In the Democratic Republic of the Congo six children were killed in tunnel collapses while mining for cobalt. In response International Rights Advocates has filed a legal complaint on behalf of 14 families from the DRC against Tesla Inc, Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc, Dell Technologies Inc. and Microsoft Corp. The complaint is accusing these corporations of taking part in a… Read more »
Five of the world’s largest tech companies have been accused in a landmark lawsuit of being complicit in the deaths of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who were forced to mine cobalt, a metal used to make telephones and computers. The legal complaint on behalf of 14 families from the DRC was filed on Sunday by… Read more »
Lagos, Nigeria – Tens of thousands of Nigerians have banded together online to call for the scrapping of a bill which, they say, threatens to roll back internet freedoms in the country. The proposed legislation – officially named the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill 2019 – would allow Nigeria‘s government to cut off internet access or block specific social media platforms… Read more »
A prominent critic of Liberian President George Weah has landed in the country before anti-government protests planned for later this month. Hundreds of cheering supporters welcomed Henry Costa after his arrival on Thursday. The host of a popular radio show, Costa frequently criticised Weah before authorities closed his station in October. “I am very excited seeing such a crowd here… Read more »
Ethiopia has launched its first satellite into space, as more sub-Saharan African nations strive to develop space programmes to advance their development goals and encourage scientific innovation. Before dawn on Friday, senior officials and citizens gathered at the Entoto Observatory and Research Centre just north of the capital Addis Ababa to watch a live broadcast of the satellite’s launch from a… Read more »
In Zambia, Japhet Chataba and Steven Samba have been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the crime of being gay. Zambia laws resemble those of the British colonial era. Homosexuality is covered by Sodomy laws that condemns bestiality. In Zambia homosexuality is viewed as a from of insanity and considered immoral. Section 155 (“Unnatural Offences”) of Zambia’s penal code… Read more »
Nairobi’s controversial governor Mike Sonko has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a multi-million dollar corruption scandal. The director of public prosecutions said the investigation had been challenging because of repeated attempts by the accused to obstruct it. Mr Sonko is known for his love of gold jewellery and clothing. He has previously described the allegation as a witch-hunt… Read more »
The US ambassador to Zambia has said he has been threatened over his comments on the sentencing of a gay couple, deepening a diplomatic row. Daniel Foote said he was “horrified” by the jailing of Japhet Chataba and Steven Samba. A judge quashed an appeal against their conviction last week, sentencing them both to 15 years in prison. Same-sex relationships… Read more »
In our series of letters from African writers, journalist Waihiga Mwaura asks whether Kenya’s divides can ever be bridged. Twenty-one months ago, Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga and his bitter rival President Uhuru Kenyatta kissed and made up – metaphorically. In fact they shook hands for the cameras – in what became known as “the Handshake”. Image copyright Getty Images… Read more »
Namibia’s President Hage Geingob has been re-elected for a second term, the country’s electoral commission says. Mr Geingob polled 56.3% in Wednesday’s election, well ahead of his nearest rival Panduleni Itula with 29.4%. However, Mr Geingob’s tally was well down from the 87% with which he won his first term in 2014. He went on social media to thank Namibians… Read more »