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Rajoelina Promises Change in 12 Months — or Steps Down

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Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has given himself one year to resolve the country’s mounting problems, declaring that he will resign if the challenges persist.

The president made the pledge during a town hall meeting held at his palace, where he engaged directly with supporters and civic groups. Participants were invited to voice their concerns, to which Rajoelina responded openly.

“I don’t want praise — I want honesty,” he told the gathering. “Those who kept telling me everything was fine are responsible for the situation we are in today.”

His remarks come amid rising pressure from the Gen Z Mada movement, a youth-led protest group demanding his resignation. The group, which declined the president’s invitation to the meeting, accused his administration of repression and human rights abuses.

“We refuse the president’s invitation. We will not engage with a regime that assaults and humiliates its youth,” the group wrote on Facebook, while announcing plans for fresh demonstrations on Thursday.

Rajoelina has held a series of such public dialogues in recent weeks, saying the country’s issues can only be resolved through “listening and honest discussion,” not street protests.

He assured citizens that ongoing energy projects will ease the crippling power crisis, pledging to add 265 megawatts to the national grid.

“I swear that if power cuts continue in the capital a year from now, I will resign,” Rajoelina vowed.

The protests, which erupted on September 25, were initially sparked by widespread anger over persistent power and water shortages but have since evolved into broader discontent over corruption, unemployment, and the rising cost of living.

In a dramatic move last week, Rajoelina dissolved his government and appointed an army general as the new prime minister — a decision the protest movement swiftly rejected, vowing to continue its campaign.

Rajoelina first came to power in 2009 after leading demonstrations that toppled then-president Marc Ravalomanana with military backing.

Although the youth-led protests have lost some momentum, tensions remain high. Most of Antananarivo has returned to normal activity, though certain districts remain under heavy police surveillance with roadblocks still in place.

According to United Nations figures, at least 22 people have been killed and dozens injured in clashes with security forces — figures that the authorities dispute.

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DIABETES CURE… OR THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR INSULIN DEPENDENCE?

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DIABETES CURE… OR THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR INSULIN DEPENDENCE?

Scientists in China and the United States have successfully used stem cells to create insulin-producing cells that restored the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar in some patients with Type 1 diabetes.

The experimental procedures, conducted by researchers in China and separately by Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the U.S., represent a significant leap beyond traditional disease management.

For over a century, diabetes has required patients to endure daily insulin injections and constant glucose monitoring.

These new cell-based therapies aim to rebuild the biological function that is lost in the disease.

According to details shared online by science commentator SciTech Girl, which have garnered significant attention from the medical community, the approach involves creating new islet cells from stem cells and transplanting them into patients.

In several individuals with Type 1 diabetes, whose pancreases no longer produce insulin, these transplanted cells have begun producing insulin again—eliminating the need for injected insulin.

“No pump. No syringe. Just living cells doing their job,” the report stated, summarising the dramatic outcome for some trial participants.

Medical experts caution that while the results are groundbreaking, they do not yet constitute a widespread, proven cure.

The trials remain small in scale, and the long-term durability and safety of the transplanted cells are still unknown.

 

 

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Russia Enforces Nationwide WhatsApp Ban

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Russian authorities have moved to block Meta-owned WhatsApp across the country, citing the company’s failure to meet domestic legal requirements.

Officials say Meta did not establish a local office, declined to cooperate with data-sharing demands, and failed to remove content deemed unlawful.

The government has also linked the messaging platform to cases of fraud and alleged extremist activities.

Following the shutdown, many users in Russia are migrating to alternative platforms such as Telegram, VK Messenger, Yandex Messenger, and the government-supported MAX application.

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Ex-President Edgar Lungu’s Son Stripped of Assets Deemed Proceeds of Crime

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Dalisto Lungu, the son of Zambia’s late former president Edgar Lungu, has been stripped of assets worth more than US$1.26 million after a ruling by the Economic and Financial Crimes Court.

The court found that the properties were obtained through illicit means and ordered their forfeiture to the state. The seized assets include 79 motor vehicles, over 20 pieces of land located in various parts of Zambia, as well as a fuel service station.

In its judgment, the EFCC stated that Lungu failed to provide credible evidence of a lawful income or business operations that could reasonably explain his accumulation of such wealth.

Lungu disputed the allegations, insisting that the properties were legally acquired. However, the court ruled that his explanation was insufficient to counter the state’s case, paving the way for the assets to be confiscated.

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