Essay: How clean water and faith go hand-in-hand
In an article first published on Religion News Service, SUSAN BARNETT, founder of Faiths for Safe Water, says clean water is a conduit of care and love…
WHO warns of falsified cough syrup ingredients seized in Pakistan
Reuters The World Health Organization issued an alert on Monday warning drugmakers of five contaminated batches of propylene glycol, an ingredient used in medicinal syrups, that appear to have been falsely labelled as manufactured by Dow Chemical units in Asia and Europe. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) issued three alerts between January and […]
United Methodists: As a landmark gathering approaches, African churches weigh their future.
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports on how African Methodists are responding to the UMC’s dispute over sexuality and theology…
Nearly 55 million people face hunger in West and Central Africa
Dakar. Senegal Reuters Soaring prices have helped fuel a food crisis in West and Central Africa, where nearly 55 million people will struggle to feed themselves in the coming months, UN humanitarian agencies warned on Friday. The number facing hunger during the June-August lean season has quadrupled over the last five years, they said, noting […]
Nigerian village celebrates the return of kidnapped students
Kuriga, Nigeria Reuters The whole village of Kuriga ran towards the convoy of buses shouting “Our children are back!” and “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “Thank you, God”, to welcome home more than 100 students and staff who were abducted this month in Nigeria’s north-west. The army announced on Sunday it had rescued 137 hostages – 76 female […]
Essay: Nigerian bandits strategically target school children for kidnappings – here’s why
OLUWOLE OJEWALE, regional coordinator for the Institute for Security Studies, explains why school children are all too often targets for kidnappers in Nigeria…
Nigeria food banks cut back on handouts as prices soar
Lagos, Nigeria Reuters At a warehouse in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, dozens of women patiently wait their turn to receive food handouts. Among them is 68-year-old widow Damilola Salami, who received an invitation to the facility just as she had almost run out of food. The Lagos Food Bank is a crucial lifeline to residents […]
Nigeria defence chief says bad intel hinders fight on kidnappings
Lagos, Nigeria Reuters Nigeria’s Defence Chief General Chris Musa said on Monday the military was being fed bad intelligence by informants, hampering the fight against armed kidnapping gangs who continue to abduct students and residents in the north of the country. The military announced on Sunday that it had rescued 137 students abducted by gunmen […]
Nigerian army rescues 17 students kidnapped in north-west Sokoto
Kano, Nigeria Reuters Nigeria’s army has rescued 17 students and a woman who were kidnapped in a dawn raid by armed men two weeks ago in north-west Sokoto state, the state governor said on Saturday. The attack at Tsangaya school on 9th March came two days after the mass abduction of schoolchildren in Kaduna, also […]
Gunmen in Nigeria kidnap about 100 in weekend attacks
Kaduna, Nigeria Reuters Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped around 100 people, including women and children, in two weekend attacks in Kaduna state, residents and police said on Monday. Kidnappings by criminal gangs demanding ransoms have become an almost daily occurrence in Nigeria, especially in the north, with authorities seemingly powerless to stop them. Kaduna police spokesperson […]