Author: Carlos ramirez

Residents in a community in Kaduna State have challenged claims by the Nigerian Army that 31 civilians were rescued following a deadly Easter Sunday attack on a church in Ariko. The military had earlier announced that troops engaged gunmen in a “fierce firefight,” forcing them to flee and leaving behind hostages who were subsequently freed. Officials also stated that five civilians were killed during the national However, community leaders strongly dispute this account. According to Joseph Ariko, president of the local community association, none of the abducted victims have returned. He insisted that, to their knowledge, all those taken during…

Albert Mazibuko, a longtime member of the legendary group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, has died at the age of 77 following a short illness. His passing marks the end of an era for one of Africa’s most celebrated musical ensembles. Mazibuko joined the group in 1969, becoming part of a journey that would span more than five decades. During that time, Ladysmith Black Mambazo rose to global prominence, earning multiple Grammy Awards and captivating audiences with their signature isicathamiya sound—a harmonious blend of traditional Zulu singing and soft, rhythmic movement. The group gained international recognition through their collaboration with Paul Simon…

Severe flooding triggered by days of heavy rainfall has left dozens dead across Angola, with widespread destruction reported in the capital, Luanda, and the central city of Benguela. Emergency authorities have confirmed at least 29 deaths in Luanda and Benguela, while local reports suggest the toll may have risen to 33 after additional fatalities were recorded in Cuanza-Sul province. More than 34,000 people have been affected, with thousands forced from their homes as floodwaters submerged communities. The disaster has caused extensive damage to infrastructure, destroying homes and disrupting essential services. Roads and bridges have been severely impacted, including a key…

The streets of Lagos came alive as the annual Fanti Carnival transformed Lagos Island into a vibrant display of culture, history, and artistic expression. With elaborate costumes, lively music, and energetic processions, the event once again celebrated a tradition that has thrived for over two centuries. Rooted in history, the carnival honors the legacy of Afro-Brazilian returnees—formerly enslaved Africans and their descendants who made their way back to West Africa in the 19th century from countries like Brazil and Cuba. Settling in Lagos Island, they brought cultural influences that blended with local Yoruba traditions, giving rise to a unique celebration…

Police in Ethiopia have arrested a man accused of running a multi-million-dollar international human trafficking operation that has lured thousands of people to Libya since 2018, where many were tortured and held for ransom while hoping to reach Europe. Yetbarek Dawit was detained along with nine alleged accomplices in the northern town of Shire, in the Tigray region bordering Eritrea and Sudan. The ten suspects were subsequently transferred to the capital, Addis Ababa. None have yet been charged in court, and Yetbarek has not commented on the allegations. The scale of the alleged operation is significant. Police say the network…

A Tunisian court has sentenced Saadia Mosbah, one of the country’s most prominent migrant rights and anti-racism activists, to eight years in prison — a ruling her legal team called a major shock and critics described as part of a deliberate campaign to dismantle independent civil society. Mosbah was convicted on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment. She has been held since May 2024, detained alongside other activists caught up in a government crackdown on groups providing assistance to migrants. Her defence team said it intends to appeal the verdict. Her lawyer, Hela Ben Salem, did not mince words…

Across Africa, governments are moving to tax the booming online gambling industry harder driven by a combination of soaring addiction rates and depleted state finances. The industry, meanwhile, is fighting back, warning that higher taxes will simply push players underground. The scale of the shift is most visible in South Africa, by far the continent’s largest gambling market. Two thirds of South African adults now engage in online gambling, according to the National Gambling Board — up from 30% in 2017. Punters wagered a record 1.5 trillion rand in the 2024/25 financial year. The government has proposed a new national…

Glencore’s South African ferrochrome unit has warned it may pull out of negotiations with the government over a discounted electricity deal, with its chief executive saying the conditions attached to the offer are simply not acceptable in their current form. The standoff puts thousands of jobs at risk and threatens to deepen a crisis that has already seen most of South Africa’s smelting industry go dark. Of the 66 smelters that once operated in the country, only 11 remain open — the rest having shut down under the weight of electricity costs that have risen tenfold since 2008, compounded by…

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, but the decision comes at one of the most complicated moments the central bank has faced in years — caught between rising inflation driven by the Iran war and growing signs of weakness in the job market. Fed officials began the second day of their two-day policy meeting against a backdrop that shifted even as they were sitting down. Benchmark oil prices jumped from $104 to $108 a barrel following reports of an Israeli strike on an Iranian gas processing facility, adding fresh pressure to an economy already…

Chad’s president has put his military on high alert and warned of retaliation after a drone strike killed at least 17 people attending a funeral in a border town an attack he described as a direct assault on his country’s territorial integrity. President Idris Mahamat Déby, appearing in military uniform, convened an emergency security meeting on Wednesday evening following the strike on Tiné, a town on the Chadian side of the border with Sudan. He ordered the armed forces to be ready to pursue Chad’s rights inside Sudanese territory if necessary, and announced a total closure of the border —…