SANATU ZAMBANG STUDIOS (Podcast)

The world's first malaria vaccine has received a green light from European drugs regulators who recommended it should be licensed for use in babies in Africa who are at risk of the mosquito-borne disease. The shot, called RTS,S or Mosquirix, would be the first licensed human vaccine against a parasitic disease and could help prevent millions of cases of malaria in countries that use it. The vaccine was developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in partnership with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Recommendations for a drug licence made by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are normally endorsed by the European Commission within a couple of months. Mission Malaria Mosquirix, also part-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will also now be assessed by the World Health Organisation, which has promised to give its guidance on when and where it should be used before the end of this year. Malaria killed an estimated 584,000 people in 2013, the vast maj...

Raising questions over 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon's expected hanging, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said Memon is being punished because of his religion. Addressing a public gathering in Hyderabad, Owaisi said Memon, who is likely to be hanged on July 30, accused the Centre of indulging in religious discrimination and said the government should execute all death row convicts. Owaisi said killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh are not being executed because of political pressure. "The killers of Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh have the backing of political parties in Tamil Nadu and Punjab. Which political party is backing Yakub Memon? Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab has gone to the extent of pardoning Balwant Singh Rajoana," Owaisi said. Raking up the Babri Masjid issue, the Hyderabab MP said thousands of people were killed in communal riots following the demol...

It is a universally acknowledged fact that a woman in her 30s has, at least, once been propositioned by a married man. Whether men do this out of plain boredom or pent-up sexual frustration, lust for a younger woman or genuine attraction, the fact is they do. Ever since I read about the news of hijacking of Ashley Madison – a website for cheating spouses – by a group of hackers who threatened to publish names and salacious client details unless the portal shut down, I couldn’t help but wonder if among the 2.75 lakh Indians who faced the risk of being exposed, were there more women than men? And if nude photos, kinky fetishes, real names and credit card information were to be leaked – how many Savita bhabhis (read Indian housewives and horny singles game to hook up with married men) would be exposed? In 2013, a study conducted by America’s Journal of Marital and Family Therapy revealed that 41 per cent of marriages had one or both spouses admitting to either physical or emotional infi...

Earth 2.0: NASA finds planet that matches our own Space agency's Kepler mission finds planet outside solar system that may have volcanoes, oceans and sunshine like Earth. Astronomers hunting for another Earth have found the closest match yet, a potentially rocky planet circling its star at the same distance as the Earth orbits the Sun, NASA has said. Named Kepler 452b, the planet is about 60 percent larger than Earth. It could have active volcanoes, oceans and sunshine like ours, twice as much gravity and a year that lasts 385 days, scientists said on Thursday. Scientists discover 'new moon' around Pluto "Today we are announcing the discovery of an exoplanet that, as far we can tell, is a pretty good close cousin to the Earth and our Sun," said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "This is about the closest so far, and I really emphasize the 'so-far,'" he added, describing Keple...

An American news network’s report labelling Kenya a “hotbed of terror” ahead of the US President’s visit has sparked ridicule on Twitter. “President Barack Obama is not just heading to his father's homeland, but to a hotbed of terror,” the CNN report read, raising concerns about al-Qaeda affiliated terror group al-Shabaab. The militants are based in neighbouring Somalia but have crossed the border for terror attacks including the massacre at Garissa University College that killed 152 people in April and the Westgate shopping mall attack in 2013. The headline of the story sparked criticism US security officials have insisted there is no risk to the President, who is due to arrive tomorrow for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. Mr Obama’s arrival has been highly anticipated by many Kenyans, who greeted CNN’s headline - “Security fears as Obama heads to terror hotbed” – with disbelief and anger. People have been using the hashtag #SomeoneTellCNN – which has appeared in 75,000 tw...

Ghana’s senior national team once played against the world’s biggest football club, a fact that many Ghanaians seem oblivious of. That is probably because details regarding the match – especially from a Ghanaian perspective – are quite sparse. On its latest ‘anniversary’, however, Goal tried, not without great difficulty, to eke some of those. In times when belief in, and affection for, the Black Stars is at an all-time low [following the team’s spectacular implosion at Brazil 2014], perhaps this could be a reminder that things haven’t always been this bad. The Match It all transpired 52 (or 50, as other sources put it) years ago, on August 19. And it wasn’t at Madrid’s hallowed Santiago Bernabeu or some other exotic arena. It was right here in Ghana – at our good old Accra Sports Stadium. CK Gyamfi and team-mates back in the 50s The Ghanaian national side wasn’t such a big deal back then. The country hadn’t yet featured at a major international tournament (no, not even the Africa...

Chen Xiaotian was only 5-years old when he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. While his mother, Zhou Lu, carefully looked at him and gave him all the support she could. It didn’t last long. A few months later, she was diagnosed with a kidney disease. The two slept side-by-side at the hospital for years. Zhou needed dialysis, while Chen needed constant attention. Doctors believed Chen would recover, but then his cancer returned. The cancer eventually blinded and paralyzed Chen, but his mother never gave up hope. However, Zhou was facing issues of her own. Her kidney began to weaken, and it was evident that only a kidney transplant could save her. That’s when the doctors intervened. They talked with Zhou’s mother. “They told me that my grandson would not survive,” she told Daily Mail, “but his kidneys could help his mother, and also save two other lives as well.” Zhou refused. “She absolutely didn’t want to hear any talk of that happening.” But when 7-year-old Chen ...

Do cellphones belong in the operating room Next time you’re on the operating table and you take one last look around as the anesthesiologist approaches, don’t be too sure that that person in scrubs looking at a smartphone is pulling up vital health data. He or she might be texting a friend, or ordering new carpet. Cellphone use is not generally restricted in the operating room, but some experts say the time for rules has come. In interviews, many described co-workers texting friends and relatives from the surgical suite. Some spoke of colleagues who hide a phone in a drawer and check it when they think no one is watching. “Sometimes it’s just stuff like shopping online or checking Facebook,” said Dwight Burney, an orthopedic surgeon from Albuquerque. “The problem is that it does lead to distraction.” This can result in medical errors or lax safety procedures, such as forgetting to check a patient’s identity, he said. In one 2011 incident, a Texas anesthesiologist was accused of ...

Scientists claim they've worked out what makes the perfect penis They only asked what women thought though There are many age-old questions that have plagued humanity since the dawn of time; where did the universe come from? Is there really a god? What on earth is going on with Donald Trump’s hair? But scientists have now answered one of these great unknowns; what makes a good-looking penis? The research, which only asked women for their preferences on male genitalia, was conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich. According to the study, “general cosmetic appearance” is the most important penile aspect when it comes to what women value down there. This is swiftly followed by the appearance of pubic hair, penile skin, and girth. Length comes in at number six, with the look of the scrotum trailing closely behind. The least important facet of the phallus, say the scientists, is the “position and shape of meatus”, the vertical slit at the opening of the urethra. The...

One lunchtime in early March, tables at Nairobi's K'Osewe restaurant are packed. The waiting staff run back and forth from the kitchen, bringing out steaming plates of deep-green African nightshade, vibrant amaranth stew and the sautéed leaves of cowpeas. The restaurant is known as the best place to come for a helping of Kenya's traditional leafy green vegetables, which are increasingly showing up on menus across the city. Just a few years ago, many of those plates would have been filled with staples such as collard greens or kale — which were introduced to Africa from Europe a little over a century ago. In Nairobi, indigenous vegetables were once sold almost exclusively at hard-to-find specialized markets; and although these plants have been favoured by some rural populations in Africa, they were largely ignored by seed companies and researchers, so they lagged behind commercial crops in terms of productivity and sometimes quality. Now, indigenous vegetables are in vog...

Reducing the global burden of type 2 diabetes by improving the quality of staple foods: The Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative Global Nutrition and Epidemiologic Transition Initiative countries with pilot data have documented key barriers and motivators to increase intake of high-quality staple foods. Notably, rice and wheat products accounted for over half of the contribution to energy consumption from staple grains, while the trends for contribution from roots and pulses generally decreased in most countries. Several scholarly articles have illustrated the nutrition transition by describing the increase in the quantity of macronutrients, mainly fats and carbohydrates, consumed per capita in most countries . At the population level, two factors have been proposed as major reasons for the rapid increase in diabetes worldwide: an epidemiologic transition where communicable diseases have decreased as the major causes of death . The prevalence of type 2 diabetes...

George Clooney, the Hollywood actor, has launched a new initiative called The Sentry aimed at ending conflicts on the African continent by tracking the money that fuels them. The Sentry, founded by Clooney and John Prendergast from the advocacy group the Enough Project, will investigate the financing of conflicts in South Sudan, Sudan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Enough Project said on Monday. Akshaya Kumar, a policy analyst with the Enough Project, told Al Jazeera on Monday the idea for the project came from a dissatisfaction with traditional peacemaking and conflict mitigation approaches. "We were inspired by the success of financial warfare in the fight to stem terrorist operations, money laundering and drug trafficking," Kumar said. Prendergast, a former Africa director at the US National Security Council turned human-rights activist, said that "conventional tools of diplomacy" had so far failed and that "ne...

Abandoned housing and abandoned factories might be rife across the world, but Japan has a problem with derelictness you might not have heard of before – abandoned golf courses. They're starting to pop up across the country, due to a huge number of them being built during a boom in the industry in the 80s which is now falling, with participation in the sport down 40%. The courses could have been levelled for development, but instead Kyocera is using their vast open spaces to install solar panels. The renewable energy initiative is being welcomed in Japan, which has been looking for alternatives to nuclear energy after the 2011 Fukushima disaster left a bad taste in the mouth. The first 23 megawatt golf course project will launch in 2017 and produce enough power for around 8,000 homes. Planning on an additional solar plant began in January 2014 and is now underway - it will cover approximately 2,000,000m2, accommodate 340,740 Kyocera solar modules, and is expected to generate ...

Apollo astronauts participate in a July 21, 2014 panel discussion held for employees at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. From left are center director Bob Cabana, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 crew member Jim Lovell, Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 command module pilot Mike Collins and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Cabana and Bolden, both shuttle astronauts, posed the questions to which the panel members responded. Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett By Bob Granath NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida "Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed!" With these words, American astronaut Neil Armstrong announced that he and Buzz Aldrin had become the first persons to travel to and land on another celestial world -- 45 years ago. One of humankind's greatest achievements, the Apollo 11 mission began with the July 16, 1969, liftoff of a Saturn V rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and set the stage for the historic lunar landing. Following a July 21 ceremo...

Comedian Lee Nelson jumped up on stage during the event and threw a wad of fake dollar bills above the FIFA president's head FIFA president Sepp Blatter walked off stage at his press conference after a comedian showered him in fake money. Lee Nelson, whose real name is Simon Brodkduring, ran up to Blatter during the event and handed him a wad of fake dollar bills. He then threw more money into the air above the 79-year-old and said: "Here you go, Sepp." Security, who were slow to react, eventually hauled Brodkin off stage. Blatter, however, was unamused and stormed off too. A FIFA official then came on stage to announce the press conference would be delayed before Blatter eventually returned. Simon Brodkin previously a medical doctor, who performs on the stand-up circuit and in comedy television series. He is best known for playing a character called Lee Nelson, but also performs as other comedy characters. Performing solo stand-up since 2004 (or earlier), he has ...

Images shared on social media showed about 10 bodies scattered outside a building [Twitter:@sgdf_basin] At least 27 people have been killed and 100 wounded in an explosion at a cultural centre in the southeastern town of Suruc near Turkey's border with Syria, according to the Turkish interior ministry. Officials said three government ministers were on their way to the scene of Monday's blast, which happened during a press conference. A representative of a Kurdish party told Al Jazeera that the body of a suicide bomber had been found among the dead. Footage posted by the Dogan News Agency showed members of the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF) gathered under a banner and chanting slogans when a blast tears through the group. Images posted on Twitter showed about 10 people lying motionless and several others who appeared to be wounded after the blast. Witnesses said those targeted were volunteers coming from Istanbul and heading to the Syrian city of Kob...

Government has hinted the final funeral rites of the late two overlords of Dagbon will be performed in November this year. The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna told Citi News in an interview. According him, all is set for the upcoming traditional events in Yendi, traditional capital of Dagbon. He said the Asantehene-led committe of three eminent chiefs, mediating the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis, gave government the green light to implement the roadmap. Citi News checks in Yendi have also revealed that the construction of some adjoining houses to the old Gbewaa Palace is 90% complete. The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna also revealed the funeral rites will be performed at the old Gbewaa Palace. “We believe that we can never get to the bottom of this matter if the funerals are not performed.” He commended the two families for their tolerance and maximum cooperation. “The two families are really cooperating with us and as we speak now...

Along the dangerous northeastern border between Kenya and Somalia, a wave of terror has people in fear for their lives. The ongoing threat from the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab means that remote villages and citizens suffer indiscriminate attacks. In the ongoing conflict, women and children remain faceless victims of beatings, rape and unwarranted assaults. But one courageous woman has dedicated herself to protecting these countless victims. Amran Abdundi runs the Frontier Indigenous Network, a group that provides sanctuary, first aid services and valuable health information to numerous displaced women in the region. Last night, Abdundi's inspiring work was recognized at the esteemed Index Freedom of Expression awards in London -- the Kenyan women's rights activist was the winner in the campaign category. CNN's African Voices sat down with the soft spoken and unassuming awards winner, who celebrated her 34th birthday the same day as her win, to discuss her ongoin...

We expect an Italian prime minister to wear a well-cut suit in a meeting with a world leader. But not accessorized with body-armor. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi raised eyebrows among Kenya's social media users this week when he appeared to be sporting a bulky flak-jacket in a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta in his visit to Kenya's State House on Wednesday. The images became a parlor game of 'did he or didn't he?' with red circles highlighting the unusually bulky suit jacket. Kenyans mockingly asked whether Renzi took the adage 'security starts with you' a step too far. In recent years, Kenya has been hit by a series of horrific terror attacks, mostly blamed on Somali militant group Al-Shabaab. But the colonial-era presidential palace is arguably one of the safest places in the country. State House is barricaded by fences, guarded by heavily armed paramilitary officers and surveillance cameras are always keeping a watchful eye. Speakin...

The Islamic State militant group has kidnapped a Ghanaian Christian and two other Africans in eastern Libya, Reuters said on Sunday. The other two are from Egypt and Nigeria. The name of the Ghanaian has been given by the Terrormonitor website as Sekyere Kofi Frimpong. According to Reuters, the announcement was made in a statement on social media, without further elaboration. The Reuters news agency also added that “The kidnapping took place in Noufliyah, an Islamic State stronghold southeast of the city of Sirte, said a resident, asking not to be named.” “The militant group has expanded in the North African country by exploiting chaos and a security vacuum like it did in Iraq and Syria.” Islamic State militants have beheaded dozens and attacked foreign missions in Tripoli, while also fighting forces loyal to Libya’s two government.

Gay marriages defy logic – Ashanti Chief Iman The leadership of the Ashanti Regional Muslim Community marked the 2015 “Eid-Ul Fitr” (Feast of Feeding) at the Central Mosque, with a call on Ghanaians to be wary of gay marriages. The Regional Chief Imam, Sheikh Abdul Mumin Haruna, preaching to thousands of Muslims noted that same sex marriage was a practice, which does not only defy the logic and laws of nature, but also God’s purpose for mankind on earth. “How can we foster procreation when people of the same sex decide to marry?” he questioned. He therefore challenged religious leaders and moralists to wage the needed campaign against the practice. Sheikh Abdul Mumin said it was unfortunate the manner in which some Western countries, under the guise of human rights, had decided to legalize the practice, and warned that “Ghana should not follow suit to help engender socio-cultural and religious growth”. The congregation prayed for the poor and aged, leadership of the nat...

Veteran actor Bruno Iwuoha was a guest on a radio station in Abuja recently where he opened up on his current battle with a life threatening disease. The talented actor talked about his battle with diabetes and how he has been battling Glaucoma for years without money for corrective surgery. Mr Iwuoha who said diabetes has claimed his sight told the host of Brekete Family Program on 104.5FM in Abuja that he never knew he had diabetes until a violent armed robbery attack that landed him in hospital. Veteran Nigerian Nollywood actor  Bruno Iwuoha is Battling Diabetes and needs N3.5 million for eyes surgery. According to the veteran Actor he never knew he had diabetes until he was attacked and beaten by arm robbers on his way from Abuja to Legos. During his treatment at the hospital series of test where conducted, and it was reveal he has diabetes. Mr Bruno added that he has been to many places and countries for treatments. The veteran actor mentioned Ghana, and India were in...