In the news

With Russian and Rwandan allies, the Central African Republic’s army has recaptured the western border town of Beloko from rebels. Several groups that have controlled most of the country for the last eight years formed an alliance in December, and started a rebellion to try to seize power. The recapture …

Uganda’s army has confirmed the death of a pilot in a helicopter crash after take-off near Entebbe on Thursday. Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) spokeswoman Brig Flavia Byekwaso said the incident happened during a flight training session. “Today afternoon at about 2:15pm a jet ranger piloted by two cadet trainees …

Nigeria’s Information Minister Lai Mohammed has warned against planned protests at Lekki toll gate in Lagos where security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters in October. The fresh protests, dubbed Occupy Lekki toll gate, are planned for Saturday. Organisers say they will demonstrate against the reopening of the toll gate. …

Gender rights activists in Angola have welcomed a change to the penal code, which has come into effect this week, which means same-sex relationships are no longer criminalised. The new law also recognises the rights of people of different sexual orientations. Anyone refusing to employ or provide services to individuals …

Zimbabwe will receive 800,000 coronavirus vaccine doses developed by China’s Sinopharm by the start of March, the government has said. China is donating 200,000 of the shots while Zimbabwe is paying for the other 600,000. Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said in a video posted on Twitter that the first batch …

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are gearing up to begin an Ebola vaccination campaign following the death of two people in North Kivu province. A 60-years-old female farmer died of Ebola on Wednesday, six days after a 42-year-old woman had died in hospital of the virus near the …

Members of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group on Tuesday night abducted three customs officers and carted away foodstuff and medicines during an attack on Geidam in Yobe State. Idris Modu Geidam, a resident of Geidam town told Daily Post that Boko Haram left them empty as they looted their …

The coronavirus variant first found in the British region of Kent is a concern because it is mutating and so could undermine the protection given by vaccines against developing COVID-19, the head of the UK’s genetic surveillance programme said. The coronavirus has killed 2.35 million people and turned normal life …

Hundreds of migrants from Haiti, Cuba, Africa and India are stranded at camps in the Darien Gap near Panama’s border with Colombia. Some recount the horrific journey they made to reach the encampment area since it was not easy. Hundreds of migrants traveled from Africa to South America then through …

The United Nations has strongly condemned an attack on a peacekeepers base in central Mali. 28 peacekeepers from Togo were injured when the temporary UN base in Kerena, near Douentza, was hit by fire early Wednesday morning. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Islamic extremists linked to …