Africa

Nigerian vlogger Alma Asinobi on failed Guinness World Record attempt

1 day agoShareSaveMark SavageMusic CorrespondentShareSaveAmadou Bagayoko learned guitar by studying British bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink FloydThousands of people gathered in Mali on Sunday for the funeral of musician Amadou Bagayoko, of the world-renowned duo Amadou & Mariam.
Friends, relatives, fans and fellow artists flocked to the ceremony in the capital, Bamako – including musician Salif Keita and former prime minister Moussa Mara.
One of the most successful African musical acts of the 2000s, husband and wife duo Amadou & Mariam achieved global fame by combining West African influences with rhythm and blues.
Their breakthrough album, 2004's Dimanche à Bamako, sold half a million copies worldwide and led to collaborations with Blur's Damon Albarn, as well as appearances at the Glastonbury and Coachella festivals.
Mali's culture minister, Mamou Daffé, said on state TV that Bagayoko had died on Friday in Bamako at the age of 70.
The musician's fa..

1 day agoShareSaveMansur AbubakarBBC NewsShareSaveThe emir was earlier summoned by Nigerian police over an incident which left one person deadNigerian police have withdrawn a summons issued to one of the country's most respected traditional leaders after it was widely condemned.
The emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, is engaged in a tussle for the crown with his cousin Aminu Ado Bayero, who is said to enjoy the support of the national government.
Prior to the recent Eid al-Fitr celebration, police in Kano banned the annual horse parade, or durbar, fearing trouble between supporters of the rival claimants.
However, Sanusi chose to ride on horseback after Eid prayers, accompanied by local vigilantes.
This led to clashes between rival groups which saw one man stabbed to death, prompting the police to order Sanusi to appear at the national police headquarters in the capital, Abuja.
However, this prompted an outcry with many Nigerians saying it showed a lack of respect to the emirate, whi..

8 hours agoShareSaveChris EwokorBBC NewsShareSaveMali's Security Minister Gen Daoud Aly Mohammedine on Sunday described the shooting of the drone as the “result of premeditated hostile action”Algeria and Mali have each closed their airspace to flights from the other country, as the row over a drone that was shot down close to their common border escalates.
On Sunday, without giving evidence, Mali accused its northern neighbour of being a sponsor and exporter of terrorism after Algeria attacked one of its drones last week.
Algeria was the first to ban flights to and from Mali, then Mali later said it was doing the same to all Algerian flights “in reciprocation”.
Sunday's strongly worded statement from Mali's foreign ministry had challenged Algeria's earlier explanation that the unmanned surveillance aircraft had violated its airspace.
The statement described the downing of the drone as a “hostile premeditated action”. Algeria described the allegations regarding terro..

24 hours agoShareSaveNatasha Booty & Emery MakumenoBBC News, London & KinshasaShareSaveThis man clung to a car roof in the city's N'djili neighbourhoodTorrential rains and floods have killed at least 33 people in Kinshasa – the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo – according to officials.
“The republic will not abandon you,” President Félix Tshisekedi promised victims on Monday, saying he had called a government crisis meeting.
Desperate residents are trying to flee the floodwaters by wading, swimming or paddling to safety in homemade canoes.
The city is home to 17 million people and sits on the Congo river, which is one of the biggest in the world and stretches across the country.
Flooding is common – the river recently reached its highest level in six decades.
Parts of the capital are prone to soil erosion and in recent years the Congolese president has warned that the climate crisis is making flooding worse.
Many homes in west Kinshasa were swept away follow..

2 days agoShareSaveFarouk ChothiaBBC NewsShareSaveCritics says Zimbabwe's president is trying to “appease” the Trump administrationZimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced he will suspend tariffs on goods imported from the US in an attempt to build a “positive relationship” with President Donald Trump's administration.
The move comes days after Trump imposed 18% tariffs on Zimbabwean exports to the US.
“This measure is intended to facilitate the expansion of American imports within the Zimbabwean market, while simultaneously promoting the growth of Zimbabwean exports destined for the United States,” Mnangagwa said on X.
Zimbabwe has had strained diplomatic relations with the US since it adopted a controversial land policy about 25 years ago, and because of its poor human rights record.
Trade between the two countries amounted to only $111.6m (£86.6m) in 2024, US government data shows.
Follow live: Global leaders try to soften tariffs impact The US exp..

1 day agoShareSaveMax MatzaShareSaveUS Secretary of State Marco RubioUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the US is immediately revoking visas issued to all South Sudanese passport holders due to the African nation refusing to accept its citizens who have been removed from the US.
Rubio, in a statement on Saturday, added that the US will also block any arriving citizens of South Sudan, the world's newest country, at US ports of entry.
He blamed “the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner”.
A cornerstone of President Donald Trump's immigration policy is removing unlawful migrants from the US, with the promise of “mass deportations”.
“It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States,” said Rubio.
“Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks ..

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