Author: HeraldStar

In a significant move, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dissolved the opposition-led national assembly, setting the stage for early legislative elections on November 17. The decision, announced in an evening address, comes after the assembly refused to engage in discussions on the budget law and rejected efforts to dissolve wasteful state institutions. Faye, who took office in April, stated that working with the assembly had become increasingly difficult, prompting him to seek a fresh mandate from the people. “I dissolve the national assembly to ask the sovereign people for the institutional means to bring about the systemic transformation that…

In a significant victory for reproductive rights in the United States, a North Dakota state court judge has overturned the state’s near-total abortion ban, paving the way for abortion to become legal in the Midwestern state for the first time in over a year. Judge Bruce Romanick’s ruling, issued on Thursday, found that the North Dakota state constitution protects women’s right to an abortion before the fetus is viable, aligning with US constitutional precedents. The decision comes after abortion providers challenged the ban, which was signed into law by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum in April 2023. The law made…

U.S. Steel, a 123-year-old company, is facing a fiery nationalistic and labor backlash over its proposed $15 billion merger with Japanese peer Nippon Steel. The deal, which was announced in December, has been met with resistance from U.S. security regulators, who are expected to reject the transaction due to concerns over national security. The merger would have seen Nippon Steel acquire U.S. Steel, but the deal has been opposed by labor unions and some lawmakers, who argue that it would lead to job losses and compromise national security. The United Steelworkers union, which represents blast-furnace employees, has been particularly vocal…

For Immediate Release: Commenting at the conclusion of the 11th Technical Expert Dialogue and the 3rd Meeting Under the Ad Hoc Work Programme, COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev said: “The COP29 Presidency was honoured to welcome parties to Baku where we moved on from early negotiating positions and worked to narrow down potential options for the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance. The conclusion of the final meeting of the Ad Hoc Work Programme marks the beginning of the end. “We have full confidence in the co-chairs of the Ad Hoc Work Programme as they now develop a substantive framework…

Ukraine has accused Russia of using strategic bombers to strike a civilian grain vessel in a missile attack in Black Sea waters near NATO member Romania, escalating tensions between Moscow and the military alliance. The vessel, carrying Ukrainian grain to Egypt, was hit overnight by a Russian missile just after it left Ukrainian territorial waters, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. There were no casualties reported. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, condemned the strike as “a brazen attack on freedom of navigation and global food security”. The Ukrainian navy said Russian Tupolev Tu-22 bombers had fired a number of cruise…

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has confirmed that three of its workers were killed and two others injured in a strike in eastern Ukraine. The incident occurred while the team was preparing to distribute aid in the frontline region of Donetsk. The ICRC did not identify who was behind the attack, but described it as “unconscionable” that “shelling would hit an aid distribution site”. The agency’s vehicles are clearly marked and operate regularly in the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Moscow for the shelling, calling it “another Russian war crime”. He shared a photo of a…

Russia’s defense ministry has announced that its forces have recaptured 10 settlements in the Kursk border region, which were previously seized by Ukrainian forces in a surprise incursion last month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russia had begun “counter-offensive actions, which is going in line with our Ukrainian plan”. According to Russia, its “Units of the North” forces reclaimed the settlements over two days in the area around Snagost, on the western flank of the area occupied by Ukraine. The counter-offensive was first reported by Chechen special forces commander, Maj Gen Apti Alaudinov, who claimed that six Ukrainian brigades…

In a groundbreaking study, researchers in Gabon have discovered that western lowland gorillas are self-medicating with tropical plants that have medicinal effects, potentially holding the key to future drug discovery. The scientists, who worked with local botanists and healers, identified four plants that the gorillas eat, which also have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, reveals that the gorillas are selecting plants with healing properties, a behavior known as self-medication. This is not the first time that great apes have been observed self-medicating, as a wounded orangutan was recently spotted using a plant paste…

In the scorching heat of northern Malawi, small-scale farmers are finding innovative ways to adapt to the challenges of climate change. Emily Nkhana, a farmer from Karonga district, has discovered a profitable use for over-ripe bananas – making banana wine. This entrepreneurial venture has not only transformed her life but also those of her colleagues, who are part of the Twitule Cooperative Group. Extreme heat and rising water levels have forced farmers to move to higher grounds, where temperatures soar to 42C, causing bananas to ripen too quickly and go to waste. The changing climate has also led to increased…

A catastrophic dam collapse has left thousands of people homeless and struggling to survive in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria. The Alau Dam, located 20km south of the city, gave way after heavy rains, releasing a massive amount of water into the city and surrounding areas. The disaster has affected over a million people, with many more at risk of disease and hunger. The floods have caused widespread destruction, with homes, businesses, and public structures, including hospitals and the prison, severely affected. The city’s sewer network has been badly damaged, contaminating water sources and raising concerns about the outbreak of waterborne diseases.…