A massive 8.8 magnitude undersea earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday, July 30, 2025, triggering powerful tsunami waves that swept across parts of Russia, Japan, the United States, and other Pacific nations, setting off widespread evacuation orders and emergency responses. Russia: Towns swamped, residents evacuated The quake’s epicenter was located southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a shallow depth, intensifying its destructive force. In Severo-Kurilsk, waves reportedly surged between 3 and 5 meters, inundating streets and properties. Residents were swiftly evacuated as emergency crews responded to rising water levels and building damage. Minor injuries were reported, and authorities warned of…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
A wave of xenophobic protests erupted across parts of Ghana this week, with demonstrators chanting “Nigerians must go” in a disturbing echo of past tensions between the two West African nations. The protests, which took place in key cities including Accra and Kumasi, were reportedly driven by allegations that Nigerians were contributing to rising crime and dominating local businesses. Protesters carried placards accusing Nigerian nationals of various crimes, including prostitution, ritual killings, child abductions, and land grabbing. Some claimed Nigerians were responsible for installing an “Igbo king” in Ghana and called for what they described as the “reclamation” of their…
Australia is leading the way in using advanced drone technology to restore ecosystems damaged by the country’s increasingly severe and frequent bushfires. This innovative approach dramatically accelerates tree planting efforts, with drones capable of planting up to 40,000 seed pods daily—a scale and speed far beyond traditional methods. The technology utilizes aerial drones equipped with GPS mapping and artificial intelligence to precisely identify optimal planting locations, especially in rugged or hard-to-reach regions ravaged by fire. Each drone carries specially designed seed pods containing native tree seeds embedded with essential nutrients and protective coatings. These coatings improve seed survival by shielding…
The International Press Centre (IPC), through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has condemned what it described as a disturbing rise in clampdowns on press freedom across Nigeria. In a statement issued in Lagos, the IPC SPJ-Hub said data collected from its press freedom monitoring between January and June 2025 revealed an unrelenting trend of attacks on journalists and media practitioners. The centre cited three alarming incidents between June and July as evidence of the growing hostility towards the press. The incidents include the prolonged detention of Dr. Tekena Amieyeofori, a former staff member of Africa Independent Television…
The Nigerian government has unveiled a 10-year Strategic Action Plan (2026–2035) to transform the country’s agricultural sector, with Vice President Kashim Shettima declaring that youth-led innovation will be central to the nation’s food systems transition. The plan forms a key part of Nigeria’s national strategy to implement the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration (2026–2036), adopted by African Heads of State to enhance food and nutrition security across the continent. Speaking on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at a high-level dialogue between African youth agri-food entrepreneurs and African leaders during the United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment…
Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, on Tuesday launched the 2025 sales and distribution of fertiliser, seeds, pesticides, and agro-allied chemicals to farmers at subsidised rates across the state. The flag-off ceremony took place in Gwadabawa Local Government Area. Governor Aliyu announced that the state government has invested ₦5.3 billion in procuring the essential farming inputs for the current wet season. With a 40% subsidy, farmers will now pay ₦28,800 for a bag of NPK fertiliser and ₦29,800 for a bag of Urea. The initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity, ensure food security, and improve farmers’ livelihoods. “We are committed to…
A 44-year-long epidemic could soon be brought under control, following the groundbreaking approval of the first HIV drug offering 100% protection through twice-yearly injections. This landmark medical achievement holds the potential to save millions of lives worldwide. Furthermore, its manufacturers are ensuring affordable global access by entering into royalty-free licensing agreements with six generic drug producers for its manufacture and distribution. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted approval to lenacapavir, marketed as Yeztugo. This innovative drug belongs to a class called capsid inhibitors, offering near-complete protection against HIV infection, a condition that currently impacts…
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has again raised alarm over Nigeria’s ballooning public debt, decrying what he described as “reckless and unaccountable borrowing” by the current administration. In a strongly worded statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Obi revealed that following the Senate’s latest approval of external loans totalling $21 billion, €2.2 billion, and ¥15 billion for the 2025–2026 fiscal cycle, Nigeria’s total debt burden has now surged to an unprecedented N187 trillion — with fears it could exceed N200 trillion before the year ends. “This brings our total debt to about N187 trillion,”…
Efforts to combat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and improve global mental health are facing significant setbacks as unhealthy industries exert pressure on governments, prompting a weakening of the upcoming United Nations Political Declaration on NCDs. Health advocates are warning that the current draft of the declaration—set for adoption during the High-Level Meeting (HLM4) at the UN General Assembly in September 2025—has been stripped of meaningful commitments due to lobbying from the tobacco, alcohol, processed food, and fossil fuel industries. Instead of firm commitments, the revised document now employs diluted language, replacing terms like “implement” and “enact” with “consider” and “encourage.” This…
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately plunging Nigeria into a dangerous debt trap with its recent push for a $21 billion loan request. The party described the move as reckless and insensitive to the country’s already dire economic situation. In a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Bamidele Ajadi, the ADC warned that the loan request, recently approved by the National Assembly, is not only excessive but also unsustainable. He said the APC government has shown a troubling pattern of relying heavily on borrowing without a clear and convincing…