Since 2002, Charles Owusu Aseku has been travelling across Ghana and beyond in search of treatment for a large keloid growth on his neck. The 46-year-old grew increasingly disheartened after undergoing two unsuccessful surgeries and making a trip to South Africa that resulted only in a consultation. He was preparing for yet another medical journey when, in late February, he took part in Ghana’s first trial of 3D telemedicine technology, which operates via computer screens at the back of a van. ZTE Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro Golden Saga Special Edition Review Developed by Microsoft’s research team in collaboration with local doctors and researchers, the initiative aims to facilitate remote medical consultations for patients awaiting surgery or requiring post-operative care in a region with one of the world’s lowest doctor-to-patient ratios. The project builds on earlier trials in Scotland and has evolved into a portable system with improved lighting and upgraded cameras. Inside the van, cameras create a 3D model of each patient, which is then displayed on a large computer screen. Multiple doctors can join the consultation remotely and manipulate the 3D model to evaluate the patient’s condition. “The idea behind the van is to bring specialised care to remote villages that lack access to it … enabling pre- or post-surgical consultations,” explained Spencer Fowers, principal software developer and lead of the 3D-telemedicine project at Microsoft Research. The initiative also allows patients to receive multiple medical opinions. During Aseku’s session, doctors from Rwanda, Scotland, and Brazil participated, an experience that gave him renewed optimism. "I see many doctors here, and I am very happy because each of them brings their expertise—maybe they will find a solution to my problem," said the 46-year-old. Researchers hope that the trial at Koforidua Regional Hospital, located in Ghana’s eastern region, will serve as the foundation for a broader project that expands the service and explores additional applications. The use of telemedicine has increased in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts believe that such digital tools could be especially beneficial in Africa, where specialist doctors are scarce for the continent’s 1.4 billion people. George Opoku, 68, was initially referred to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, nearly 100 kilometres from Koforidua Hospital, which is much closer to his home. He had first sought treatment for sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that affects the bones and soft tissues. Upon learning about the 3D telemedicine trial, his doctor enrolled him in the programme, sparing him the additional costs and strain of long-distance travel. “This time, I simply had to sit in a van and introduce myself and my condition to not just one doctor, but several. I was able to answer all their questions, and I am hopeful they will discuss my case and find a cure for me,” Opoku said. “I already feel better and optimistic.”One of the main challenges facing the project is the lack of stable internet connectivity, a common issue in Africa’s remote regions. At the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the technology is benefiting patients in need of plastic surgery. Due to a shortage of plastic surgeons, patients often have to consult with different doctors during each visit. Dr Kwame Darko, a consultant plastic surgeon at the hospital and one of the project’s principal investigators, stated that 3D telemedicine could enable patients to be examined by multiple doctors in a single session. Dr Ahensan Dasebre, chief resident doctor at the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre at Korle-Bu, who is not involved in the project, believes that 3D technology has the potential to make a significant impact if adopted widely in Ghana and beyond. Elon Musk transfers ownership of X to his AI company, xAI, in a $33 billion all-stock transaction “We are already facing a shortage of doctors to adequately care for the population,” he said. “If someone is in a remote area without access to specialised services but requires them, the referring doctor could use this telemedicine system to ensure the patient receives the best possible care.”

A jihadi group’s assault on a village in western Niger has resulted in the deaths of 44 civilians, according to the country's Interior Ministry. The attack occurred on Friday afternoon in Fambita, a village within the rural commune of Kokorou, near the tri-border area with Mali and Burkina Faso, the ministry stated. It attributed the attack to the Islamic State in the Great Sahara (EIGS). At least 10 Nigerian soldiers are killed in an ambush, the army says The Associated Press was unable to contact EIGS for comment. "Around 2 p.m., while Muslim worshippers were engaged in Friday prayers, these heavily armed terrorists surrounded the mosque and carried out their massacre with exceptional brutality," the statement said. The gunmen also set fire to a market and homes before withdrawing, it added. According to the ministry, at least 44 civilians were killed, while 13 others sustained severe injuries. It declared three days of national mourning. For more than a decade, Niger and its neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso and Mali, have struggled against an insurgency waged by jihadi groups, some of which are affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas expelled French forces and sought security assistance from Russian mercenary units. The three countries have pledged to enhance their cooperation through the establishment of a new security alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States. Death toll from Nigerian gasoline tanker explosion rises to 86 However, analysts say the security situation in the Sahel—a vast region on the edge of the Sahara Desert—has deteriorated significantly since the juntas took control, with a surge in attacks and an increasing number of civilian casualties inflicted by both Islamic militants and government forces.

Sudan’s military stated on Friday that it had regained control of the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the last heavily fortified stronghold of rival paramilitary forces in the capital, following nearly two years of conflict. Videos shared on social media depicted soldiers inside the palace, mentioning the 21st day of Ramadan, the Muslim holy fasting month, which coincided with Friday. In the footage, a Sudanese military officer, identified by his captain’s epaulettes, confirmed the troops’ presence within the compound. Can technology help more sexual assault survivors in South Sudan? The palace appeared to be partially destroyed, with soldiers stepping on shattered tiles. Armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, they chanted, “God is the greatest!” Khaled al-Aiser, Sudan’s information minister, announced in a post on the social platform X that the military had retaken the palace. “Today, the flag is raised, the palace is reclaimed, and the journey continues until complete victory,” he wrote. The Palace's Fall: A Symbolic and Strategic Shift The capture of the Republican Palace, a complex along the Nile River that served as the government's seat before the war and is featured on Sudanese banknotes and postage stamps, marks another significant military gain for Sudan’s armed forces. Under the leadership of army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, they have made steady progress in recent months. This development signifies that the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have been largely expelled from Khartoum since the conflict erupted in April 2023. Sporadic gunfire was heard throughout the capital on Friday, though it was unclear whether it was due to ongoing clashes or celebratory gunfire. The RSF did not immediately acknowledge the loss, and the battle is unlikely to end, as the group and its allies still control territory in other parts of Sudan. On Thursday night, the RSF claimed it had seized al-Maliha, a strategically important desert city in North Darfur near the borders of Chad and Libya. Sudan’s military confirmed that clashes had occurred in the area but did not state that it had lost control of the city. Al-Maliha is located approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of El Fasher, which remains under the control of the Sudanese military despite frequent RSF attacks. The head of the U.N. children’s agency has described the war as having created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. More than 28,000 people have been killed, and millions have been displaced. Some families are resorting to eating grass as famine devastates parts of the country. Other estimates suggest an even higher death toll. The Republican Palace has historically been a centre of power, serving as the seat of government during Sudan’s British colonial period. It was also where Sudan’s independent flag was first raised in 1956. Before the conflict, it housed the offices of the president and other top officials. The Sudanese military has long targeted the palace and its surroundings, subjecting it to shelling and heavy fire. UN halts food aid to famine-hit Sudan displacement camp Sudan’s Long History of Unrest and Conflict Located in northeastern Africa, Sudan has faced persistent instability since a popular uprising led to the ousting of longtime autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. A brief transition to democracy was halted in 2021 when Burhan and Dagalo orchestrated a military coup. The RSF and Sudan’s military eventually turned against each other in 2023. Since early this year, Burhan’s forces—including Sudan’s military and allied militias—have advanced against the RSF, recapturing a crucial oil refinery north of Khartoum before launching attacks on RSF positions around the capital. The conflict has resulted in a growing number of civilian casualties. Al-Bashir faces charges at the International Criminal Court for orchestrating a genocidal campaign in the early 2000s in the western Darfur region, using the Janjaweed militia, the RSF’s precursor. The U.N. and human rights organisations accuse the RSF and allied Arab militias of targeting ethnic African communities in the current war. Both the Sudanese military and the RSF have been accused of human rights violations since the conflict began. Before leaving office, U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration declared that the RSF was committing genocide. Both sides deny any wrongdoing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has renewed its efforts to explore business opportunities in Africa by addressing the challenges.   As part of its renewed initiative, the ministry hosted an inter-ministerial meeting on January 15 chaired by Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin. The meeting, the first of its kind, underscored the ministry's commitment to facilitating constructive dialogue and supporting the efforts of Bangladeshi businesses in Africa. Chinese envoy discusses bilateral ties with foreign secretary The discussion centered on addressing challenges faced by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs operating in Africa and exploring actionable solutions. The meeting also focused on how Bangladesh Missions in Africa, in coordination with the relevant ministries and agencies of Bangladesh, can facilitate the import of agro-products, including cotton, from Africa, while also encouraging Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to expand their presence on the continent. Key proposals included the establishment of free zones for importing agro products, simplification of the Letter of Credit (LC) process, and exploring fund support options through Bangladesh Bank, said the MoFA on Thursday. Dhaka shares national aspiration for "credible, inclusive" polls with UN Representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Textiles and Jute, National Board of Revenue (NBR), Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Cotton Association, Cotton Development Board, and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association took part in the discussions. Entrepreneurs engaged in agricultural production in African countries, including cotton and lentils, shared their insights and highlighted the challenges they face.

What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa's largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya's capital. Steve Collins, 74, was born and raised in western Kenya. By the age of 5, he was fascinated by butterflies and started building a collection that has grown to more than 4.2 million, representing hundreds of species. “My parents encouraged us to look for butterflies after visiting the Congo and were gifted a trapping net by some friends," Collins said. “By the time I was 15 years old, I was already visiting other countries like Nigeria to study more about butterflies.” During his 20-year career as an agronomist, Collins dedicated his free time to research. He established the African Butterfly Research Institute in 1997. Now, running out of space and time, he hopes to hand it over to the next generation. On his 1.5 acres (0.6 hectare) of land, hundreds of indigenous trees and flowering bushes form a well-knit forest. Hundreds of butterflies dance from one flower to another, at times landing on Collins' hand. His collection is private, although it was initially open to the public when he ran it as an education center between 1998 and 2003. Collins has 1.2 million butterflies from across Africa delicately pinned in frames and stored in rows of shelves, with another 3 million in envelopes. “They need to be kept in dark spaces," he said. “The form of storage also ensures the dried butterflies are not eaten by other insects, parasites and predators. We also ensure we apply insecticides once a year to keep them safe.” Julian Bayliss, an ecologist specializing in Africa and a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University, said he has collected butterflies for Collins over two decades. LA Zoo hatches first-ever perentie lizards, one of largest lizard species in the world “There is a large part of that collection that is completely irreplaceable because a large part of Africa’s habitat is being destroyed,” Bayliss said. Africa is vulnerable to climate change, with periods of prolonged drought and serious flooding destroying forests and other butterfly habitats. Bayliss suggested digitizing the collection to make it accessible worldwide. Whoever takes it over "needs to be an institution that is well-founded, well-funded and secure,” he said. Scott Miller, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution, met Collins almost 30 years ago. He said such collections provide critical information that could show environmental changes over 60 years. “These physical specimens, you can actually keep going back to them to get new layers of information as you learn more or you get a different technology or you get different questions," he said. Collins is concerned that soon he will no longer be able to sustain his research. He said his most prized butterfly costs $8,000 — which he keeps from sight, concerned about possible theft — and hopes to sell the collection to an individual or research institution. The costs of running his institute are high. An annual budget posted in 2009 on the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa website was $200,000. Collins estimates that the specimens and other assets are worth $8 million. “This has been my hobby for decades, and I can’t put a price on what I have done so far. I’m currently seeking to ensure the species are in safe hands when I’m out of this world,” he said.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has highlighted the imperative of tapping into unexplored trade opportunities between Bangladesh and African countries. He attended at an interaction session held on Thursday at the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum Bangladesh 2023 in Dhaka. Bangladesh sends humanitarian aid to flood-affected Libya Momen underscored the critical need to establish robust trade and investment relations with African countries, particularly in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, energy, blue economy and information and communication technology (ICT). The session also shed light on Bangladesh's visionary 'Look Africa' policy, which represents a strategic commitment to bolster relations with African nations. This outlines various areas of cooperation, including trade and the economy, education, IT and ICT, air and maritime connectivity, healthcare, contract farming, people-to-people contact and visa waivers for diplomatic and official passport holders. This multifaceted approach demonstrates Bangladesh's dedication to fostering deeper connections with the African continent. CWEIC chairman applauds Bangladesh’s “incredible” economic success story The foreign minister also stated that Bangladesh is one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The country's focus on enhancing engagement with African nations aligns with its ambitious economic and social development trajectory, aimed at achieving Vision 2041 and creating a Smart Bangladesh. He also highlighted that new African markets have opened doors for Bangladeshi enterprises, leading to diversification in export destinations. Despite challenges, the potential for economic cooperation between Bangladesh and African nations remains promising, Momen said. Devastation in Libya: Bangladesh PM expresses deep shock He also stated that Bangladesh will welcome any election observers from African countries in our upcoming National Parliament Election scheduled to be held in early January 2024. Ministers from several African countries, High level government delegates and business entities attended this event.

The group of the world's 20 leading economies is welcoming the African Union as a permanent member, a powerful acknowledgement of Africa as its more than 50 countries seek a more important role on the global stage. U.S. President Joe Biden called last year for the AU’s permanent membership in the G20, saying it’s been “a long time in coming.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the bloc was invited to join during the G20 summit his country is hosting this week. The African Union has advocated for full membership for seven years, spokesperson Ebba Kalondo said. Until now, South Africa was the bloc's only G20 member. Here’s a look at the AU and what its membership represents in a world where Africa is central to discussions about climate change, food security, migration and other issues. Read: India hopes for progress on global agenda as G20 leaders meet despite rifts over the war in Ukraine WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR AFRICA?Permanent G20 membership signals the rise of a continent whose young population of 1.3 billion is set to double by 2050 and make up a quarter of the planet's people. The AU's 55 member states, which include the disputed Western Sahara, have pressed for meaningful roles in the global bodies that long represented a now faded post-World War II order, including the United Nations Security Council. They also want reforms to a global financial system - including the World Bank and other entities - that forces African countries to pay more than others to borrow money, deepening their debt. Africa is increasingly courting investment and political interest from a new generation of global powers beyond the U.S. and the continent's former European colonizers. China is Africa’s largest trading partner and one of its largest lenders. Russia is its leading arms provider. Gulf nations have become some of the continent’s biggest investors. Turkey ’s largest overseas military base and embassy are in Somalia. Israel and Iran are increasing their outreach in search of partners. African leaders have impatiently challenged the framing of the continent as a passive victim of war, extremism, hunger and disaster that's pressured to take one side or another among global powers. Some would prefer to be brokers, as shown by African peace efforts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Granting the African Union membership in the G20 is a step that recognizes the continent as a global power in itself. Read: G20 must urgently tackle global poverty with financial inclusion: deVere WHAT DOES THE AFRICAN UNION BRING TO THE G20?With full G20 membership, the AU can represent a continent that's home to the world's largest free trade area. It's also enormously rich in the resources the world needs to combat climate change, which Africa contributes to the least but is affected by the most. The African continent has 60% of the world’s renewable energy assets and more than 30% of the minerals key to renewable and low-carbon technologies. Congo alone has almost half of the world’s cobalt, a metal essential for lithium-ion batteries, according to a United Nations report on Africa's economic development released last month. African leaders are tired of watching outsiders take the continent’s resources for processing and profits elsewhere and want more industrial development closer to home to benefit their economies. Take Africa’s natural assets into account and the continent is immensely wealthy, Kenyan President William Ruto said at the first Africa Climate Summit this week. The gathering in Nairobi ended with a call for fairer treatment by financial institutions, the delivery of rich countries’ long-promised $100 billion a year in climate financing for developing nations and a global tax on fossil fuels. Finding a common position among the AU's member states, from the economic powers of Nigeria and Ethiopia to some of the world’s poorest nations, can be a challenge. And the AU itself has long been urged by some Africans to be more forceful in its responses to coups and other crises. The body's rotating chairmanship, which changes annually, also gets in the way of consistency, but Africa “will need to speak with one voice if it hopes to influence G20 decision-making,” Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, a former prime minister of Niger, and Daouda Sembene, a former executive director of the International Monetary Fund, wrote in Project Syndicate this year. Read: China's Xi will skip G20 summit in India during a period of soured bilateral relations African leaders have shown their willingness to take such collective action. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they united in loudly criticizing the hoarding of vaccines by rich countries and teamed up to pursue bulk purchases of supplies for the continent. Now, as a high-profile G20 member, Africa’s demands will be harder to ignore.

Mutinous soldiers in Gabon said Wednesday they were overturning the results of a presidential election that was to extend the Bongo family’s 55-year hold on power. The central African country’s election committee announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba, 64, had won the election with 64% of the vote early Wednesday morning. Within minutes, gunfire was heard in the center of the capital, Libreville. Read: Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa wins re-election after troubled vote, officials say A dozen uniformed soldiers appeared on state television later the same morning and announced that they had seized power. The soldiers intended to “dissolve all institutions of the republic,” said a spokesman for the group, whose members were drawn from the gendarme, the republican guard and other elements of the security forces. The coup attempt came about one month after mutinous soldiers in Niger seized power from the democratically elected government, and is the latest in a series of coups that have challenged governments with ties to France, the region’s former colonizer. Unlike Niger and two other West African countries run by military juntas, Gabon hasn’t been wracked by jihadi violence and had been seen as relatively stable. Read: Niger's neighbours running out of options as defence chiefs meet to discuss potential military force In his annual Independence Day speech Aug. 17, Bongo said “While our continent has been shaken in recent weeks by violent crises, rest assured that I will never allow you and our country Gabon to be hostages to attempts at destabilization. Never.” At a time when anti-France sentiment is spreading in many former colonies, the French-educated Bongo met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in late June and shared photos of them shaking hands. The coup’s leaders vowed to respect “Gabon’s commitments to the national and international community.” Bongo was seeking a third term in elections this weekend. He served two terms since coming to power in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years. Another group of mutinous soldiers attempted a coup in January 2019, while Bongo was in Morocco recovering from a stroke, but they were quickly overpowered. Read: At least 10 killed in southwest Congo as intercommunal violence worsens over land rights and taxes In the election, Bongo faced an opposition coalition led by economics professor and former education minister Albert Ondo Ossa, whose surprise nomination came a week before the vote. There were concerns about post-election violence, due to deep-seated grievances among the population of some 2.5 million. Nearly 40% of Gabonese ages 15-24 were out of work in 2020, according to the World Bank. After last week’s vote, the Central African nation’s Communications Minister, Rodrigue Mboumba Bissawou, announced a nightly curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., and said internet access was being restricted indefinitely to quell disinformation and calls for violence. Every vote held in Gabon since the country’s return to a multi-party system in 1990 has ended in violence. Clashes between government forces and protesters following the 2016 election killed four people, according to official figures. The opposition said the death toll was far higher. Read: 5 killed in Kenya as concerns grow over increasing terror attacks Fearing violence, many people in the capital went to visit family in other parts of the country before the election or left Gabon altogether. Others stockpiled food or bolstered security in their homes.    

Chad replaced Bangladesh as the country with the most polluted air in 2022.With the only real-time, publicly available source of air quality data for the entire country of Chad being provided by a single air quality monitor in the city of N’Djamena, the spotlight on global air quality data coverage disparities shines bright on the continent of Africa, according to the 2022 World Air Quality Report.N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, ranked number one as the most polluted regional city with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 89.7 µg/m3, a 12 percent increase from 2021, the report said.In 2022, Bangladesh ranked fifth in the overall rankings with 65.8 points. Read More: River pollution: Artists take to unique protest in Habiganj In some of the capital cities in the region (Dhaka, Bangladesh; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Islamabad, Pakistan; Colombo, Sri Lanka) the percentage of low-cost sensor stations is more than 80 percent.Iraq, Pakistan and Bahrain held the second, third, and fourth positions in the AQI ranking for 2022 respectively with 80.1, 70.9 and 66.6 points.The top five most polluted cities in the world in 2022 were: N’Djamena, Chad (89.7); New Delhi, India (89.1); Baghdad, Iraq (86.7); Manama, Bahrain (66.6); and Dhaka, Bangladesh (65.8).The 2022 World Air Quality Report reviewed the state of global air quality in the year. The study contains statistics on PM2.5 air quality from 7,323 cities in 131 nations, regions, and territories. Read More: Govt committed to doing all it can to defeat pollution: Environment MinisterThis report's data was compiled from over 30,000 regulatory air quality monitoring stations and low-cost air quality sensors, the report said. Governing authorities, research institutes, non-profit non-governmental groups, universities and educational facilities, commercial corporations, and citizen scientists run these monitoring stations and sensors all around the world, said the report.The PM2.5 data in this report is measured in micrograms per cubic meter (g/m3) and uses the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality recommendations and interim objectives from 2021 as a basis for data visualization and risk communication. Read More: 6 vehicles, 5 institutions fined in anti-pollution drive in Dhaka

Senegal star Sadio Mané has been ruled out of the World Cup after undergoing surgery for his leg injury, Bayern Munich and the Senegalese soccer federation said Thursday. Bayern said the 30-year-old Mané had an operation in Innsbruck, Austria late Thursday to reattach a tendon to the head of his right fibula bone, treating an injury he sustained playing for Bayern in a German league game against Werder Bremen on Nov. 8. “The FC Bayern forward will therefore no longer be available to play for Senegal at the World Cup and will begin his rehab in Munich in the next few days,” Bayern said. Senegal team doctor Manuel Afonso earlier announced the end of Mané's lingering hopes of playing at least some part in the World Cup. “Unfortunately, today’s MRI shows us that the progress was not as favorable as we had hoped,” Afonso said. “The result is unfortunately us withdrawing Sadio from the World Cup.” Read more: Qatar World Cup: 5 Dark Horses to look out for Senegal, the reigning African champion, had hoped that Mané, a two-time African player of the year, could return at some point during the tournament. Most of Senegal’s squad arrived in Qatar for the World Cup on Sunday. The team’s first game in Qatar is against the Netherlands on Monday. Senegal plays host Qatar four days after it faces the Netherlands. Its final game in Group A is against Ecuador on Nov. 29. Senegal won its first major title at the African Cup in February, when Mané scored the winning penalty in a shootout to beat Egypt in the final. Mané also scored the winning penalty in a playoff that sealed a place for Senegal in Qatar. Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Preview of African teams, key players, group phase fixtures Senegal — with Mané — was rated by many as the best African team to ever go to a World Cup.