insert_link Namibia Congolese nationals nabbed for alleged possession of cannabis Two Congolese men were arrested in Windhoek on Monday after they were allegedly found in possession of cannabis valued at N.dollars 930 500. According to the Namibian Police Force’s spokesperson for the Khomas Region, Warrant Silas Shipandeni, the two suspects aged 37 and 40 were charged with dealing in, and possessio, of cannabis. “On Monday, at around 01h00 in Winnie Madikizela Mandela Street, Otjomuise, a stop and search on […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 20
insert_link Africa From nursing dreams to snail farmer: Ama Serwa Ennin cultivates success in Ghana’s booming snail ndustry By Sefakor Fekpe, via bird story agency Ama Serwaa Ennin squats in a greenhouse, proudly showing off her farming produce, her hands full. What she's holding is her source of pride and future income. But this is not grain or legumes or even beans of the sort usually proffered up in tales of African farming success. Instead, her hands are holding two snails - giant African snails, to be […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 48
insert_link Opinion Pieces Indonesia is one of the world’s largest democracies, but it’s weaponising defamation laws to smother dissent Tim Mann, The University of Melbourne Two former coordinators of one of Indonesia’s most prominent human rights organisations have escaped conviction in a defamation case brought by a powerful government minister. While their astonishing acquittal is welcome, the case marked a bleak new low for freedom of expression in one of the world’s largest democracies. Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, who had coordinated the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 18
insert_link Namibia We are going to play for the nation at Afcon: Benjamin Senior national football team coach, Collin Benjamin, has said while no one is optimistic about the Brave Warriors’ chances in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), their objective is to represent Namibia with pride. Benjamin said this after their goalless draw with Ghana in Kumasi Monday night, ahead of their trip to Ivory Coast. Namibia is drawn in Group E alongside Mali, Tunisia, and neighbours South Africa. In […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 17
insert_link Namibia Police leadership development course starts in Tsumeb The Namibian Police Force’s Inspector General, Lieutenant-General Joseph Shikongo, has urged police officers not to disregard society during their tenure in the police system. Speaking on Monday during the opening of a leadership development training course attended by deputy commissioners at Tsumeb, Shikongo stressed the importance of officers acknowledging their connection to society while in uniform. He said they should recognise their roots and remember that they will eventually […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 4
insert_link Opinion Pieces Australia is still reckoning with a shameful legacy: the resettlement of suspected war criminals after WWII By Jayne Persian, University of Southern Queensland In the Canadian parliament last year, an outcry erupted after 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian Yaroslav Hunka was presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a hero of the second world war. It turned out Hunka had fought against the Allies as a voluntary member of the Nazi German Waffen-SS Galizien division. The incident was deeply embarrassing for Canada; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was forced to […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 15
insert_link Africa How will we know when local communities benefit from carbon offset schemes? (commentary) By Beth Allgood/John Waugh/Craig A. Talmage/Laura Musikanski/Dehara Weeraman on 5 January 2024 Carbon credit schemes face a crisis of legitimacy and often struggle to demonstrate the support of communities who must forgo land uses not compatible with the production and retention of carbon. At the very least, such projects should not negatively impact affected communities, but community support is also not a simple matter of just obtaining free prior and informed […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 9
insert_link Environment Why is the universe ripping itself apart? A new study of exploding stars shows dark energy may be more complicated than we thought The remains of a Type Ia supernova – a kind of exploding star used to measure distances in the universe. NASA / CXC / U.Texas, CC BY Brad E Tucker, Australian National University What is the universe made of? This question has driven astronomers for hundreds of years. For the past quarter of a century, scientists have believed “normal” stuff like atoms and molecules that make up you, me, Earth, […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 27
insert_link Africa Scramble for the Sahel – why France, Russia, China and the United States are interested in the region By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University The Sahel, a region 3,860km wide located south of the Sahara Desert and stretching east-west across the African continent, has been a focus of attention around the world recently. In the last decade, issues such as terrorism, insecurity and trafficking have characterised the region. Military takeovers have been a major source of concern in the region and beyond in the last few years. […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 3