Containment Efforts Race the Clock in the DRC

Health authorities across Africa are struggling to contain an Ebola outbreak, centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). 

There are now more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases in the DR Congo, and at least 246 deaths. Neighbouring Uganda has reported nine confirmed cases and one death. 

The current outbreak, a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, has no proven vaccine and kills about a third of those infected.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said response efforts are being hampered by delays in identifying cases, warning that health authorities are effectively being forced to “play catch-up” as the outbreak expands. Suspected deaths linked to the virus have already surpassed 220. 

Although the WHO continue to assess the international threat level as low, they have raised the risk assessment inside the DR Congo from “high” to “very high”. The latest outbreak has primarily affected eastern regions of the DR Congo, where healthcare systems already face pressure from armed violence, mass displacement, and limited infrastructure. 

The WHO have classified the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, reviving memories of past Ebola epidemics that overwhelmed fragile healthcare systems and triggered international alarm. 

The current epidemic, officially declared on May 15, is the DR Congo’s 17th recorded Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976. 

Governments across Africa and beyond have introduced measures aimed at preventing the virus from spreading across borders. Rwanda has temporarily closed its border with the DR Congo, while Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, and Burkina Faso tightened health screening and sanitary monitoring procedures. Uganda also suspended flights to neighboring DR Congo following the outbreak. 

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have also expanded their Ebola response operations in eastern DR Congo and neighboring countries, deploying 200 volunteers. They are going door-to-door in communities to explain how the virus spreads, counter misinformation, and encourage early treatment. 

The UN allocated $60 million from their emergency response fund to help contain the outbreak. The WHO have reported the delivery of eleven tonnes of emergency medical supplies to support Ebola response operations in the DR Congo and have already allocated $3.9 million from their Contingency Fund for Emergencies.

No Coup, No Civil Uprising in Côte d'Ivoire

Nothing happened in Côte d'Ivoire. My May 22nd post supposedly of an unfolding crisis there was INCORRECT. 

No violence was reported by security forces or any other government authorities in Abidjan or elsewhere in the country, reported Al Jazeera on Saturday. Local residents also denied the fake claims on social media, notably on Facebook and X. 

And on Thursday, the country’s National Agency for Information Systems Security of Ivory Coast (ANSSI) came out to deny the rumours. In a statement published on local media sites, the agency said: “Publications currently circulating on the X network claim that a coup d'état has taken place in Cote d’Ivoire [Ivory Coast]… This claim is completely unfounded. It is the result of a deliberate and coordinated disinformation campaign”.

In fact, videos showing citizens demonstrating in the streets and setting fires to shops and malls started appearing on social media sites on Wednesday. French is the official language in Ivory Coast, but most of the posts and blogs with images purporting to be from were from Abidjan and claiming that a coup was in progress were written in English. 

Some posts even claimed that the country’s army chief of staff, Lassina Doumbia, had been assassinated and that President Alassane Ouattara was missing. These claims were untrue and have been denied by the office of the president. Credible media outlets, including Ivorian state media and private news media, did not report the alleged violence.

And this means that Côte d'Ivoire will remain a thorn in Burkina Faso's side as that country happily harbors the traitors whose aim is to destabilise/destroy the Ibrahim Traoré-governed country.

Mohamed Salah's 84th minute equaliser – the Eagles had scored first in the ninth minute – ensured Liverpool signed off the Premier League with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Anfield yesterday. 

The goal was the Egyptian's 29th in the league and that tally, along with his 18 assists, meant he moved level with Alan Shearer and Andy Cole for the most goal involvements in a Premier League season.  It also meant he secured a fourth Golden Boot, equalling the record held by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. 

Not to forget too that his goals had contributed significantly to the Reds' record-equalling 20th league title win – that moves them joint level with Manchester United.

May 09 is Russia’s Victory Day

Foreign leaders from 27 countries graced Russia’s Victory Day parade on Friday. 

[Two Heads of State, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith did not turn up – the former pulled out at the last minute and the latter due to illness]. 

As well as military contingents from 13 countries – Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Egypt, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam – joined in to march alongside Russian forces on the day of the parade. 

The May 09 event commemorates 80 years since the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in the Second World War (referred to by the Russians as the Great Patriotic War). 

[Notes: The Soviet Union lost around 27 million people during the Great Patriotic War (40% of all human losses in World War II), with civilian deaths accounting for the larger part of these losses. According to data of the Extraordinary State Commission for the Establishment and Investigation of Atrocities of the German Fascist Invaders, the German troops destroyed fully or partially over 1,700 cities and towns, more than 70,000 villages and settlements in the USSR. 

And Western revisionists are deliberately downplaying the USSR's vital contribution to World War II. Partly because of the Cold War rivalry but more due to a Western bias to focus on the Western front and American and British victories]. 

The twenty-seven leaders who came: 

In case you're wondering, Abkhazia and South Ossetia are "separatist" regions of Georgia in the Caucasus. Most countries recognise them as part of Georgia, while Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria regard them as independent.

US Targets Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré

The US of A trotted out a black man to level false accusations against Burkina Faso's Ibrahim Traoré during an April 03 Senate hearing. 

General Michael Langley (right), head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), made the bold claim that the leader of Burkina Faso is a threat to his own people and that he is keeping the country's gold reserves for his personal gain. 

Truth be told, Captain Traoré reclaimed Burkina Faso’s gold – not for multinational corporations or foreign banks, but to empower his nation. His plan to exploit the country’s wealth to fund infrastructure, development, and self-reliance exposes the uncomfortable truth: Africa’s poverty is manufactured and maintained by those who profit from its resources while keeping its people in chains of dependency. 

But Traoré (left) is not alone. Burkina Faso has joined forces with Mali and Niger to form the Alliance of Sahel States – a mutual defense pact designed to protect their sovereignty from both terrorist threats and foreign intervention. Together, these nations have expelled French troops, rejected Western military dictates, and charted a course toward self-reliance. 

This regional unity represents a direct challenge to AFRICOM and the broader neo-colonial grip on West Africa. And that is why General Langley as well as others are sounding alarms. 

Leave Burkinabes alone, the gold isn't yours, and Burkina Faso isn't your business!! 

Let’s not ignore these facts: Captain Traoré has already survived eighteen assassination attempts since taking power in 2022 – on April 16, the latest bid to dispatch Traoré, US and French intelligences were implicated conspiring with Burkinabe traitors. 

History tells us that when an African leader dares to stand on sovereignty, reclaim his country's own natural resources, and unite with neighboring nations against Western powers, he becomes a target, not because he endangers his people, but because he threatens their interests. 

Captain Traoré’s vision, alongside Mali and Niger, represents more than national pride – it’s a blueprint for genuine African independence. And that’s precisely why he’s being labeled a threat. 

The true danger isn’t Traoré or the Alliance of Sahel States – it’s the desperation of Western powers unwilling to let Africa control their own destiny. And African leaders like Benin's Patrice Talon, Côte d'Ivoire's Alassane Ouattara, Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Kenya's William Ruto, Nigeria's Bola Ahmed Tinubu are Western puppets. It's pertinent to point out that General Langley’s statement is not a defense of human rights – it’s a defense of geopolitical interests. 

Indeed, Ibrahim Traore is the best thing that's ever happened to Africa. And he has the support of not only Burkinabes but also many, many Africans!

Junta-led Sahel States Formally Leave ECOWAS

On January 29, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally left ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, after more than a year of diplomatic tensions.

The withdrawal has shaken the Economic Community of West African States that many consider to be the continent's most important regional group and which this year marks their 50th anniversary. 

While ECOWAS work out the terms of their future relationship with the three countries, they say they will continue to recognize all passports and identity cards bearing the ECOWAS logo held by citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. They will also remain in the bloc's free-trade scheme.

West Africa observers are already concerned the withdrawal will worsen security in the region. The Sahel – the semi-arid region just south of the Sahara Desert that includes the three said countries – is wracked with jihadist insurgencies and now accounts for "almost half of all deaths from terrorism globally", a senior UN official said in April.

And in a sign of the doubts within ECOWAS, Togo and Ghana have normalised their relations with the three states.  

Yesterday's Champions League match pitting Liverpool against PSV Eindhoven wasn’t a dead rubber, despite little riding on it for the former. Even as Arne Slot rotated his squad and leaving behind nine senior players at Anfield. 

The much-changed Liverpool finished top of the Champions League group phase despite losing their 100% winning record after defeat to PSV Eindhoven – the latter won 3-2 – in a five-goal thriller.

In an action-packed first half, Cody Gakpo put the Reds ahead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute in his home city against his former club after a Rood-witten midfielder had fouled Federico Chiesa. The Reds-and-Whites equalised in the 35th minute but five minutes later, Liverpool's lead was restored when Chiesa's shot was deflected to Harvey Elliott, who scored his second Champions League goal in consecutive games. 

And then, two quick goals (45, 45+6) from the Eredivisie leaders turned the game around for them.

Ukraine Linked to Tuareg Terror Attack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ukraine is at the center of a diplomatic storm in Africa after its officials appeared to back a recent rebel attack in Mali, which has been plagued by jihadist insurgencies for more than a decade.

 

Tuareg insurgents ambushed a military convoy carrying members of the Russian Wagner Group private military company and Malian soldiers late in July in the village of Tinzaouaten, located in the north of Mali, killing dozens. 

 

Ukrainian military intelligence service (GUR) spokesperson Andrey Yusov (right), speaking on national TV, called the incident a “successful military operation against Russian war criminals” carried out with the “necessary information” provided to the militants by his agents. He vowed that “there will be more to come”. 

 

Kiev’s embassy in Dakar, Senegal shared Yusov’s interview – now deleted – on their Facebook page, along with a caption from their ambassador Yury Pivovarov to Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, and Liberia, who said “there will certainly be other results”.

 

Bamako and its West African neighbors have denounced the remarks as Ukraine’s support for “international terrorism”. Even the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc that Mali’s military government and their allies in Burkina Faso and Niger quit in January, have said they will not tolerate “any foreign interference” that threatens the region’s peace and security. 

 

Senegal and Burkina Faso issued separate statements on Saturday, warning Ukraine against actions aimed at destabilizing their “brotherly” neighbor Mali. Ouagadougou advised Kiev not to “fight the wrong battle and should refrain from any support” for terrorists involved in the ongoing violence in Mali, which has spread to Burkina Faso and Niger.

 

Niger responded on Tuesday by breaking off diplomatic ties with Ukraine with “immediate effect” in “total solidarity with the government and people of Mali”. Mali had earlier taken a similar decision, claiming Kiev’s actions threatened Bamako’s sovereignty.

 

In an interview with RIA Novosti on Wednesday, Fousseinou Ouattara, deputy chairperson of Bamako’s parliamentary security and defense committee, said Mali and Niger have asked the UN Security Council to investigate allegations that Ukraine provided intelligence to the Tuareg rebels. 

 

Ouattara reportedly questioned Ukraine’s ability to act alone in providing intelligence to armed groups, hinting that Kiev’s Western allies, including the US and France, could have assisted.

 

On the same day too, Russia accused Ukraine of encouraging terrorist groups in African countries friendly to Moscow.

No To ECOWAS

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced on Saturday they have "irrevocably" turned their backs on ECOWAS.

 

The Economic Community of West African States regional bloc had swiftly suspended the three countries after their respective military takeovers, which occurred in July 2023 in Niger, September 2022 in Burkina Faso and August 2021 in Mali. 

 

ECOWAS even imposed sanctions on Niger and Mali, and at one stage, had threatened military intervention. And yet, the regional bloc’s leaders held out hope for the trio’s eventual return. Fat chance because in January. the said countries withdrew from ECOWAS. 

 

Speaking at the summit, Niger's General Abdourahamane Tchiani called the 50-year-old ECOWAS “a threat to our states”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burkina Faso's Captain Ibrahim Traoré and Mali's Colonel Assimi Goïta met General Tchiani in Niger's capital, Niamey to formalise an alliance created in the face of opposition from neighboring countries. The three soldiers took power in their respective countries which have been battered by jihadist violence, in part a reason given for the military coups. 

 

They now establish the Alliance of Sahel States as a step “towards greater integration” between the three countries, in the latest showing of their shift away from traditional regional and Western allies.

 

The junta chiefs said they aimed to build a community of sovereign peoples "far from the control of foreign powers. A community of peace, solidarity, prosperity based on our African values”.

 

In a message on X, Capt Traoré declared that "together, we will consolidate the foundations of our true independence". 

 

Speaking at the summit, he went on to say that "this continent has suffered and continues to suffer from the fire of the imperialists. These imperialists have only one cliché in mind: 'Africa is the empire of slaves'". 

 

Security co-operation is high on the agenda, but the alliance, known by their French acronym AES, will also look towards forming closer economic ties, including the goal of creating a common currency. This would be a rejection of the France-backed CFA Franc, which is used in many states across the region. 

 

Already, the three countries have expelled French soldiers who were there supposedly as part of an anti-jihadist mission. Besides, they have regularly accused former colonial ruler France of meddling in the 15-member ECOWAS. 

 

Finally, we're seeing African countries asserting genuine independence. And I would urge countries which are under the thumb of the Western powers (e.g., Cameroon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria) to follow the three countries' example and break free!

$105 Million Ticket Sales on First Day

On Friday, I had blogged about the good pre-sales recorded by the war epic "The Battle at Lake Changjin 2: Watergate Bridge”. 

The movie has lived up to its blockbuster billing with a box office haul touching $105 million on Tuesday, the first day of the Chinese New Year and its opening day in mainland Chinese theaters. 

It is even speculated that the 149-minute cinematic production could eventually become the highest-grossing film of all time in China. To do that, it would have to surpass “The Battle at Lake Changjin” which was released on October 01, 2021 and, over a prolonged run in cinemas, earned $913 million (according to a Variety report dated January 31, 2022) to become the second biggest film worldwide in 2021, behind “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. 

Despite the short interval between the two outings, there is a growing belief that the sequel can outperform its predecessor.

Covid restrictions, travel patterns during this Spring Festival period and competition for eyeballs from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics starting today, are the limiting factors, rather than other movies. 

Already, audience feedback, channeled through Taopiaopiao ticketing firm, rated the film 9.6 out of ten. Maoyan reported an identical score with 21,000 users expressing an opinion.

On Thursday, a goalless draw between Egypt and hosts Cameroon saw the former win 3-1 on penalties to set up an Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal. A day earlier, Senegal had ousted Burkina Faso to earn the right to meet Egypt. 

Sunday's final sets up a tantalising meeting between Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at the same venue – the Olembe Stadium in Cameroon's capital Yaounde

In fact, the final will be the first of three meetings between Egypt and Senegal over the next two months as they also contest a two-legged play-off for a place at the World Cup in Qatar.

The Voice Actor Who Can Mimic Any Animal

Hey, give a listen to veteran voice actor Dee Bradly Baker who happily shares his incredible skill for imitating, mimicking and vocalizing creatures of any kind, big and small. 

Baker (left) explains how he makes these incredibly realistic sounds with his mouth. 

“There’s lots to use inside the mouth and I kind of use it along with the resonance to do small things, large, things threatening things, friendly things… it’s not just making the sound but it’s telling a story. It’s having specific things happening in the story it’s kind of like raw material for the animators in the storyteller”. 

Indeed, his talent is simply amazing:

In Africa, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surpassed 40,000 across the continent, including nearly 1,700 deaths and more than 13,000 recoveries, according to Africa CDC.

WHO Worry Over Africa

The World Health Organization worry over Africa. 

On Friday they said that the total number of intensive-care unit beds across 43 of the continent's 54 countries is lower than 5,000. This translates to around five ICU beds per million in these nations – as compared to 4,000 per million in Europe. 

What’s more, the WHO said that 41 African countries have reported having fewer than 2,000 functional ventilators available to their public health services. 

You may or may not know it but February 14, 2020 saw the first coronavirus case confirmed in the continent – in Egypt. 

On March 19, thirty-three countries have already reported more than 600 cases and 17 deaths. 

Yesterday, according to figures compiled by the agency EFE, fifty-two countries have been infected – yielding 11,703 cases and 609 deaths.

The numbers are building up, slowly and surely. That's becoming a big worry. 

Africa’s Top Seven Covid-19 countries:

From imposing travel bans to prohibiting mass gatherings and shutting down schools, governments across Africa are increasingly adopting sweeping measures in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. 

The emergency moves come amid a worrying increase in the number of infections registered across the continent. 

Still, health experts expressed confidence that the lessons learned from previous health emergencies, including the devastating Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016 that killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa, will help in the fight against the coronavirus. 

I pray Covid-19 won’t inflict a heavy blow on Africa.

Extreme Lockdown Responses

Worldwide, there are now more than 1.5 million confirmed Covid-19 infections.

In Africa, it has already passed 10,000 cases.

Therefore, there are legitimate reasons to be apprehensive about the disease since many countries have poor healthcare systems that could be easily overwhelmed, resulting in an unprecedented health disaster. 

Some measures being used to fight Covid-19 border on over-zealousness that is a cause for worry and alarm. It appears that in a couple of countries, the police and military have been harassing, beating and, in some cases, killing people as they vigorously enforce measures aimed at preventing the spread of the pathogen.

Ugandan police hit vendors who refused to clear the streets 

A South African police officer forcing people to disperse and observe the safety distance as they queue outside a supermarket in Yeoville, Johannesburg, on March 28, 2020

Their actions are at the sharp end of a debate over the balance between personal freedoms and human rights on the one hand, and the need to protect society as a whole from coronavirus on the other. 

In Nairobi, Kenya, a 13-year-old boy playing on a balcony in a high rise residential building in the capital, Nairobi, was shot dead after being hit by what police described as a "stray bullet". 

Three other deaths, including that of a motorcycle taxi rider who succumbed to injuries after being beaten by police, have been reported in the local press. 

On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta has apologized "to all Kenyans… for some excesses which were conducted" by the security forces, while urging the public to abide by measures the government had put in place to contain the spread of the virus. 

In neighboring Uganda, Human Rights Watch have accused police of using "excessive force" – including beating fruit and vegetable sellers and motorcycle taxi riders.

Moreover, police arrested 23 people during a raid on a shelter for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, accusing them of disobeying orders by remaining in the shelter and charging them with "a negligent act likely to spread infection of disease", HRW said. 

In the face of mounting criticism, 10 officers were charged with torture on Tuesday after being accused of caning 38 women and forcing them to swim in mud in the northern town of Elegu. The officers have not yet been asked to plead. 

While in South Africa, which has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases on the continent, at least eight people have been killed by police since a nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 26, the country's Independent Police Investigative Directorate said. 

During these anxious times, some governments are adopting a “Better Safe Than Sorry” approach but even so, violence is inexcusable.

In case anybody is interested to know on the coronavirus situations in the above-mentioned countries:

French Doctors Suggest Vaccine Test in Africa

It is altogether appalling and outrageously offensive that two French doctors had seriously suggested that Africans be used to test a potential vaccine for Covid-19. 

The comments were made on the French television channel, LCI, during a discussion on Wednesday about coronavirus trials set to be launched in Europe and Australia to see if the BCG tuberculosis vaccine could be used to treat the virus. 

Jean-Paul Mira, head of the intensive care unit at the Cochin Hospital in Paris had said: "It may be provocative. Should we not do this study in Africa where there are no masks, no treatment or intensive care, a little bit like it's been done for certain AIDS studies, where among prostitutes, we try things, because we know that they are highly exposed and don't protect themselves?" 

Camille Locht, research director at France's national health institute, INSERM, nodded his head in agreement: "You are right. We are in the process of thinking about a study in parallel in Africa". 

Dr Mira had earlier questioned whether the study would work as planned on healthcare workers in Australia and Europe because they had access to personal protective equipment while working. 

The show sparked widespread anger and furious indignation. 

When asked about the doctors' suggestion, WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) became visibly angry, condemning it as “racist” and calling it a hangover from the "colonial mentality". 

He declared emphatically: "Africa can't and won't be a testing ground for any vaccine". 

The doctors' comments have fueled existing fears in Africa that African people will be the guinea pigs for a new coronavirus vaccine. 

Coronavirus centers have been targeted in African countries – most recently, a facility that was under construction in Abidjan, Ivory Coast was attacked and destroyed by protesters. Footage posted on social media showed people tearing the center apart with their bare hands, and smashing construction materials on the ground. 

We may be in the twenty-first century but racial bigotry is alive and well.

FYI, Africa is also not spared from Covid-19. The top 7 countries with the biggest number of infections and deaths are:

Bloody Carnage in Brussels and Elsewhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: http://europeanpressagency.com/world-news/islamists-celebrate-brussels-terror-under-sick-belgiumonfire-arabic-hashtag

Islamists and Islamic State sympathizers have been celebrating the Tuesday massacre in Brussels, starting a sick Arabic #Belgiumonfire (#بروكسل_تحت_النار) hashtag – similar to the #Parisonfire trend which appeared after the Paris attacks – the twin bomb attacks in Belgium’s capital saw 34 people killed and hundreds more injured.

 

“Strike terror in the heart of Kufar [infidel]… we will take in the hearts of those who disbelieve horror”, tweeted one Alswedi Omar. His profile picture features an IS emblem above the words “support from Germany”.

 

“What a beautiful day today,” another agitator added, describing the innocent victims as “Belgium supporters” who are fair game because of their Western identity.

 

“Fuck Belgium. Belgium wanted to bomb the Islamic state. Now enjoy what your hands have sown… A lot of doas [prayers] were answered today”, said another.

 

“We not only applaud. But we are happy, happy smiling laugh, happy day was on holiday #Brussels and Kalh_oamag Harith”, one more added.

 

One of the most common sentiments expressed under the sick hashtag was: “You declared war against us and bombed us, and we attack you inside your homeland”, along with Islamist war cry: “Allahu Akbar!”

 

The hashtag rapidly gained traction in the Arab-speaking world, and is seemingly inspired by a similar “Paris is on fire” trend which was popularized by IS supporters soon after the bloody carnage in Paris, France.

 

Many of the Tweets have already disappeared, however, and accounts that express support for terrorist organizations are usually deleted within days – so it is difficult to gauge the true popularity of the hashtag.

 

 

This latest incident in Belgium came on the heels of a long string of terrorist attacks in many parts of the world – and they will keep haunting us.

 

Here’s a sample of the bloodshed spilled in the name of Islam:

 

On the evening of November 13, 2015, a series of coordinated attacks occurred in Paris and its northern suburb, Saint-Denis and 130 people were killed and another 368 people were injured. IS claimed responsibility.

 

Seven days later, the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali’s capital was seized by al-Qaeda-backed militants – they took 170 people hostage, ultimately killing 20 and seven people were wounded.

 

On January 12, 2016, a suicide bombing in a popular central square in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, left 13 people dead and 14 people injured. The perpetrator was identified as IS-affiliated Nabil Fadli.

 

Two days later, in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital came under attack that left eight people dead, including four assailants and another 24 people were wounded. IS claimed responsibility.

 

The next day, a group of al-Qaeda militants attacked the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. At least 30 people were killed, and another 56 were wounded.

 

On March 13, 2016, at least 18 people were killed and another 33 were injured when yet another al-Qaeda-linked group attacked the Étoile du Sud hotel in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast.

 

Obviously, dangerous people are lurking out there! And they sincerely view themselves as Muslims and they have happily committed devastating acts of violence in the name of Islam.

 

This bloody carnage that they brought upon society will continue. During these trying times, saner voices must prevail.

 

We must not succumb to the popular refrain that all Muslims are terrorists, and that they are hell-bent on wiping out all non-believers from the face of this earth.

More than anything else – this is what the world needs now:

 

Yesterday evening, I was in KL’s Brickfields to attend the MIA Toastmasters meeting. This was the first time I actually counted eight MIA Toastmasters in attendance. A rarity and hopefully, an omen of better things to come.

 

I was there to deliver my CC #6 speech on Vocal Variety titled “Scream Fest”. Another good speech!

 

I was also a Speech Evaluator for the club president who presented an Advanced speech – and I was voted Best Evaluator.