom meeting in late November, members of Judea Reform Congregation summoned volunteers to form a team that would sponsor a refugee family before a January deadline. That deadline is 20th January, Inauguration Day, when Donald Trump returns to the White House, after which the US policy […]
South Korean lawmakers call to impeach President Yoon after back-track on martial law
Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Korean lawmakers on Wednesday called for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law only to reverse the move hours later, triggering the biggest political crisis in decades in Asia’s fourth-largest economy. The surprise declaration late on Tuesday ignited a standoff with parliament which rejected his […]
Unknown disease kills 143 in south-west Congo, local authorities say
Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters An unknown disease killed 143 people in Democratic Republic of Congo’s south-western province in November, local authorities told Reuters. Infected people had flu-like symptoms, including high fever and severe headaches, Remy Saki, Deputy Governor of Kwango province, and Apollinaire Yumba, provincial minister of health, said on Monday. A medical […]
Namibia elects Nandi-Ndaitwah as first female president
Windhoek, Namibia Reuters Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia’s ruling SWAPO party has been elected President and will be the country’s first female leader, results released by the country’s electoral commission showed on Tuesday. Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, is the current vice president. Her victory will extend SWAPO’s 34 years in power since it led Namibia to independence from […]
On 11th-hour visit to Angola, Biden pledges lasting support to Africa
Luanda, Angola Reuters Joe Biden pledged lasting US engagement with Africa as he met his Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenco in Luanda on Tuesday, as part of his first and only visit to sub-Saharan Africa as US President. During brief remarks at the presidential palace, Biden pledged lasting engagement on Africa’s own terms. He said the […]
Guinea rights groups say 135 killed in stadium crush
Conrakry, Guinea Reuters Some 135 people were killed in a crush at a soccer stadium in south-east Guinea on Sunday, a local group of human rights organisations said, sharing an estimated death toll more than twice as high as the official toll of 56. A controversial refereeing decision sparked crowd violence and tear gas volleys […]
Space safety: Global push for cooperation as traffic crowds Earth orbit
NIVEDITA BHATTACHARJEE, of Reuters, reports on efforts to ensure space safety as the volume of satellites and space junk continue to rise…
Analysis – South Korean President’s failed attempt at martial law may put his position in peril
Seoul, South Korea Reuters South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s shocking late-night declaration of martial law brought years of clashes with domestic opponents, the media and even his own conservative party to a head and threw his political future into doubt. He promised to roll back that order only hours later after parliament, including some […]