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IT was a smooth sailing Grand Prix for the Dutchmen this as Max Verstappen takes Red Bull’s 100th F1 win! Alonso takes second after a great battle with Hamilton throughout the race. Hamilton takes a consecutive podium of the year! Verstappen, who led every lap of the race in Montreal, told his team on Lap 11 that he hit a bird but it didn’t slow him down as he beat Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton by nearly 10 seconds. The victory was Red Bull’s 100th in Formula 1 and Verstappen’s 41st, which equals the tally of three-time world champion Ayrton…

In 2022, geopolitical divisions threatened peace and stability, conflicts erupted and countries continued to grapple with worsening climate emergencies, soaring poverty and deepening inequalities as the COVID-19 pandemic reversed progress in human rights, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk during the presentation of the Annual Report of his office. Despite the myriad of crises that defined 2022, UN Human Rights continued to be a formidable ally to those fighting for justice and equality, and against human rights abuses and violations. “Our report for 2022 demonstrates how valuable this work is — with benefit not only in specific…

The East African Community is prioritising infrastructure development in the next fiscal year, signalling a break from a three-year lull blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic. The EAC on Tuesday tabled before the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) budget estimates totalling $103,842,880 for 2023/2024, out of which 43 percent ($44 million), funded by development partners, will be used on infrastructure projects to spur intra-EAC trade, which increased by 13.4 percent to $74.03 billion in 2022 from $65.268 billion in 2021. The bloc has this year secured funding for road projects connecting Kenya and Tanzania though Lunga Lunga; Tanzania to Burundi through…

The 8th of June marks the entry into force of African Union’s Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection also known as Malabo Convention. This means the Convention came into force nine years after its adoption on June 27, 2014 and became the only binding regional treaty on data protection outside Europe. Following Mauritania’s ratification on May 9, 2023, the Convention entered into force officially thirty days after the date of receipt by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union of the fifteenth (15th) instrument of ratification as provided under article 36. The Malabo Convention is a…

The European Council and the European Parliament have provisionally agreed on rules to digitalize the Schengen visa application process by allowing visa nationals to apply for visas online and by replacing the current visa sticker with a digital visa. These measures are aimed at increasing the efficiency of the application process, making it easier for travelers to apply for visas, and to improve security in the Schengen Area, by reducing the risk of falsification and theft of visas. The agreement with the new digitalization rules will not go into effect until the European Council and European Parliament finalize the formal…

THE European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) have taken their partnership to the next level and launched today a revamped European Prize for Women Innovators. This joint competition will reward an even wider community of women innovators, celebrating their achievements and giving them more opportunities. The awards will be given to the most inspiring women entrepreneurs whose innovation is creating a positive impact for people and planet. According to Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, this new award will be given to inspire Europe and women innovators.…

THE Central Mediterranean remains the main migratory route into the EU, Frontex has said in a recent report. In the first five months of the year, the number of detections more than doubled (160%) compared to the same period in 2022. It is the highest number recorded since 2017. In the first five months of the year, the number of detections of irregular border crossings at EU’s external borders reached 102 000, 12% more than a year ago, according to preliminary calculations*. Frontex says more than 2 700 standing corps officers and Frontex staff are involved in various operations supporting…

This report is based on information provided to the EMCDDA by the EU Member States, the candidate country Türkiye, and Norway, in an annual reporting process. The drug situation in Europe up to 2023 This analysis draws on the latest data available to provide an overview of the current situation and emerging drug issues affecting Europe, with a focus on the year up to the end of 2022. The analysis presented here highlights some developments that may have important implications for drug policy and practitioners in Europe. Read: https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/european-drug-report/2023/drug-situation-in-europe-up-to-2023_en Drug supply, production and precursors An analysis of the supply-related indicators…

THE ECOWAS Commission, in its consistent effort, restated its commitment to fostering peace, security and stability in West Africa amidst the challenges currently facing the region. The pledge was made by the Commission’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah at the opening of the 38th Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the Ambassadorial Level of the ECOWAS on June 16, 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria. Commissioner Musah, encouraged about the relative stability of the region on the political scene as evidenced in the successes recorded in the electoral processes held in some Member States, remarked…

There are several different practices and approaches when it comes to farming, but one thing is constant – to run your farm as a business, you need to be able to sell your product. To sell their product, a farmer or rancher needs to be visible to buyers and buyers need to have an easy way to reach producers. This was the one of the problems USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service encountered in West Africa and East Africa. Throughout the regions smallholder farmers and buyers have struggled to match and get goods sold, resulting in food waste and lost opportunities for…