Burkina Faso’s junta announced a ban on all political parties, whose activities have been suspended since the military seized power in 2022. Junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré has been criticised for suppressing dissent and the move will be seen as the latest move to tighten control. According to Burkina Faso’s Interior Minister Emile Zerbo, the ban is part of plans to “rebuild the state” after what he said were “numerous abuses” in the country’s multiparty system. Zerbo said the system had been “promoting division among citizens and weakening the social fabric”. Parties were previously banned from holding public gatherings but…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Bipartisan senators blocked a massive spending bill Thursday, as eleventh-hour talks continue to avoid a costly partial government shutdown that looms at the week’s end. All Democrats, who are pushing to force changes to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies in the wake of Alex Pretti’s fatal encounter with federal agents in Minneapolis, voted not to advance the six-bill funding package. Instead, they are demanding that Republicans and the White House agree to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which houses ICE, from the rest of the package so it can be renegotiated. Seven conservatives joined Democrats in…
Cinemas in South Africa will not be showing the documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump that is due to be released around the world on Friday. The South African distributor Filmfinity has decided not to release it, its head of sales and marketing told the New York Times and South Africa-based website News24. The company was not explicit about the reasons behind the move. The film, Melania, is not promoted on the websites of the country’s main cinema chains. One Cape Town independent cinema contacted by the BBC said that it was called by Filmfinity and told not to…
Sustained heavy gunfire and loud explosions have been heard in Niger near the international airport outside the capital, Niamey. Multiple eyewitness accounts and videos showed air defence systems apparently engaging unidentified projectiles in the early hours of Thursday. The situation later calmed down, reports say, with an official reportedly saying the situation was now under control, without elaborating. It is not clear what caused the blasts, or if there were any casualties. There has been no official statement from the military government. The gunfire and blasts began shortly after midnight, according to residents of a neighbourhood near the Diori Hamani…
Democratic US Senator Amy Klobuchar has said she is running for governor in her home state of Minnesota amid the tumult of an ongoing immigration crackdown. In a video released on Thursday, she called for unity across all parties, billing herself as someone who could heal political divisions and was “willing to find common ground”. Her candidacy comes after the incumbent governor, Tim Walz, announced he would end his re-election campaign early amid criticism of his handling of a fraud scandal in the state. Klobuchar, a four-term senator, reportedly delayed her announcement after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti on…
Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper Nicki Minaj declared herself to be Donald Trump’s “number one fan” on Wednesday, while also showing off her Trump “gold card” visa, which offers applicants residency and a path to US citizenship. The US President called the star up on stage in Washington DC after she announced her support for the so-called “Trump Accounts”, which provide trust funds for children. Previously a critic of Trump’s hardline immigation policies, Minaj, who came to the US with her parents as a child, has praised his leadership in recent years. It comes at a time of protests after Immigration…
China has agreed to allow British citizens to travel to the country for up to 30 days without a visa, Downing Street has said. The announcement came after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met President Xi Jinping in Beijing, as he became the first British leader to visit the country in eight years. The government is seeking closer trade ties with Beijing to help boost economic growth. However, critics have argued the UK should have a more cautious relationship with China because of the risk to national security and the country’s human rights record. There is no date for when…
A Chinese national who exposed human rights abuses in Xinjiang has been granted asylum in the United States, after an immigration judge found he had a “well founded fear” of persecution if he returned to China. In 2020, Guan Heng secretly filmed detention facilitates in the north-western Chinese region, where human rights groups say more than one million ethnic Uyghurs have been detained against their will. Guan, 38, applied for asylum after arriving in the US illegally in 2021, but was detained in August as part of a mass deportation campaign by the Trump administration. Plans to deport him to…
Senegal manager Pape Thiaw has been banned for five games after the chaotic scenes during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco this month. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) issued Thiaw with a $100,000 (£72,000) fine, saying he was guilty of “unsporting conduct” and “bringing the game into disrepute”. It was one of a number of fines handed out, totalling almost £1m, following the game. The final on 18 January in Rabat, which Senegal went on to win 1-0, descended into disarray when Senegal’s players left the field after Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty. Thiaw, still…
The Ministry of Health revealed the country lost a staggering Sh11 billion in six months in yet another scandal at the Social Health Authority. Even after the installation of what was termed as tight procedures and a waterproof IT system to secure hard-earned deductions from Kenyan employees, the billions were still siphoned through fictitious surgeries and fraudulent claims by health facilities, with the help of SHA workers. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale disclosed a new trend where expectant women were forced to undergo surgeries during childbirth, some of which were unnecessary, to inflate claims. As part of a crackdown on…
Two federal officers involved in Saturday’s shooting of Alex Pretti have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. The sources told ABC News this is standard operating procedure when there is an officer-i1212123451nvolved shooting. It is standard protocol for agents involved in shootings to be placed on administrative leave while internal investigations are conducted. One federal officer involved is a Border Patrol agent and the other is a Customs and Border Protection officer, according to a Department of Homeland Security notification to Congress, obtained by ABC News on Tuesday. Both discharged their weapons,…
The government of Ecuador has condemned what it described as an attempt by a US federal immigration agent to enter the Ecuadorean consulate in Minneapolis. The agent was prevented from gaining access by consular officials, who acted “to guarantee the protection of the Ecuadoreans who were inside the consulate at the time”, a statement by Ecuador’s foreign ministry said. Ecuador, whose president is an ally of Trump, has filed an official complaint. The incident comes at a time of high tension in the US city, just days after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by border agents during…
Digital photographs play an important role in our lives. They are more than just digital files – they preserve memories, emotions, milestones, and moments that cannot be easily recreated. Whether it’s your childhood photos, travel memories, or any other picture that holds immense personal and emotional value, losing them due to sudden corruption or unexpected damage can be extremely distressing. Photo corruption has become a common problem in today’s digital world. There are several reasons, such as interrupted file transfers, faulty memory cards, virus attacks, power failures, or even simple storage errors, that can cause your photos to become corrupted.…
The United Opposition on Wednesday evening held talks with officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), raising serious concerns over the credibility and independence of the electoral body ahead of the 2027 General Election. Speaking after the meeting, opposition leaders said the Commission was increasingly viewed by the public as being aligned to President William Ruto’s administration, a perception they warned could undermine confidence in future elections. “The IEBC, in its current form, is widely perceived as a William Ruto commission. This is not just the view of the opposition but a growing national sentiment,” said Wiper Party…
IShowSpeed, one of the world’s most popular content creators, is set to receive a Ghanaian passport following his highly anticipated trip to the West African nation. Ghana was the penultimate stop on the US influencer’s live-streamed, 20-country tour of Africa, which wrapped up on Tuesday. Following IShowSpeed’s visit, Ghana’s foreign minister announced that his office had approved a passport for the YouTuber, who he called a “worthy ambassador”. The “Speed Does Africa” tour has been watched around the world, with many praising it for helping to break stereotypes about the continent and showcasing numerous African cultures to the world. IShowSpeed,…