African rats trained to detect TB
Giant rats may strike fear and disgust into the hearts of homeowners worldwide, but researchers in impoverished Mozambique are improbably turning some of them into heroes. At Eduardo Mondlane University in the capital Maputo, nine giant rats are busy at work — sniffing out tuberculosis-causing bacteria from rows of sputum samples. These are no ordinary […]
Liberia: After-church feeding program continues
An after-church feeding program at a local baptist church in Chocolate City, a community just outside the Liberian capital, Monrovia, will continue for another six months, says a group of former residents of the community now living in the diaspora. The program caters to children every Sunday after worship service at the Chocolate City Baptist Church and has seen an […]
Global water shortage in 15 years, says UN
The planet faces a 40 percent shortfall in water supplies in 15 years due to urbanisation, population growth and increasing demand for water for food production, energy and industry, the United Nations said on Friday. Competition for water between water-thirsty sectors means better management is essential to ensure everybody gets the water they need, said […]
Turkey: African migrants’ hopes turn sour
In a nondescript cafe in one of Istanbul’s more rundown neighbourhoods, migrants from Africa watch a Congolese soccer match as Afro-pop music blasts in the background. “We feel comfortable in here, everyone is from Cameroon or Congo,” Patrick, the leader of an informal Cameroonian community organization, told IRIN. “But outside of this restaurant, it’s a […]
Press must not cover up for war crimes suspects
Few weeks ago, I was doing research online and came across a news story published February 25, 2015 by the Inquirer Newspaper of Liberia titled, “Residents Deny ‘Massacre’ Claim.” The story is related to charges of war crimes against one Martina Johnson, a well-known former NPFL rebel commander who was arrested last year by Belgium […]
The argument to honour a Liberian football legend
In sports, heroes are not hard to find because athletes, unlike any group of citizens, are blessed with special talents which, when put on display, often provide national joy and therapy for a country. For love of country, they perform under inconvenient and dangerous circumstances without hesitation. Therefore, when it comes to Liberian footballers, everyone […]
Protect elderly women from gender-based violence
Many older women in Africa continue to be victims of gender-based violence despite the gains made by the international community to protect the rights of women and improve their socioeconomic and political conditions, says Sam Slewion, a social justice activist and Representative for Liberia for the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse(INPEA). Mr. […]
Congolese airline expands to West Africa
Within the scope of expanding its network, Sunday, 22 March 2015 will see ECAir, Equatorial Congo Airlines (http://www.flyecair.com), the national airline of the Republic of the Congo, inaugurate its new Brazzaville-Dakar via Bamako route. Bamako (Republic of Mali) and Dakar (Republic of Senegal) are two major West African capital cities. This route, which will run […]
‘Let’s finish the job’ – UN Ebola envoy
At the height of the Ebola outbreak in September, the United Nations appointed public health expert Dr. David Nabarro as its Special Envoy on Ebola. He was tasked with working with local and international partners and governments to better coordinate and implement Ebola response measures. Six months into his term, Nabarro spoke to IRIN from […]
Liberia opens passport center in Belgium
The Liberian Biometric ECOWAS Passports Application Center (PAC) in the Schengen zone of Europe was officially opened on Saturday at the Liberian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Speaking at the program, Isaac W. Nyenabo II, Liberia’s Ambassador to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg and the European Union, said the center will ease the hardships, frustration and financial cost of Liberians living in […]
