NEWS - The African Mirror

Jul

14

2023

Fame-crazed Nigerians sing and cook their way to the record book

NEWS

A Nigerian man has completed more than 200 hours singing, another managed a 100-hour live video on Instagram, while a masseuse's bid to massage people for 75 hours ended in exhaustion. The three are among more than a dozen Nigerians aiming to set Guinness World Records in the latest craze to hit Africa's most populous nation. After Nigerian chef Hilda Bassey completed the longest-ever cooking session by an individual, Nigerians across the country began seeking their own records, hoping for instant fame. Bassey's "cookathon" captivated the nation of 200 million people, as politicians and celebrities rallied behind her. Then Lagos-based gospel…

Jul

14

2023

By The African Mirror

Senegal disputes reports 300 migrants lost at sea, migrant group disagrees

NEWS

AUTHORITIES in Senegal have disputed reports that 300 people travelling on three migrant boats from Senegal to Spain's Canary Islands disappeared last week as "unfounded" and said hundreds had been rescued in Moroccan territorial waters. But the migrant aid group that originally reported the missing boats, Walking Borders, said it believed those on the three boats were still missing. Walking Borders on Sunday said two boats, one carrying about 65 people and the other with between 50 and 60 on board, had been missing for 15 days since they left Senegal for Spain. A third boat left on June 27 with…

Jul

14

2023

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Boxing legend Mayweather attends political rally in Zimbabwe

NEWS

FORMER world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather attended a political campaign event in Zimbabwe, part of the ruling party's attempts to woo youth voters ahead of a general election next month. Mayweather was welcomed with song and dance by ZANU PF party supporters in Mabvuku, one of Zimbabwe's oldest townships, on the outskirts of the capital Harare. One of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's closest allies, gold magnate Scott Sakupwanya, who is looking to reclaim a parliamentary seat from the opposition, said he had invited Mayweather. "People thought I was lying when I said I would bring Mayweather, but he is here. This…

Jul

14

2023

By DAVID BARATOUX, AZIZ DIABY KASSAMBA, MARC HARRIS YAO FORTUNE, MARIE KORSAGA AND PANCRACE AKA

Côte d’Ivoire is launching its first satellite for Earth observation – and it’s locally made

NEWS

CÔTE d’Ivoire has announced plans to launch its first satellite within the next two years. A team of scientists in the fields of astrophysics and geology tell The Conversation Africa about the potential benefits of this development and how the country plans to realise its space industry ambitions. What kind of satellite does Côte d'Ivoire plan to launch? YAM-SAT-CI 01 will be a nanosatellite for the observation of the Earth. A nanosatellite is a small satellite, weighing from 1kg to 10kg. It will be equipped with a camera which can provide images of the coast, forests, natural parks and urban…

Jul

14

2023

By CAMILLUS EBOH

Nigerian judge says central bank chief must be released or charged

NEWS

NIGERIA'S High Court ordered the state security service to release the country's detained and suspended central bank governor Godwin Emefiele or charge him within a week. Emefiele was suspended by new President Bola Tinubu more than a month ago on June 9 and arrested a day later by the Department of State Security. Papers filed by government lawyers showed that Emefiele is facing criminal charges including misappropriation of funds, meaning he could face long jail terms if convicted. But he has not been formally charged or appeared in court. Emefiele and his lawyers have appealed against his detention but have…

Jul

13

2023

By The African MIrror

Uganda imposes levy on foreign digital companies’ income

NEWS

UGANDA'S parliament late passed a new tax law that imposes a 5% levy on income earned in the country by foreign providers of digital communications services such as Twitter and Meta's Facebook. Authorities in the East African country have been exploring ways of tapping into the fast-expanding digital economy to help boost revenue needed to pay off mounting public debt. The Ugandan parliament said in a Twitter post that lawmakers had passed a new tax law called "The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023" containing the new levy. The new law "will also tax non-resident providers of digital services in Uganda such…

Jul

13

2023

By The African Mirror

Manhunt in SA after 6 die in mass shooting

NEWS

SOUTH African police have launched a manhunt after six people were killed and four others wounded in the latest mass shooting in a country with one of the world's highest murder rates. The shooting took place on Tuesday evening in the Kwanobuhle township in the Eastern Cape province, on the outskirts of the town of Kariega where Volkswagen has a car plant. Three unknown men entered a yard in Kwanobuhle and opened fire, police said. Two women were shot at the gate, one of whom succumbed to her injuries. A further eight people were shot, five of whom were killed.…

Jul

13

2023

By The African Mirror

“Tuna King” – Mozambique ex- Finance Minister – extradited to US to face trial

NEWS

MOZAMBIQUE'S former finance minister, Manuel Chang, was extradited to the United States from South Africa to face charges for his alleged role in a $2 billion debt scandal, the South African justice ministry said. Chang, who has denied wrongdoing, had been detained in South Africa since 2018 when he was arrested at the request of the United States on charges including money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud. Mozambique subsequently also requested his extradition, and the two countries fought over possession of Chang via both the courts and diplomatic channels. South Africa's constitutional court denied Mozambique leave to appeal in…

Jul

13

2023

By NICK SAID

Still a long road for Semenya despite winning discrimination ruling

NEWS

DOUBLE Olympic 800 metres champion Caster Semenya has taken a potentially small step towards competing at Paris 2024 but there is a long way to go in her battle against World Athletics regulations that have kept her largely idle for four years. South African Semenya, an athlete with differences in sexual development (DSDs), has been involved in a legal battle over regulations that prohibit her from running unless she medically lowers her natural testosterone levels. The 32-year-old middle-distance runner first took her fight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sport's highest court, and later the Swiss Federal Tribunal…

Jul

13

2023

By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Angola, Congo and Zambia bet on iconic railway to tap critical minerals

NEWS

UNTIL the 1970s, the Lobito rail corridor was one of the busiest transport routes in Africa, linking Southern and Central Africa's inland markets with the rest of the world and serving as the shortest export route for goods and commodities flowing to Europe and America. The iconic railway built nearly 100 years ago was part of a vast extractive network facilitating trade in, among other things, copper, cobalt, coal, zinc, lead, timber, sugar, maise, and coffee. However, after civil war broke out in Angola in 1975, rail operations were suspended by Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and…