News in Brief Thursday, August 13 Facebook

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7 Depuis le 11 août 2026, le paysage du démarchage téléphonique a radicalement changé en France. La fin de Bloctel, la liste d’opposition qui protégeait tant bien que mal les consommateurs depuis plus de dix ans, marque le passage à un système fondé sur le consentement préalable. Concrètement, une entreprise ne peut désormais plus appeler un particulier à des fins commerciales sans avoir obtenu, au préalable, son accord explicite. Un décret qui inverse la logique du démarchage Le changement est acté par un décret publié le 25 juillet 2026 au Journal officiel. Jusqu’ici, le système reposait sur une logique d’opposition : il fallait s’inscrire volontairement sur Bloctel pour tenter d’échapper aux appels commerciaux, avec une efficacité jugée limitée par de nombreux usagers. À partir du 11 août 2026, la logique s’inverse totalement. Le silence ne vaut plus autorisation : c’est désormais aux professionnels de prouver qu’ils disposent d’un consentement explicite,...

Trois cas de diphtérie ont été confirmés dans les districts sanitaires de Saraya et Kédougou (Est), tandis que plusieurs décès d’enfants de moins de cinq ans font encore l’objet d’investigations, a appris l’Aps, mardi, du Directeur régional de la santé de Kédougou, docteur Ababacar Mbaye. «L’alerte a été donnée après plusieurs décès enregistrés au Centre hospitalier régional Amath Dansokho. Les investigations menées par les services de santé ont permis d’identifier 591 cas suspects sur la période de mai à août 2026», a-t-il déclaré.Des prélèvements effectués ont confirmé trois cas positifs dont deux dans le District sanitaire de Saraya et un à Kédougou, dix-sept autres personnes testées se sont révélées négatives, a précisé M. Mbaye. Selon le Directeur régional de la santé, les équipes médicales ont notamment été confrontées à des formes nécrosantes de la maladie, rendant parfois le diagnostic difficile.«Les trois patients positifs sont actuellement pris en charge et font...

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that three buses belonging to Air Peace are in its custody following allegations that the vehicles blocked the runway at the Lagos airport during the industrial action staged on Tuesday by aviation unions. Speaking with our correspondent, the spokesperson for the Police Airport Command, ASP Muhammed Adeola, confirmed that the three buses were in police custody, while investigations had commenced to identify the drivers who allegedly took the vehicles onto the runway and obstructed aircraft movement. The police spokesman said the investigation would get to the root of the incident, adding that although no arrest had been made, the buses would help investigators establish who was responsible for driving them to the area. He said, “I just spoke with the international division now, and they confirmed that the buses are in our custody because they blocked the runway and that caused disruptions, and the...

Across the Horn of Africa, geopolitical interests of various countries continue to cause tensions and conflict as part of the growing competition for political influence over the region. In its own right, the small country of Eritrea appears to be gaining in importance within this context: The autocratic state run by long-standing ruler Isaias Afwerki controls strategically important coastal points on the Red Sea, especially with its ports of Assab and Massawa. In July, a series of diplomatic consultations in Cairo involving regional powers like Egypt, Somalia, Eritrea, and a high-ranking US envoy highlighted Eritrea’s growing role in helping to coordinate approaches to resolving serious security challenges in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, and to facilitate trade. Eritrea’s unique location along this maritime route is notably becoming more and more strategic in light of international trade conflicts. The small nation’s coastline near the Bab-al-Mandab Strait stretches for more than 1,000 kilometers (621.4 miles), bordering Sudan to the northwest and Djibouti to the southeast. But...

LOBAMBA- “There is no smoke without fire.” The statement was made by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini when responding to a submission that was made by Senate President Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini who revealed some serious allegations against some officers from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). This happened yesterday during the Senate Portfolio Committee debate of the Cabinet and Private Office first quarter performance report for the financial year 2026/2027. The Senate president began her submission by seeking clarity from the PM on the action being taken against police officers whose alleged unprofessional conduct and unlawful actions had resulted in government paying E15 million in civil suits. She asked to know whether criminal or disciplinary action was being taken against officers whose conduct had allegedly resulted in the lawsuits and financial losses to government. She then raised a number of allegations that she said had been brought to her office...

By Evans Najuna  KAMPALA: The Accountability Sector Audit Committee (ASAC) has engaged the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) over audit oversight, accountability and institutional performance, calling for stronger internal controls and timely implementation of audit recommendations to strengthen the agency’s governance and efficiency. The committee, which operates under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), on Tuesday, engaged UBOS management in a high-level meeting aimed at strengthening governance, audit oversight and institutional performance. The meeting was chaired by UBOS Executive Director, Dr. Chris N. Mukiza, and brought together the ASAC delegation and senior UBOS officials to review the Bureau’s accountability systems and areas requiring urgent attention. The discussions focused on the implementation of audit recommendations, statutory instruments governing UBOS and its committees, staff welfare, the effectiveness of the Internal Audit Directorate and areas where MoFPED could further support the statistical body. ASAC, led by its Chairperson, Justice Emeritus Ralph...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 13 August 2026: Tunde Pratt is trapped in a vicious rebel war in a foreign land, battling with his doubts and fears, searching for a way out. He blames himself for getting caught in chaos. But when he witnesses Namineh and her young daughter, Theresa, surrounded by marauding rebels, he overcomes his hesitation and risks his life to rescue them. Together they flee through the African bush on a long road home, tormented by hunger, exhaustion and sickness, shadowed by the ever-present gunmen. Eventually they are helped by the friendly yet mysterious American businessman, Doug, who gets them to the border and apparent safety. Tunde, Namineh and Doug hope to start afresh in the familiar, if dysfunctional, surroundings of Tunde’s hometown, Liberty. But war and turmoil are never far away and slowly surround them as they struggle to build a new life. Thats the setting for Rough...

São-Tomé, 13 Ags 2026 ( STP-Press ) – O Presidente da República, Carlos Vila Nova, exonerou o Ministro do Trabalho, Solidariedade e Segurança Social Jourceli Tiny dos Ramos de acordo com o decreto presidencial tornado público esta quarta-feira. A exoneração do Ministro das funções que vinha exercendo foi feita através do Decreto Presidencial nº21/2026 e acontece sob proposta do Governo. Jourceli Tiny dos Ramos, recorde-se tinha sido nomeado para o cargo através do Decreto Presidencial nº 05/2025. As funções de Ministro do Trabalho, Solidariedade e Segurança Social serão asseguradas pelo Primeiro ministro e Chefe do Governo. O Ministro ocupou as funções durante um ano e sete meses. A acção acontece após o envolvimento do Ministro no processo judicial do cidadão chileno em que o mesmo acompanhado do Presidente da Assembleia Nacional e do Advogado Hamilton Vaz dirigiram a casa da Presidente do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça exigindo a libertação do...