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Supreme Court rejects Trump’s request to keep billions in foreign aid frozen

Faridatu Seidu — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 09:39:04 +0000

A divided Supreme Court on Wednesday, March 5 rejected the Trump administration’s request to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid approved by Congress frozen.

However, the court did not immediately say when the money must be released, allowing the White House to continue to dispute the issue in lower courts.

The order was unsigned but four conservative justices dissented – Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. That put five justices in the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The majority noted that given a court-ordered deadline to spend the money last week had already passed, the lower courts should “clarify what obligations the government must fulfil to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order.”

In a strongly worded dissent, Alito wrote that he was “stunned” by the court’s decision to permit the lower-court judge to order the administration to unfreeze the foreign aid at issue in the case.

Alito added: “A federal court has many tools to address a party’s supposed nonfeasance. Self-aggrandizement of its jurisdiction is not one of them.”

While the ruling was 5-4, it was “extremely modest,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown University Law Centre.

“The unsigned order does not require the Trump administration to immediately make up to $2 billion in foreign aid payments; it merely clears the way for the district court to compel those payments, presumably if it is more specific about the contracts that have to be honoured,” Vladeck said. “The fact that four justices nevertheless dissented – vigorously – from such a decision is a sign that the Court is going to be divided, perhaps along these exact lines, in many of the more impactful Trump-related cases that are already on their way.”

The appeal raced to the high court within days – exceedingly fast by the federal judiciary’s standards. It is the second case to reach the justices dealing with Trump’s moves to consolidate power within the executive branch and dramatically reshape the government after taking power in January.

At the centre of the case are billions in foreign aid from the State Department and the US Agency for International Development that Trump froze in January as he sought to clamp downon spending and bring those agencies in line with his agenda. Several nonprofit groups that rely on the funding for global health and other programs sued, asserting that the administration’s moves usurped the power of Congress to control government spending and violated a federal law that dictates how agencies make decisions.

In a brief on Friday, the groups described the administration’s actions as having a “devastating” impact.

They told the court that the funding “advances US interests abroad and improves – and, in many cases, literally saves – the lives of millions of people across the globe.”

“In doing so, it helps stop problems like disease and instability overseas before they reach our shores,” the groups said.

US District Judge Amir Ali on February 13 ordered that much of the money continue to flow temporarily while he reviewed the case. Days later, the plaintiffs argued that the administration was defying that order and continuing to block the spending and Ali then ordered the Trump administration to spend the money at issue by midnight Wednesday.

Ali was named to the bench by President Joe Biden.

The Trump administration rushed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court hours before that deadline, urging the court to at least pause it for a few days. The administration is making “substantial efforts” to review payment requests and spend the money, the government argued, but it couldn’t turn the spigot on fast enough to meet Ali’s timeline.

The groups that sued have baulked at that explanation, arguing that a small number of political appointees within the administration “are refusing to authorize essentially any payments.”

“The government has not taken ‘any meaningful steps’ to come into compliance,” the groups said in a Supreme Court filing earlier Friday.

Roberts, acting alone, gave the administration a brief reprieve on Wednesday, issuing what’s known as an “administrative stay” that pushed pause on the case so that both sides could submit written arguments. The chief justice handles emergency cases rising from the federal appeals court in Washington, DC.

Among the groups challenging the freeze are the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, a New York-based organization working to speed HIV prevention and the Global Health Council, based in Washington, DC, which represents other groups that administer health programs.

The Trump administration revealed in court filings in the case that it is attempting to terminate more than 90% of the USAID foreign aid awards.

“In total, nearly 5,800 USAID awards were terminated, and more than 500 USAID awards were retained,” a filing from the administration said.

“The total ceiling value of the retained awards is approximately $57 billion,” the filing said.

In addition to the USAID award terminations, “approximately 4,100 State awards were terminated, and approximately 2,700 State awards were retained,” the government told a lower court, referring to the State Department.

Aid programs around the world have ground to a halt due to the sweeping funding freeze and review of billions of dollars of assistance. It also comes as the Trump administration has either placed the majority of USAID’s workforce on leave or terminated them.

Democrats celebrate ruling
On Capitol Hill, Democrats said the ruling shows that Trump’s power to freeze spending is not unlimited.

“That money had already been appropriated, things were already in action, and so I think the Supreme Court ruled the right way, and now the administration needs to unfreeze them and allow those contractors and the work to be done,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal called it “a very important ruling” from “a Trump-dominated court.”

“I think it reinforces … that Congress has authorization to appropriate money, and that people rely on that authorization for those programs, and that when you do the work, you should get paid when it’s been authorized,” the Washington state Democrat told CNN.

Asked if she’s confident the payments will be turned on, Jayapal said she’s not confident about anything, “but I hope that the Trump administration will pay attention to the Supreme Court.”

Lesotho shocked by Trump’s remarks that ‘nobody has heard of the country’

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 20:36:44 +0000

Lesotho’s government says it is shocked by US President Donald Trump saying that “nobody has ever heard of” the southern African nation.

Trump, addressing the US Congress in his first speech since his return to the Oval Office, made the reference as he listed cuts made to what he said was wasteful expenditure.

“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said, eliciting laughter from some US lawmakers.

A spokesperson for Lesotho’s foreign affairs department told the BBC that Lesotho enjoyed “warm and cordial” relations with the US.

Lesotho is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the US’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), which gives favourable trade access to some countries to promote their economic growth.

According to the US government, the two countries traded goods worth $240m (£187m) in 2024, mostly exports from Lesotho to the US, in particular textiles and clothing.

Lesotho’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lejone Mpotjoane said it was “shocking” to hear a head of state “refer to another sovereign state in that manner”.

“To my surprise, ‘the country that nobody has heard of’ is the country where the US has a permanent mission,” Mpotjoane told the BBC.

“Lesotho is a member of the UN and of a number of other international bodies. And the US has an embassy here and [there are] a number of US organisations we’ve accommodated here in Maseru.”

Officials dismissed Trump’s remarks as “off the cuff” and a “political statement”, adding that they were “uncalled-for” given the good relations between the two nations.

“We maintain very warm and cordial relations with the US. They’ve got a mission in Maseru and we also have [one] in Washington,” foreign affairs spokesperson Kutloano Pheko told the BBC.

Mr Pheko was unable to confirm Trump’s comments on the funding that went to LGBTQ organisations, saying that as the money went directly to them, they would be best placed to comment.

Mpotjoane, on his part, confirmed that the country had been affected by Trump’s sudden decision to pause aid funding to countries around the world.

Many organisations, mostly non-governmental, were thrown into chaos after the Trump administration announced a permanent end to the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) funding as part of a wider cost-cutting drive to reduce US government spending.

Pepfar was launched in 2003 by then US President George W Bush and its finances are distributed via the US government’s main overseas aid agency USAID, whose funding has also been cut.

Lesotho is among those countries that benefited from Pepfar, its health ministry told South African publication GroundUp in February, with TB and HIV programmes among those receiving the critical funds.

But Mpotjoane declined to criticise this decision, saying it was the US’s “prerogative to cut aid if they want to”.

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Man arrested at airport with cocaine pellets in his stomach

Abigail Bonney — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 20:28:37 +0000

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested a 55-year-old Nigerian national for suspected drug trafficking shortly after he landed at OR Tambo International Airport from São Paulo, Brazil.

SAPS spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Van Wyk, said the man was arrested on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the busy airport after he was allegedly found to have swallowed cocaine with an estimated street value of R7.5 million.

A medical x-ray revealed that the suspect had ingested multiple objects suspected to be pellets containing cocaine.

“He is still releasing the pellets,” Van Wyk added.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court soon.

This arrest comes just weeks after police apprehended two South African drug mules at the same airport, seizing cocaine worth an estimated R7.5 million.

How royal divorce papers have shaken the Zulu kingdom

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:29:52 +0000

The love life of South Africa’s Zulu king has the country agog – and has scandalised his socially conservative subjects as he messes with tradition by seeking a divorce.

Polygamy is part of Zulu culture, but King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has taken the unusual step of going to court to divorce his first wife, Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela.

“Everyone was puzzled. People were not expecting the king to go so far as to file for divorce,” Prof Gugu Mazibuko, a cultural expert at South Africa’s University of Johannesburg, told the BBC.

“In Zulu culture, there is no divorce. You are not supposed to chase away your wife,” she said.

Regarded as the “lion of the nation”, the Zulu king is the custodian of age-old traditions that place marriage and polygamy at the heart of royal success.

His role within South Africa may only be ceremonial, but he remains hugely influential, with a yearly government-funded budget of several million dollars.

The monarch – who grew up in neighbouring Eswatini, studied in the US and came to the throne in 2021 – seems to court controversy.

His coronation was challenged in court by his elder half-brother, who has been trying to snatch the crown from him.

His second marriage appears to be shaky, his attempt to take a third wife hit the buffers and there are also reports of another dalliance with a young princess.

However, the 50-year-old’s troubled personal life used to be discussed in hushed tones – that is until he filed divorce papers in December.

Prof Mazibuko acknowledged that historical records appeared to suggest that a Zulu monarch in the 20th Century had divorced one of his queens, but it had been a “top royal secret”, given royal divorce is not the norm.

“If a marriage does not work out, the wife will still live in the king’s homestead. She will be given her own space. She will not have a relationship with the king, but she and her children will be well-cared for.”

The king may have “postponed” his wedding to his third bride Nomzamo Myeni, but the couple appeared together last week at a state function

It was just before his accession to the throne – following the sudden death of his father and mother four years ago – that the then-Prince Misuzulu married Ntokozo Mayisela.

The two were already a couple and had two children together, but according to another cultural expert, Prof Musa Xulu of the University of Zululand, the decision to marry appeared to be hurried.

“It seems as though he felt he could not be a king without a wife,” he told the BBC.

Queen kaMayisela came from an “ordinary family” – as many of the wives of Zulu kings do – in a small mining town in KwaZulu-Natal province.

It was as a cabaret singer performing at a restaurant in the coastal city of Durban that she caught the royal eye, the academic said.

Her senior status in the family was made clear at the king’s state coronation in December 2022 when she sat by his side.

But her position is now under threat, with the monarch saying in court papers that they have not lived as husband and wife for at least year and their marriage has irretrievably broken down.

The palace followed this by sending out invitations for the king’s wedding to a new bride, Nomzamo Myeni, set to take place in late January. The bride-price, known as lobola, had already been paid in cattle – a prized asset in Zulu culture.

Queen kaMayisela did not take any of this lying down, instituting separate court action to halt the wedding, which was postponed as a result.

Her argument was that the king – known to his subjects as “Ingonyama”, meaning Lion – would be committing the offence of “bigamy” without first “converting” his civil marriage to her into a traditional Zulu marriage.

But the judge threw out her case, saying she had had a “turnaround” in attitude as she had already agreed her husband could take other wives.

He noted the monarch had already done so – marrying Nozizwe kaMulela, the MD of Eswatini Bank, in 2022.

Nozizwe kaMulela, a high-powered banker from Eswatini, is deemed a good political match by some

Prof Mazibuko explained that polygamy was not initially part of Zulu culture, in fact the first two kings were bachelors.

But it was embraced by their successors – King Misuzulu is the ninth monarch of the Zulu nation – and has become part of Zulu culture.

“That’s how we build families, especially the royal family,” Prof Mazibuko said.

Queen kaMulela comes from an influential family in Eswatini and the marriage was apparently arranged to strengthen the ties between the royal families.

Yet it is unclear whether the pair are still in a relationship, as the high-powered banker has not been spotted at Zulu cultural events for a while – with speculation their final marriage rituals have not been completed.

The current king’s various marriage problems seem to stem from the fact that tradition has not been properly followed.

In the case of the first wife, he opted for a modern-day marriage, without a traditional wedding.

“For a marriage to be perfected under Zulu custom, there has to be a public gathering, with song and dance,” Prof Xulu said.

“You, as the bride, must lead with a solo song and the bride-maids dance with you, and you carry a spear which you give to the king – and then there is no going back.”

Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela, who did not have a customary Zulu wedding, is now facing divorce in court

This has left Queen kaMayisela without the protection of tradition – and only the offer of monthly maintenance of $1,100 (£850) for a year, though she was likely to demand more before returning to the life of a commoner, Prof Xulu said.

In the case of the second wife, the academic said lobola had been paid in January 2022, but royal insiders suggest the king felt “those who went to pay didn’t have the authority to do so” – plus this union has not been marked with a public ceremony.

The fortunes of the would-be third wife, Nomzamo Myeni, remain unclear as the king failed to marry her in January despite the court giving the go-ahead.

Prof Xulu said that in Zulu culture a “postponed” marriage usually never takes place.

Though Ms Myeni is still being seen with the king, accompanying him to a state event last week where she was referred to as a queen, suggesting their wedding may take place once the king’s divorce goes through.

Yet as a commoner she would bring no powerful connections with her, which may be why one of the monarch’s aides recently confirmed to local media there was “a new queen-to-be” – Sihle Mdluli, who hails from the royal family of a small ethnic group in South Africa.

Unlike the king’s other love interests, Sihle Mdluli is of royal blood

The aide suggested she might be named “the mother of the nation” – a title that would make her the most senior queen with her children likely heirs.

But Prof Xulu said he would not be surprised if that wedding also failed to take place, as the king’s relationships all seemed to run into trouble.

“I am not sure whether he was ready to be king, and whether he has good advisers,” the academic said.

He pointed out that the monarch had also been behaving erratically in his public life, sacking several senior officials in his retinue.

On top of this, he has installed himself as the chairman of the board of a financially lucrative land trust, of which he is the sole trustee.

The trust was controversially established shortly before South Africa became a democracy in 1994, giving it control of about 2.8 million hectares (seven million acres) of land in KwaZulu-Natal.

King Misuzulu has also suspended all members of the board, bar one, accusing them of being uncooperative.

He did this against the advice of the government, which pointed out that as chairman he would be required to account to parliament about the trust’s operations – something that would not be in keeping with his status as a constitutional monarch.

The dispute remains unresolved, giving the government a major political headache as it tries to avoid going head-to-head with the king.

King Misuzulu has been facing a challenge to his crown from his elder half-brother

Prof Xulu said he would not be surprised if at some point a powerful rival faction within the royal family launched a fresh bid to dethrone him by asking the courts to rule that he is not “fit and proper” to be king.

The monarch’s half-brother, Prince Simakade Zulu, who is the late king’s eldest son, has long coveted the crown, but his backers were outmanoeuvred by Misuzulu’s allies in succession discussions.

President Ramaphosa later gave Misuzulu a “certificate of recognition”, paving the way for him to be funded by the government.

But Prince Simakade’s supporters did not give up – going to the High Court to declare his state coronation “unlawful” – and won.

The court ruled that President Ramaphosa had failed to comply with the law, which required him to order an investigation into objections to Misuzulu’s accession.

The status quo remains, pending the outcome of an appeal.

The scandals have the potential to weaken the king’s position should it come to another tussle for the crown.

Though Prof Mazibuko noted there had always been fierce competition for the Zulu crown – except these days it takes place in court instead of a bloody battlefield.

“He is not the first king to go through a lot,” she said. “I hope he survives, and everything settles down.”

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Trump vows to deport students over ‘illegal protests’

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 07:16:00 +0000

US President Donald Trump said he would cut funding for universities that allow what he called “illegal” protests and prosecute and deport foreign students who participate.

On his Truth Social social media platform, Trump said that “all federal funding will STOP” for schools that permit students to protest illegally.

Trump’s announcement comes less than a year after massive student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza swept across US college campuses, including Columbia University in New York and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

American students will be expelled, Trump said.

Trump did not specify what would constitute an “illegal” protest. Broadly speaking, the right to protest is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, also known as Fire, swiftly condemned Trump’s announcement.

“Colleges can and should respond to unlawful conduct, but the president does not have unilateral authority to revoke federal funds, even for colleges that allow ‘illegal’ protests,” the statement said.

The group added that the move will “cast an impermissible chill on student protests about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.

In a separate announcement, the US Department of Education, General Services Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services said they would conduct a “comprehensive review” of Columbia’s federal contracts amid an ongoing investigation into compliance with Title VI, a federal law that bans discrimination based on ethnicity or ancestry.

In a statement, the education department said that it is considering stop work orders for $51.4m (£40.19m) in contracts with the New York City-based university, and will review more than $5bn in grant commitments to the school.

“Americans have watched in horror for more than a year now, as Jewish students have been assaulted and harassed on elite university campuses – repeatedly overrun by antisemitic students and agitators,” Trump’s new Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, said in a statement.

McMahon added that “unlawful encampments and demonstrations have completely paralysed day-to-day campus operations, depriving Jewish students of learning opportunities to which they are entitled”.

In January, Trump signed an executive order that called for the removal of foreign students who participated in protests.

The order also directed government departments to make recommendations that could allow educational institutions to “monitor for and report activities by alien students and staff” and, if warranted, remove them.

A White House fact sheet on the order specified that it seeks to “protect law and order, quell pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation, and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities”.

In April 2024, student protests against the war in Gaza drew national attention after students at Columbia were arrested at a student encampment set up on campus.

Thousands of arrests were ultimately made at dozens of universities across the country.

At Columbia, the university authorised New York Police Department officers to swarm the campus, a controversial decision that led to the arrests of about 100 students who were occupying a university building.

Four months after protests rocked the campus, Columbia president Minouche Shafik resigned.

Earlier this week, a federal task force announced it would visit 10 prominent US universities that have been the scene of anti-semitic incidents.

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Jay-Z sues woman who dropped rape claim against him

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 06:57:30 +0000

Jay-Z is suing a woman who in February withdrew her legal action accusing the rapper of rape.

His defamation action claims she “voluntarily admitted” being pressured into making false claims in what it describes as an “evil conspiracy” to extort money and damage his reputation.

The anonymous woman filed her legal action in October and refiled it in December, accusing Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her aged 13, after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

Both rappers denied the allegations.

Jay-Z’s defamation action, filed at a federal court in Alabama, also accuses the woman’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, and his co-counsel, David Fortney, of orchestrating her lawsuit.

Mr Buzbee has garnered headlines internationally over the dozens of legal actions he has filed on behalf of people accusing Mr Combs of sexual misconduct, extortion, assault and other transgressions.

Mr Combs has denied all the allegations.

He is also facing federal sex-trafficking and racketeering charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Jay-Z’s defamation action says the woman told his legal team her lawyers had made her make the false allegations.

“Buzbee brought Jay-Z into it,” it says she said.

And despite her admitting Jay-Z “did not sexually assault [her],” Mr Buzbee “pushed [her] towards going forward” with the false story to strengthen the case and extort more money, the defamation suit claims.

Jay-Z’s action also notes alleged discrepancies in the woman’s interview with NBC News last year, including naming another celebrity guest at the MTV party, who had, in reality, been performing in a city thousands of miles away on the night.

Her father also contradicted her claim he had picked her up after the alleged assault, it claims.

Jay-Z’s defamation action says Mr Buzbee’s firm failed to vet the claims and the woman, who they say has a history of mental health issues and an assault charge.

‘Emotional toll’

Mr Buzbee has denied any wrongdoing and claims Jay-Z’s team tried to intimidate the woman into retracting her statements.

In a statement obtained by BBC News, Mr Buzbee said Jay-Z’s defamation action had “no legal merit”.

“Shawn Carter’s investigators have repeatedly harassed, threatened and harangued this poor woman for weeks, trying to intimidate her and make her recant her story,” Mr Buzbee said.

“She won’t – instead, she has stated repeatedly she stands by her claims.”

Jay- Z, who is married to Beyoncé, says the accusations have led to personal and professional harm, including the loss of business contracts worth about $20m (£15.8m) a year for his company, Roc Nation, and taken an emotional toll on his family, particularly his children.

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Nigerian Socialite pleads guilty to $3 million fraud after arrest on wedding day

Abigail Bonney — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 14:20:10 +0000

Nigerian Socialite Darlington Akporugo Faces 25 Years for Leading Multimillion-Dollar Romance Scam

Nigerian socialite Darlington Akporugo is facing up to 25 years in prison after confessing to leading a multimillion-dollar romance scam that targeted dozens of victims, mainly elderly individuals, across Houston and other parts of the United States.

The 47-year-old was set to marry his fiancée, Jasmin Sood, in early 2024 when U.S. law enforcement arrested him just hours before the ceremony.

His arrest followed an extensive investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into a Houston-based syndicate involved in romance fraud.

Akporugo, who is in the U.S. illegally, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and aiding and abetting wire fraud in the U.S.

District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He admitted to defrauding over 25 victims, many of whom were retirees or widows, out of millions of dollars.

“This individual and his co-conspirators preyed on the vulnerability of the elderly and recently widowed, robbing them of their hard-earned life savings,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge at ICE Homeland Security Investigations. He praised the cooperation between domestic and international law enforcement in dismantling the fraud ring.

As part of his plea, Akporugo confessed that he and his accomplices created fake identities on social media platforms, primarily Facebook, to manipulate individuals into fraudulent investments or fabricated personal emergencies. Victims were then tricked into transferring money to accounts controlled by Akporugo and his associates, with the funds later funneled to overseas accounts.

Akporugo remains in custody ahead of his sentencing, scheduled for June 6. After completing his prison term, he is likely to be deported from the United States.

Two dead after car drives into crowd in Germany

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 10:56:22 +0000

Two people – an 83-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man – have been killed after a vehicle drove into a pedestrian area in the city of Mannheim, western Germany.

Five people were seriously injured and another five suffered minor injuries in the incident, investigators said.

Authorities arrested a lone suspect, a 40-year-old German man, who is not believed to be linked to extremism but shows “concrete indications of mental illness”.

The suspect, who prosecutors said was a landscape gardener, remains in hospital in a stable condition after shooting himself with a gun loaded with blanks.

The incident occurred at around 12:15 local time (11:15 GMT), Mannheim police said.

CCTV footage showed a black hatchback car speeding along Planken shopping street in Mannheim, heading west.

Images from the scene showed police inspecting the car, a small black Ford, which had sustained heavy damage to its front.

The images show the car missing a hub cap on its front left wheel. In the CCTV footage, the front left hub cap also appears to be missing.

Thomas Strobl, interior minister of Baden-Württemberg, said the man used the vehicle “as a weapon”.

“This act is one of several crimes in the recent past in which a car was misused as a weapon,” Mr Strobl said, but added that there is no evidence to suggest the incident is connected to the Easter carnival taking place in the city.

Police are investigating two counts of murder and several of attempted murder, Mannheim chief public prosecutor Romeo Schluessler told reporters.

Mannheim’s mayor described the incident as “abhorrent and “inhumane”.

“Our thoughts are with the dead and injured, their families and friends,” Mayor Christian Specht said.

Olaf Scholz, Germany’s outgoing chancellor, thanked the emergency services and wished “strength” for eyewitnesses in Mannheim to “process what they have experienced”.

“We mourn with the relatives of the victims of a senseless act of violence and fear for those injured,” he said in a social media post.

The incident comes at a time of heightened security as outdoor carnivals linked to Easter celebrations are held across Germany.

There was a parade through the Mannheim city centre on Sunday, with major events scheduled for Tuesday.

A market has now been closed and a street carnival in the city centre will not take place. Carnival events in the nearby suburbs of Feudenheim, Neckarau and Sandhofen have also been cancelled.

Germany has endured several violent attacks over the last year, which have left several people dead and hundreds injured.

Nine months ago, also in Mannheim and only a few blocks away from where Monday’s attack is believed to have taken place, an Afghan man stabbed several people, killing a policeman.

Then, in August, another knife attack left eight people injured and three dead in Solingen. The Syrian man who was charged with the crime was suspected of links with the Islamic State terrorist group.

In December, a man rammed a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, leaving six dead and 299 injured. A 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist was arrested.

In January, a 28-year-old Afghan asylum seeker attacked a group of small children in a park in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg, killing a two-year-old child and a passer-by who tried to help the boy.

And in February, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a crowd, injuring more than two dozen people. A mother and child later died from their injuries.

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One-year-olds among those raped during Sudan civil war – UN

Faridatu Seidu — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:00:40 +0000

Armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children as young as one during Sudan’s civil war, says the UN children’s agency, Unicef.

Mass sexual violence has been widely documented as a weapon of war in the country’s nearly two-year conflict.

But Unicef’s report is the first detailed account about the impact of rape on young children in Sudan.

A third of the victims were boys, who typically face “unique challenges” in reporting such crimes and seeking the help they need.

Unicef says that, although 221 rape cases against children have been officially reported since the start of 2024, the true number is likely to be much higher.

Sudan is a socially conservative country where huge societal stigma stops survivors and their families from speaking out about rape, as does the fear of retribution from armed groups.

The Unicef report provides an appalling window into the abuse of children in the country’s civil war.

Perhaps its most shocking revelation is that 16 of the victims were under the age of five years, including four infants.

Unicef does not say who is responsible, but other UN investigations have blamed the majority of rapes on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), saying RSF fighters had a pattern of using sexual violence to terrorise civilians and suppress opposition to their advances.

The RSF, which is fighting this war against its former allies, the Sudanese Armed Forces, has denied any wrongdoing.

“The sheer scale of sexual violence we have documented in Sudan is staggering,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the UN’s fact-finding mission when its previous report was published in October.

According to evidence presented by international human rights groups, victims in the RSF’s stronghold of Darfur were often targeted because they were black African rather than Arab, apparently with the aim of driving them out of Sudan.

The UN humanitarian response for Sudan is already underfunded. Recent cuts in US aid are expected to reduce programmes to help the victims even further.

Harrowing details in Unicef’s report underscore the dire situation.

“After nine at night, someone opens the door, carrying a whip, selects one of the girls, and takes her to another room. I could hear the little girl crying and screaming. They were raping her,” recalls Omnia (not her real name), an adult female survivor who was held by armed men in a room with other women and girls.

“Every time they raped her, this girl would come back covered in blood. She is still just a young child. They only release these girls at dawn, and they return almost unconscious. Each of them cries and speaks incoherently. During the 19 days I spent there, I reached a point where I wanted to end my life.”

As a fractured nation at war, Sudan is one of the most challenging places on earth to access services and frontline workers.

The vast number of people displaced by the war has made women and children more vulnerable to attack – three out of four school-age girls are out of school, the UN says.

Trump government cuts end vital help

The devastating outcome of these crimes is aggravated by the fact that victims have few places to turn to for medical help, because many medical facilities have been destroyed, looted or occupied by the warring parties.

Recent US aid cuts may be endangering even the limited services available to protect children.

Unicef has been providing safe spaces for children through a network of local activists who have set up what are known as Emergency Response Rooms to deal with the crises in their communities.

The activists relied quite heavily on US aid, and most have been forced to shut down, according to a Sudanese coordinating committee that monitors them.

More broadly, the UN organization dedicated to protecting women’s rights says local organisations led by women are vital in delivering support to survivors of sexual violence. But they receive less than 2% of the total funding of the UN’s Sudan Humanitarian Fund.

The BBC learned that at least one of these local groups, known as “She Leads”, was forced to close when US funding was stopped.

It was not a big expense, measured in the tens of thousands of dollars, but enabled case workers to reach around 35 survivors a month, said Sulaima Elkhalifa, a Sudanese human rights defender who runs a government unit on combatting violence against woman and helped organize the private initiative.

Those who have been raped by armed men “don’t have the luxury of being depressed,” she told the BBC.

The demands of war – finding food, needing to flee – leave no space to deal with trauma, she added.

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Two female armed robbers, 3 accomplices arrested after botched operation

Abigail Bonney — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:36:13 +0000

Officers from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), along with members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and private security, have arrested five suspects involved in a robbery in Orange Grove.

The suspects, two females and three males, were apprehended on Sunday morning, March 2, 2025.

At approximately 6:45 a.m., while refueling at a BP filling station on Louis Botha Avenue, officers were approached by a visibly distressed man who reported that he had been robbed by five individuals in a red Volkswagen Jetta at the intersection of 7th Street and Louis Botha Avenue.

The suspects had stolen his money and cellphones and even transferred funds from his bank account to their own devices.

In response, the officers took the victim with them to identify the suspects and their vehicle.

After calling for additional support, they located the suspect vehicle parked near Pick ‘n Pay in Bramley View.

Through coordination with private security, JMPD CCTV, Tactical Response Units (TRU), and SAPS, the team entered the mall and successfully apprehended all five suspects.

During the arrest, all stolen items belonging to the victim were recovered from the suspects.

They have been charged with robbery and possession of stolen property and are currently being held at Norwood SAPS, awaiting a court appearance.

Media Statement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

02 March 2025

JMPD OFFICERS APPREHEND ROBBERY SUSPECTS AND RECOVER ROBBED PROPERTY IN BRAMLEY VIEW

Five suspects, including three males and two females involved in a robbery that occurred in Orange Groove, were successfully apprehended by… pic.twitter.com/om4FVOYd70

— Jo'burg Metro Police Department – JMPD (@JoburgMPD) March 2, 2025

Ghanaian immigration lawyer in Bronx jailed

Gertrude Okyere — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:10:02 +0000

A Ghanaian-Bronx-based immigration lawyer, Kofi Amankwaa, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving fraudulent filings under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the sentencing on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

This follows his guilty plea in September 2024 before the U.S. District Court, presided over by Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

According to court documents, Amankwaa and his associates filed thousands of fraudulent immigration applications, falsely alleging that his clients were victims of abuse by their U.S. citizen children or family members.

The lawyer is said to have done this without the consent of his clients, charging them between $3,000 and $6,000, plus administrative fees.

In November 2023, following numerous complaints from clients regarding the fraudulent abuse allegations, Amankwaa’s license was suspended, and he was subsequently disbarred in August 2024.

In addition to the prison term, the 70-year-old was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $13,389,000.

As part of his plea agreement, he has also agreed to pay $16,503,425 in restitution to his victims.

“If you believe you or your family member is a victim of VAWA fraud who may be entitled to restitution from Amankwaa, please contact USANYS.VAWAFraud@usdoj.gov,” the court directed.

Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky commended the outstanding investigative work of the Newark Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations.

Mr. Podolsky also thanked the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security for their support in the investigation.

This case was handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Z. Margulies led the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Roberts.

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Uganda reports second Ebola death, a 4-year-old, WHO says

Gertrude Okyere — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 08:06:10 +0000

A second Ebola patient, a four-year-old child, has died in Uganda, the World Health Organization said, citing the country’s health ministry.

The fatality brings the number of confirmed cases in Uganda to 10.

The East African country declared an outbreak of the highly infectious and often fatal haemorrhagic disease in January after the death of a male nurse at the Mulago National Referral Hospital in the capital Kampala.

The WHO’s Uganda office posted late on Saturday on X that the ministry had reported “an additional positive case in Mulago hospital of a four-and-a-half-year-old child, who tragically passed away” on Tuesday.

Mulago is the country’s sole national referral hospital for Ebola cases.

The ministry said on February 18 that all eight Ebola patients under care had been discharged but that at least 265 contacts remained under strict quarantine in Kampala and two other cities.

Ebola symptoms include fever, headache and muscle pains. The virus is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and tissue.

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Israel blocks entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza

Faridatu Seidu — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 12:16:37 +0000

The Israeli government says it has blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza because the first phase of the ceasefire with Hamas has expired.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas had so far refused to accept a temporary ceasefire extension under a proposal by US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff.

A Hamas spokesman called the move “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” on the ceasefire agreement and urged mediators to get Israel to resume the supply of aid.

The Palestinian group wants phase two of the deal to go ahead as originally negotiated, with the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

On Friday night, Hamas said it would not agree to any extension of phase one without guarantees from US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators that phase two would eventually take place.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said: “With the end of Phase 1 of the hostage deal, and in light of Hamas’s refusal to accept the Witkoff outline for continuing talks – to which Israel agreed – Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that, as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will cease.

“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences.”

The Hamas spokesman said: “Netanyahu’s decision to stop aid going into Gaza once again shows the ugly face of the Israeli occupation… The international community must apply pressure on the Israeli government to stop starving our people.”

Late last night, Netanyahu’s office said Israel had agreed to a US proposal for the ceasefire to continue for about six weeks during the Muslim Ramadan and Jewish Passover periods.

If, at the end of this period, negotiations reached a dead end, Israel would reserve the right to go back to war.

US envoy Witkoff has not made his proposal public. According to Israel, it would begin with the release of half of all the remaining living and dead hostages.

Netanyahu’s office said Israel would immediately start negotiations if Hamas changed its position on the six-week ceasefire extension.

The first phase of the ceasefire that came into force on 19 January expired on Saturday.

It halted 15 months of fighting between Hamas and the Israeli military, allowing the release of 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

But negotiations on phase two, including the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, have barely begun.

There are believed to be 24 hostages alive, with another 39 presumed to be dead.

Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage.

Israel responded with an air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip, during which at least 48,365 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

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DR Congo conflict: 500 mpox patients flee clinics after rebel looting

Gertrude Okyere — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 13:47:17 +0000

More than 500 mpox patients have fled clinics in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the last month amid the current conflict.

Officials at Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a leading health agency on the continent, have said they are worried as the missing patients risk spreading the highly contagious disease that is suspected to have killed at 900 people in DR Congo last year.

The patients fled from facilities in Goma and Bukavu – two cities that descended into chaos as they were seized by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels over the past weeks.

“We were looted. We lost equipment. It was a disaster,” Dr Samuel Muhindo, in charge of a clinic in Goma, told the BBC.

Mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – can cause symptoms such as lesions, headaches and fever.

According to Africa CDC, since the start of this year almost 2,890 mpox cases and 180 deaths have been reported in the country, which has been at the epicentre of several recent outbreaks.

Dr Muhindo described how 128 patients had fled Goma’s Mugunga health centre in the wake of the fighting at the end of January.

His health workers had not been able to trace them as paperwork at the clinic was destroyed, he said.

At Bisengimana, a hospital in Goma that also treats mpox, looters took medicines and personal protective equipment.

Fires were lit outside the centre and when the perpetrators departed, patients’ medical records were left strewn on the floor.

The situation has been further complicated by the M23’s decision to close a network of camps in Goma where tens of thousands of people who had sought refuge from fighting in recent years.

They were given 72 hours to leave last week, although the M23 later said it was encouraging “voluntary returns”.

“Now we are afraid of an outbreak of the epidemic in the areas where the displaced people returned to,” Dr Muhindo said.

His fears have been echoed by the Africa CDC.

“Once again, we are calling really for the ceasefire and also the agency to establish a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the continuation of mpox interventions,” Dr Ngashi Ngongo, Africa CDC’s mpox incident manager, said on Thursday.

Over the last week, the Africa CDC says the number of missing mpox patients has risen by 100 as fighting escalates and the rebels take more territory.

Dr Ngongo added that a new variant of mpox with “high potential for higher transmissibility” had also been detected in DR Congo.

The country’s ability to respond to the disease has been hampered by the conflict, between the M23 and DR Congo’s army, as well as a lack of funding.

The mpox facility at Mugunga, funded by the UN children’s agency (Unicef) and UK Aid Direct, managed to reopen last week.

But it is already so overstretched that there are times when four or five patients have to share one bed.

“I first fled from Minova to Goma when the M23 rebels began to advance from there,” Sadiki Bichichi Aristide, a 23-year-old being treated at Mugunga along with two of his children, told the BBC.

“I began to fall sick in a [camp for displaced people]. It started with my fingers, and then I had lesions, which began to rupture on my hands. My neighbours told me to go to Mugunga with my children. I left my wife behind.”

He said he had seen “so many” people with mpox before he arrived at the clinic last week.

Dr Oummani Rouafi, Unicef’s Goma health specialist, told the BBC that the only reason Mugunga hospital had reopened was because staff had managed to hide some equipment and medicine from the looters.

But this had not been the case at many other treatment centres that had been completely ransacked, he said.

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CCTV captures thieves stealing golden toilet worth $6million

Abigail Bonney — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:55:13 +0000

One of the men on trial over the theft of a £4.75 million gold toilet from Blenheim Palace had scoured the internet for details about the raid, a jury has been told.

Within days of the burglary, Michael Jones had used his phone to search for local newspaper stories with headlines including “66-year-old man released on bail after toilet stolen from Blenheim” and “police hunt for two stocky men after spate of burglaries,” Oxford Crown Court heard.

The 18-carat gold work by Maurizio Cattelan had been installed as an artwork at the Oxfordshire country, house where Sir Winston Churchill was born, and was stolen just two days after the exhibition had opened to the public.

Headlines that read “Maurizio Cattelan speaks out after Blenheim’s £4.8m gold toilet stolen” and “Blenheim Palace reopens after gold toilet stolen in burglary” were also among the stories that were searched on Jones’s telephone on September 16 2019.

Screen grab taken from CCTV showing three men loading a large object into the boot of a vehicle at Blenheim Palace on the night of the theftCredit: Thames Valley Police/PA

Interest was also sparked from headlines that read “Mystery of the golden toilet in Highworth,” plus “Blenheim Palace gold toilet thieves could have struck days earlier” on September 20 2019.

Jones, 39, from Oxford, has pleaded not guilty to burglary.

The toilet artwork, entitled America, weighed approximately 98 kilos and was taken in a five-minute “audacious raid” in the early hours of September 14 2019.

It was insured for 6.0 million US dollars (£4.75 million) and was made from gold which was itself worth about £2.8 million.

It is believed to have been broken up after it was stolen.

The thieves drove through locked, wooden gates into the grounds of the palace before breaking in through a window.

Within days of the raid, two men were using “car” as a codeword for the stolen gold and contact was made with a Hatton Garden jeweller, it is alleged.

Michael Jones outside Oxford Magistrates’ Court in November 2023Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA

Five days before the exhibition opened at the Oxfordshire palace, Jones visited with his partner, Carly Jones, on what prosecutors have described as the first of two reconnaissance visits.

Frederick Sines, 36, also known as Frederick Doe, of Winkfield, Windsor, Berkshire, and Bora Guccuk, 41, from west London, each deny one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

It is alleged Doe and Guccuk agreed to help one of the men who carried out the burglary, a defendant called James Sheen, to sell some of the gold in the following weeks.

Sheen, 40, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, has previously pleaded guilty to burglary.

On Thursday, the jury were also told he has pleaded guilty to an offence of transferring or converting gold in Birmingham on September 27 2019.

They also heard that metal fragments which were “indistinguishable from the gold from which the gold toilet America had been made,” were found on his belongings.

The belongings included a grey tracksuit and a pair of black gloves that were found on the dashboard of a Ford transit van which he used for his work as a builder.

Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC said that hundreds of gold-coloured metal fragments were found on the surfaces of the grey tracksuit trousers and from the pockets.

He said: “Four of these were examined in detail, with the results indicating the presence of 18-carat gold which was indistinguishable from the gold from which the gold toilet America had been made.

“Gold fragments were also found on the gloves found in the Ford transit van, a sample of which were also found to be indistinguishable from the gold from which the golden toilet America had been made.”

The jury also heard that “DNA likely to have been left” by Sheen was found on the sledge hammer left in the toilet cubicle at Blenheim Palace and on the driver’s window controls on a stolen Isuzu that was found abandoned after the burglary.

Tests also showed Sheen’s DNA was also likely to have been on a pair of black gloves found on October 16 2019 on the dashboard of a Ford transit van he used for his work as a builder.

There is no forensic evidence which links Jones to any of these items, the court heard.

The trial continues.

CCTV footage showing the moment thieves stole a golden toilet worth £4.8m ($6 million) has been shown in court. The artwork, called America, was taken from Blenheim Palace, a country house in England, during the early hours of 14 September 2019.

The history of the toilet… pic.twitter.com/BAPNLfTN7P

— BBC World Service (@bbcworldservice) February 27, 2025

Drought-hit Morocco asks citizens not to slaughter sheep on Eid al-Adha

Gertrude Okyere — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 07:08:58 +0000

King Mohammed VI of Morocco asked Moroccans on Wednesday to abstain from performing the rite of slaughtering sheep on Eid al-Adha this year due to a drop in the country’s herd following years of drought.

Eid al-Adha, to take place in June, commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God’s command. Muslims mark the event by slaughtering sheep or goats. The meat is shared among family and donated to the poor.

Morocco’s cattle and sheep herds have decreased by 38% in 2025 since the last census nine years ago due to consecutive droughts, according to official figures.

“Our commitment to enabling you to fulfill this religious rite under the best conditions is accompanied by the duty to consider the climatic and economic challenges facing our country, which have led to a significant decline in livestock numbers,” the King said in a letter read on his behalf by religious affairs minister Ahmed Taoufiq on state TV Al Oula.

Performing the rite “under these difficult circumstances will cause significant harm to large segments of our people, especially those with limited income,” said the King, Morocco’s supreme religious leader.

Rainfall was 53% lower this year than the average of the last 30 years, causing a lack of pasture for livestock to feed on. Meat production has dropped, leading to higher prices in the local market and higher imports of live cattle, sheep and red meat.

The country has recently signed a deal to import up to 100,000 sheep from Australia.

In its 2025 budget, Morocco suspended import duties and a value-added tax on cattle, sheep, camels and red meat to keep prices stable in the domestic market.

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BBC Komla Dumor Award 2025 launched

Gertrude Okyere — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:02:22 +0000

The BBC is seeking a rising star of African journalism for the BBC News Komla Dumor Award, which is now in its 10th year.

Journalists from across Africa are invited to apply for the award, which aims to uncover and promote fresh talent from the continent.

The winner will spend three months at the BBC headquarters in London, gaining skills and experience.

Applications close on 20 March 2025 at 23:59 GMT.

The award honours the legacy of Komla Dumor, a distinguished Ghanaian broadcaster and former BBC World News presenter, who died suddenly aged 41 a decade ago.

Dumor’s widow, Kwansema Dumor, said she was “proud” of her husband’s impact at the BBC, and also said her family were “thankful to the BBC for remembering him” through the prize.

The BBC is encouraging journalists from across Africa to apply for the prize, which seeks to promote and celebrate outstanding journalistic talent on the continent.

As well as receiving training, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to travel to a country in Africa to report on a story that they have researched, with the report broadcast to the BBC’s global audiences.

Known for championing robust, dynamic journalism, Dumor made a significant impact on Africa and the rest of the world.

The BBC is committed to continuing his legacy through the award by empowering journalists from Africa to tell original and nuanced African stories to international audiences.

Rukia Bulle from Kenya was last year’s winner.

During her placement, she travelled to a Senegalese village to report on the Baye Fall, an unorthodox Muslim minority who are often misunderstood by others in the wider faith.

Jonathan Munro, BBC News global director and deputy CEO, said: “We are proud to launch this year’s BBC News Komla Dumor award and the search for the next recipient.

“Marking its 10th anniversary is a testament to Komla Dumor’s powerful legacy of reporting on African stories with depth, insight and integrity.

“Past winners of the award reflect the exceptional talent across the continent so I look forward to welcoming this year’s winner and strongly encourage journalists to apply.”

Dumor was the presenter of Focus on Africa, the BBC’s first-ever dedicated daily TV news programme in English for African audiences. It was broadcast on BBC World News, which has now merged with the BBC News Channel to create a single 24-hour TV news service.

He was also one of the lead presenters for BBC World News’ European morning segment.

He joined the BBC in 2007 after a decade of broadcast journalism in his native Ghana where he won the Ghana Journalist of the Year award.

Between 2007 and 2009 he hosted Network Africa on BBC World Service, before joining The World Today programme.

In 2009 Dumor became the first host of the African business news programme on BBC World News, Africa Business Report. He travelled across Africa, meeting Africa’s top entrepreneurs and reporting on the latest business trends around the continent.

In 2013 Dumor featured in New African magazine’s list of the 100 most influential Africans.

Previous winners:

2024: Rukia Bulle from Kenya
2023: Paa Kwesi Asare from Ghana
2022: Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya from Zambia
2020: Victoria Rubadiri from Kenya
2019: Solomon Serwanjja from Uganda
2018: Waihiga Mwaura from Kenya
2017: Amina Yuguda from Nigeria
2016: Didi Akinyelure from Nigeria
2015: Nancy Kacungira from Uganda

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5 dead, 20 missing as boat conveying burial guests capsizes

Abigail Bonney — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:50:15 +0000

A tragic boat accident in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State has left at least five people dead, with 20 others still missing.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, February 24, when speedboats carrying passengers returning from a burial collided and capsized.

Eyewitnesses reported that many of the passengers were not wearing life jackets, which may have contributed to the high number of casualties.

Rescue efforts are ongoing, with local divers and marine units assisting in the search for the missing persons.

The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the accident, with spokesperson Edafe Bright stating that six survivors were rescued and are currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Warri.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the collision and enforce safety measures on water transport routes in the area.

Couple shares trauma after dead body was placed beside them on flight

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:04:19 +0000

An Australian couple have spoken of the “traumatic” moment the body of a dead passenger was placed next to them on a Qatar Airways flight.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, who were travelling to Venice for a dream holiday, told Australia’s Channel 9 that a woman had died in the aisle beside them during the flight from Melbourne to Doha.

The couple say the cabin crew placed her corpse, covered in blankets, next to Mr Ring for the remaining four hours of the flight without offering to move him, despite there being empty seats.

Qatar Airways said it apologised for “any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused”, adding that it was in the process of contacting passengers.

The couple said they had not been contacted or offered support by Qatar Airways or Qantas, the airline through which they booked the flight.

They said there should be a protocol to ensure passengers onboard were looked after in such situations.

‘Duty of care’

Mr Ring told Channel Nine’s Current Affair programme that staff had responded “in no time” when the woman collapsed, but that “unfortunately the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heart-breaking to watch”.

He said the cabin crew had tried to move her body towards business class “but she was quite a large lady and they couldn’t get her through the aisle”.

Mr Ring said the crew had seen seats were available beside him.

“They said, ‘Can you move over please?’ and I just said, ‘Yes no problem’.

“Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in.”

While Ms Colin was able to move to an empty seat nearby, Mr Ring said he had not been given the option to do so by cabin crew – even though there were vacant seats.

When the plane landed four hours later, he said passengers were asked to stay put while medical staff and police came on board.

He said ambulance officers had then started pulling blankets off the woman and he had seen her face.

The couple said there needed to be a “duty of care” for customers and staff.

“We should be contacted to make sure, do you need some support, do you need some counselling?”

Ms Colin called the experience “traumatic” and said: “We totally understand that we can’t hold the airline responsible for the poor lady’s death, but there has to be a protocol to look after the customers on board.”

In a statement, Qatar Airways said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight.

“We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused, and are in the process of contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures.”

A Qantas spokesperson said: “The process for handling incidents onboard an aircraft like this is managed by the operating airline, which in this case is Qatar Airways.”

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British MP jailed for punching constituent

Abigail Bonney — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:43:39 +0000

Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury has been jailed for 10 weeks after he admitted punching a man to the ground in his Cheshire constituency.

Amesbury, 55, who represents Runcorn and Helsby as an independent MP, pleaded guilty to assaulting 45-year-old Paul Fellows after video footage emerged showing the confrontation.

He had his Labour whip removed after the incident in Frodsham, Cheshire, which happened in the early hours of 26 October.

Sitting at Chester Magistrates’ Court, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram said a pre-sentence report showed Amesbury’s actions were the result of a “anger and loss of emotional control”.

Amesbury was taken down to the cells immediately and an application for bail pending an appeal was refused.

Addressing the MP before handing down the jail term, the magistrate said: “I have to say that I have seen a single punch to the head cause fatal injuries, but note the limited injuries in this case.

“I note that you, Mr Amesbury, continued to punch Mr Fellows when he was on the ground and continued to shout at Mr Fellows. I consider this more culpable.

“You continued to attack when he was on the ground and it may have continued further had a bystander not intervened,” the magistrate said.

“You continued to rant, your position ought to be as a role model to others.”

Passing sentence, the magistrate said the immediate custodial sentence was “necessary both as a punishment and a deterrent”.

He said he accepted the incident was one incident “in an otherwise unblemished career”.

“You have spent your life in public service and served in high office”, he told Amesbury.

But the magistrate said he was of “the view that unprovoked drunken behaviour is too serious to be dealt with unpaid work”.

Mr Ikram said he had also considered how the MP was “unlikely to re-offend”.

But he said: “You were only stopped from going further by members of the public.”

Mr Ikram nodded and replied: “Yes,” before leaving the courtroom.

Amesbury was then joined in the dock by two security guards who took him down to the cells.

Mr Derby requested the judge come back into court as he wished to make an application for bail for Amesbury, pending an appeal against his sentence.

Mr Ikram returned to court, sat down, paused briefly, and said: “Application refused.”

Amesbury was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to the victim, costs of £85 and a surcharge of £154.

Recall petition

Following sentencing, a Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party took swift action following Mike Amesbury’s completely unacceptable actions and he is no longer a Labour MP or a member of the Labour Party.

“It is right that Mr Amesbury pleaded guilty and has now been sentenced.

“Local residents in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency deserved better and we look forward to them getting the representation they deserve in the future with a new Labour MP.”

The jail sentence means voters in Amesbury’s constituency can remove the independent MP from his seat with a recall petition.

This can be called if a sitting MP is convicted of an offence that leads to jail time, or even a suspended sentence.

More than 10% of voters must sign the petition in his Runcorn and Helsby constituency for a by-election to be triggered.

A recall petition would also be triggered if the House of Commons decided to suspend him for 10 sitting days or more.

Reform UK party chairman Zia Yusuf called for Amesbury to stand down so a by-election could be held.

He said: “The great people of Runcorn deserve far better than waiting six weeks for a recall petition to take place.”

A further application for bail is expected to be heard at the crown court later this week.

Scottish businessman found dead in Kenya

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 09:03:03 +0000

A Scottish businessman who disappeared in Kenya has been found dead.

Campbell Scott, from Fife, was attending a conference at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi when he was last seen by colleagues on 16 February.

The 58-year-old was a senior director at credit scoring firm Fico. His employer confirmed to the BBC on Monday that local police had identified his body.

A spokeswoman for the firm said staff were “devastated” by the news.

She added: “Campbell was a leader in our international Scores business.

“He joined FICO in 2014 and was instrumental in introducing Scores to new markets and growing our business with existing partnerships. We mourn his passing and will miss his humour and kindness.

“Our thoughts are with Campbell’s family and friends. We ask that the media respect their privacy.”

Mr Scott studied at Woodmill High School in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy Technical College, going on to work for a number of companies before joining Fico.

The JW Marriott hotel is located in the Nairobi’s Westlands district, an affluent business area.

Police launched a search following his disappearance and were assisted by Interpol, according to newspaper reports.

The UK Foreign Office has been approached for comment.

South Africa faces highest-level power cuts as generation units fail

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 06:39:37 +0000

South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, has restored eight units at power plants after implementing its highest stage of controlled power cuts early Sunday due to multiple failures at Majuba and Camden power stations over the weekend.

On Saturday, Eskom applied Stage 3 power cuts, locally known as load-shedding, reducing 3,000 megawatts from the national grid.

“Of the 10 units that we lost overnight, we have essentially returned six units,” Eskom group CEO Dan Marokane told reporters on Sunday.

He added that five to six more units were expected to become operational during the day, boosting the 3,200 MW of capacity recovered overnight.

“We anticipate getting out of this stage by the end of the week,” he said, noting that, given the pace of recovery, Eskom would consider reducing power cuts by Monday.

Early Monday morning, Eskom announced that outages would be scaled down to Stage 4 until further notice.

Regular breakdowns at Eskom’s fleet of ageing coal-fired plants, which provide the bulk of electricity in Africa’s most industrialized economy, often cause load-shedding. The system follows an incremental approach, with Stage 1 cutting 1,000 MW and Stage 6 being the highest implemented to date.

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Man beats mother-in-law for allowing wife to receive gift from suspected lover

Abigail Bonney — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:57:07 +0000

A Harare man violently attacked his mother-in-law after his wife received a Valentine’s gift from another man, accusing her of promoting infidelity.

Elita Mpofu, the victim, claims that her son-in-law, Tinashe Chiyangwa, physically assaulted her after discovering that his wife had received a gift from another man.

The incident, which took place on Valentine’s Day, has since escalated into a legal battle, with Elita dragging Tinashe to the Harare Civil Court to seek justice.

According to Elita, the confrontation began when Tinashe arrived at her home in a fit of rage. He was reportedly yelling and accusing his wife of infidelity after she received a gift from a male friend.

The mother-in-law attempted to intervene and calm the situation, but her efforts only aggravated Tinashe further.

“He pushed me to the ground and started assaulting me. He accused me of encouraging my daughter to engage in promiscuous behavior. Despite my daughter’s attempts to explain that the gift was merely a friendly gesture, he refused to listen,” Elita said.

She sustained a leg injury during the attack, which has left her traumatized and seeking legal recourse.

When given the chance to respond, Tinashe admitted to losing his temper but defended his actions, expressing frustration over the situation.

“I was angry because my mother-in-law allowed another man to give my wife a romantic gift on Valentine’s Day,” he said. “She knows that I paid lobola (bride price) for her daughter, yet she permits other men to approach her.”

While Tinashe acknowledged that his behavior was unacceptable, he emphasized that his anger stemmed from a sense of betrayal and disrespect.

The magistrate granted Elita a peace order, legally prohibiting Tinashe from harassing or approaching her.

India bans two opioids behind crisis in Ghana, other West African countries

Gertrude Okyere — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 15:26:47 +0000

Indian authorities have banned two highly addictive opioids in response to a BBC investigation which found they were fuelling a public health crisis in parts of West Africa.

In a letter seen by the BBC from India’s Drugs Controller General, Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi said permission to manufacture and export the drugs had been withdrawn.

BBC Eye found one pharmaceutical company, Aveo, had been illegally exporting a harmful mix of tapentadol and carisoprodol in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire.

India’s Food and Drug Administration said the company’s factory in Mumbai had since been raided and its entire stock seized.

The circular from Dr Raghuvanshi, dated to Friday, cited the BBC investigation in his decision to ban all combinations of tapentadol and carisoprodol, which was to be implemented with immediate effect.

He said this also came after officials had looked into “the potential of drug abuse and its harmful impact on population”.

Tapentadol is a powerful opioid, and carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant so addictive it is banned in Europe.

Carisoprodol is approved for use in the US, but only for short periods of up to three weeks. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia and hallucinations.

The combination of the two drugs is not licensed for use anywhere in the world as they can cause breathing difficulties and seizures and an overdose can kill.

Despite the risks, these opioids are popular street drugs in many West African countries, because they are so cheap and widely available.

Publicly-available export data show that Aveo Pharmaceuticals, along with a sister company called Westfin International, has shipped millions of these tablets to Ghana and other West African countries.

The BBC World Service also found packets of these pills with the Aveo logo for sale on the streets of Nigeria, and in Ivoirian towns and cities.

Nigeria, with a population of 225 million people, provides the biggest market for these pills. It has been estimated that about four million Nigerians abuse some form of opioid, according to the nation’s National Bureau of Statistics.

As part of the investigation, the BBC also sent an undercover operative – posing as an African businessman looking to supply opioids to Nigeria – inside one of Aveo’s factories in India, where they filmed one of Aveo’s directors, Vinod Sharma, showing off the same dangerous products the BBC found for sale across West Africa.

In the secretly recorded footage, the operative tells Sharma that his plan is to sell the pills to teenagers in Nigeria “who all love this product”.

Sharma in response replies “OK,” before explaining that if users take two or three pills at once, they can “relax” and agrees they can get “high”.

Towards the end of the meeting, Sharma says: “This is very harmful for the health,” adding that “nowadays, this is business”.

Sharma and Aveo Pharmaceuticals did not respond to a request for comment when the BBC’s initial investigation was published.

India’s Food and Drug Administration said a sting operation saw Aveo’s entire stock seized and further production halted in a statement on Friday. Further legal action will be taken against the company, it added.

The agency said it was “fully prepared” to take action against anyone involved in “illegal activities that tarnish the reputation of the country”.

The FDA has been instructed to carry out further inspections to prevent the supply of the drugs, it said.

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Pope Francis in critical condition after respiratory crisis

Abigail Bonney — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:03:58 +0000

Pope Francis is resting, but remains “critical” with respiratory and kidney problems, more than a week after being admitted to hospital, the Vatican has said.

“The night went well, the Pope slept and is resting,” a Monday morning statement said, after an update on Sunday said the Pope was still receiving high-flow oxygen therapy and had undergone blood transfusions.

Blood tests also showed he had “initial, mild, renal insufficiency” – a kidney problem – that is “currently under control”, it said.

The Pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on 14 February after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days, where he was first treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

On Sunday, the Pope’s thrombocytopenia – a condition that occurs when the platelet count in the blood is too low – was stable, the statement said.

That morning, the Pope “participated in the Holy Mass, together with those who are taking care of him during these days”, the statement continued.

The Vatican did not offer a prognosis, given the “complexity of the clinical picture”.

On Saturday, the Vatican said that the Pope had experienced a respiratory crisis and was in a “critical” condition, but later on Sunday released an update that he had “not presented any further respiratory crises”.

Earlier on Sunday, the Pope issued a statement asking Catholics to pray for him after he was unable to deliver the traditional Angelus prayer in person for the second week running.

The pontiff is particularly susceptible to pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, after he contracted pleurisy – an inflammation of the lungs – as a young man and underwent a partial lung removal.

The leader of the Roman Catholic church has been admitted to hospital multiple times during his 12-year tenure, including being treated for bronchitis at the same hospital in March 2023.

From Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American, and first Jesuit, to lead the Roman Catholic Church.

Night worker stabs colleague over cigarette dispute

Abigail Bonney — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:00:48 +0000

A dispute over a cigarette turned violent when a sex worker stabbed her colleague at a taxi rank in Verulam CBD, South Africa, on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

The altercation occurred while the women were waiting for customers.

Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) responded to a distress call at approximately 10:29 PM and arrived to find a woman lying on the ground with a stab wound to her neck.

The victim, who identified herself as a sex worker in the area, said the suspect—also in the same line of work—had approached her for a cigarette.

When she refused, an argument ensued, leading to the suspect pulling a knife and stabbing her before fleeing the scene.

Emergency responders provided medical assistance, and the victim survived the attack. Authorities have since launched an investigation to track down the suspect.

Mali to investigate claims soldiers ‘executed’ women and children

Gertrude Okyere — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:47:01 +0000

Mali’s military government says it is investigating allegations that soldiers “coldly executed” at least 24 civilians in the north of the country on Monday.

That claim was made by a separatist Tuareg rebel alliance, called Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which is battling the Malian government in the same region.

The FLA accuse Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries of intercepting two passenger vehicles travelling to Algeria from the Malian city of Gao and killing the civilians on board, including women and children.

In a statement, army chief Gen Oumar Diarra said the allegations “relayed by terrorist networks, allies and sponsors” follow other “unfounded” claims against state forces.

For many years, the Malian government has been struggling against both Tuareg rebels seeking a breakaway state in the north and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

The military which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021 hired Russian mercenaries from the paramilitary group Wagner to help improve security in the country.

Both government forces and the Russians have often been accused by rights groups of committing gross human rights abuses against civilians, which they deny.

Last month, Mali was one of three countries under military rule to leave the West African regional bloc Ecowas, after refusing its demands to restore civilian rule.

The withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger dealt a huge blow to Ecowas, which at 50 years old is considered Africa’s most important regional group.

Mali’s military leaders also ended ties with former colonial power France, whose troops left the country in 2022 after more than a decade fighting Islamist insurgents.

The following year, all 12,000 UN peacekeepers left Mali on the junta’s instructions.

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New Zealand Minister resigns after he ‘placed hand’ on staff’s arm

Faridatu Seidu — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:28:33 +0000

New Zealand’s commerce minister Andrew Bayly has resigned as a government minister after he “placed a hand” on a staff member’s upper arm last week, in what he described as “overbearing” behaviour.

Bayly said on Monday that he was “deeply sorry” about the incident, which he described as not an argument but an “animated discussion”.

He remains a member of parliament.

His resignation comes after he was criticised last October for calling a winery worker a “loser”- including putting his fingers in an ‘L’ shape on his forehead – and allegedly using an expletive directed at them. He later issued a public apology.

“As many of you know, I have been impatient to drive change in my ministerial portfolios,” Bayly said in a statement announcing his resignation.

“Last week I had an animated discussion with a staff member about work. I took the discussion too far, and I placed a hand on their upper arm, which was inappropriate.”

He said a complaint had been made but would not elaborate further on exactly what had happened.

Bayly resigned last Friday, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon later told a press conference, adding that the incident happened three days earlier, on 18 February.

Luxon said on Monday the government’s handling the issue within a week was “pretty quick” and “pretty impressive”. He denied that he should have asked Bayly to step down following October’s winery incident, and said “never say never” when asked if there was a way back for the 63-year-old into another cabinet position.

However, Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticised Luxon as being “incredibly weak”, saying the incident with the staff member should not have been dragged over the weekend.

“Christopher Luxon has once again set the bar for ministerial behaviour so low, that it would be almost impossible not to get over it,” he told reporters on Monday.

Bayly himself said that he had to talk to his family and “would have had difficulty” speaking to the media earlier.

He was first elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 2014 as an MP for the current ruling National Party. He was appointed the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, and Minister of Statistics following Luxon’s election in late 2023.

He was also appointed minister for the ACC – the national accidental injury compensation scheme – following a cabinet reshuffle earlier this year. Before joining politics, Bayly worked in the finance industry.

Luxon said Scott Simpson, National’s senior whip, would take over the ACC and Commerce and Consumer Affairs portfolios.

Bayly is the first minister to resign of his own accord under PM Luxon, whose favourability has dipped considerably, according to recent polls. Both the 1News-Verian poll and the Post/Freshwater Strategy poll show his National-led coalition government is losing support among voters.

The government has recently come under fire for some policies that were seen by some as anti-Māori, including the introduction of a bill that many argued undermined Māori rights and the dissolution of the Māori Health Authority – which was set up under the last Labour government to try and create greater health equality.

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Anger as aid worker dies after DR Congo shooting

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 15:46:10 +0000

An aid worker has died from gunshot wounds in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels who captured two key cities in recent weeks are trying to seize more territory.

Jerry Muhindo Kavali, 49, was injured two days ago by a bullet that struck the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) office in Masisi where he was working.

He was taken to hospital in Goma for life-saving treatment but died of his wounds on Saturday.

Colleagues say he was deeply dedicated to humanitarian work and “always had a smile on his face”.

Kavali’s death has angered aid workers trying to help the tens of thousands of Congolese people whose lives have been destroyed by the war.

“Even war has its rules”, said MSF in response to the news.

The town of Masisi, where the MSF worker was shot, has witnessed fierce fighting between militias allied with the Congolese army and rebels belonging to the M23 and Alliance Fleuve Congo rebel groups.

The bullet that killed Kavali was “one of many bullets to hit our premises over recent weeks”, the MSF head of programmes Stephan Goetghebuer said.

Key areas already under M23 control include provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu, and the rebels appear to be continuing their advance.

Eastern DR Congo is rich in minerals and this battle for control of the region partly has its roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

It has been riven by conflict for more than 30 years and attempts in recent years to integrate rebels into the Congolese army have failed.

Experts now fear what effects the conflict will have on the wider East Africa region.

On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the M23 offensive in eastern DR Congo, urging Rwanda to stop supporting the rebels, and saying they should immediately leave Congolese territory “without preconditions”.

This week, the US announced sanctions on M23 Spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka and Rwandan minister James Kabarebe for his alleged role in the conflict.

Farmers say bird flu a ‘crisis’ as egg prices soar

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:15:07 +0000

For Brian Kreher, a fourth-generation farmer in the small town of Clarence, New York, the latest outbreak of bird flu has meant many sleepless nights.

He considers his 18-acre farm one of the lucky ones. With extensive safety precautions, he hasn’t lost any birds to the virus, which has ravaged poultry farms across the US.

But the outbreak forced him to make tough calls, like deciding whether to accept a new batch of baby chicks from a hatchery near a virus hotspot in Pennsylvania. If he didn’t, he would have no chickens to replace those that die or get sick.

“I had no choice,” Kreher told the BBC. “It was either accept those baby chicks, or over the next year, we slowly exit farming.”

“Egg farmers are in the fight of our lives and we are losing,” he said.

Though the avian flu, or H5N1, has circulated among American poultry flocks for years, an outbreak starting in 2022 has wreaked havoc on farms, killing over 156 million birds and sending egg prices skyrocketing. The virus then got a foothold among dairy cows last year, and this month, a different strain – tied to severe infections in humans – was found in the cattle.

The worsening outbreak comes as President Donald Trump’s new administration makes sweeping cuts to government staffing and research funding that public health experts say threatens the country’s ability to respond to bird flu and other potential pandemics.

This week, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) told the BBC it fired several officials who were working on the response to bird flu before trying to hire them back days later. The administration also promised billions in funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health, which scientists say could hamper research that helps them understand the evolution of viruses.

“Right now, the risk to most Americans remains low, but the virus is continuing to surprise us, and so that could change, and could change quickly,” said Michaela Simoneau, a global health security fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“I worry, as all of these funding cuts are in the political conversation, that we don’t cut those programs that have been shown to be most essential.”

Trump officials said they are working on a new plan to respond to bird flu, one that includes more safety precautions and vaccines while moving away from culling – a process where farmers kill all their birds after one flock becomes infected to prevent the spread of the highly contagious and fatal disease.

When asked for details about the new strategy, the White House did not provide specifics to the BBC, but said Joe Biden’s administration had “crushed American agriculture with regulatory uncertainty”, inflation and “radical environmental policies”.

Red flags as a virus mutates

Scientists have seen a number of warning signs in recent months that the avian flu is adapting to infect humans, said Andrew Pekosz, a molecular biology professor at Johns Hopkins University.

Influenza viruses don’t typically grow well in mammals, so the length of time the virus has circulated in dairy cows is concerning because it allows more opportunities to evolve, Mr Pekosz said.

Bird flu infected cattle for the first time ever in the US at the beginning of last year. Since then, there have been nearly 1,000 confirmed cases across 17 states. There also have been 68 confirmed cases among humans, most of whom worked closely with animals.

Then, in February, a new variant of the virus – called D1.1 – was detected in dairy cows and an infected worker in Nevada for the first time. The strain also caused two severe infections in humans in North America, a teenager in hospital in British Columbia and a patient in Louisiana who died from the virus.

The new variant also means there are now at least two instances in which cows have caught the virus from wild birds, and not other dairy herds.

“We’re seeing these little red flags, real signs that the virus is making some inroads,” Mr Pekosz said.

The virus has upended poultry and dairy farms where workers have had to kill millions of birds to prevent more infections. It’s a battle US consumers have felt at the grocery store and a recurring theme during the presidential campaign – in January, the average cost of eggs in the US rose more than 15% from a year ago, to $4.95 a dozen.

Mr Kreher said that despite a host of security measures, including washing vehicles on farms, wearing steel-toed boots and using lasers to deter wild birds, the outbreak continues to worsen across the country.

Bird flu “is on our minds from the moment we get up to the moment we sleep, if sleep comes”, he said. “We need new strategies to fight this virus.”

A new Trump strategy for farmers in crisis

California poultry farmer Christian Alexandre has seen firsthand the financial and emotional devastation of a bird flu outbreak. In 2022, he had to kill all 45,000 of his chickens when the virus spread at his family farm near the Oregon border.

“It was extremely painful,” said Mr Alexandre, president of the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association.

In response to soaring egg prices, Trump officials now say they want to move away from the slaughtering, focusing instead on preventative measures.

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told the BBC’s US partner CBS News last week that he is working on a plan with newly confirmed USDA leader Brooke Rollins to combat the virus “with biosecurity and medication”.

“Rollins and I have been working with all the best people in government, including academics around the country and around the world, to have a plan ready for the president next week,” Hassett said.

Mr Alexandre said he was not sure that vaccinations and other precautions could replace the need to cull flocks – but he said new ideas were desperately needed.

“What farmers and the USDA have been doing has just obviously not worked,” he said. “We’re in a crisis.”

Vaccines for birds against the avian flu already exist in countries around the world, and last week, the USDA granted conditional approval to a new shot developed by Zoetis.

Still, many poultry industry groups oppose vaccinating birds against the virus. This is because most countries don’t accept exports of poultry that are vaccinated because of fears that it masks the presence of the virus, said Tom Super of the National Chicken Council.

Public health experts have been critical of the US government’s response to bird flu since the virus first spread to dairy cows, arguing Biden officials fell short in their disease surveillance efforts.

But Trump’s team has slowed communications about the disease, which also concerns public health experts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reportedly withheld weekly reports on bird flu and canceled weeks of briefings with lawmakers and state health officials.

“I haven’t seen anything from this administration that would say that they’re taking this outbreak any more seriously,” Mr Pekosz said.

Ms Simoneau sees one encouraging sign from the Trump administration: Gerald Parker, a bird flu expert, veterinarian and former top-ranking health official, was chosen to lead the White House’s Pandemic Office.

At the same time, she said, the wide cuts and the decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization under Trump’s leadership could hamper efforts to respond to H5N1.

“We’re cutting ourselves off from that global information system at a time when we really need all of those signals that we can get,” she said.

Ms Simoneau said fatigue and a decrease in trust in public health officials following the Covid pandemic makes for a difficult environment for any administration to respond to a potential health crisis. But, she said, the threat is one Trump officials should take seriously.

“We don’t know if this could be an emergency for humans next week, or if it could be several months from now, or if it might not happen at all,” Ms Simoneau said. “But taking your eye off the ball isn’t really an option.”

Man disguised as lawyer kills gang leader in court

Gertrude Okyere — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:10:08 +0000

A notorious gang leader has died after he was shot inside a courthouse in Sri Lanka by a gunman disguised as a lawyer, say police.

Police say the gunman used a revolver which was smuggled in a hollowed-out book by a female suspect, who remains at large.

Gang leader Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne had been escorted to court to face proceedings when he was shot. Police say he was a suspect in multiple murder cases.

The shooting in the capital Colombo is among a series of killings by rivalling gangs, which has persisted as authorities vow to crack down on gang violence in the country.

The gang leader, popularly known as Ganemulle Sanjeewa, had been in custody since he was arrested in September 2023.

Police said he had been escorted to the courthouse on Wednesday by a dozen police officers. He was taken to hospital after he was shot but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The gunman managed to flee the scene but was later captured by police. He has been identified differently by authorities and local media, but police say that he used several names.

Police have identified the female suspect as 25-year-old Pinpura Dewage Ishara Sewwandi.

Authorities have put out a notice promising a reward for anyone providing information on the woman. Police say they have also arrested a policeman and van driver suspected of helping the two suspects in the shooting.

Lawmakers discussed reining in gang violence in parliament on Wednesday, with an opposition MP calling it a “major security issue”.

Health and mass media minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who in December had pledged to crack down on such criminal activity, said on Wednesday that the government would “take the actions of organised underworld gangs seriously.”

The incident has also raised questions about security in the courthouse, with authorities currently reviewing security measures.

New security protocols are being implemented in the wake of the shooting, including deploying armed guards when certain people are brought to court. Armed security personnel are not typically allowed in court, justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara said on Thursday.

At least nine people have died this year in a spate of shootings blamed on gang rivalry, according to AFP citing police data.

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Akufo-Addo urges Nigeria to lead Africa’s economic integration

Faridatu Seidu — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:12:22 +0000

Former President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on Nigeria to take a leading role in driving Africa’s economic integration, emphasizing the need for bold leadership and concrete action.

Speaking at an event hosted by the IBB Presidential Foundation in Abuja, Nigeria, on Thursday, February 20, Akufo-Addo highlighted Nigeria’s strategic position in shaping Africa’s economic future.

“Nigeria, with its enormous economic and human potential, must play a leading role in shaping Africa’s economic trajectory. We must move beyond rhetoric and translate our ambitions for integration into tangible actions,” he stated.

The former ECOWAS Chair stressed that Nigeria’s vast resources and regional influence position it as a key driver of Africa’s economic transformation. He noted that for the continent to break free from dependency on foreign aid and prioritize self-sufficiency, Nigeria must play an integral role.

“Our generation must develop the tools to resolve the tensions that exist between governance, economic development, and social stability,” he said.

On governance, Akufo-Addo reaffirmed his strong belief in democracy, citing Ghana’s track record of peaceful democratic transitions over the past three decades. He also acknowledged former Nigerian military leader General Ibrahim Babangida for ultimately embracing democratic governance despite his military background.

“The fundamental question remains: who confers legitimacy on a government? Is it an enlightened elite, or is it the ordinary people expressing their will freely?” he asked.

Expressing confidence in Africa’s democratic evolution, Akufo-Addo urged nations to strengthen their institutions while championing economic self-reliance.

He concluded by calling for deeper collaboration between Ghana and Nigeria as a cornerstone of Africa’s quest for economic independence and sustainable development.

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Passengers on crashed Toronto plane offered $30,000 each

Gertrude Okyere — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 06:57:14 +0000

Delta Air Lines is offering $30,000 (£23,792) to each person on board a plane that crash-landed in Toronto on Monday – all of whom survived.

As it landed in the Canadian city, the plane skidded along the runway in flames before flipping over and coming to a halt upside down. Passengers described their amazement as most of them walked away without injuries.

It remains unclear what caused the incident, which is under investigation.

There were 76 passengers and four crew on the flight, which had travelled from the US city of Minneapolis before making its crash-landing in Canada.

A spokesperson for Delta said the money offer had no strings attached and did not affect customers’ rights.

Toronto law firm Rochon Genova says it has been retained by certain passengers and their families over the crash-landing.

Lawyer Vincent Genova said the group expected a “timely and fair resolution”, highlighting that his clients “suffered personal injuries of a serious nature that required hospital attention”.

In an email to the BBC, Mr Genova said the $30,000 compensation is an “advance” payment meant to assist plane crash victims with short-term financial challenges, and the airline will seek to deduct it from any later settled claims.

There is precedent to these types of payments, like in 2013, when Asiana Airlines offered passengers of a San Francisco plane crash $10,000 in initial compensation.

Last year, Alaska Airlines offered a $1,500 cash payment to passengers after mid-air door-plug blowout on a flight from Portland.

Following this week’s incident in Toronto, the plane crew and emergency responders were praised for their quick work in removing people from the wrecked vehicle. The plane’s various safety features have also been credited for ensuring no loss of life.

All of the 21 passengers who were taken to hospital had been released by Thursday morning, the airline said.

Delta’s chief told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that the flight crew were experienced and trained for any condition.

The airline’s head Ed Bastian told CBS the plane crew had “performed heroically, but also as expected”, given that “safety is embedded into our system”. He said Delta was continuing to support those affected.

Several theories about what caused the crash have been suggested to the BBC by experts who reviewed footage, including that harsh winter weather and a rapid rate of descent played a role.

One passenger recalled “a very forceful event”, and the sound of “concrete and metal” at the moment of impact. Another said passengers were left hanging upside down in their seats “like bats”.

The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered from the wreckage. The investigation is being led by Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB), supported by US officials.

On Wednesday evening, the wreckage was removed from the airport runway.

The accident was the fourth major air incident in North America in a space of three weeks – and was followed on Wednesday by a crash in Arizona in which two people lost their lives when their small planes collided.

Experts continue to insist that air travel is overwhelmingly safe – more so than other forms of transport, in fact.

That message was emphasised by US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who told CBS on Wednesday there was no pattern behind the incidents, each of which he said was “very unique”.

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Exposé on Indian pharma firm illegally exporting highly addictive opioids to Ghana and West Africa countries

Gertrude Okyere — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 06:56:00 +0000

An Indian pharmaceutical company is manufacturing unlicensed, highly addictive opioids and exporting them illegally to West Africa where they are driving a major public health crisis in countries including Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote D’Ivoire, a BBC Eye investigation has revealed.

Aveo Pharmaceuticals, based in Mumbai, makes a range of pills that go under different brand names and are packaged to look like legitimate medicines.

But all contain the same harmful mix of ingredients: tapentadol, a powerful opioid, and carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant so addictive it’s banned in Europe.

This combination of drugs is not licensed for use anywhere in the world and can cause breathing difficulties and seizures. An overdose can kill.

Despite the risks, these opioids are popular as street drugs in many West African countries, because they are so cheap and widely available.

The BBC World Service found packets of them, branded with the Aveo logo, for sale on the streets of Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Ivoirian towns and cities.

Having traced the drugs back to Aveo’s factory in India, the BBC sent an undercover operative inside the factory, posing as an African businessman looking to supply opioids to Nigeria.

Using a hidden camera, the BBC filmed one of Aveo’s directors, Vinod Sharma, showing off the same dangerous products the BBC found for sale across West Africa.

In the secretly recorded footage, the operative tells Sharma that he plans to sell the pills to teenagers in Nigeria “who all love this product”. Sharma doesn’t flinch. “OK,” he replies, before explaining that if users take two or three pills at once, they can “relax” and agrees they can get “high”.

Towards the end of the meeting, Sharma says: “This is very harmful to the health,” adding “Nowadays, this is business.”

The task force in Tamale believe this man had taken Tafrodol, which was found in the raid

It is a business that is damaging the health and destroying the potential of millions of young people across West Africa.

In the city of Tamale, in northern Ghana, so many young people are taking illegal opioids that one of the city’s chiefs, Alhassan Maham, has created a voluntary task force of about 100 local citizens whose mission is to raid drug dealers and take these pills off the streets.

“The drugs consume the sanity of those who abuse them,” says Maham, “like a fire burns when kerosene is poured on it.” One addict in Tamale put it even more simply. The drugs, he said, have “wasted our lives”.

The BBC team followed the task force as they jumped onto motorbikes and, following a tip-off about a drug deal, launched a raid in one of Tamale’s poorest neighbourhoods.

On the way they passed a young man slumped in a stupor who, according to locals, had taken these drugs.

When the dealer was caught, he was carrying a plastic bag filled with green pills labelled Tafrodol. The packets were stamped with the distinctive logo of Aveo Pharmaceuticals.

It’s not just in Tamale that Aveo’s pills are causing misery. The BBC found similar products, made by Aveo, have been seized by police elsewhere in Ghana.

We also found evidence that Aveo’s pills are for sale on the streets of Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire, where teenagers dissolve them in an alcoholic energy drink to increase the high.

Publicly available export data show that Aveo Pharmaceuticals, along with a sister company called Westfin International, is shipping millions of these tablets to Ghana and other West African countries.

The Chairman of Nigeria’s Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa, told the BBC, that opioids are “devastating our youths, our families, it’s in every community in Nigeria”.

In 2018, following a BBC Africa Eye investigation into the sale of opioids as street drugs, Nigerian authorities tried to get a grip on a widely abused opioid painkiller called tramadol.

The government banned the sale of tramadol without a prescription, imposed strict limits on the maximum dose, and cracked down on imports of illegal pills. At the same time, Indian authorities tightened export regulations on tramadol.

Not long after this crackdown, Aveo Pharmaceuticals began to export a new pill based on tapentadol, an even stronger opioid, mixed with the muscle-relaxant carisoprodol.

West African officials are warning that opioid exporters appear to be using these new combination pills as a substitute for tramadol and to evade the crackdown.

In the Aveo factory, there were cartons of the combination drugs stacked on top of each other, almost ceiling-high. On his desk, Vinod Sharma laid out packet after packet of the tapentadol-carisoprodol cocktail pills that the company markets under a range of names including Tafrodol, the most popular, as well as TimaKing and Super Royal-225.

He told the BBC’s undercover team that “scientists” working in his factory could combine different drugs to “make a new product”.

Aveo’s new product is even more dangerous than the tramadol it has replaced. According to Dr Lekhansh Shukla, assistant professor at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru, India, tapentadol “gives the effects of an opioid” including very deep sleep.

“It could be deep enough that people don’t breathe, and that leads to drug overdose,” he explained. “And along with that, you are giving another agent, carisoprodol, which also gives very deep sleep, and relaxation. It sounds like a very dangerous combination.”

Carisoprodol has been banned in Europe because it is addictive. It is approved for use in the US but only for short periods of up to three weeks. Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, and hallucinations.

Nigerian authorities store illegal drugs they have seized – mostly opioids – in a warehouse in Lagos

When mixed with tapentadol the withdrawal is even “more severe” compared to regular opioids, said Dr Shukla. “It’s a fairly painful experience.”

He said he knew of no clinical trials on the efficacy of this combination. Unlike tramadol, which is legal for use in limited doses, the tapentadol-carisoprodol cocktail “does not sound like a rational combination”, he said. “This is not something that is licensed to be used in our country.”

In India, pharmaceutical companies cannot legally manufacture and export unlicensed drugs unless these drugs meet the standards of the importing country. Aveo ships Tafrodol and similar products to Ghana, where this combination of tapentadol and carisoprodol is, according to Ghana’s national Drug Enforcement Agency, unlicensed and illegal. By shipping Tafrodol to Ghana, Aveo is breaking Indian law.

We put these allegations to Vinod Sharma and Aveo Pharmaceuticals. They did not respond.

The Indian drugs regulator, the CDSCO, told us the Indian government recognises its responsibility towards global public health and is committed to ensuring India has a responsible and strong pharmaceutical regulatory system.

It added that exports from India to other countries are closely monitored and that recently tightened regulation is strictly enforced. It also called importing countries to support India’s efforts by ensuring they had similarly strong regulatory systems.

The CDSCO stated it has taken up the matter with other countries, including those in West Africa, and is committed to working with them to prevent wrongdoing. The regulator said it will take immediate action against any pharmaceutical firm involved in malpractice.

The Ghanaian task force burned the drugs that it seized in the raid in Tamale, including this Aveo-branded Tafrodol

Aveo is not the only Indian company making and exporting unlicensed opioids. Publicly available export data suggest other pharma companies manufacture similar products, and drugs with different branding are widely available across West Africa.

These manufacturers are damaging the reputation of India’s fast-growing pharmaceutical industry, which makes high-quality generic medicines upon which millions of people worldwide depend and manufactures vaccines which have saved millions of lives. The industry’s exports are worth at least $28bn (£22bn) a year.

Speaking about his meeting with Sharma, the BBC’s undercover operative, whose identity must remain concealed for his safety, says: “Nigerian journalists have been reporting on this opioid crisis for more than 20 years but finally, I was face to face… with one of the men at the root of Africa’s opioid crisis, one of the men who actually makes this product and ships it into our countries by the container load. He knew the harm it was doing but he didn’t seem to care… describing it simply as business.”

Back in Tamale, Ghana, the BBC team followed the local task force on one final raid that turned up even more of Aveo’s Tafrodol. That evening they gathered in a local park to burn the drugs they had seized.

“We are burning it in an open glare for everybody to see,” said Zickay, one of the leaders, as the packets were doused in petrol and set ablaze, “so it sends a signal to the sellers and the suppliers: if they get you, they’ll burn your drugs”.

But even as the flames destroyed a few hundred packets of Tafrodol, the “sellers and suppliers” at the top of this chain, thousands of miles away in India, were churning out millions more – and getting rich on the profits of misery.

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Pastor arrested by FBI for multi-million dollar internet fraud

Abigail Bonney — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:51:49 +0000

The FBI has arrested Nigerian Pastor Edward Abiodun Oluwasanmi for allegedly conspiring with Osun monarch, Oba Joseph Oloyede, to defraud the U.S. government of $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

Oluwasanmi, alongside Oloyede, allegedly submitted forged documents to apply for the loans intended to support struggling businesses during the pandemic.

Oluwasanmi used his three companies—Dayspring Property Incorporated, Dayspring Holdings, and Dayspring Transportation—to secure millions of dollars, which he later diverted for personal expenses, violating U.S. federal laws.

The Nigerian pastor, who resides in the U.S., was indicted on a 13-count fraud charge and arrested in Cleveland in April.

He was later released on $20,000 bail under the condition that he appear for trial and serve any prison sentence if convicted.

In September 2020, Oluwasanmi transferred approximately $221,880 to purchase commercial property on South Freen Road in South Euclid, Ohio.

On October 26, 2021, he transferred $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds to his company, Dayspring Transportation’s brokerage account.

Prosecutors have seized around $620,000 from Oluwasanmi, and they are seeking to forfeit that amount, along with other properties acquired through the fraudulent activities.

The FBI also seized $599,250 from his Dayspring Transportation account at Fidelity Investments and nearly $20,000 from his Dayspring Property account at Key Bank, both on April 5, 2024.

To ensure his appearance in court, Oluwasanmi’s U.S. and Nigerian passports have been confiscated.

Teen dies after injecting himself with butterfly remains

Gertrude Okyere — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 10:18:51 +0000

A 14-year-old Brazilian boy who injected himself with a mixture of dead butterfly remains and water reportedly suffered in agony for a week before his death, with doctors suspecting an allergic reaction or infection.

Davi Nunes Moreira was hospitalized in Vitoria de Conquista, experiencing severe pain, vomiting, and difficulty walking after injecting the concoction into his leg, according to the Daily Mail.

Authorities are investigating whether his death was linked to a dangerous social media challenge.

Dr. Luiz Fernando D. Relvas, a specialist at Hospital Santa Marcelina, suggested that Moreira may have suffered from an embolism, infection, or allergic reaction.

“We don’t know how he prepared this mixture or the size of the fragments he managed to inject into the body,” Relvas said. “There may have been air left inside, which could lead to an embolism.”

An embolism, a blockage in a blood vessel, can cause sudden death.

The teen’s mysterious death is making headlines across Brazil, with speculation that toxins from the butterfly mix may have triggered septic shock, causing his body to shut down.

Local police are awaiting full post-mortem results to determine the cause of death but have not ruled out the possibility of a social media challenge playing a role.

“The autopsy results will help clarify the cause of death,” a Civil Police spokesman in Vitoria da Conquista said. “The investigation is designed to clear up what happened.”

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Nigeria to ban 60,000- and 45,000-litre tankers to curb accidents

Faridatu Seidu — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:57:36 +0000

Nigeria may face a tanker shortage as the Federal Government moves to ban 60,000- and 45,000-litre capacity petroleum trucks.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) announced on Wednesday that tankers exceeding 60,000 litres would be banned immediately, while 45,000-litre tankers would be phased out by the fourth quarter of 2025.

This decision follows a surge in tanker-related accidents, which have led to deaths and property destruction.

Nigeria, which relies on road transport for fuel distribution due to the absence of functional pipelines, has seen its road infrastructure deteriorate under the weight of heavy tankers.

NMDPRA Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Ogbugo Ukoha, told journalists in Abuja that the move was necessary to curb accidents and protect lives.

“Every life lost is one too many. We cannot fold our hands and wait for pipelines or railways to become viable alternatives. This is the work we must do, and we will not back down,” Ukoha stated.

Reports indicate that between 2010 and 2025, over 2,500 tanker crashes have claimed more than 3,500 lives in Nigeria. The deadliest incident occurred in Jigawa in 2024 when an overturned fuel tanker exploded, killing dozens and leaving behind a mass grave.

Despite a 2020 agreement to cap truckloads at 45,000 litres, tankers exceeding 60,000 litres have continued to operate, worsening road safety concerns.

The NMDPRA assured a phased implementation of the ban, starting with the immediate prohibition of 60,000-litre tankers and a gradual phase-out of 45,000-litre trucks by late 2025.

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‘Help me; I’m tired of begging’ – Popular actress cries out

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:15:40 +0000

Popular Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar has made an emotional appeal for assistance, revealing her ongoing struggles to make ends meet.

During an Instagram Live session on Tuesday, Abubakar recounted her challenges, stating that she has been living in her village for over a year.

Expressing distress over her condition, the actress emphasized that she was unwell and needed support. She shared her account details, urging Nigerians to come to her aid.

“Good morning. People are confused about what is going on. This is me, but every day, I post a picture with a filter because I don’t want to post how I look, and some of you will say I’m lying. Why would I be lying that I’m sick? I went to the biggest hospital in Nigeria.

“You sacked me from Nollywood, which is okay, but what are all these betrayals? They said I was never sick. I was lying. I was in the village for more than a year. I moved here recently because of the hospital I go to for checkups, so I’m around here, and I’m done. There is nothing wrong with me medically.

“My best friend said I’m lying, that I’m acting sick. You are a wicked person. How will someone lie in sickness? Do you know how many people I have been begging? I have been begging everyone to get medication—no work.

“My best friend said I’m lying; she did not even come to check up on me. Do you want me to die? Do you want me to kill myself? I won’t even mention her because that shows me that she was never my best friend.

“The whole of Nollywood doesn’t talk to me. I go from DM to DM, trying to see who will help me. I was rich; I sold my three cars, not doing anything.”

Her revelation has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many expressing concern over her well-being.

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‘Died for stealing chocolate’: Pakistan angry over death of child maid

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:33:59 +0000

A couple in north-east Pakistan has been detained on suspicion of murdering a 13-year-old girl who worked for them as a maid, for allegedly stealing chocolates.

The girl who goes only by one name, Iqra, succumbed to multiple injuries in hospital last Wednesday. A preliminary police investigation said she had been tortured.

The case in Rawalpindi has sparked widespread outrage and posts with the hashtag #JusticeforIqra having garnered tens of thousands of views and reignited a debate over child labour and the mistreatment of domestic workers.

Laws pertaining to child labour can vary across the country, but children under the age of 15 cannot be employed as domestic workers in the province of Punjab.

“I felt completely shattered inside when she died,” Iqra’s father, Sana Ullah, told the BBC.

He said that he had received a call from the police about Iqra last Wednesday. When he rushed to the hospital, he saw Iqra lying on a bed, unconscious. She died minutes later.

Iqra began working as a maid from the age of eight. Her father, a 45-year-old farmer, said he had sent her to work because he was in debt.

After working for a few employers, she went to work for the couple two years ago, who have eight children of their own. She was earning about £23 ($28) per month.

Police said Iqra had been accused of stealing chocolates from her employers, adding that a preliminary investigation showed that Iqra had been tortured.

Police also say there was evidence of frequent abuse. Pictures and videos obtained by the BBC showed multiple fractures in her legs and arms, as well as a serious injury to her head.

An autopsy is being conducted to assess the full extent of her injuries, and the police has told the BBC that they were still awaiting the final medical report.

“My heart cries tears of blood. How many… are subjected to violence in their homes every day for a trivial job of a few thousand?” activist Shehr Bano wrote on X. “How long will the poor continue to lower their daughters into graves in this way?”

Others have pointed out that her murder was allegedly triggered by something so minor.

“She died over chocolate?” asked one Pakistani user on X.

“This is not just a crime, it’s a reflection of [a] system that enables [the] rich to treat [the] poor as disposable,” another said.

Iqra’s employers, Rashid Shafiq and his wife Sana, have been arrested, along with a Quran teacher, who worked for the family. The teacher had brought Iqra to the hospital and left after telling hospital staff that the girl’s father had died and her mother was not around.

Police told the BBC it was unclear if she believed this to be the truth.

Iqra’s father says he wants to see “those responsible for my daughter’s death punished”.

Despite the public outrage such cases usually garner, they are typically settled out of court and it’s rare for suspects to be successfully prosecuted.

In 2018, a judge and his wife were sentenced to three years in jail for torturing their then 10-year-old maid in what had been a highly publicised case that sparked outrage across the country. But they later had their sentences reduced to one year.

Tayyaba was found with severe injuries, which the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science said included burns to her hands and feet. Pictures of the girl also showed cuts and bruising to her face, along with a swollen left eye. She told prosecutors she was beaten for losing a broom.

Under Pakistani law, victims or their families have the right to forgive suspects in a number of serious crimes. To do so, they have to state in court that they forgive a suspect “in the name of God”.

In reality, legal observers say that the primary motive for that “forgiveness” is normally financial, and paying victims is not illegal.

About 3.3 million children in Pakistan are engaged in child labour, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

Moreover, women and young girls make up the vast majority of Pakistan’s 8.5 million domestic workers, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Meghan puts new label on jams and lifestyle range

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:34:58 +0000

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has announced a new identity for her lifestyle brand, which will be called As Ever.

Despite the social media teasers showing celebrities with pots of jam from Meghan, the previous brand name American Riviera Orchard seems to have reached a sticky end.

On a social media post, Meghan said the newly-named product range would be a joint project with Netflix, which is showing her cooking and lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan next month.

“‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always,'” said Meghan’s post.

The recorded message, delivered in a close-up by Meghan, emphasises the continuity with her former, pre-royal, lifestyle blog, the Tig.

She said that the new venture would be “beautifully weaving together everything I cherish – food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the every day”.

Prince Harry, who has been at the Invictus Games in Canada, is heard briefly off-camera in the background of the recording of the Instagram posting. Their three-year-old daughter Lilibet is also seen in the distance, against a sunny Pacific sky, on the accompanying As Ever website.

The previous name American Riviera Orchard had been a reference to the part of California where she lives with Prince Harry – and Meghan said it “limited me to things which were manufactured and grown in this area”.

That name had been promoted since April 2024, when celebrities published pictures on Instagram of jars of strawberry jam, in a launch that tried to preserve a sense of mystery.

But there had also been reports of delays because of trademark problems with the original title.

If this latest announcement means the lid is going to come off a new jam war, the Californian contender will be up against Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle Strawberry Preserve, both at £7 and Highgrove Organic Preserve at £6.95.

The new As Ever brand will be a partnership with Netflix, with reports that the TV company is going to open shopping outlets which will sell merchandising connected to its shows.

“Of course, there will be fruit preserves, I think we’re all clear at this point that jam is my jam,” said Meghan.

“But there’s so many more products that I just love that I use in my home and now it’s time to share it with you, so I can’t wait for you to see it.”

The launch of Meghan’s TV show was delayed by the wildfires in California, with the US state as the backdrop for the series, which is expected to be a mix of cooking, hosting tips and celebrity friends and is due to run on Netflix from 4 March.

It has been five years since Meghan and Prince Harry stepped down as working royals and became financially independent in the United States. In her social media post, Meghan says she has “poured my heart into” this forthcoming product range.

Meghan divides public opinion, with strong social media reactions from supporters and opponents. Her fans have saluted her independence and creativity, while her opponents have already labelled the brand as “whatever.”

Appropriately, she signed off her own post: “As ever, Meghan.”

Ghanaian students bag scholarships and excel at University of Nottingham

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:31:31 +0000

“A home away from home” is how Ghanaian students describe their experience studying at the University of Nottingham, UK.

Indeed, data shows that the University of Nottingham has been a popular destination among Ghanaian students for decades, with notable alumni including the distinguished Professor Nana SKB Asante who obtained his LLB (Hons) Degree in 1956 just a couple of years prior to Peter Ala Adjetey, a former Speaker of Parliament graduating with the same course.

More recent alumni include the most recent first Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari who completed a PhD in Economics. Others are leading the way in their respective fields, with some taking the entrepreneurship route – Mildred Akotia completed MSc Food Production Management and is the founder of the popular Akwaaba Fine Foods snacks selling high quality cashew and other snacks.

The University of Nottingham prides itself on opening up opportunities for students from different backgrounds and has run its flagship masters scholarship programme, developing Solution, for over 25 years.

In recent years, a Memorandum of Agreement between the University of Nottingham and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has also introduced automatic partnership scholarships for KNUST alumni headed for masters’ programmes in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham.

For students resuming in September 2024, the university awarded over GH¢6.3 million worth of scholarships to Ghanaian students, with awards ranging from £4000 to 100% tuition. It is also a popular destination among students receiving UK government-funded awards such as Chevening and Commonwealth as well as Ghanaian funding bodies such as GETFund and Ghana Scholarship Secretariat.

Emmanuel Tetteh, completed KNUST and is now at Nottingham studying MSc Bioengineering. He received an automatic 20% scholarship due to holding a first-class degree from KNUST.

The good news doesn’t stop there, these students go on to fly the Ghanaian flag high performing strongly in their academics. At the winter graduation ceremonies in December 2024, a number of Ghanaians received prizes for outstanding academic performance.

“Receiving the Developing Solutions scholarship was a transformative opportunity for me, allowing me to pursue world-class higher education at my dream university. It not only acknowledged my academic ambitions but also provided the support I needed to thrive and reach my full potential.” Isaac Ardey, Prize winner for health research, Master of Public Health (Health Research) (2023-2024).

The Graduate Guidance Group (G3 Africa, local representative of the University of Nottingham, is excited to announce a virtual event focused on offering guidance to prospective students and hopeful scholars looking to join the university in September 2025. They will be joined by current students willing to share their experiences as well as academic staff from the Faculty of Engineering, Business school and School of Medicine.

The virtual event will take place on Thursday 20 February, 2025 between 12 and 2pm GMT and will feature a series of presentations and interactive breakout sessions.

“We are thrilled to be running this virtual event specifically for students from Africa and invite all interested Ghanaian students to join,” said Kyri Protopapa, International Relations Manager at the University of Nottingham.

“Our goal is to ensure as many students have all the support needed for a successful application and to have a wonderful student experience.”

G3 Africa is a careers and education consultancy committed to connecting individuals with opportunities. It represents the University of Nottingham in Ghana, providing free assistance with the application process.

AU Finance Ministers endorse African Monetary Institute Statute

Faridatu Seidu — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:08:06 +0000

Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors from African Union (AU) Member States have endorsed the draft statute for establishing the African Monetary Institute (AMI), marking a significant step toward strengthening the continent’s financial and economic integration.

This move was endorsed by the Specialised Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning, and Integration.

President John Dramani Mahama, AU Champion for Financial Institutions, announced this in his keynote address at the Heads of State and Government breakfast dialogue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, held on the sidelines of the AU Summit. The theme of the event was “Africa at the Forefront: Mobilizing African Investment and Financing for Implementing Agenda 2063,” hosted by the Alliance of African Multilateral Financing Institutions.

The AMI is envisioned as a precursor to the African Central Bank and will undertake crucial preparatory work, including technical and legal assessments, and ensuring the implementation of macroeconomic convergence criteria. The AMI’s draft statute awaits further consideration and adoption by AU heads of state and government.

President Mahama also highlighted the African Monetary Fund (AMF), which aims to support macroeconomic stability and boost investor confidence, and the African Investment Bank, pivotal for funding infrastructure projects such as energy, transport, and digital transformation.

He also spoke on the Pan-African Stock Exchange initiative, which aims to integrate capital markets across Africa, facilitating capital mobilization, boosting intra-African investment, and offering alternative financing mechanisms for governments and the private sector.

Mahama emphasized that progress is being made on these initiatives, with efforts underway to establish the Pan-African Stock Exchange through the work of the African Security Exchanges Association and the AU Commission.

He reiterated that the establishment of the African Central Bank, African Investment Bank, African Monetary Fund, and Pan-African Stock Exchange would be instrumental in reducing dependency on external aid and fostering a self-sustaining economic ecosystem for Africa. The African Central Bank’s goal is to establish a single African currency, reducing exchange rate risks and boosting investment flows.

In his closing remarks, President Mahama called for increased political will, effective policy coordination, and continued commitment from governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners to mobilize resources for the AU’s Agenda 2063. He urged collective efforts to bridge the financing and investment gaps and drive Africa toward achieving its vision of an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful continent.

“The Africa we envision is within our reach,” Mahama concluded, highlighting the importance of reforming financial systems and investing in the continent’s people to realize the goals of Agenda 2063.

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At least 30 killed in bus crash in Bolivia

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 08:48:15 +0000

More than 30 people have been killed in a bus crash on a mountain road in Bolivia, police say.

The driver likely lost control of the vehicle, causing it to plunge almost 800 meters (2625 ft) in the southwestern district of Yocalla, an officer said.

Fourteen were also injured, including four children, an official from a local hospital said in a video.

Bolivia has notoriously dangerous roads, particularly in mountainous areas.

The accident happened between the cities of Potosi and Oruro, police said.

Officials believe that the crash could have been caused by speeding, with the driver “unable” to control the bus, police colonel Victor Benavides told the AFP news agency.

This is believed to be the most serious road accident reported in the South American country so far this year.

Local news outlet Unitel reported that several of those injured are in a serious condition.

Deadly road accidents are common in Bolivia.

Last month, 19 people were killed when another bus came off a road, also near Potosi.

Road accidents kill an average of 1,400 people every year in the country of about 12 million inhabitants, according to government data.

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UN judge forced woman to work as slave, court told

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 07:28:36 +0000

A United Nations (UN) judge deceived a young woman into coming to the UK to work as her slave while she studied at the University of Oxford, a court has heard.

Lydia Mugambe is accused of taking “advantage of her status” over her alleged victim in the “most egregious way”.

It is alleged she prevented the young Ugandan woman from holding down steady employment and forced her to work as her maid and to provide childcare for free.

Ms Mugambe denies the four charges against her.

Prosecutors allege that from the outset, Ms Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself”.

She is accused of engaging in “illegal folly” with Ugandan Deputy High Commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa in which they conspired to arrange for the young woman to come to the UK.

The pair are alleged to have participated in a “very dishonest” trade-off, in which Mr Mugerwa allegedly arranged for the Ugandan High Commission to sponsor the woman’s entrance into the UK in exchange for Ms Mugambe attempting to speak to a judge who was in charge of legal action Mr Mugerwa was named in.

Ms Mugambe is also accused of arranging the alleged victim’s travel “with a view to her being exploited”, and of attempting to “intimidate” her alleged victim into dropping the case.

Oxford Crown Court heard the defendant had previously told police she had “diplomatic immunity” and could not be arrested due to her work as a judge in Uganda and at the UN.

Jurors were told the Metropolitan Police’s diplomatic team was contacted and confirmed Mugambe had no registered diplomatic immunity in the UK.

According to her UN profile page, Ms Mugambe was appointed to the body’s judicial roster in May 2023 – three months after police were called to her address in Oxfordshire.

Opening the case on Monday, Caroline Haughey KC said Ms Mugambe “took advantage of her status over [her alleged victim] in a most egregious way”.

“Ms Mugambe used her knowledge, and her power, to deceive [her alleged victim] into coming to the UK, taking advantage of her naivety to induce and deceive her into working for her for nothing.

She added that the judge, who had been studying for a PhD in law, had “created a situation where [her alleged victim] was deprived of the opportunity to support herself”.

The trial, expected to last three weeks, continues.

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Three critically injured after Delta Airlines Plane flips over on landing in Toronto

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 07:03:15 +0000

Three people are critically injured after a Delta Airlines plane flipped over on landing in Toronto on Monday.

All 80 people on board the Delta flight from Minnesota have been evacuated according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.

The airport says all passengers and crew are accounted for.

Dramatic video posted online shows passengers evacuating as firefighters douse the plane.

Police say circumstances surrounding the crash are currently unknown but “most of the passengers are out and unharmed.”

Canada’s Transport Minister Anita Anand says she’s closely following the “serious incident.”

Extraordinary video online appears to show the plane upside down after it flipped on the runway. It had travelled in wintry conditions to Canada’s busiest airport in less than two hours from Minneapolis – landing early afternoon in Toronto.

Fire trucks were seen next to the plane with a layer of snow covering the tarmac. One of its wings is missing.

Airport officials say all passengers and crew have been accounted for, with 15 taken to hospital. One child and two adults are critically injured.

Canada’s transportation safety board has started an investigation. Although the cause of the crash is not yet known, the airport had been experiencing many delays because of winter weather.

The Toronto Pearson was immediately ground stopped with flights headed to the airport either diverting or holding.

All inquiries were directed to the airport authorities by Peel police, who would only state that they were supporting other emergency personnel.

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Former Mauritius PM arrested, says Financial Crimes Commission

Joseph Odotei — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:11:32 +0000

Former Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has been arrested and is facing money laundering charges, the state-run Financial Crimes Commission said early on Sunday.

Jugnauth “is under arrest”, FCC spokesperson Ibrahim Rossaye told reporters, adding that he will be detained in Moka detention centre in Moka district in central Mauritius.

The arrest followed searches by FCC detectives of different locations, including Jugnauth’s residence, during which they found and seized 114 million Mauritius Rupees ($2.4 million), the FCC said.

Jugnauth’s lawyer, Raouf Gulbul, told reporters early on Sunday that his client has been provisionally charged in an alleged case of money laundering. Gulbul said his client denied the charges.

In November, Mauritius’ new Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced an audit of the public finances days after questioning the accuracy of some government data compiled by the previous administration.

The country’s former central bank governor was detained last month and released on bail after he was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.

An Indian Ocean archipelago, Mauritius is an offshore financial centre that markets itself as a link between Africa and Asia.

World’s ‘first openly gay imam’ shot dead

Gertrude Okyere — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 09:33:50 +0000

Muhsin Hendricks, a pioneering figure dubbed the world’s first openly gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa.

The 57-year-old cleric ran a mosque in Cape Town intended as a safe haven for gay and other marginalised Muslims. He was killed on Saturday morning after the car in which he was travelling near the southern city of Gqeberha was ambushed.

“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” police said in a statement.

News of Hendricks’ death has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the globe.

Julia Ehrt, executive director at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga), called on the authorities to thoroughly investigate “what we fear may be a hate crime”.

“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives,” she said.

Hendricks was killed after he had reportedly officiated at a lesbian wedding, though this has not been officially confirmed.

The details of the attack emerged through security footage that was shared on social media.

It shows a car pulling up and blocking the vehicle in which Hendricks was travelling as it was pulling away from the curb. According to police, the imam was in the back seat.

The angle of CCTV footage reveals what happened from one side of the road – an assailant jumps out of a car, runs to the ambushed vehicle and shoots repeatedly through the back passenger window.

Hendricks’ Al-Ghurbaah Foundation, which runs the Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque in the Wynberg suburb of Cape Town, confirmed he had died in a targeted attack on Saturday morning.

But Abdulmugheeth Petersen, chair of the foundation’s board, appealed via a WhatsApp group for their followers to be patient, stressing the importance of protecting Hendricks’ family.

Hendricks’ work challenged traditional interpretations of Islam and championed a compassionate, inclusive faith.

South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution was the first in the world to protect people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation and in 2006, became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage.

But despite a thriving LGBT community, gay people still face discrimination and violence. The country also has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Hendricks came out as gay in 1996, which shocked the wider Muslim community in Cape Town and elsewhere.

That same year, he founded The Inner Circle, an organisation providing support and a safe space for queer Muslims seeking to reconcile their faith and sexuality before going on to establish the inclusive Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque.

He was the subject of a documentary in 2022 called The Radical, in which he said about the threats he faced: “The need to be authentic was greater than the fear to die.”

Hendricks often spoke about the importance of interfaith dialogue and the need to address the mental health issues and trauma faced by LGBTQ+ individuals within religious communities.

He told the Ilga World Conference in Cape Town last year: “It is important that we stop to look at religion as the enemy.”

Reverend Jide Macaulay, an openly gay Anglican minister, described Hendricks’ death as “truly heartbreaking”.

The British-Nigerian LGBTQ rights activist runs House of Rainbow, an organisation that provides support for gay people in Nigeria where same-sex relationships or public displays of affection are illegal, and paid tribute to Hendricks’ bravery.

“Your leadership, courage, and unwavering dedication to inclusive faith communities have left an indelible mark,” he said.

Sadiq Lawal, a gay Muslim man living in Nigeria, told the BBC that Hendricks, had made such an impact as he had made “the impossible possible” by saying the words: “I’m a queer imam.”

“He’s a mentor to many queer Muslims in Africa, especially in Nigeria, because of religious extremism,” he said.

“I’m still in shock and devastated.”

Dozens killed in Mali illegal gold mine collapse

Faridatu Seidu — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:38:22 +0000

More than 40 people, mostly women, were killed after an illegal gold mine collapsed in Mali on Saturday.

The collapse took place near Kéniéba, in Mali’s western, gold-rich Kayes region.

The victims had climbed into open-pit areas left by industrial miners to look for scraps of gold when the earth around them caved in, a gold miner’s union leader told Reuters.

This is Mali’s second deadly mining accident in three weeks, after at least 10 people were killed when a mining tunnel flooded late in January.

There are conflicting reports on the number people who died in Saturday’s accident.

A local police source told the AFP news agency that 48 people were killed in the collapse, while the head of an industry union told Reuters there were 43 victims.

“Some of the victims fell into the water. Among them was a woman with her baby on her back,” the local police source told AFP.

Rescue workers have been able to retrieve the bodies, local sources told the BBC.

Mali is one of the biggest gold producers in the world.

Accidents are common in the country as much mining activity is unregulated, with miners using unsafe methods to dig for gold.

Just over a year ago, at least 40 people were killed after a tunnel collapsed in a mine.

It is also common for illegal miners – mostly women – to try to recover gold from abandoned sites due to poverty.

A spokesperson from the country’s mines ministry confirmed to Reuters that the accident had taken place between the towns of Kéniéba and Dabia, but declined to give further details.

Ministry teams are drawing up a report at the scene, Reuters reports.

The collapse on Saturday occurred at an abandoned site formerly operated by a Chinese company, according to AFP.

Beijing is heavily invested in developing Mali’s mining industries, with the approval of its government.

Since Mali is rich in natural resources, including gold, iron ore, manganese, lithium, and uranium, it is an attractive destination for Chinese investors.

While such investment has improved Mali’s infrastructure, especially in the transportation sector, the government has accumulated significant debt obligations to China, raising concerns about its ability to repay the loans.

Chinese mining activities have also been criticised for contributing to environmental pollution in the country.

Mali is currently engaged in a dispute over revenue sharing with one of the largest mining companies in the country, the Canadian firm Barrick.

Last month, the Malian government seized gold bars worth $245m (£194m) from Barrick and issued an arrest warrant for its CEO, Mark Bristow.

Mr Bristow said he had “no doubt” the conflict would be resolved in an interview with Bloomberg this week.

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Missing final-year student found dead in Facebook friend’s room

Abigail Bonney — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 14:27:24 +0000

A final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education, Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, has been found dismembered in the home of an Islamic cleric she reportedly met on Facebook.

The suspect, identified as Abdulrahman Mohad Ballo, was arrested in connection with the gruesome killing, which police believe may have been for ritual purposes.

According to the Kwara State Police Command, Yetunde was last seen on Monday, February 10, 2025, when she attended a naming ceremony.

Witnesses say she received a call during the event, stepped aside to answer it, and left shortly afterward, never to return.

Her worried family reported her missing at the Oja-Oba Police Station in Ilorin on Tuesday, February 11.

Detectives immediately began tracking her phone number, which led them to the suspect’s residence in the Offa Garage district of Ilorin.

Initially, Ballo denied any knowledge of the student’s whereabouts. However, a search of his premises revealed the grim truth. Police discovered Yetunde’s dismembered body hidden in a bowl, alongside tools suspected to have been used in the act.

Confronted with the evidence, Ballo confessed that Yetunde had indeed visited him but claimed she died of an asthma attack.

Investigators, however, suspect foul play, given the condition of the remains and the discovery of ritualistic items in his home.

Police sources suggest this may not have been Ballo’s first offense, as several suspicious tools were found in his possession, indicating a possible pattern of ritual killings.

The family of the deceased is devastated, calling for justice to be served.

Meanwhile, the police say investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the crime and any possible accomplices.

‘My wife fears sex, I fear death’ – impacts of the USAID freeze

Gertrude Okyere — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 14:52:34 +0000

Life for Mike Elvis Tusubira, a motorcycle taxi rider with HIV in Uganda, has been turned upside down since US President Donald Trump halted foreign aid last month.

Not only does the 35-year-old fear for his own survival as he takes life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs – but he says he will have to split up from his wife as they can no longer have safe sex.

His partner is HIV-negative and relies on PrEP, a medicine that reduces the risk of contracting HIV.

“It means that even my marriage will end, because actually without the preventive measures, she’s not going to stay,” he told the BBC.

“No condoms, no [anti-HIV] lubricants, no PrEP, nothing. We can’t stay in marriage without meeting. It means that I have to stay single.”

All the couple’s medicines and contraceptives were supplied thanks to funding from the US government’s main overseas aid agency USAID.

Since the sudden shutdown, which he heard about on social media, they have not been able to replenish their supplies. His wife has completely run out of PrEP now and they are both afraid that relying just on condoms – they have some left – is too risky.

Trump ordered the 90-day pause on foreign aid on his first day back in office, after which stop-work orders began to be issued to organisations funded by USAID.

Mike Elvis Tusubira

Waivers were subsequently issued for humanitarian projects, but by that time the HIV programme Mr Tusubira was part of – run out of Marpi Clinic in the north of the capital, Kampala – had closed.

He phoned his counsellor at the Kiswa Health Centre III in the city to find out what was going on.

“My counsellor was in the village. He told me that he is no longer at the clinic.”

The father of one, who tested positive for HIV in 2022, has since missed a test to determine how much virus is in his blood and the strength of his immune system.

“I’m moving in the dark, in the darkness. I don’t know whether my viral load is suppressed. I’m traumatised.”

He does not think his job driving a motorbike taxi – known locally as a “boda-boda” – will be able to help his family get over the hurdles they now face.

“Some other people say that the drugs will be in private pharmacies… as a boda-boda rider I don’t know whether I can raise the money to sustain my treatment.”

They have also been impacted by the loss of services provided by non-government organisations (NGOs) that received funding from USAID, he says.

His wife was getting her PrEP via an NGO at Marpi and his five-year-old son was benefitting from one that provided school and food for vulnerable children.

“My child is no longer at school now,” he said.

Uganda’s health sector is heavily reliant on donor funding, which supports 70% of its Aids initiatives.

The East African nation is among the top 10 recipients of USAID funds in Africa. According to US government data, the country received $295m (£234m) in health funding from the agency in 2023 – ranking third after Nigeria which received $368m and Tanzania with $337m.

This clinic – a major HIV treatment centre for northern Malawi – locked its gates 18 days ago

USAID also supports its malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy programmes – as well as funding maternal and child health services and emergency health assistance.

Thousands of healthcare workers have been impacted by the US funding freeze.

Dr Shamirah Nakitto, a clinician with Reach Out Mbuya (Rom) – a faith-based community organisation providing medical and psychosocial support to people living with HIV in Uganda – was based at Kisenyi Health Centre IV, which serves a densely populated slum in Kampala.

On average, she attended to 200 patients with HIV/Aids and tuberculosis daily. But after the stop-work order, all Rom-supported health workers were laid off.

Its tuberculosis unit now stands silent and its orphans and vulnerable children section has also been shut at Kisenyi.

“We are waiting for the 90 days. So, this compulsory leave, I hadn’t prepared for it,” she told the BBC.

“It was so abrupt. We didn’t have a proper handover at the facility. We just stopped working.”

Uganda’s health ministry says it is exploring ways to minimise disruptions.

Dr Diana Atwine, the top civil servant at the ministry, urged staff “willing to continue working in the spirit of patriotism as volunteers” to get in contact.

Further south in Malawi, USAID-funded activities have also ground to a halt.

The country received $154m from USAID’s health budget in 2023, making it the 10th largest recipient in Africa.

In the northern city of Mzuzu, the gates are shut at a clinic that has been a key provider of HIV services in the region. Vehicles sit idle; there is no sign of activity at the Macro Mzuzu Clinic. Workers locked the doors, turned off the lights and went home 18 days ago.

Despite the US State Department’s waiver on 28 January allowing the delivery of medicine such as ARVs, many clinics have closed as without the critical staff who co-ordinate USAID’s activities, distributing medicines is a challenge.

Even where services are technically permitted to resume, many contracts remain in limbo. Health workers are unsure of what they can and cannot do.

The Trump administration plans to reduce USAID staff by more than 90%.

Atul Gawande, USAID’s former global health assistant administrator, posted on X that the agency’s workforce would be slashed from 14,000 to 294 – with only 12 staff assigned to Africa.

More than 30 NGOs in Malawi have also been severely impacted by the funding freeze.

Eddah Simfukwe Banda, a 32-year-old subsistence farmer, has been getting ARVs since 2017 from the Macro clinic, where various NGOs were providing HIV programmes.

She is worried about her own fate – and that of her sister-in-law, who also relies on donor-funded medication – and says they little option but to pray.

“We have to pray as Malawians. Those of us that believe depend on a God who opens doors when one is closed,” she told the BBC.

The mother of three, who has a three-week supply of ARVs left, also said systemic failures were to blame: “As Malawians, we depend too much on receiving aid. At times we are lazy and squander and rely on other countries to help us.

“Let this be a lesson that we have to be independent,” she said.

But this is difficult for one of the poorest and most aid-dependent countries in the world. According to the World Bank, Malawi is vulnerable to external shocks – including prolonged droughts, cyclones and erratic rainfall.

A disruption of this magnitude in its healthcare system presents an enormous challenge.

For decades, the US has been Africa’s most significant public health partner.

In particular through its ground-breaking programme to counter the global spread of HIV, which was launched in 2003. Called the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), it has saved more than 25 million lives.

According to head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), USAID gave $8bn of aid assistance to Africa over the past year.

“Seventy-three per cent went to healthcare,” Jean Kaseya told BBC Newsday last month.

Health experts warn that replacing this funding will be extremely difficult.

African governments have made strides in reducing aid dependency. Kenya now funds nearly 60% of its HIV response. South Africa covers almost 80%.

But for many low-income nations, debt burdens, climate disasters and economic shocks make self-sufficiency nearly impossible.

Amref Health Africa, one of the leading health NGOs on the continent, warns that without urgent action, global health security is at risk.

“This would require African governments and Africa CDC to increase their own funding, which is almost impossible under the current debt distress conditions,” its CEO Dr Githinji Gitahi told the BBC.

“With accelerating outbreaks from climate change and human-environmental conflict, this would leave the world fragile and unsafe – not only for Africa but for everyone.”

Worldwide in 2023, there were 630,000 Aids-related deaths and 1.5 million new infections.

While infection rates have been declining in the worst-affected countries, the impact of the USAID shutdown could reverse these gains.

“If you take away this major contribution by the United States government, we expect that in the next five years, there’ll be an additional 6.3 million Aids-related deaths,” Winnie Byanyima, the head of UNAids, told the BBC’s Africa Daily podcast this week.

“There will be 8.7 million new infections, 3.4 million additional Aids orphans. I don’t want to sound like a prophet of doom, but I have a duty to give the facts as we see them.”

The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has also warned of the dangers of interrupting HIV treatments.

“HIV medicines must be taken daily or people run the risk of developing resistance or deadly health complications,” Tom Ellman, from MSF Southern Africa, has said in a statement.

Back in Uganda, Mr Tusubira feels bleak about the future.

He has about 30 days left of his ARV medication – and may opt to leave Kampala and go home to his village after that.

“At least it will be a bit simpler. If I die, they just bury me there, instead of disturbing my people here in Kampala.

“Because I have no way I can live here without ARV services.”

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