Africa

Zimbabwe says the Covid-19 variant first detected in South Africa now accounts for the majority of cases in the country. Results of genomic sequencing conducted recently showed that the variant the nation had in 2020 had receded and that the new and more aggressive variant accounted for 61% of cases, …

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says South Sudan is facing its highest levels of food insecurity since it declared independence 10 years ago. The agency says this is due to outbreaks of violence, extreme weather patterns and the economic impact of Covid-19. Pibor county in the east of the …

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Abdulrasheed Bawa to head the country’s anti-corruption agency. The president has forwarded Mr Bawa’s name to the senate for confirmation as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). If confirmed, the 40 year-old will be the agency‘s youngest chief since its establishment …

Nigerian artist Azeez Fashola popularly known as Naira Marley has broken his silence about the cancellation of a Valentine’s Day concert in Cameroon. Naira asked his fans to “calm down” saying not all Cameroonians were bad. The concert was reportedly cancelled after some Cameroonian artists protested against the Nigerian artist …

Ongwen’s defence lawyer, Krispus Ayena Odongo argued that he (Ongwen) was a victim who was abducted when he was 9 years old and forcibly conscripted along the LRA ranks raising questions about his mental abilities. Ayena wants to challenge various components of the ruling like for instance, the court did …

Scientists have identified another new variant of coronavirus in the UK with some potentially troubling mutations. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said the variant, known as B1525, has been detected through genome sequencing in countries including Denmark, the United States and Australia. Some 32 cases have been identified in …

A UK company, Camellia Group, agreed to settle legal claims from a number of Kenyan and Malawian women over gross human rights abuses and rape allegations. The firm’s guards have been accused of committing atrocities ranging from killings, rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence. The Macadamia, tea …

Newly appointed head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, says having “early wins and successes” in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic will help restore trust in the organisation. She said that the priority was to look at how WTO can help make access to vaccines, therapeutics and …

Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say more than 60 people have drowned after a barge capsized and sank on the Congo River. Three-hundred people have been rescued but possibly 200 others are unaccounted for following the accident. Locals said the boat hit a rock east of the capital, …

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved two versions of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, clearing the way for the vaccines to be shipped to African countries through the Covax scheme. Covax is a global initiative in which countries pool their resources to support the development of vaccines …