Staff Writer

  The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, today welcomed reports of a directive by the South African Police Service to end the unnecessary confiscation of syringes and needles. “This development supports recommendations I have previously made in my reports with regards to harm reduction policy tools, to include Needle and syringe programmes as an essential component to […]

  In a decisive move toward operational modernization and national policy alignment, WHO Ethiopia has completely transitioned its fuel management system to the fully digital TeleBirr       e-payment platform, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to transparency, efficiency, and digital transformation. Beginning in April 2024, all fuel transactions across Ethiopia were mandated by the Ethiopian Petroleum and Energy Authority to shift from traditional paper-based coupons to electronic […]

  On September 18, 2025 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Evgueni Sobolevski, met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt for Cultural Affairs, Yasser Shaban. The interlocutors discussed the state and prospects of cooperation in the field of culture and arts, possibilities for holding joint events, in particular the Week of Belarusian Culture […]

  Somalia continues to grapple with overlapping humanitarian crises, including conflict, drought, and mass displacement, leaving millions in urgent need of assistance. In response, the Somalia Humanitarian Country Team endorsed the establishment of the Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Working Group in February 2024. Chaired by the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), with Save the Children as co-chair and UN Women Somalia as secretariat, the group is tasked with ensuring […]

  Egyptian media reported on September 22, 2025, that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had issued a presidential pardon for the imprisoned Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. Abdel Fattah is set to be released once Sisi’s decision is published in the Official Gazette. He rose to prominence during Egypt’s 2011 Arab uprisings and has been imprisoned more or less continuously since 2014.  The following quote can be attributed to Amr Magdi, senior Middle East and North Africa […]

  The Cameroonian authorities must immediately release 36 opposition supporters arbitrarily detained for five years for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and put an end to arbitrary detention in the country, Amnesty International said on the fifth anniversary of their arrest. On 22 September 2020, over 500 people were arbitrarily arrested for participating in peaceful protests organized by the opposition party ‘Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon’ (MRC) in several cities […]

  Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted the 7th Edition of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative - MFFLI Summit 2025 recently. It was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation&President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative and H.E. Mrs. MARIA DE FATIMA VILA NOVA, First Lady of São Tomé and […]

  AngloGold Ashanti’s Geita Gold Mine to be connected to Tanzania’s national electricity grid, powered 45.5 percent by renewable energy The 80 percent reduction in diesel usage will help the mine save on the cost of fuel for power generation Ensuring grid stability, Hitachi Energy’s power quality STATCOM solution is the first of its kind in Africa  Hitachi Energy (https://www.HitachiEnergy.com) announces the deployment of its power quality solution to securely […]

  Africans lead the way – in some cases by wide margins – in working together for change, a new Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org) flagship report (http://apo-opa.co/42CssxV) reveals. Perhaps reflecting the continent's long history of participatory/local democracy, they are far ahead of other regions when it comes to attending community meetings and joining with others to raise an issue. The new report, which compares Afrobarometer data from 39 African countries with findings (where […]