Africa

Liberian Vice-President Jeremiah Koung praised the security forces for the operation and said whosoever was found culpable would “feel the full weight of the law, regardless of who you are”. The Duazon operation follows the interception of six cargo boxes at Roberts International Airport last month after security officers detected …

Somalia’s government has told the BBC it is concerned about WhatsApp’s plan to launch a new feature that would let people chat using usernames rather than phone numbers, saying it could pose a security risk. Communications and Technology Minister Ahmed Osman Dirie said it could make it harder to trace …

Police in Ethiopia say they have arrested 17 suspects including the alleged leader of what they say is a multi-million-dollar international human trafficking network. The gang is accused of “the deaths of 60 migrants”, sexually abusing many women, and torturing Ethiopian migrants in Yemen – allegedly collecting more than 1bn …

Queens Park Rangers have signed right-back Tariq Lamptey on a free transfer following his departure from Serie A side Fiorentina. The 25-year-old moved to the Italian club from Brighton in September 2025 but made only two appearances after sustaining a serious knee injury. Lamptey started his career with Chelsea, making …

Ghana’s main opposition party has reacted with anger after one of its most influential leaders was sentenced to 20 years in jail, with hard labour, for illegal mining offences. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) alleged that the landmark judgement against Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the party’s chairman for the Ashanti region, …

Four Nigerian policeman, accused of setting up an illegal checkpoint to extort money from drivers, picked on the wrong man: the head of one of the country’s anti-corruption agencies. Musa Aliyu, who leads the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, has alleged that he was stopped while driving …

All kick-off times GMT. Sunday, 26 July Group A: Algeria v Senegal, Olympic Stadium, Rabat, (17:00 GMT) Group A: Morocco v Kenya, Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat, (20:00 GMT) Monday, 27 July Group B: South Africa v Tanzania, Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca, (17:00 GMT) Group B: Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso, …

One of Africa’s most ambitious energy infrastructure projects has finally been signed off at the highest level, with West African leaders formally endorsing the long-awaited Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline. “Don’t be surprised when the gas comes your way,” quipped Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone’s president and the current head of …

The pattern has now become wearily familiar in Nigeria. Many die in a boat accident; officials say the regulations should be followed; their calls are ignored; campaigners say the resources are not available; another tragedy happens. This time, a search-and-rescue team is looking for survivors of a capsized wooden canoe …

Eight people died and nine others were injured in a crush during an evangelical gathering in Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura. Saturday’s tragic incident happened at a school where prominent Burundian preacher Chris Ndikumana was appearing at the event attended by thousands of people. Eyewitnesses and the police said a wall …

Speaking to the BBC, three Puntland security officials separately identified the craft hijacked on Friday as a tanker named MT Astana. They added that it was seized by seven gunmen who had set off from a remote area near the Puntland port town of Garacad before making their way to …

Algeria is experiencing an intense summer heatwave with firefighters also battling several wildfires across the north of the country. News of the orphanage fire has shocked and outraged many. “May God have mercy on them,” the civil defence unit said, external as it announced the death toll on Thursday, several …

A Ghanaian TikToker has been sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news over posts she had made about President John Mahama. Last month and early this month, Camilla Alhassan shared a series of videos alleging, without providing evidence, …

Former Ivory Coast defender Emmanuel Eboue told the BBC before the tournament that African sides were susceptible to conceding late goals because of a lack of concentration. His assertion was born out as DR Congo and the Ivorians both conceded winners in the 86th minute of their last-32 ties, while …

At least 20 schoolchildren and one adult have been killed after a bus carrying pupils on a study trip crashed in eastern Uganda, local officials say, in one of the country’s deadliest road accidents involving children in recent years. Dozens of others, including school staff, were injured in the crash …

All businesses and other institutions in Ghana must now use a biometric app scanner to check national identity cards under new rules aimed at strengthening security and curbing fraud. Until now many of them have just visually checked or photocopied the card for their records, which has made it possible …

Eleven people have died in a fire at a foster care facility in Algiers, Algeria’s capital city. The country’s civil protection department said 19 others were injured in the blaze, which firefighters were still attempting to extinguish at 06:50 local time (05:50 GMT) on Thursday. Authorities did not specify the …

Immigration – especially undocumented migration – has become a highly contentious political issue in South Africa, with protesters accusing them of placing pressure on public services, as well as being involved in crime. March and March had set an unofficial deadline of 30 June for all migrants without papers to …

Kenya’s High Court has dismissed a bid by a Rastafarian group seeking to legalise the use of cannabis for religious purposes. The Rastafarian community had argued that the ban on smoking cannabis infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and belief guaranteed under the constitution. In a landmark judgement, …

Workers’ unions have previously warned against job losses in South Africa’s mining sector, which employs almost half a million people, external and accounts for more than 4% of national GDP, external. De Beers is majority-owned by Anglo American, which is reportedly trying to sell it and shift focus to the …