An internet blackout hit Afghanistan on Monday, with local media reporting a potential nationwide cut of fiber-optic services as part of a Taliban crackdown on immorality. It’s the first time Afghanistan has experienced a shutdown of this kind since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Earlier this month, several provinces lost their fiber-optic connections after Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree banning the service to prevent immorality. On Monday, internet-access advocacy group Netblocks said that live metrics showed connectivity in Afghanistan had “collapsed” to 14% of ordinary levels, with a near-total nationwide telecoms disruption in effect. “The incident...
Islamic School Building In Indonesia Collapses On Students, Killing At Least 1 And Injuring Dozens
A building under construction at an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia collapsed on dozens of praying students Monday, killing at least one, injuring dozens and burying others in the rubble. Police, soldiers and rescue workers dug into the debris through the night to locate additional students and pulled out eight weak and injured survivors more than eight hours after the collapse at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in the East Java town of Sidoarjo. Rescuers also said they saw additional bodies, indicating the death toll was likely to rise. The students had been performing afternoon prayers in a building that was undergoing an unauthorized...
China Court Sentences 11 Members Of Myanmar-Based Crime Syndicate To Death
A court in China sentenced 11 people to death on Monday for their roles in a family-run crime syndicate accused of running illegal gambling and scam operations worth more than $1.4 billion and for the deaths of disobedient workers. The Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Ming Guoping, Ming Zhenzhen, Zhou Weichang — all members of a powerful family in Kokkang, Myanmar — to death along with eight others, according to a court statement. The court also handed death sentences suspended for two years to five others, while a further 12 defendants received jail sentences of between five and 24 years....
Pakistan’s Polio Fight Suffers A Blow With 2 New Cases Reported In The South
Pakistan reported two new polio cases in the southern province of Sindh, health officials said Monday, a blow to efforts aimed at eradicating the crippling disease among children. This brings the total to 29 cases across the country since January, despite several immunization drives. The virus was detected in two young girls in the cities of Badin and Thatta, according to a statement from the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program. Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only two countries where transmission of the wild poliovirus has never been stopped, according to the World Health Organization. Some parents in Pakistan still refuse to vaccinate their...
Mexican Marine Biologist Attacked By A Shark Near Remote Island In Costa Rica
A Mexican marine biologist was seriously injured after he was attacked by a shark while working off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and transferred to a hospital in the country’s capital on Monday, authorities said. Costa Rica’s Fire Department said it had rescued 48-year-old Mauricio Hoyos from the attack Saturday and carried him on a 36-hour journey from Cocos Island, around 340 miles (550 kilometers) off the coast. Despite the serious injuries to his head, face and arms, Hoyos arrived to the hospital in stable condition. “He was tagging species for monitoring and when he tagged one of the island’s shark...
A Call For Empathy, And Action: Creating Awareness For Sickle Cell.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common inherited blood disorders in the world, yet for many patients, it remains invisible, misunderstood, and underfunded. Despite affecting millions globally, sickle cell doesn’t get the attention it urgently needs. That’s why sickle cell awareness is more than just a campaign, it’s a call for equity, empathy, and action. What Is Sickle Cell Disease? Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. In people with SCD, red blood cells become hard, sticky, and shaped like sickles or crescent moons. These...
Neighbour Reveals He Took Arise News Anchor 29-Year-Old Armed Robbery Victim And Estate Security To The Hospital Following The Incidence.
A man identified as Sani Yusuf on X on Tuesday revealed that he lived in the block 14 of the estate of Late Arise News Anchor that died following a tragic robbery on Monday at her Abuja residence. The management of Arise News Channel announced the death of its 29-year-old anchor Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu while expressing grief. Yusuf had posted under a News Blog: “This happened at the block I live in. I was the first victim to be attacked. Right in the heart of Abuja, man. “I don’t wish anyone the things I witnessed. When I’m ready, I’ll share...
“No Nigerian Should Go To Bed Fearful Of What The Night May Bring,”— Peter Obi Says Of Arise News Anchor’s Death, Following A Robbery At Her Abuja Residence
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra state Peter Obi on Monday posted on X, expressing grief over the 29-year-old Arise News Television Anchor who died following an armed robbery at her Abuja Residence. Obi says the incidence should be an eye opener for the government to do the needful and work on prioritising the country’s security In his words: “I am deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely death of Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, a brilliant young anchor with Arise News, who was killed in the most painful circumstances during a robbery attack in Abuja. “At...