Twitter, Facebook announce new moves to limit political abuses

Twitter, Facebook announce new moves to limit political abuses

Both Twitter and Facebook made big announcements on Wednesday, as the social media companies seek to curb fake accounts, abuse in political ads, and the potential to spread fake news or incite violence through hate speech. Facebook announced it removed three Russia-linked networks of accounts, pages and groups that targeted…

U.S. pastor arrested, deported by Rwanda

U.S. pastor arrested, deported by Rwanda

In Rwanda, authorities say a Christian pastor from the United States arrested while in Kigali despite the ban on his radio station and ministry has been deported. The Rwandan Directorate General for Immigration and Emigration (DGIE) confirmed to New Times that Gregg Schoof was declared a prohibited immigrant and not permitted…

Botswana defends elephant hunting ban reversal

Botswana has lifted its ban on elephant hunting, in a controversial decision announced Thursday by environment and wildlife minister Kitso Mokaila. The ruling follows a year-long process in Botswana to evaluate the ban, which was put in place five years ago by former president Ian Khama. He was succeeded in…

Nigerian military ups pressure against NGO Amnesty

The Nigerian army has asked citizens to tune in Tuesday morning to an interview with its public relations spokesman, one day after the country’s military again accused an international NGO of collaborating with Islamic extremists and destabilizing the nation. Brig. Gen. Sani Kukasheka Usman’s media message followed his statement on…

Nigeria reverses UNICEF suspension tied to Boko Haram suspicions

The Nigerian military says it has lifted a suspension against UNICEF, the United Nations children’s relief agency, imposed earlier because of allegations that the agency was collaborating with Boko Haram terrorists and training spies in the country’s northeast. In a statement issued late Friday, military spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu said that…

Matatu ban on hold for Nairobi’s CBD

The sight of Kenyans streaming on foot into Nairobi’s central business district (CBD) while passenger cars continued to clog streets with heavy traffic contributed to what is at least a temporary reprieve from the new ban on matatu, the privately operated shared taxis many rely on for transport. The ban…

Mauritania announces success at last in land mine removal

Mauritania has become the latest country to succeed in clearing its territory of land mines, completing a task that’s been decades in the making. The anti-personnel mines were left behind during the 1978-1979 conflict in Western Sahara. Their presence was identified in three regions of Mauritania covering about 68 square…

Cameroon bans weapon sales in Anglophone regions

Cameroon’s government has banned the sale of weapons in six of the country’s regions, including the troubled Anglophone areas and those adjacent to them. Paul Atanga Nji, the Permanent Secretary of the National Security Council and Minister of Territorial Administration, said the sale of weapons for hunting and self-defense, as…

UN: Guterres warns that sealing off refugees may backfire, fuel terrorism

New United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has reiterated the U.N. position on protecting refugees, joining the chorus of international voices concerned over President Donald Trump’s stance on those seeking help from the United States, and other countries with similar closed-border policies. “Refugees fleeing conflict and persecution are finding more…