Author: News Desk

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa came out in defense of his country and said South Africa will not be bullied by Trump during a national address on Thursday, asserting that South Africa would not be bullied by the US administration and Elon Musk. Elon Musk is at odds with the South African government, primarily for domestic DEI issues but also because the are at odds over the Rwanda and DR Congo conflict. On the one side you have the RDF and the M23 rebel group and on the other you SADC (Southern African Development Community) and the DR Congo army.…

Rwanda invaded DR Congo with no meaningful defence. The Rwanda-backed rebels who captured eastern Congo’s key city of Goma sought to shore up public support amid growing international pressure. Rwanda invaded DR Congo with no meaningful defence As the M23 rebels continue their advance, ignoring the UN secretary-general’s call to lay down their arms, François Picard welcomes Daniel Levine-Spound, Human Rights Lawyer, Researcher and Clinical Teaching Fellow and Supervising Attorney at the Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC). He compares the war in the east of the DR Congo to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blames the escalating…

This Christmas, my bestie and I booked a girls’ winter trip to Dublin from London. A 3-day trip to Dublin which turned out to be the perfect getaway for Christmas. Being in our early 30s and never having been abroad at Christmas time, we weren’t too sure how difficult it would be to navigate, whether anything would anything be open, and if we would be able to enjoy it, but we packed our woolly jumpers, gloves, scarfs and took the plunge, what’s the worst that could happen! (a million thoughts were going through my mind, but I was playing strong).…

At least 40 children were killed by bombings over three days in several parts of Sudan, a UNICEF official said Wednesday, calling it a “stark” example of the threats facing young people in the war-torn country. “Sadly, it is rare that more than a few short days go past without new reports of children being killed and injured,” Annmarie Swai, the UN children agency’s representative in Sudan, said in a statement. She referred to strikes in the southern city of Kadugli on Monday which killed 21 children and maimed 29 others, as well as reports of at least 11 children…

The families of the people killed in the Grenfell Tower fire have spoken out after being told the block will be demolished. Grenfell Next of Kin, a group representing some of the bereaved families, says Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, ‘announced the decision that the tower will have to be carefully deconstructed’. But some bereaved families say their opinions on the future of the tower have been ignored by the government, saying that ignoring their voices ‘on the future of our loved ones’ gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable’. Some 72 people were killed in the…

The distraught mother of a 15-year-old boy stabbed to death at school has appealed to other youngsters to beware the devastation they could cause by using knives. Another 15-year-old boy appeared at Sheffield Youth Court on Wednesday charged with murder, possession of a bladed article and affray after Harvey Willgoose died on Monday. Caroline Willgoose said: “Just think if it was your brother, sister, dad, mum. Can you imagine the devastation if you lost somebody through that? “I don’t want anybody to go through what we are going through.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/school-boy-stabbed-knife-sheffield-b2693036.html

UK interest rates live: Bank of England set to cut interest rates in boost for mortgage holders The UK’s base interest rate is expected to fall to its lowest point in more than 18 months, providing a welcome boost for mortgage holders. Analysts believe the Bank of England will cut the interest rate from 4.75 per cent to 4.5 per cent in its monthly announcement on Thursday at midday. The base rate helps dictate the cost of borrowing such as taking out mortgage with some products, known as tracker mortgages, following it. The figure also impacts rates paid by individuals…

Lab-grown dog meat on sale at major UK retailer in ‘world first’ Pets at Home has launched what it claims are the world’s first meat-based dog treats made with cultivated meat. Their “Chick Bites” combine plant-based ingredients with lab-grown chicken, eliminating the need for raising and slaughtering animals. The cultivated meat, developed by Meatly, originates from a single chicken egg cell sample. The process, according to Meatly, generates enough meat to potentially sustain pets indefinitely. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lab-grown-dog-treat-pets-at-home-b2692827.html

Ethnic minority families are spending a larger slice of their income on housing costs compared to white British families, despite living in more overcrowded substandard homes, a new report has found. New research from thinktank Resolution Foundation suggested this could be down to fewer ethnic minority households owning their own home, or certain nationalities paying more to stay within their local communities. It found discrimination could also be a factor. Ethnic minority adults are more likely than their white British peers to live in London and the South East, which are areas with higher housing costs, the report added. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/housing-arab-british-black-cost-renting-b2692597.html

Migrants who are unemployed or in low-paid jobs will face being forced to leave the UK under plans being drawn up by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. As she seeks both to win back votes from Reform UK and to revitalise the party after last year’s election defeat, Ms Badenoch has pledged to crack down on legal and illegal migration. “The right to citizenship and permanent residency should only go to those who have demonstrated a real commitment to the UK. That’s why we should double the length of time before people can qualify for indefinite leave to remain from five…