Alan Irvine has been sacked as West Brom manager after seven months in charge at The Hawthorns. The 56-year-old Scot was appointed boss in June following the exit of Pepe Mel and was on a 12-month rolling contract. Albion are 16th in the Premier League, a point above the relegation zone following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke, their seventh loss ...

The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese’s true-life tale of corrupt New York stockbrokers, was the most illegally downloaded movie of 2014. Disney cartoon Frozen was second on the list, said The Hollywood Reporter, quoting piracy-tracking firm Excipio. Both films were downloaded around 30 million times by torrent users between 1 January and 23 December 2014. The third most-pirated film ...

Indonesian officials say they are sending teams to investigate reports of smoke on an island in the area where AirAsia flight QZ8501 has gone missing. The multinational search for the plane has entered a third day, with the operation area now widened to cover 13 zones over land and sea. The Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people from Surabaya in Indonesia ...

The Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) has observed that the 2015 presidential election has the potential to polarize the country’s media landscape. SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Cheembe says this will be possible if the media continues on the path of biasness and siding with particular political parties during the election period. Mr. Cheembe states that ...

Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has welcomed the Patriotic Front’s reaffirmation not to use public resources during the ongoing campaigns. TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu says it’s commendable for the Patriotic Front to set such an example which other future governments should follow. Mr. Lungu says public resources need to be safeguarded from abuse at all times not only during the ...

Opposition Forum for Democratic Alternatives (FDA) President Ludwig Sondashi has promised to uphold the freedom of the media once elected republican President in 2015. Dr. Sondashi says once elected president his government will also uphold the people’s right to information. Dr. Sondashi has further pledged to ensure the enactment of legislation that supports the media to operate freely. He says ...

Patriotic Front President Edgar Lungu has been advised to satisfactorily put to an end the continued speculation about his health by personally making a public statement. The Zambian Voice Executive Director Chilufya Tayali says the issue of Mr. Lungu’s health must be taken seriously. Mr Tayali notes that the fashion in which concerns over Mr. Lungu’s health are being dismissed ...

The United Party for National Development (UPND) says Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba is still a political giant whose endorsement of its leader Hakainde Hichilema will boost his chances of emerging victorious in the 20thJanuary, 2015 presidential election. UPND deputy Spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo says Mr. Mwamba’s endorsement of the UPND leader is a clear indication that the UPND ...

Mbala Member of Parliament Mwalimu Simfukwe has been called upon to ensure he takes development to Mbala or risk being voted out in 2016. Some residents talked to in Mbala District in Northern Province by our staffer Albert Mpezeni have bemoaned the underdevelopment the area has suffered in the last three years. Gerald Siame, 40, a farmer in Mbala district ...

A Patriotic Front member in Southern province has accused some District Commissioners of supporting the newly formed Rainbow party of former PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba. Lovemore Kanyama has since appealed to the party hierarchy to quickly investigate the matter before the party loses popularity in the province. Mr. Kanyama says it is clear and worrying to see how some ...