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Researchers are betting that a new variety of maize can help farmers in Zimbabwe withstand increasing instances of drought. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center says it is working on ensuring that Zimbabwe returns to its former status as a prosperous, self-sufficient agricultural producer, after erratic rainfall in recent years affected the country’s food security. The El Niño weather phenomenon has harmed crop production across Southern Africa in recent years. But the center believes its technologies can improve small farmers’ maize production, said researcher Esnath Hamadziripi. “Here in Zimbabwe, three in five seasons are expected to be bad for…

Airport authorities in Hong Kong arrested two men accused of smuggling a record number of rhino horns worth $1 million. The accused smugglers were headed to Vietnam from Johannesburg, South Africa. About 24 severed rhino horns weighing 40 kilograms were found in the bust, the largest ever recorded in Hong Kong. Customs officials said the illegal haul was transported through the terminal in two cardboard boxes. The incident came just two weeks after officials in Hong Kong seized 8 metric tons of pangolin scales and more than 1,000 elephant tusks. A local environmental group said the rhino horns accounted for…

South African surgeons successfully performed the world’s first implant of middle-ear bones that used 3D printed components, a research university said. The technique “may be the answer to conductive hearing loss — a middle ear problem caused by congenital birth defects, infection, trauma or metabolic diseases,” Pretoria University said in a statement. The surgery replaced the hammer, anvil and stirrup — the smallest bones in the body, which make up the middle ear — with similarly shaped titanium pieces produced on a 3D printer. “3D technology is allowing us to do things we never thought we could,” said University of…

The Malian military drilled a well to provide drinking water to schoolchildren in a town badly affected by extremism. The project in Menaka, near the border with Niger, is the latest effort by the Malian government to help restore peace to northern Mali. In October 2018, members of Mali’s civil-military team backed by Soldiers from the French Operation Barkhane inaugurated the well at the Tabangout School. The town’s mayor, local leaders, police, members of the United Nations mission and other dignitaries attended the ceremony. When the water started flowing, the mayor tasted it and declared it to be the “purest…

Kenyan authorities arrested seven officials with the China Road and Bridge Corp. and accused them of bribing investigators who had been examining railway finances, Kenya’s Daily Nation reported. The Standard Gauge Railway is a $3 billion project that connects Kenya’s two largest cities, Nairobi and Mombasa. Launched in 2017 and dubbed the “Madaraka Express,” it has been controversial due to cost overruns and allegations of corruption. The arrests mark the first time Chinese officials will face charges relating to the railway. Agents with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission arrested three Chinese nationals and four Kenyan officials. The bribes totaled $8,800…

The United States handed over a command-and-control facility and equipment to Niger to support its fight against terrorism. The $16.5 million node will integrate intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and existing Nigerien Armed Forces capabilities. This new building, along with two deployable tactical operations centers, radios and training, will streamline communication with field personnel, the U.S. Embassy in Niamey said. “We believe all these capabilities are critical to helping Niger defeat Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations wanting to cause harm within its borders,” said U.S. Ambassador to Niger Eric Whitaker. The U.S. donated equipment for the Base Defense Force in Agadez,…

For the women of a self-help group in Tuluroba, Kenya, the goal was simple: Use their combined savings to buy cattle, fatten them and sell them to the beef industry. But there was a problem. “We had no land to graze the cattle. Nor could we obtain a loan from a bank to buy land, because as women we do not own title deeds,” said Fatuma Wario, who chairs the 13-member group. That is common. Few women in Kenya have land title documents, and few are getting them: Since 2013, less than 2% of issued titles have gone to women,…

Ethiopia has passed a law giving almost 1 million refugees the right to work and live outside of camps, in a move praised for providing them with more dignity and reducing reliance on foreign aid. Home to Africa’s second-largest refugee population after Uganda, Ethiopia hosts more than 900,000 people who have fled conflict, drought and persecution in neighboring countries such as Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. The refugees — many of whom sought refuge decades ago and have children born in Ethiopia — are largely confined to one of about 20 camps across the country. Most are not permitted…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE A giant screen flickers to life in a remote village in the equatorial forest of the Central African Republic. About 200 villagers take in an evening of films, thanks to a traveling cinema team that aims to entertain and enlighten. Ambulant Digital Cinema reaches out to people in parts of a country scarred by violence. “Some people are astounded when they see a car, so imagine what it’s like when we’re projecting films,” said Serge Mbilika, a state television journalist who started the program in April 2018. Before the show, Mbilika spends afternoons strolling around the streets of…

VOICE OF AMERICA For the first time, half of the global population — 3.9 billion people — is using the internet.  An International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report says Africa is the region with the strongest growth, where the percentage of people using the internet has increased from just over 2% in 2005 to nearly 25% in 2018. The website Internetworldstats reports that Nigeria has the most internet users, with almost 100 million, followed by Egypt with 49 million and Kenya with 44 million. Kenya has, by far, the highest percentage of users; about 85% of its population has internet access.…