Congo Votes for Successor to Kabila in Long-Delayed Election
The Democratic Republic of Congo voted Sunday for a successor to long-serving President Joseph Kabila after a tense campaign the opposition said was marred by crackdowns and disruptions. Kabila’s handpicked successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, is running for the ruling coalition and faces strong challenges from opposition alliances headed by Felix Tshisekedi and Martin Fayulu. The […]
South Africa’s Rand Flat In Early Trade Ahead Of Trade Balance Figures
South Africa’s rand was flat early on Friday, giving up its small overnight gains as renewed jitters about the impact on global growth of the simmering trade war between China and the United States kept investors on the sidelines. At 0730 GMT the rand was steady at 14.4725 per dollar, unchanged from its overnight close […]
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
“Not until the half of our population represented by women and girls can live free from fear, violence and everyday insecurity, can we truly say we live in a fair and equal world.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres Why we must eliminate violence against women Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one […]
Joint UN Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Statement by the Heads of UN agencies, UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women and UNFPA, calling for solidarity with survivors and survivor advocates and women’s human rights defenders who are working to prevent and end violence against women and girls. To commemorate this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign is calling […]
Ethiopia Arrests Ex-head Of Army Firm As Crackdown Targets Security Services
Kinfe Dagnew, a Brigadier General in Ethiopia’s army and former chief executive of METEC, was taken into custody close to the border with Sudan and Eritrea, state-run broadcaster EBC said. State media broadcast footage showing Kinfe surrounded by a ring of soldiers and later images of him in handcuffs arriving by military helicopter in the […]
Bribes, Beatings and Gridlock at Ports Choke Nigeria Economy
The lines of aging blue, red and yellow trucks begin almost 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the gates of Nigeria’s main port of Apapa. Valentine, a 34-year-old driver, has been queuing outside the Lagos site for two weeks. He’s had to deal with policemen demanding bribes and fend off hoodlums known as area boys. “This […]
How to Manage Workaholism
It goes by many names: the hustle, the grind, going all in. Entrepreneurs wear their long work hours, dark under-eye circles and stress-induced weight fluctuations like badges of honor. We look up to these people, who sacrifice such things as weekends and a good night’s rest, as the dedicated few willing to do what it […]
How To Relieve a Headache Instantly
A few weeks ago, I had an appointment with a physical therapist. As he poked and prodded my body during the initial evaluation, he asked me a question that honestly kind of shocked me: “Have you been getting headaches lately?” Indeed I had been—bad ones. So bad that neither Tylenol nor Advil could relieve the […]
Current Ebola Outbreak Is Worst In Congo’s History – Ministry
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the most severe in the country’s history with 319 confirmed and probable cases, the health ministry said late on Friday. The haemorrhagic fever is believed to have killed 198 people in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, where attacks by armed groups and community resistance […]
New Tax Evokes Memories of 2008 Crisis in Zimbabwe
When Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed a comparatively youthful, Cambridge-trained economist as finance minister in September, he gave him an almost impossible task: repay billions of dollars in debt and ignite a stagnating economy. Mthuli Ncube, 55, quickly moved to impose a two percent tax on electronic transactions in a bid to raise $700 million […]
Total Plans New Offshore Angola Well To Boost Oil Output
French oil company Total said on Saturday it plans to drill 13 wells on block 17, offshore Angola, in order to maintain production of 400,000 barrels per day of crude until 2023 in Africa’s second largest crude producer. In a statement, the company said the wells, which will connect marginal fields to existing floating […]
Rape Laws Offer Little Protection
The world over, laws to protect rape victims are paper tigers, often enacted but rarely enforced, a researcher said here. A bevy of international laws prohibit rape, and governments have been mandated under these laws to enact, implement, and monitor legislation that addresses all forms of violence against women, according to Olufunke Adesuwa Akiyode, […]
Coffee Drinkers Really Do Live Longer
By now, it’s clear: There’s a strong case for the health benefits of coffee. Studies have recently shown that regular java drinkers have a lower risk of diabetes, fewer strokes and heart problems and lower rates of certain cancers. All of that may help explain why coffee drinkers also tend to live longer than people […]
South Africa’s Eskom Plans First Major Battery Storage Project
South Africa’s state-run power firm Eskom said on Tuesday it is planning its first major battery storage project as President Cyril Ramaphosa seeks to boost renewable energy usage and reduce the country’s reliance on coal. Prince Moyo, general manager for power delivery engineering at Eskom, told Reuters that the battery storage project would be rolled […]
Biya Wins Cameroon Election To Extend 36-year Rule
Cameroonian President Paul Biya has won re-election by a landslide, official results showed on Monday, extending his 36-year rule despite claims from two leading opposition candidates that the vote was fraudulent. At 85, Biya is the oldest leader in sub-Saharan Africa and the victory cements his place as one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers. Most Cameroonians […]