WORLD - The African Mirror

Jul

25

2024

China’s political heavyweights in CPC resolve to “deepen reforms comprehensively”

WORLD

CHINA’s cashless society has set its sights on becoming the world’s biggest economy through a drastic acceleration of the latest set of reforms and modernization of the world’s second-largest economy. The third plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was held last week, from July 15 to 18 - resolved to further deepen reforms comprehensively. This is in order to advance Chinese modernization, according to a communique from the Third Plenary Session of the CPC’s Central Committee chaired by the Secretary-General, Xi Jinping, who is also the country’s President. The important address that…

Jul

25

2024

By The African Mirror

Miracle baby born amid Israel bombs in Gaza

WORLD

A baby boy has remarkably survived after his heavily pregnant mother was killed in an Israeli airstrike. According to Reuters, Ola Al-Kurd, nine months pregnant, died when her family home in Al-Nuseirat, central Gaza, was struck on July 19. Her father, Adnan Al-Kurd, told Reuters that the blast threw Ola down several floors. "It's a miracle that the fetus stayed alive inside of her when she was martyred," Adnan Al-Kurd said to Reuters, looking at a photo of his daughter's graduation. The article notes that this tragedy is part of the daily reality in Gaza, where over 39,000 Palestinians have…

Jul

25

2024

By The African Mirror

Kamala Harris comes out swinging in bid for historic presidency

WORLD

KAMALA Harris has taken her first bold step to become the first woman president of the United States of America. Kamala launched her campaign at a public rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and used the occasion to take on her main rival for the job - Republican candidate Donald Trump, who seeks an unprecedented return to the White House. Harris' choice of words and tone set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested race to the Oval Office. Speaking to a cheering crowd of thousands in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday, Harris, 59, wasted no time in drawing sharp…

Jul

24

2024

By RILEY SPARKS

‘Shot through the knees’: How the Rafah invasion broke Gaza’s aid response

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. By Riley Sparks HUMANITARIAN organisations are warning that the aid response in the Gaza Strip is near collapse, with the fragile system thrown into disarray by Israel’s invasion of Rafah, more than two months ago. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the end of June that the war in Gaza would soon enter a new phase characterised by less intensive combat. But there are no signs yet of the Israeli military campaign slowing down or of any new phase creating an opening for aid agencies to mount a meaningful response…

Jul

24

2024

By DAVID TUFFLEY

One small update brought down millions of IT systems around the world. It’s a timely warning

WORLD

THIS weekend’s global IT outage caused by a software update gone wrong highlights the interconnected and often fragile nature of modern IT infrastructure. It demonstrates how a single point of failure can have far-reaching consequences. The outage was linked to a single update automatically rolled out to Crowdstrike Falcon, a ubiquitous cyber security tool used primarily by large organisations. This caused Microsoft Windows computers around the world to crash. CrowdStrike has since fixed the problem on their end. While many organisations have been able to resume work now, it will take some time for IT teams to fully repair all…

Jul

23

2024

By The African Mirror

Kamala Harris takes steps toward becoming the US’s first woman president

WORLD

CURRENT US vice president Kamala Harris has taken significant steps toward potentially becoming the first woman to occupy the Oval Office, as she emerges as the leading Democratic candidate for the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Following President Joe Biden's surprise decision to end his reelection bid, Harris has quickly gained support from key Democratic figures and is positioning herself to take on Republican Donald Trump in November. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of America's most influential Democrats, has thrown her weight behind Harris's White House run. Pelosi's endorsement comes alongside support from other prominent Democrats, including Governors Gretchen Whitmer…

Jul

22

2024

By The African Mirror

US President Joe Biden drops a bombshell

WORLD

U.S. President Joe Biden has begun his final four months in office after announcing he will not seek re-election, bowing to pressure from within and outside the Democratic Party. This late development has given a significant boost to Republican nominee Donald Trump, who is poised to return to the White House. Vice President Kamala Harris is among those being considered to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee. Biden, 81, made the announcement on Sunday via a post on X, stating he would continue to serve as president and commander-in-chief until his term concludes in January 2025. He is expected to…

Jul

21

2024

By The African Mirror

UN’s Top Court: Israeli occupation and settlements in Palestinian territories violate international law

WORLD

THE International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nation's highest court, has declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and its settlements there to be illegal under international law. The court, also known as the World Court, called for Israel to withdraw from these areas "as rapidly as possible." Reuters reports that while the ICJ's opinion is not legally binding, it carries significant weight in international law and could potentially weaken support for Israel's position. The court's 15-judge panel found that "Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being…

Jul

21

2024

By The African Mirror

Bangladesh imposes curfew amid escalating student protests

WORLD

BANGLADESH's government has announced plans to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy the army in response to widespread student-led protests against government job quotas. The demonstrations have turned violent, with at least three deaths reported as police clashed with protesters. The unrest, which began over quotas reserving 30% of government jobs for families of independence fighters, has evolved into broader discontent over economic issues and unemployment. Violence has spread to 47 of Bangladesh's 64 districts, resulting in over 100 deaths and thousands of injuries, according to local media and hospital sources. Photo source: X(twitter) Authorities have disrupted telecommunications and suspended…

Jul

20

2024

By The African Mirror

Global cyber security scare

WORLD

A global tech outage on Friday disrupted industries worldwide, highlighting risks in our increasingly digital world, Reuters reports. The disruption, triggered by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affected air travel, broadcasting, healthcare, and banking services. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz acknowledged a defect in a Windows update and apologized for the impact. Microsoft confirmed the issue was later fixed. The outage's far-reaching effects underscore the fragility of global internet infrastructure, according to Ciaran Martin, former head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre. Financial markets experienced significant disruptions, with one trader describing it as "the mother of all global…