The Africa CDC warns that high mpox cases, limited diagnostics, and a high fatality rate are major challenges hampering the continent’s response as cases surge. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said in a Friday update that the challenges include the rapid spread of mpox to new countries and inconsistent efforts to address the disease, highlighting the need for improved coordination. Data from the Africa CDC show that from the beginning of 2024 to Aug. 23, a total of 21,466 potential cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, and 591 deaths have been reported from 13 African Union (AU) members. The…
Author: Agency
A man in Japan – who for seven years was blissfully unaware of the 25-year age gap between him and his girlfriend – only discovered her true age before their wedding. The couple, Yoshitaka, 40, and his 65-year-old wife, Aki, have 18,000 followers on YouTube. They met at a Japanese-style bar, run by Aki, according to Bunshun Online, a Japanese media outlet. At that point, Yoshitaka was divorced and, deeply attracted by her mature charm, fell in love with Aki at first sight. Yoshitaka told Bunshun Online: “After talking with her, I found that we both had experienced failed marriages,…
At the University of Haifa, less than 50km (30 miles) from Israel’s border with Lebanon, they’re taking no chances. The morning after a rocket fell on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, killing 12 children and teenagers, the university authorities announced that all staff based above the fifth floor in the 30-storey building should work from home. The fear is growing that they’re in the line of fire from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. “In the last war with Hezbollah in 2006, their weapons reached Haifa”, Esther Parpara, a member of staff from the university told me. “This…
The US-based Ford Foundation on Tuesday rejected accusations by Kenyan President William Ruto that it was sponsoring “anarchy”.
The Group of Seven (G7) Summit concluded on Saturday with member countries each having their own strategic considerations.
The UN human rights office says it is “profoundly shocked” at the impact on civilians of the Israeli operation in central Gaza that rescued four hostages held by Hamas. Palestinian health officials said hundreds of people were killed and injured in the densely-populated Nuseirat refugee camp on Saturday. Israel’s military said fewer than 100 were killed. UN spokesman Jeremy Laurence said the action by Israeli forces “seriously calls into question whether the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution… were respected” and could amount to war crimes. He also said Palestinian armed groups could face war crimes charges for continuing to…
A body has been found in the search for TV and radio presenter Dr Michael Mosley on the Greek island of Symi. The 67-year-old went missing on Wednesday after setting off on a walk from Agios Nikolaos beach. The body – which has yet to be formally identified – was found on a cliff on a rocky hill north-east of the village of Pedi, near Agia Marina beach. Authorities had been searching for Dr Mosley in a remote mountainous area. Symi’s mayor said the body was found as teams were searching the coastline with cameras and were approaching a cave…
Claudia Sheinbaum is set to become Mexico’s first female president after an official quick count declared her the winner of an election that featured two women as the front-runners. Mario Delgado, head of the ruling party Morena, declared Sheinbaum the presumptive winner late on Sunday, ahead of a full count being done over the next few days. Sheinbaum delivered an acceptance speech in the wee hours of Monday morning. Crowds of her supporters gathered to celebrate their victory in Zocalo, Mexico City’s main central square. Mexicans voted for a president and more than 20,000 congressional and local positions across the…
With most of the results now in from South Africa’s election, the long-ruling African National Congress (ANC) will have to contend with sharing power after a historic loss of its parliamentary majority. Counting in over 97% of voting districts is complete and the ANC’s share of the vote currently stands at 40%. Trailing behind are the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 22%, the MK party led by former President Jacob Zuma on 15% and the EFF with 9%. The final results are expected over the weekend. The ANC has always polled above 50% since the country’s first democratic elections in 1994,…
Marian Robinson, the mother of former US First Lady Michelle Obama, has died at 86. In a statement, her family said that Robinson had died “peacefully” on Friday morning. Robinson was a well-known fixture at the White House during the eight years of Barack Obama’s administration between 2009-17. She spent much of that time taking care of her two granddaughters, Malia and Sasha, daughters to Michelle and Barack Obama. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Mrs Obama called her mother her “rock, always there for whatever I needed”. “She was the same steady backstop for our entire family,…
