The new Interior Minister wants to hire young people from Zongo areas to help catch drug dealers. He spoke at a community meeting in Accra yesterday and promised jobs for those who work with police to fight drugs in their neighborhoods. The minister said locals know who sells drugs better than anyone else. He asked people to give him the names of helpers he could hire this month.
Muntaka Mubarak promised these helpers the first chance at security jobs when openings come up. He asked community members not to damage property when they catch drug dealers and to hand suspects over to police instead of taking matters into their own hands. The minister warned police chiefs they would lose their jobs if they ignored calls about drug problems...
White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney today. The smoke tells everyone a new pope has been chosen. Thousands of people in St. Peter's Square cheered when they saw this sign. This old signal shows cardinals have picked someone to lead the Catholic Church.
The new pope will soon step onto the main balcony at St. Peter's Basilica. A senior church leader will say Habemus Papam, meaning "We have a Pope." He will then tell the world what name the new church leader has picked. The election happened during a secret meeting of 120 cardinals from many countries. They gathered to find a replacement after Pope Francis died earlier this year.
Catholics worldwide wait to hear the first words from their new leader. His appearance will...
Female lawmakers in Ghana took part in a special training program last week. UNDP Ghana teamed up with civic groups to teach women in Parliament new skills after Ghana passed its Affirmative Action Act. Women make up less than 15 percent of Ghana's Parliament today. The training helped them learn how to push for policies that help women across the country.
The program taught female MPs about the new law. They learned about gender-friendly budgeting. They practiced ways to speak up for women's rights. NCCE leader Kathleen Addy said these skills matter for a strong democracy. UNDP officer Edward Ampratwum called the training an investment in equal partnership.
Several lawmakers found the workshop helpful. Gender Minister Agnes Lartey...
A Lilongwe court has cleared former Finance Minister Joseph Mwanavekha of all charges. The judge said officials failed to show how Mwanavekha was linked to false reports about a $350 million loan. Police first took him with three others back in 2022. Courts threw out the case earlier this year, but officials tried again. Judge Redson Kapindu decided the claims held no water.
Lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale praised the ruling as very important for Malawi law. He plans to ask for the same freedom for Cliff Chiunda since his Treasury job did not connect him to any wrongdoing. Three people still face charges in this matter. Former officials Chiunda, Henry Mathanga, and bank head Dalitso Kabambe must return to court next month. Their hearing dates...
Child rights defender Memory Chisenga asks officials to speed up the court case against actor Tumpe Mtaya. Mtaya, known as Phwedo, faces charges of harming a young person. His case moved to May 16 because his lawyer wants proof about the victim's age.
The defense team questions whether the victim counts as a minor. They want to see her school ID from last year's exams and papers from the hospital that tested her age. Chisenga came to court to stand with the young person.
She hopes for quick legal action against Phwedo if courts find him guilty. Chisenga urges famous people across Malawi to protect children instead of using their popularity to harm them. She believes all young people deserve safety from those with power or influence.
A group called Malawi First wants the election office to stop using Smartmatic systems for next year's voting. Their leader, Bon Kalindo, spoke at a news event Thursday. He expressed anger about officials keeping the system without being open about how it works.
Kalindo asked for outside experts to check the system before it goes away. He said people will vote with paper ballots come September. The freedom fighters believe that outside experts would spot problems with MEC processes. They want to make sure every vote matters.
Kalindo also asked government workers to show what they have. He wants Cabinet Ministers to tell where their money comes from. He said they need proof that they pay taxes through their businesses. Kalindo promised...
Malawi faces a disease called crookedness that stops the country from moving forward. Citizens let dishonest leaders trick them with small gifts or tribal loyalty, as these politicians grow rich off public money. The proof is across the nation, with empty hospitals, broken schools, jobless youth, and poor roads. Those who lead enjoy luxury lives far from common struggles. They talk about progress during campaigns, but deliver only problems after elections.
Crookedness makes people think they should grab benefits when they can. It tells them not to question leaders from their area or social circle. This thinking rewards bad work and punishes truth speakers. It makes voters thank officials for small help today, but forget the harm they...
The UK turned down South African opposition leader Julius Malema's visa request, stopping him from speaking at a Cambridge University event on May 10. Malema leads the Economic Freedom Fighters party. He called the visa denial unfair. He thinks officials want to block his political views.
British officials told EFF members they ran out of time to process his papers. They blamed slow office work after the recent UK holidays. Malema often speaks against Western nations. He wants white-owned land given back to Black South Africans. Cambridge African Society had asked him to talk at their Africa Together Conference.
The EFF claims British officials dragged their feet on purpose. The UK Home Office refused to discuss this case with...
Four men must pay $7,700 each or spend a year behind bars for trying to smuggle over 5,000 queen ants from Kenya. The group - two Belgian teens, a Vietnamese man, and a Kenyan local - packed the insects into test tubes with cotton wool. Officials found rare giant African harvester ants worth up to $220 each among their haul, likely headed to collectors in Europe and Asia.
The judge said having thousands of ants goes far beyond just a hobby. She stressed that we need to protect our natural world because many species have already disappeared forever. The court labeled the Vietnamese suspect a courier and the Kenyan a middleman who knew where to find these ants. One Belgian claimed he never realized ant smuggling broke the law, and his...
