In the news

Rwanda is mourning one of its most famous rappers, known as Jay Polly. He has died at the age of 33 in a hospital in Kigali. From his real name Joshua Tuissimier, Jay Polly was in jail awaiting trial on drug charges, and was rushed to hospital early on Thursday …

Egypt has said it intends to produce more than a billion doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine each year in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Health Minister Hala Zayed told reporters that under a deal with the Chinese firm, a factory in the capital, Cairo, would make …

South Africa said it can’t take in Afghan refugees as it is done by other countries.The announcement was made by the country’s Department of International Relations. “South Africa is already home to a substantial number of refugees and is seized with addressing their needs,” the Department of International Relations said …

Botswana’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi has suspended the assistant minister for health. He is blamed for attending a tombstone unveiling ceremony for his late father, in breach of Covid regulations that ban public gatherings. His family was unveiling their father’s tombstone as their mother took off the mourning dress as required …

Defence ministers of the G5 Sahel countries are meeting in Niger’s capital, Niamey, to find out a new approach to the jihadist insurgency in the region. Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad are facing major challenges with a wave of jihadist attacks and the planned withdrawal of the French-led …

Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has sacked two of his ministers in a rare reshuffle. Those affected are the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Mohammed Sabo Nanono and his counterpart from the Ministry of Power, Sale Mamman. The cause of their removal has not been evoked but a statement from …

Three people have been beheaded in a village in Quissanga district in the jihadist-hit northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. According to some reports, the macabre act, the cause of which is unknown at the moment, would be the work of insurgents linked to the Islamic State group fleeing the …

Pope Francis, operated two months ago on the colon, specifies that resigning has “not crossed his mind”, thus opposing a denial to rumors conveyed by the Italian media. Several Italian media have announced the resignation of Pope Francis some times ago. “I don’t know where they got the idea that …

Thailand on Wednesday will start collecting value added tax (VAT) from foreign technology companies and expects to raise at least 5 billion baht ($154.70 million) in additional revenue each year, a senior official said. Foreign platforms providing electronic services in Thailand will have to register for VAT payments, senior finance …

Kenya’s customs authorities have given importers of unclaimed items up to the end of the month to pay relevant fees or risk them being auctioned or destroyed, local Business Daily news site reports. The items including sex toys, civilian drones and shisha pipes have “clogged” warehouses at the main airport …