Month: August 2024

To prevent mpox from entering the country, Uganda has intensified surveillance in its border areas with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is a hotspot for the virus.

Currently, Uganda has no active cases of mpox, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. The two imported cases in late July have been treated and resolved without complications.

Up to now, the ministry has designated more than 20 districts along its border with the DRC as high-risk areas for mpox transmission. Uganda’s health authorities also rolled out a nationwide training program for health workers to help them better detect and isolate suspected cases.

“We have already intensified our risk communication for prevention, we have also ensured that our laboratory systems are triggered to ensure that they are quick to pick any suspected cases for testing,” said Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a senior public relations officer at the ministry.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared last Wednesday that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a public health emergency of international concern, raising alarms about its potential for increased global transmission.

Now, Uganda is in touch with WHO to access potential life-saving mpox vaccines, as part of the country’s preparedness and response plan against the viral disease.

“Uganda is a known leader as far as responding to re-emerging and emerging epidemic diseases. We have demonstrated this during the Ebola and Marburg outbreaks. So, the mpox finds a very resilient system that will be able to prevent its transmission internally,“ said Ainebyoona.

According to WHO, the current mpox outbreak, spreading from the DRC, has been exacerbated by the emergence of a more lethal new variant of the virus, Clade 1b, which has a mortality rate estimated at 3.6 percent, significantly higher than previous strains.

According to the African Union’s health agency, the number of new mpox cases reported in 2024 represents a 160 percent increase compared with the same period in 2023.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested after stabbing and killing his mother. The incident left his 17-year-old sister and brother both injured and currently in critical condition at the hospital.

The incident occurred on Sunday at a home on Barnard Road in Gorton, near Longsight, according to Manchester Police.

The deceased has been identified and confirmed by Manchester policed as Alberta Obinim, a 43-year-old known by many in Manchester as Mother for All.

Police responded to multiple emergency calls and quickly arrested the suspect on suspicion of murder. He is currently in custody for questioning.

Detectives have cordoned off the area as they gather evidence and speak to witnesses. Police believe the suspect was known to the victims and are treating it as an isolated incident.

Detective Superintendent Toby Facey expressed sympathy for those affected, noting the community’s shock and concern. He urged anyone with information or dashcam footage from the area around 11 p.m. on Sunday to come forward to assist the investigation.

Increased police patrols will remain in the area to provide reassurance to residents.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken was in Cairo on Tuesday where he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and top diplomats meditating talks between Israel and Hamas.

The discussions are part of the latest effort to broker a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Palestinian group, Hamas.

Blinken’s ninth trip to the region since the start of the conflict comes amid fears it could widen into a deeper regional war.

After meeting yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken said Israel has accepted a US “bridging proposal” aimed at narrowing differences between the two sides.

He urged Hamas to do the same, as a basis for further talks.

The militant group has not explicitly rejected the proposal, but said in a statement that it overturns what was previously agreed on.

However, experts believe a ceasefire in Gaza is more likely now because of pressure imposed on various parties, including the threat of Iran and its allies attacking Israel.

Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an associate fellow at the prestigious British think tank Chatham House, said US President Joe Biden was also under pressure to make the latest round of negotiations work.

She believes Washington has “lost patience with its ally’s behaviour”.

“I think Blinken is willing to expose Netanyahu if he is not going to agree, if he’s going to mount conditions, new conditions, if he’s not going to stick to the Biden ceasefire proposal and the Security Council resolution proposal,” she said.

“And if he insists on new conditions, which he knows, Hamas is not going to be able to, accept, I think that’s what we should be watching for.”

Bar-Yaacov said that, as well as Blinken’s visit coinciding with the Democratic convention, it also comes as the threat of an attack from Iran or its proxies grows.

“The clock is ticking with Iran and Hezbollah, and potentially all of Iran’s proxies of which there are many, organising a coordinated attack or some horrific attack and in an unprecedented fashion against Israel,” she said.

Iranian officials last week said only a ceasefire deal in Gaza would hold it back from direct retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil.

“If leverage isn’t exercised, sufficient leverage, serious leverage and cost on Israel by the United States and on Hamas by Qatar – it takes two to tango – then we’re not going to see a deal,” said Bar-Yaacov.

After Egypt, Blinken will travel to Qatar for further negotiations following meetings in Israel on Monday.

The Libyan Central Bank has announced the suspension of all its operations after the kidnapping of one of its executives in the capital Tripoli.

The bank denounced in a statement on Sunday the kidnapping of its IT director Musab Msallem.

She said Mr Msallem was abducted from his home by an “unidentified person” on Sunday morning and that other employees had been threatened with kidnapping.

The central bank said its operations would not resume until Mr Msallem was released.

The central bank, which is independent but owned by the Libyan state, is the sole internationally recognized repository of Libya’s oil revenues, a vital economic source of income for a country torn for years between rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi.

It comes a week after the central bank was besieged by gunmen, according to our source.

According to local media, cited by our source, the gunmen did this to force the resignation of the bank’s governor, Seddik al-Kabir.

In office since 2012, Mr Kabir has been criticised for his management of oil resources and the state budget.

Since the ouster and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has suffered from chronic insecurity.

The country is divided by power struggles and currently has two governments: one recognized by the UN and based in Tripoli, the other in the east of the country, backed by warlord General Khalifa Haftar.

The sentencing of Getnet Baye to 25 years in prison for the brutal rape and murder of seven-year-old Heaven Awot has sparked widespread anger in Ethiopia. Many believe the punishment is too lenient for the severity of the crime.

Heaven was attacked by her mother’s landlord, Getnet, last August in Bahir Dar, Amhara region. Following his sentencing last week, Getnet has announced plans to appeal. The case has been adjourned until October.

Heaven’s mother, Abekyelesh Adeba, told the BBC she feels “lifeless” after losing her daughter. Over 200,000 people have signed an online petition calling for a harsher sentence and expressing support for Abekyelesh.

The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) condemned the 25-year sentence as “very light,” suggesting that life imprisonment or the death penalty would be more appropriate given the nature of the crime and the victim’s age. Government officials, including Minister for Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye, have also criticized the ruling, calling the crime “inhumane” and promising to address the issue.

Heaven’s death has ignited a broader debate about the safety of women and girls in Ethiopia. A recent Human Rights Watch report highlighted an increase in sexual violence linked to the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region.

Before her death, Heaven’s family had been affected by the Tigray conflict, with her father imprisoned and then fleeing to Tigray. Her mother had trusted her landlord, but this trust was betrayed when Heaven was attacked while in the care of her aunt. Her mutilated body was later found outside their home.

Abekyelesh’s grief was compounded by Getnet’s escape from custody, following a break-in by local militias. For nearly a month, Getnet evaded capture, threatening Abekyelesh, who was forced to move frequently due to fear.

She now fears that justice may not be served if Getnet’s appeal succeeds. “I have lost my Heaven… I am lifeless,” Abekyelesh told the BBC. As a health worker, she knows her daughter’s case is not unique, highlighting the broader issue of violence against women and girls in Ethiopia.