Africa

Gunmen abducted two Catholic priests and two children in Katsina state, northern Nigeria, after shooting dead 12 farmers working in their fields, the BBC reported. A spokesperson for the Catholic Church, Father Chris Omotosho, told the BBC the gunmen broke into the priests’ residence in the village of Gidan Maikambu …

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has announced that the country intends to abolish the death penalty. He termed it a “big decision” by the government. “We will work with parliament to run this process as we transition away from the death penalty and focus on the preservation, rehabilitation of life while …

At least 12 farmers were shot dead by gunmen in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, while working in their fields, local media reported. The attackers, known locally as bandits, are blamed for the attack. Some houses were also torched. A local police officer disputed the casualty figures but said the gunmen …

The new head of the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), Dr John Nkengasong, says HIV and Aids remain a significant threat for Africa. The virologist from Cameroon has spent the last two years heading Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. He told the BBC that there …

Central African Republic will launch the continent’s first legal cryptocurrency investment hub, the presidency said, extending the impoverished country’s embrace of digital finance despite words of caution from the International Monetary Fund, Reuters agency reported. Marred by decades of conflict, Central African Republic last month became the first country in …

US authorities have issued a notice, warning US companies and individuals to do business with Sudanese state-owned and military-controlled companies. According to the State Department, there was a reputational risk of doing business with these companies amid a deterioration in the human rights situation in Sudan. It said while some …

At least 30 people are missing and dozens believed to have been abducted or killed after an attack at the weekend by gunmen in Borno State, northeast Nigeria. According to witnesses, victims in the town of Rann were shot by gunmen on motorbikes as they went into the bush to …

Beers outsell soft drinks in South Africa, according to consumer data analysts at NielsenIQ SA. “We track sales in over 150,000 outlets… whether that’s formal grocery stores, taverns, spaza stores [kiosks],” a spokesman told eNCA news. His company said beer sales in South Africa had risen by 8% over the …

The Mankon community in Cameroon mourns the death of its supreme ruler, King Fon Angwafor III Solomon, who died on Monday at the age of 97. Fondly referred to as King Solomon the Wise, he was an influential political figure who was one of the architects of the reunification of …

Tunisia’s main union announced it will stage a nationwide strike calling for wage increases as the cost of living rises, the BBC reported. It comes a day after the UGTT refused to participate in a limited dialogue proposed by President Kaïs Saïed to study ideas for political and economic reform. …