Apex court clears path for Finance Act 2023, sparking public outrage, concerns over rising costs

The conflict has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis, and clashes have killed nearly 16,000 people and displaced millions

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Tuesday to discuss efforts aimed at reaching a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. According to the local website Qahera News, Blinken arrived in the town of El-Alamein, northern Egypt, where he will hold meetings with top Egyptian officials. Blinken will meet separately with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Later in the day, he will travel to Qatar to meet top Qatari officials to continue talks on Gaza cease-fire efforts. This is Blinken’s ninth Mideast tour since Oct. 7, which started with Israel where on Monday he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

Africa is rapidly establishing itself as a dynamic center of innovation and entrepreneurship

Thirteen inmates, including Collins Jumaisi, the prime suspect in the gruesome murders of 42 women on Tuesday morning, escaped from a Nairobi police cell, authorities have confirmed. Speaking to local media, Kenya police spokesperson Resila Atieno Onyango confirmed the daring breakout occurred at the Gigiri Police Station in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Jumaisi, who had confessed to killing 42 women, including his wife, had been awaiting trial for his heinous crimes, police said he escaped along with 12 other inmates and a massive manhunt involving various security agencies is currently underway. The director of criminal investigations, Mohamed Amin, confirmed the escape and stated, “It is very unfortunate, and our officers are pursuing the group.” Jumaisi, known for the Mukuru murders, where the bodies of his female victims were found in a water-filled quarry in Nairobi’s Embakasi area, missed his scheduled court appearance last Friday. This has intensified public outrage and raised concerns about the effectiveness of the justice and security systems. The apparent ease of the breakout from Gigiri Police Station, which is known for its high security due to its proximity to several embassies, has led to speculation about potential security breaches or collusion.

Sudan faces a new challenge in the midst of a 16-month conflict between the military and a paramilitary group as health authorities declared a cholera epidemic. Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said 22 people have died and 354 cases of the disease have been confirmed across the country in recent weeks. The World Health Organization said recently that 78 deaths from cholera were recorded in Sudan between 1 January and 28 July this year. Cholera is a highly contagious infection transmitted through ingesting contaminated food or water and can kill within hours without treatment. Seasonal floods in recent weeks have exacerbated the situation with critical infrastructure washed away in 12 of Sudan’s 18 provinces, making access to clean water difficult for many. Ibrahim said outbreak was “because of the weather conditions and because drinking water has been contaminated”. The conflict in Sudan has further battered what was an already weak healthcare system, displaced more than 10 million people, and pushed many into starvation. The WHO on Friday said cases of dengue fever and meningitis infections were also on the rise. A new round of talks aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan began in Switzerland last Wednesday, despite the army’s absence.

A horrific bus crash in Uganda has claimed the lives of eight people and injured dozens more.

Rail bottlenecks have significantly hindered South Africa’s coal exports, but Thungela CEO believes the worst is over.

The accused have pleaded not guilty, while police have apologized for insensitive comments made by an officer.

Malawi’s drought crisis is eased with a $11.2 million insurance payout, which will be used to provide food aid and support to over 300,000 households.

The RSF reported that the SAF’s airstrikes targeted populated neighborhoods and water stations, resulting in dozens of civilian casualties, including women and children

Ugandan government introduces new road safety measures following rise in accidents

The renovated building will be used for cultural events with community involvement, marking a new era of heritage preservation.

A price war between Uber, Bolt, and local rivals has pushed Kenyan taxi drivers to the brink.

The UN is sounding the alarm on a deepening child malnutrition crisis in the Middle East, with one in three children affected.

On Sunday, Dodoma Regional Police Commander Theopista Mallya was quoted in a Tanzanian newspaper as saying the woman in the video “appeared to be engaged in sex work”

Bondholders have rejected the government’s proposed debt haircut, setting the stage for tense negotiations.

The African diaspora, scattered across the globe, remains steadfastly connected to the continen

The UN has called for an end to violence against aid personnel as the country faces a perfect storm of crises, including food insecurity, displacement, and economic collapse.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is working to reintegrate Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger into the regional bloc. According to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), the ECOWAS Parliamentary Joint Committee Meeting was held in Abidjan, the former capital of Côte d’Ivoire. Benjamin Kalu, Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives and chair of the meeting, stated that the departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS would exacerbate security issues in the region. Kalu noted that ECOWAS Parliament is using diplomacy to resolve the issues with these three countries, saying, “We will keep the doors open for them to return to this family. We need them.” He also mentioned that committee members from the ECOWAS Parliament will soon visit Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s Departure Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS in February, forming the Sahel States Alliance (AES) and held their first summit in Niamey, Niger, on July 6. At the summit, a joint declaration was signed to establish the “Confederation of Sahel States” consisting of the three countries, and Malian President Assimi Goita was elected as the rotating president of AES for one year.

 The Algerian president has announced that his country is ready to build three hospitals in the Gaza Strip if the land border crossing between Egypt and the enclave is reopened. Abdelmadjid Tebboune made his statement on Sunday while campaigning for the presidential election scheduled for Sept. 7, according to an Anadolu reporter. In his presidential bid, Tebboune faces two other candidates: Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, the leader of the Movement for a Society of Peace (the largest Islamist party), and Youcef Aouchiche, the first secretary of the Socialist Forces Front (a leftist and the oldest opposition party). “In case the border between Egypt and Gaza is opened, we will build three hospitals within 20 days,” Tebboune said, referring to field hospitals that the Algerian military is capable of constructing. Previously, Tebboune had enquired about the military’s capacity to build such hospitals and the feasibility of sending them to Gaza under suitable conditions during the opening of the Algeria International Fair in June. Addressing his supporters, Tebboune also expressed readiness to send hundreds of doctors to Gaza and assist in rebuilding what has been destroyed. He condemned the current situation in Gaza as “not a war, but massacres perpetrated by the Zionist occupation,” asserting that the resolution of the Palestinian issue through the “extermination of Palestinians” is unacceptable. Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. The Israeli onslaught has since killed nearly 40,100 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 92,500, according to local health authorities. More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

Kenya will soon present a revised eco-levy tax in Parliament. Treasury Secretary John Mbadi announced that “about 49 measures” are under consideration as part of the tax amendment bill. The new eco-levy aims to address pollution and waste management at both the office and household levels, but will exclude sanitary towels—a change from the initial proposal. Companies will still face scrutiny, including a 10 percent levy on locally manufactured plastics, despite opposition from Coca-Cola. Mbadi defended the tax, emphasizing that environmental harm should be compensated. The government is also extending the tax amnesty period by six months. This revision follows the cancellation of Kenya’s Finance Bill 2024 in June due to protests, which led President William Ruto to explore alternative revenue sources. Opposition leaders are now urging the Judiciary to resist any attempt to reintroduce the rejected bill.

In Nigeria’s Benue State, a ransom has been demanded for 20 medical students kidnapped on April 15. Adeniran Adebanjo, spokesperson for the Student Union Government (SUG) at Jos University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, revealed that the armed kidnappers have reached out to the families of the abducted students. The kidnappers are demanding 50 million Naira (around 30 thousand USD) for the students’ release. The students were abducted in the Otukpo area of Benue State. Benue State Police spokesperson Catherine Anene confirmed that efforts are underway to rescue the kidnapped students. The armed assailants targeted a bus carrying medical students traveling from Benue State to Enugu State on April 15, resulting in the kidnapping. Despite the death penalty for kidnapping in Nigeria, ransom abductions remain common. Armed groups frequently target northern villages, schools, and travelers to demand ransoms.

 Seven people went missing after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm 20 kilometers east of Palermo in southern Italy, while 15 others were rescued, according to media reports. The incident took place around 5 a.m. local time (0300GMT) when the 56-meters-long (184 feet) boat sank due to heavy rains and stormy weather off the coast of Porticello, 20 kilometers (over 12.4 miles) east of Palermo, media outlets reported. Coastguards and the fire department have rescued 15 people, and a search for the remaining seven is underway, the Italian fire department said in a statement. The British-flagged boat sank to a depth of 49 meters (nearly 161 feet), and a helicopter is also assisting with the operations, it said. The people on the yacht were from the UK, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, France, Ireland, US and Canada. A one-year-old child was among those rescued and taken to a children’s hospital in Palermo for medical care.