In the news

Authorities in the US have announced sanctions against three top Malian officials said to be co-ordinating the spread of Russian private military firm Wagner in the West African country. They are Mali’s defence minister, air force chief and the deputy chief of staff, says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. …

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law on Monday July 24 banning sex change operations, local media reported. The text prohibits “any medical intervention” for gender reassignments, including surgical operations and hormonal therapies. Changing the gender designation in identity documents will also be prohibited. The bill had passed …

Ghana’s former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Dapaah has been arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) after the reported theft of $1m (£780,000) cash from her house. According to the OSP, the former minister was placed under house arrest on Sunday 22 July on “suspected …

At least five inmates have died and five have been injured in a new clash between gangs in a prison in Ecuador, the penitentiary administration of this country, which is facing drug trafficking, said on Sunday. “We regret to announce that, so far, five people deprived of their liberty have …

A gang of senior secondary school pupils have beaten a teacher for stopping one of them from cheating during an examination in their school in Ogun State, Nigeria, according to reports. “The teacher, while invigilating the unified examination for the SS 1 Art class students, caught a pupil cheating and …

 A 22-year-old woman is battling for her life after her ex-boyfriend inflicted deep cutlass wounds on her at Assin-Essan in the Assin North District, Ghana. “The victim’s ex-lover went to her father’s house to settle some issues, which had soiled their relationship,” reports said. On reaching the house, he met …

At least 80,000 people have been displaced over the past three months in central Nigeria, the scene of bloody inter-communal violence where the army has sent reinforcements, a local official said. Northwestern and central Nigeria are regularly the scene of tensions and deadly conflicts around the exploitation of land and …

A final year Junior High School pupil has drowned at Hununya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality in the Eastern region, Ghana, according to reports. “A teacher took 17-year-old final year JHS students from same school to his backyard garden farm at Hununya to work for him,” reports said. After close …

Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo has accepted the resignation of Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, following public outcry over huge sums of money discovered at her home in the capital city, Accra, local media reported. Two domestic staff there have been accused of stealing and stashing more than …

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country is capable of replacing exports of grain to Africa from Ukraine after he withdrew from a deal allowing their safe shipment across the Black Sea. Kremlin said in a statement that Moscow could provide the grain on a commercial and free-of charge basis. …