Vanuatu’s President Baldwin Lonsdale has called for international help after Cyclone Pam ripped through the Pacific archipelago. Describing it as a “calamity”, he said he spoke with a “heavy heart”. Aid agencies say the cyclone, which veered off its expected course on Saturday and struck populated areas, has caused “complete devastation”. Save the Children says eight people are confirmed dead ...

Government has been called upon to come out clean on whether or not the country has a fuel crisis. The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is wondering what else could be behind the long queues that have characterized filling stations if it is not a fuel crisis. PDP president George Mpombo has told Qfm News his party thinks that government ...

President Edgar Lungu has been discharged from a South African Hospital where he has been receiving medical attention. President Lungu who was admitted to a Pretoria hospital has today been discharged after specialist doctors certified him fit to resume full duties. The President underwent a successful medical procedure yesterday Friday the 13th of March. The Presidency is working on arrangements ...

Constitutional lawyer Sakwiba Sikota says there is nothing odd about the vacating of a stay that put on hold the suspension of Director Public Prosecution (DPP) Mutembo Nchito. High Court Judge Mwila Chitabo who earlier granted Mr. Nchito leave to apply for judicial review and thereby overruling the decision by President Edgar Lungu to suspend Mr. Nchito and constitute a ...

India continued their perfect record at the World Cup with a six-wicket win against Zimbabwe in Auckland. Suresh Raina (110 not out) and captain MS Dhoni (85 not out) shared a 196-run partnership to chase 288 at Eden Park. Holders India had already qualified for the quarter-finals where they will face Bangladesh, but victory marked a 10th successive win in ...

Authors and Alzheimer’s campaigners have been among those paying tribute to author Sir Terry Pratchett, who has died at the age of 66. Novelist Philip Pullman said he would be remembered for the “love of humanity in what he did”, while actor Sir Tony Robinson called him a “contradiction” – a shy man in “urban cowboy clothes”. He suffered from ...

Iraqi forces hope to retake the city of Tikrit from Islamic State (IS) within a week, a commander has told the BBC. The head of one of the Shia militia brigades fighting alongside government forces said that IS militants still held about 70% of Tikrit’s town centre. But he said Tikrit would be “liberated” even if it required street-to-street fighting. ...

The Resident Doctors Association of Zambia has commended the move taken by President Edgar Lungu to continuously give updates on the medical tests being conducted on him in South Africa. Association President Francis Mupeta says this is especially that doctors have been recommending that public figures are open on their health. Dr. Mupeta says the move taken by President Lungu ...

The Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has advised the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) against viewing the Chawama Parliamentary by-election as a must win election. AVAP Executive Director Richwell Mulwani says despite the Parliamentary seat having been held by President Edgar Lungu any political party can win the by-election. Mr Mulwani says his organization is therefore asking members of the ruling party ...

The Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) has appealed to the government to expedite the enactment of the new constitution. ZNWL Chairperson Beauty Katebe says it is her organisation’s considered view that the draft constitution contains progressive clauses which if enacted will contribute to the development of the nation. Ms. Katebe has urged the civil society organizations not to relent in ...