Month: February 2024

Gas explosions at an industrial building in Kenya’s capital killed at least two people and injured 200 others, sending a fiery smoke plume rising over homes early Friday, authorities said.

The deaths of an adult and a minor were confirmed as of 4:30 a.m. and the toll may rise as the day breaks, said Wesley Kimeto, police chief for the Embakasi neighbourhood where the explosions occurred.

A company was refilling gas cylinders when the fire started and it badly damaged the building where the company was based, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said.

The fire started around midnight, and firefighters Friday morning were still putting out flames that had spread to nearby warehouses. The initial cause of the fire was unknown.

Nairobi residents who took several videos of the fire with their phones were heard speaking in concerned tones, some of them screaming.

The proximity of the industrial company to residences raised questions about enforcement of city plans.

Officials at the county government have been accused of taking bribes to overlook building codes and regulations.

Residents of a swampy area in central South Sudan battled with cattle herders who moved in looking for water and pasture during the dry season, and at least 38 people were killed and 52 suffered gunshot wounds, officials said Thursday.

The fighting started Wednesday and tensions remained high Thursday night, with officials reporting “minor clashes” and apprehension over revenge attacks in the remote area.

The information minister of Warrap state, William Wol Mayom, said fighting took place in the Alor area, which is in Lakes state and borders both Warrap and Unity states.

Mayom said security forces had been sent to calm the situation and to move the cattle herders away from the disputed wet lands.

“The violence has been de-escalated, but minor clashes are still being reported in inaccessible swampy areas and casualties cannot be fully verified,” Mayom said.

A police spokesperson for Lakes state, Maj. Elijah Mabor Makuach, said 19 of the dead and 17 of the wounded were civilians from Warrap state and 19 of the dead and 35 wounded were from Lakes state.

Makuach said young herders from Warrap migrated to the Alor area with their cattle two weeks ago and began burning brush and the temporary shelters of residents. He said the herders were looking for pasture and water in the swampy lands of Alor.

The bloodshed came four days after at least 52 people, including a U.N. peacekeeper, were killed and 64 wounded by gunmen who attacked villagers in Abyei, an oil-rich region that is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan. Officials said that violence also arose from a dispute over land.

South Sudan won its independence from Sudan in 2011 after more than 39 years of war and then plunged into a ruinous internal conflict from 2013 to 2018 that stagnated development. Many guns remain in the hands of civilians who fought in the conflicts.

Bay FC, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League in the USA, has acquired Nigerian striker Asisat Oshoala from FC Barcelona.

Oshoala is one of the best players in the history of the Nigeria national team. She is the first Nigerian to score in three Women’s World Cups.

Known for her bright hair colors, Oshoala joined Barcelona in 2019 and has since scored 107 goals in 149 matches. She has made 14 appearances, including three starts, for Barcelona this season, scoring eight goals.

Oshoala was left out of Barcelona’s 6-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday in Spain’s top women’s league due to personal reasons.

“I want something different. If you follow my career for a long time, you realize that I get bored easily,” Oshoala said in an interview with the Associated Press. ” I don’t stay in one place for long. I stay two or three years and I want to try something else. I have played on several continents and I want to play elsewhere. ”

Oshoala caught the eye at last year’s World Cup when she scored the decisive goal, as a substitute, in Nigeria’s 3-2 victory over hosts Australia in the group stage. In the round of 16, Nigeria were eliminated on penalties after a 0–0 draw against England.

“She is such a physical force,” Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum said of Oshoala at the time. “She can create problems – the third goal was huge. When we talked about her role – she’s like every player, she wants to be on the pitch all the time – I said: ‘I have a feeling, come in for the last 30 minutes and make the difference'”.

Most recently, Oshoala was named in the Nigeria squad that qualified for the 2024 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco. Oshoala has won the African Women’s Player of the Year award six times. In 2022, she became the first African to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or.

Besides FC Barcelona, ​​she played professionally for Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chinese club Dailan. She helped FC Barcelona win two Champions Leagues. With Bay FC, Oshoala said she wanted to win trophies.

“One thing I know is that I’m not going to ask my teammates for what I don’t give them,” she said. “When I say I’m not going to ask my teammates for what I’m not giving, I’m not going to ask you to run when I’m not running. So I’m going to work and work for the team. That’s what I bring. I bring the necessary energy.

She must obtain her visa and international transfer before she can join Bay FC, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Oshoala signed until 2026, with an option for 2027.

Bay FC is the 14th team in the NWSL. The season begins March 16 with a game against Angel City in Los Angeles.

Ghana’s ex-president and main opposition figure, John Dramani Mahama, has voiced his opposition to LGBTQ practices, citing conflict with his Christian faith. According to reports from Reuters, Mahama stated, “The faith I have will not allow me to accept a man marrying a man, and a woman marrying a woman.”

Addressing a gathering of Ghanaian religious leaders on Wednesday, Mahama expressed skepticism towards gender identity transitions, saying, “I don’t believe that anybody can get up and say I feel like a man although I was born a woman and so I will change and become a man.”

The LGBTQ rights debate has intensified in Ghana, with the country’s parliament currently deliberating a controversial anti-LGBTQ bill. If passed, the legislation will impose severe penalties on LGBTQ community members.

Provisions include forbidding Ghanaians from identifying as LGBTQ and increasing the maximum sentence for same-sex activities from three to five years. Additionally, the bill prohibits advocating for LGBTQ rights.

Ghana already criminalizes gay sex, carrying a three-year prison sentence. The anti-LGBTQ bill has sparked widespread discussion and concern within the country.

John Dramani Mahama, who served as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2017, lost his bid for a second term in the 2016 elections to current President Nana Akufo-Addo. The 65-year-old is now vying for re-election in the upcoming December presidential elections, representing the main opposition party National Democratic Congress.

Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, is challenging the pervasive “blanket stereotyping” of Nigerians as cybercriminals, asserting that such generalizations distort the true image of the West African nation.

Tinubu emphasized that such a narrative unfairly stains the reputation of the majority of law-abiding citizens.

Addressing the issue during a private tour in France, President Tinubu conveyed his concerns about the longstanding mislabeling of Nigerians, stating that such misrepresentation fails to capture the diverse and resilient nature of the nation.

Deputy President Kashim Shettima read Tinubu’s speech, where he highlighted the lack of statistical evidence supporting the association of internet crimes with the entire Nigerian populace.

Tinubu went on to stress that everyday Nigerians are hardworking, honest citizens who make significant contributions to various global fields, including artificial intelligence and medicine. He urged against overlooking the positive contributions of the majority due to the actions of a few.

In 2020, the FBI ranked Nigeria 16th among countries most affected by cybercrime. The Nigerian Communications Commission reported that cybercrime costs the country $500 million (£395 million) annually.

President Tinubu’s remarks aim to challenge stereotypes and promote a more nuanced understanding of Nigeria and its people, urging the international community to recognize the nation’s diverse talents and contributions beyond the negative portrayal associated with cybercrime statistics.

Zambia’s ex-President, Edgar Lungu, has urged citizens to demand an early election, alleging that his successor, Hakainde Hichilema (HH), has mismanaged the nation’s economy.

Lungu also criticized Hichilema for his handling of the cholera outbreak, which has claimed nearly 600 lives since October.

Addressing the public on Wednesday, Lungu emphasized the need for Zambians to exert pressure on President Hichilema, stating that an early election is “imperative.” He urged citizens to vocalize their demand for Hichilema’s resignation and the initiation of early elections.

Responding swiftly to Lungu’s statements, government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa dismissed the allegations, urging Zambians to afford the president sufficient time to fulfill his campaign promises. Mweetwa also accused the former president of damaging the country’s economy during his six-year tenure.

Lungu, who announced his political comeback in October, faced the consequence of the government withdrawing his retirement benefits.

Having retired from politics in 2021 following a significant defeat in the presidential election, Lungu’s return sets the stage for a potentially contentious 2026 presidential race.

As tensions escalate between the former and current leaders, Zambians find themselves at the crossroads of political decisions that will shape the nation’s future.