Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Seven people have been flown to Rwanda under a new agreement with the United States to take in deportees, the Rwandan government has said, in a move that has reignited debate over the ethics of third-country resettlement schemes. Yolande Makolo, a government spokesperson, confirmed on Thursday that the first group arrived in mid-August. “Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda,” she said. The authorities did not disclose the nationalities of those deported. Under the deal, announced on 5 August, Rwanda has agreed to…

Kim Jong Un will travel to Beijing next week to attend a major military parade alongside China’s president, Xi Jinping, and Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, state media in Pyongyang and Beijing have confirmed. The event, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, will bring together 26 foreign leaders. No representatives from the United States or western Europe are expected. It will be Kim’s first visit to China in six years and one of his rare trips abroad since the pandemic. North Korea’s leader has remained largely isolated internationally, though his relationship with Russia has…

The United States’ top public health body has been thrown into turmoil after the Trump administration moved to oust the head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, less than a month after she was sworn into office. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Wednesday evening that Monarez was no longer serving as CDC director, though it gave no explanation for her removal. “We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people,” read a short, unsigned statement posted to social media. Monarez’s lawyers, however, disputed the announcement, insisting she had…

Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, was attacked by demonstrators while campaigning near Buenos Aires on Wednesday, as protests over a corruption scandal engulfed his government. The far-right leader was unhurt after his motorcade came under a hail of stones, bottles and plants in the city of Lomas de Zamora, 20km south of the capital. His security detail swiftly removed him from the scene, presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni confirmed on social media. Milei, who was standing in the back of a pickup truck greeting supporters, was accompanied by his sister, Karina Milei, and senior officials. Their vehicle quickly departed after the attack,…

At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a succession of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv, in the most lethal assault on the Ukrainian capital for several weeks. More than 40 people were wounded in the overnight barrage, which struck residential buildings and other sites across the city. The bombardment began shortly after 3am, with further strikes reported around 5.30am. Explosions reverberated through the city centre as officials said more than 20 sites were hit. Part of a five-storey residential building in eastern Kyiv was destroyed, trapping people under the rubble. Rescue teams worked through the morning to…

Discussions are under way about a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters, the animated feature that has become Netflix’s most watched film of all time. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film has attracted more than 236 million views on the streaming platform. A “singalong” version, released briefly in North American cinemas, topped the box office last weekend with estimated takings of $19.2m (£14.6m). Netflix does not routinely publish viewing or box office figures, and no comparable estimates are available for the UK. Although no details of a follow-up have been confirmed, Kang is expected to return as director.…

Deforestation has caused the deaths of more than half a million people in tropical regions over the past two decades by intensifying heat-related illness, according to new research. The study, published in Nature Climate Change, found that widespread clearance of trees in the Amazon, Congo basin and south-east Asia has driven localised temperature rises by reducing shade, cutting rainfall and increasing fire risk. Researchers estimated that between 2001 and 2020, deforestation contributed to 28,330 deaths each year, more than half of them in south-east Asia. Around a third occurred in tropical Africa and the remainder in Central and South America.…

SpaceX’s Starship megarocket finally roared into the skies on Tuesday evening after two aborted attempts earlier in the week, marking a major step forward for the spacecraft that underpins Elon Musk’s ambitions of reaching Mars and aiding Nasa’s return to the moon. The 403ft (123-metre) stainless steel rocket lifted off from the company’s Starbase site in southern Texas at 6.30pm local time (11.30pm GMT), drawing cheers from SpaceX engineers as it ascended. It was the tenth test of the vehicle and the first in which several new technologies were successfully trialled. In a significant milestone, Starship’s upper stage separated cleanly…

Botswana’s president has declared a public health emergency following severe shortages of essential medicines and equipment, as a prolonged slump in the diamond market and cuts to US aid strain the country’s finances. The announcement came after the Ministry of Health suspended non-urgent surgeries on 4 August, citing shortages of drugs for hypertension, diabetes, cancer, asthma and eye conditions, as well as a lack of bandages, sutures and supplies for sexual and reproductive health. In a televised address on Monday, President Duma Boko said the country’s medical supply chain had “failed” and announced 250m pula (£13.8m) in emergency funding for…

An initiative intended to strengthen ties between Japan and African nations has descended into controversy after misleading reports fuelled claims that the project would bring an influx of immigrants. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) this month named four Japanese cities, Imabari, Kisarazu, Sanjo and Nagai, as “Africa hometowns” linked with Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania. The scheme, unveiled at the close of an international conference on African development in Yokohama, is aimed at promoting personnel exchanges and cultural events. However, inaccurate media coverage in Africa, and subsequent references in Japanese-language sources, prompted a surge of anger on social media…