In Moscow, India’s Modi calls for peace, decries ‘heart-wrenching’ death of children
New Delhi — Urging peace during a visit to Moscow, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the death of children was painful, and a resolution to the war in Ukraine cannot be found on the…
Nigeria’s bushmeat consumption comes under scrutiny
Abuja — In Nigeria, bushmeat is more than just food, it’s a culinary tradition and a trade. Despite the risk of zoonotic diseases like Ebola and Lassa fever, 45% of the country consumes bushmeat regularly, and now discussions to raise…
Burkina Faso’s internally displaced scramble to make a living
Burkina Faso is home to many people internally displaced by years of insecurity and conflict. Most of them live in various towns across the country, and some are now trying to find jobs in the capital, Ouagadougou, or starting businesses….
Federal Reserve’s Powell says US making ‘modest’ progress on inflation
Washington — The U.S. Federal Reserve is making “modest” progress in its inflation fight, the head of the U.S. central bank told lawmakers Tuesday, on the first of two days of testimony in Congress. When prices surged in the wake…
Ukrainian boxer sacrificed Olympic dreams and life to fight against Russia
Romny, Ukraine — Maksym Halinichev won silver at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in a match described at the time as “two of the best young fighters going for glory.” He considered the bout a loss – it wasn’t…
LogOn: Unfired earth blocks surpass modern building codes
A new homebuilding method with ancient roots in adobe offers protection from wildfires, earthquakes, high winds and floods, while being climate friendly and sustainable. The secret ingredient: compressed earth blocks made from mud. Shelley Schlender has the story in this…
Crushing the scam farms: Southeast Asia’s ‘criminal service providers’
As we reported earlier in the week, there has been a proliferation of illicit operations, known as scam farms, following the COVID-19 pandemic, across Southeast Asia – including in the Philippines – where they have often operated alongside legal gambling…
Southeast Asia: Torture rooms and karaoke bars in gang-run ‘scam farms’
There are estimated to be some 400 of these criminal enterprises in the Philippines alone. They are almost always operated clandestinely and illegally alongside licensed and legal online gaming operations. The proliferation of online scam farms targeting victims across the…
UN pressing for release of staff detained in Yemen
The staffers have been held incommunicado by the de facto authorities in Yemen who hold the capital and large swathes of the war-wracked country, formally known as Ansar Allah. More commonly known as the Houthis, they have been fighting for…
Casualties rise in Ukraine amid escalating Russian attacks, Security Council hears
Two of the country’s main specialist hospitals for children and women were heavily damaged along with key energy infrastructure, reportedly killing dozens of civilians, including children, and injuring over 110. Joyce Msuya, acting UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told ambassadors in…