Africa

Eight students of Madonna University, Okija, Rivers State have died in an auto crash on their way to Taraba State from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, reports said. “The students were traveling home from school on account of the forthcoming general election,” according to reports. “Seeing the crowd of persons with some …

A total of 12 children have died of measles in south-western Tanzania’s Mlele district since December, local media reported, citing district commissioner Majid Mwanga. Mr Mwanga added that 847 children had been infected with measles in the district between December and February. “Health workers have so far vaccinated 16,480 children …

An 80-year-old man died suddenly when a cigarette butt fell out of his hand and came into contact with his clothes at Larteh Akuapem in the Eastern Region of Ghana. “The deceased had been bedridden for several years due to his advanced age and unstable health conditions and has been …

A woman was burnt beyond recognition due to her inability to repay a N70,000 loan she took from a microfinance bank, popularly known as LAPO, in Oke-Keesi, Itoko, Abeokuta, Nigeria. LAPO is known for lending money to traders and other small-scale business owners with specific instructions for repayment plans. A …

More than 70 women working on two British-owned tea plantations in Kenya have told the BBC they were forced to have sex by their managers to retain their jobs. Undercover filming by the BBC caught local bosses pressuring a female worker for sex. The two firms, Unilever and James Finlay …

Twelve South African cheetahs began a voyage to India on Friday as part of an intergovernmental agreement to reintroduce the big cats to the Asian country, Reuters agency reported. They will join eight cheetahs from neighbouring Namibia that were released into the Kuno National Park in central India last year. …

Police in Kenya have questioned a member of parliament over claims of funding bandits in the country’s northern Rift Valley region. Pokot South MP David Pkosing was arrested on Thursday evening by officers from the Serious Crimes Unit and released hours after interrogation. His lawyer says the MP will appear …

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said his country will not embrace homosexuality and the West should stop seeking to impose its views to compel dissenting countries to “normalise” what he called “deviations”. Officiating at the national celebrations to mark Janani Luwum Day at Wii-Gweng village in Mucwini Sub-County, Kitgum District, Mr …

A request by a provincial government for a state funeral to be given to a popular South African rapper murdered last week has been rejected by the president, local media report. Gauteng’s premier Panyaza Lesufi had written to President Cyril Ramaphosa requesting permission to give slain rapper Kiernan Forbes, popularly …

A pastor, founder of the Santa Trindade evangelical church in the central province of Manica, died after fasting for 40 days in an attempt to reach the record set by Jesus on the biblical Mount of Olives in Mozambique. After 25 days of fasting, the pastor had lost a lot …