Severe floods in northeastern Nigeria have affected over 400,000 people, compounding the region’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, has seen about 15% of its area submerged. The flooding has devastated crops, livestock, and displaced thousands already impacted by armed violence. “With our small children, we don’t know where to stay now,”…
Nigeria is launching a new code of standards this week to fortify stock cubes with four essential micronutrients—iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin B12. This initiative aims to address widespread malnutrition and “hidden hunger” by enhancing the nutritional value of a commonly used seasoning. Dr. Augustine Okoruwa of Hellen Keller International emphasizes that fortification is…
Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority has announced plans to cull approximately 200 elephants as part of efforts to address food shortages caused by severe drought. The El Nino-driven drought has ravaged crops across southern Africa, with the World Food Programme projecting that 7.6 million Zimbabweans will face food insecurity from January to April next year. The culling…
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, has accused Israel of orchestrating a series of pager detonations across Lebanon, resulting in several deaths and numerous injuries, including Hezbollah members and Tehran’s ambassador. According to the Lebanese health ministry, a child was among the fatalities. The Israeli military has refrained from commenting on the incident. In response, Hezbollah…
Indian exporters are facing uncertainty as the mpox outbreak threatens trade with Africa, a key market for Indian goods, particularly crude oil and pharmaceuticals, reports Maritime Gateway. Though the spread is currently contained, exporters remain cautious about potential escalation. Ajay Sahai, Director General of FIEO, emphasized the need for vigilance, noting that there have been…
Acting Auditor General Abdul Aziz participated in a key workshop last week in Nairobi, Kenya, aimed at strengthening efforts to combat money laundering in Africa. The event, organized by AFROSAI-E (African Organisation of English-speaking Supreme Audit Institutions), ran from September 10-12, 2024, and focused on enhancing performance audits to address illicit financial flows. Auditors from…
On Monday, September 16, 2024, Moroccan authorities increased security in Fnideq, a town near the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, after recent social media calls for border crossings into Europe. Despite the deployment of numerous security personnel and a strong land and sea presence, some migrants, including Moroccans and sub-Saharan Africans, attempted to cross but were…
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will soon introduce new passports, according to a recent announcement by the president of their confederation. In a televised address on September 15, Malian President Col. Assimi Goïta stated that the new passports are designed to harmonize travel documents within the confederation and facilitate global mobility for their citizens. The…
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the US of obstructing UN Security Council resolutions aimed at a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Speaking after a discussion with his Egyptian counterpart, Lavrov criticized the US for allegedly blocking measures to halt the violence and dismissed a US-backed resolution as ineffective. Russia abstained from voting…
The death toll from Typhoon Yagi in Myanmar has risen to over 220, with nearly 80 people still missing, according to the military government. The storm, which hit northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar in early September, has claimed over 500 lives across the region. In Myanmar, the storm triggered severe floods and mudslides, destroying…