INTERNATIONAL

President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia has the potential to be a significant contributor to food security around the world through its vast arable land and network of water bodies that allow for sustainable irrigation. President Hichilema says the awe-inspiring scenic beauty, along with a sub-tropical climate and diverse wildlife, makes Zambia an ideal destination for visitors and for those looking ...

Lions and pumas at a South African zoo may have contracted Covid from their handlers, according to a study by scientists at the University of Pretoria. The scientists warn of the risk of new variants emerging if the virus “establishes itself in other animal reservoirs” and is transmitted back to human beings. The study was done after the animals fell ...

Two teenagers have been arrested in England as part of the investigation into a hostage-taking incident at a synagogue in Texas on Saturday. British citizen Malik Faisal Akram, 44, from Blackburn, was shot dead after a standoff with police in Colleyville. Details of the ages or genders of the pair arrested in south Manchester on Sunday evening were not revealed. ...

A court in Myanmar has sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four more years in prison, in the latest of a series of trials. She was convicted for the illegal possession and import of walkie-talkies and breaking Covid-19 rules. Ms Suu Kyi was first convicted in December, and given a reduced jail sentence of two years. She has been ...

French President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of using divisive, vulgar language after he used a slang term to say he wanted to make life difficult for unvaccinated people. “I really want to piss them off, and we’ll carry on doing this – to the end,” he told Le Parisien newspaper. Three months ahead of a presidential election, opponents of ...

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has lashed out at some top officials who have been criticising her government for taking loans from international bodies. In a televised address from state house, she said foreign aid was helping her government fulfil its social and development agenda. The president was receiving progress reports from ministers on how the Covid-19 funds received from ...

A devastating fire which swept through South Africa’s parliament in Cape Town reignited just hours after it was said to be under control. Flames were seen billowing from the building’s roof on Monday, as firefighters tried to douse the blaze. The fire first broke out on Sunday and completely destroyed the National Assembly, or lower chamber. Police have arrested a ...

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has resigned after another day of mass protests rocked the capital Khartoum. Thousands marched against a recent deal he had done to share power with the army, who staged a coup in October. Chanting “power to the people”, protesters called for a return to full civilian rule. But military forces again responded with force, leaving ...

There have been more Covid-related flight cancellations globally as the week starts, capping off a miserable festive period for thousands of people.More than 1,400 flights have been scrapped on Monday, with Chinese and US destinations being the worst hit, the FlightAware data tracking website says. US airlines say the disruption is due to crews testing positive or isolating. Hong Kong is ...

WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said it is better to “cancel now and celebrate later, than to celebrate now and grieve later” in the context of rising Omicron cases over the festive period. He said the “fastest way” to get back to normal was to “make the difficult decisions that must be made to protect ourselves and others” ...