In the news

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 …

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, says it has had to pay fees to Warner Music after several of its police forces took part in a viral dance challenge. The song Jerusalema by South Africa’s Master KG spread online last year after groups around the world choreographed it to spread …

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 …

A court in Bangladesh sentenced to death five members of an Islamist militant group on Tuesday for killing a U.S. blogger critical of religious extremism six years ago. Avijit Roy, a U.S. citizen of Bangladeshi origin, was hacked to death here by machete-wielding assailants in February 2015 while returning home …

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 …

Chad has called on foreign powers to urgently increase funds for the development of the Sahel. Speaking at a summit on Islamist violence in the region, the Chadian President Idriss Deby said combatting poverty would help defeat militancy. The French President Emmanuel Macron is attending the meeting via video link. …