Politics and society

The Togolese armed forces on Thursday said they were responsible for a recent explosion that killed seven civilians and injured two others, after mistaking them for jihadists. The explosion occurred in the prefecture of Tône, near the border with Burkina Faso, where a Sahelian jihadist insurgency threatens to spread to …

Police in Ethiopia arrested the head of the Disaster Risk Management Commission, Mitiku Kassa, on suspicion of corruption, state-run television reported. The arrest follows a major investigation on a corruption case involving Mitiku and a non-governmental organization called Elshadai. Mr Kassa is accused of conspiring with the non-governmental organization, which …

Massimo Coppola, mayor of the city of Sorrento, in southern Italy, announced that tourists in swimsuits or shirtless will no longer be able to wander the streets this summer. In the Bay of Naples, tourists are welcome… but once they leave the beach, they will have to put on a …

Perrigo laboratory announced on Monday that it asked authorities to approve the first contraceptive pill available without a prescription in the United States, few weeks after the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke the right to abortion in the country. The launch of the regulatory process shortly after the Supreme Court’s …

Prison authorities in Nigeria published names and photos of 69 suspected militants who recently escaped from a prison in the capital, Abuja. It comes after a deadly attack on Tuesday at Kuje Correctional Center in which more than 800 inmates escaped, half of whom were recaptured. However, authorities say they …

The African Union is launching an electronic vaccine passport to facilitate movement of people vaccinated against Covid-19 in and out of Africa. The passport will be in digital format. A QR code will be scanned to show proof that one has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and has a valid …

Burundi’s government said the thousands of children roaming the streets, adult beggars and other “vagabonds” now risk criminal prosecution as they tarnish the country’s image. Street children and other beggars should no longer roam the streets from this Wednesday. “These practices which “deteriorate” Burundian culture must cease,” authorities said. “Repeat …

Ugandan presidency said in a statement that it validated the adoption of Swahili as one of the country’s official languages and recommended its teaching in primary and secondary schools. The Swahili language develops and becomes one of the official languages in Uganda. In a tweeted statement, the Ugandan cabinet said …

Authorities in Nigeria’s central state of Niger have suspended all mining activities in the region amid mounting cases of kidnappings. It comes days after gunmen launched a devastating attack on a mining site, kidnapping at least four Chinese miners and killing over 20 members of the Nigerian security forces, the …

The Central African Republic government is launching its cryptocurrency hub it named Sango, nearly three months after adopting Bitcoin as one of its official currencies. President Faustin Archange Touadéra launched the hub on Sunday in a live announcement on social networks. The name “Sango” is in one of the country’s …