Politics and society

Zimbabwe on Tuesday signed a bill into law that outlawed organized protests by healthcare workers who could now face a fine or an imprisonment of up to six months, Reuters agency reported. The signing by President Emmerson Mnangagwa comes after health workers were locked in a protracted fight with the …

American rapper Meek Mill has apologized after sparking an uproar in Ghana over a music video filmed in the country’s presidential palace. Local media had reported that people were enraged over what they viewed as the “desecration” of the presidency by Meek Mill and the security issues regarding the filming …

The Senegalese government announced on Tuesday new measures to fight road safety, including a ban on night bus travel and the import of used tires. These measures come after a road accident that killed at least 40 people on Sunday. “Public passenger transport vehicles will be banned from driving on …

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to hold a meeting with the National Coronavirus Command Council on Tuesday to discuss the new variant detected in the country this week, local media reported. The new Covid subvariant, known as XBB.1.5, is an offshoot of the globally dominant Omicron Covid variant …

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged people to celebrate “a more humble Christmas” this year by spending less on gifts and celebrations and sending the difference to Ukrainians in need. Speaking at the end of his weekly general audience, Francis drew attention to the suffering of the “battered Ukrainian people” as …

US President Joe Biden signed Tuesday at the White House, in front of thousands of guests, a law protecting same-sex marriage throughout the United States. This is a special moment for the American president, who, ten years ago, had made an impression by publicly saying he was in favor of …

New Zealand will gradually implement a near-total tobacco ban from 2023 by preventing anyone born after 2008 from buying cigarettes indefinitely, as well as reducing the amount of nicotine in products available to the sale. This is a radical way to fight against smoking in New Zealand. According to the …

Nigerian authorities announced that all passengers will no longer be required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test on arrival or departure, regardless of their vaccination status. A memo addressed to all airline operators, among other stakeholders in the aviation industry by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed …

Amnesty criticizes Senegal for its failures in the fight against the abuse of students in Koranic schools and their financial exploitation, in a report published on Monday, calling on Dakar to “strong acts” to protect them. “Tens of thousands of talibé children (students in Koranic schools commonly known as daaras) …

South Africa’s passenger rail agency (Prasa) has banned preaching, gambling and informal trading in its new trains, local media outlets report. The move is among measures meant to ensure that “one particular behavioural system of any other group cannot be imposed on other commuters on board”, the agency’s spokesperson Lilian …