Egyptian TV Presenter Sentenced to Death Over Drug Charges
Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of drug charges. According to state-owned media, the group was found guilty of operating a criminal gang that imported ingredients used to manufacture narcotics for sale. They also had illegal firearms and ammunition. Authorities reportedly seized more than 750kg of narcotics and raw materials during the investigation. Prosecutors also relied on testimony from 20 witnesses and electronic evidence, including conversations and video clips. Khalifa, 39, who is known for hosting the crime-focused television programme Mission Impossible, has denied the charges and maintained her innocence. Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted. The death sentences were confirmed after the court obtained the legally required opinion of Egypt’s grand mufti, and Khalifa’s lawyer has said she will appeal the ruling.
UN Approves Resolution to Replace Mercator Map With Accurate Africa Size
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The UN General Assembly has voted in favour of replacing the widely used Mercator world map with a projection that more accurately reflects the size of Africa. The non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union member states, received support from 164 countries, including France and the United Kingdom. The United States was the only country to vote against it, and six nations abstained. The Mercator projection, created in the 16th century to assist navigation, has long been criticised for distorting the size of countries and continents by making areas near the poles appear larger and regions near the equator smaller. Africa, for example, appears to be roughly the same size as Greenland on some Mercator maps, despite being around 14 times larger. Supporters of the resolution argue that such distortions shape political and economic perceptions of Africa and can minimise the continent’s size, resources, population and development potential. The African Union adopted the Equal Earth projection earlier this year, saying it provides a more accurate representation of the relative sizes of continents.
Zimbabwe Unions Urge Jobs, Not Vendor Crackdown
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has urged the government to focus on repairing the country’s struggling economy and creating jobs rather than pursuing a crackdown on illegal street vendors. The call followed an ultimatum by Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe ordering vendors and informal traders to vacate undesignated trading sites by September 9. Thereafter, law enforcement and municipal police will dismantle and demolish all irregular stalls, structures and informal vending sites. The directive initially targeted Harare’s central business district and surrounding metropolitan areas. However, it has since expanded into a nationwide campaign. ZCTU secretary-general Tirivanhu Marimo said thousands of Zimbabweans had been forced into street vending by unemployment and poor economic policies. He argued that the informal economy had become the country’s largest employer and should be treated accordingly. He also criticised the government for failing to provide vendors with alternative trading spaces or permanent solutions. He accused politicians of encouraging informal trading during election periods before later treating vendors as a nuisance.
Ruto, Governors to Meet Over Kenya Nurses’ Strike
Kenyan President William Ruto and the country’s governors are expected to meet as pressure grows to resolve a nationwide nurses’ strike that has severely disrupted healthcare services. The meeting will involve the national and county governments. It is expected to focus on outstanding issues surrounding the implementation of the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which remains at the centre of the industrial dispute. County governments have argued that limited resources have made it difficult to meet the financial obligations contained in the agreement. The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives insists that the deal is binding and has rejected claims that it is financially unsustainable. The strike has left patients struggling to access routine, specialized and emergency care, posing serious concerns about the impact on mothers, newborns and other vulnerable patients. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has called for urgent intervention. They described the dispute as a public health and human rights crisis. It cited reports of 79 deaths between August 31 and September 2, and called for independent verification of the reported deaths. The talks are also expected to address longer-term concerns around health financing, workforce management and the welfare of healthcare workers.
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At Least 25 Killed in Cape Verde Bus Crash
At least 25 people, many of them schoolchildren and teenagers, were killed when a bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a steep ravine on Cape Verde’s Fogo Island. The crash occurred in the northern part of the island. The bus fell about 30 metres into the ravine. Several injured passengers were taken to Sao Francisco de Assis Regional Hospital for treatment. According to national news agency Inforpress, many of those travelling on the bus were primary and secondary school students. Education officials said the trip had not been organised by local schools but was an annual outing privately arranged by the driver, who was also among those killed in the crash.
