Politics and society

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly asked her services on Monday to summon the Russian ambassador to Ottawa, Oleg Stepanov, following a series of anti-LGBT+ tweets, including one targeting an openly lesbian federal minister. Messages posted by the Russian Embassy’s Twitter account echo the Duma’s adoption last week of a bill …

Civil society groups in Kenya are complaining about a chronic shortage of free condoms across the country. The life-saving products are usually imported and distributed for free but due to high taxes suppliers are no longer providing Kenya with free condoms. The activists want the government to remove taxes on …

Russian parliament on Thursday passed the third and final reading of a law that expands an existing ban on promoting “LGBT propaganda” to children by banning it among people of all ages. Under the new law, any event or act regarded as an attempt to promote homosexuality – including online, …

Britain and South Africa on Wednesday announced a new health and science partnership to mark the second day of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state visit to London. On Wednesday, Britain announced a new set of research collaborations as Ramaphosa toured the Crick Institute, the biggest biomedical research facility in Europe, and …

On November 11, the National Commission for Computing and Liberties (CNIL), advised supporters traveling to Qatar to use blank or disposable phones, as there are a few extra precautions to take to avoid being arrested. The World Cup is fast approaching and so is the surge of supporters. But for …

A group of South Africans have started a petition against plans by the department of basic education to introduce unisex or gender-neutral toilets in schools, local media reported The petition has been signed by over 60,000 people so far. “Toilets are private and suggesting that girls and boys share toilets …

The acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk continued to stir in the US, with the resignation of senior social network officials, and a rare warning from the American Competition Agency (FTC). “We follow recent developments at Twitter with a lot of concern. No managing director or company is above the …

Parliamentarians in Ghana set up an eight-member committee to investigate allegations of conflict of interest and incompetence against the minister in charge of finance, Ken Ofori Atta. Speaker Alban Bagbin ruled that the committee will also provide Mr Atta and his lawyers an opportunity to respond to the allegations. The …

Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of two TikTok stars in Nigeria’s Kano state for defaming the state governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The TikTokers, Mubarak Muhammad alias Unique Pikin and Nazifi Muhammad Bala, had pleaded guilty and asked for leniency. But the judge ordered them to be given 20 lashes each, …

A Nairobi court ordered the pilots of Kenya Airways to come to work on Wednesday and, for the moment, to cancel their strike. The pilots have been refusing to work in protest over the suspension of contributions to their retirement fund by Kenya Airways management. The judge, Anna Ngubuini Mwaure, …