January 2, 2026

Lagos: New Year Fire Destroys Ikotun Electronics Market Hubs

Lagos: New Year Fire Destroys Ikotun Electronics Market Hubs

January 2, 2026 4:26 am

Early morning fire tears through Ikotun Market plaza, destroying electronics shops worth billions as firefighters struggle with smoke and water shortages.

A massive fire swept through the electronics section of Ikotun Market in Lagos early on New Year’s Day, destroying goods worth billions of naira and raising renewed concerns over fire safety in Nigeria’s commercial hubs.

The blaze broke out around 12:05 a.m. on January 1, 2026, at the market’s electronics plaza, a densely packed cluster of shops that serves as a major distribution point for phones, computers, and household electronics in Africa’s most populous city. By the time firefighters …

Bolsonaro House Arrest Ruling Denied After Hospital Discharge

Bolsonaro House Arrest Ruling Denied After Hospital Discharge

January 2, 2026 3:30 am

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was returned to custody in Brasilia after being discharged from hospital, hours after a Supreme Court justice rejected his request to serve his sentence under humanitarian house arrest.

Bolsonaro, 70, had been hospitalized for medical procedures to treat a hernia and persistent hiccups. Once doctors cleared him for discharge, he was transferred to the Federal Police Superintendency, where he is serving a 27 year prison sentence for plotting a coup following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election, according to Reuters.

The decision underscores the court’s firm stance as Brazil continues to reckon with the …

US: Tests Record-Range Helicopter Weapon Far Beyond Hellfire

US: Tests Record-Range Helicopter Weapon Far Beyond Hellfire

January 2, 2026 3:17 am

U.S. Marine Corps fires Red Wolf munition from AH-1Z, showing strike range ten times Hellfire, networking abilities and a push for Pacific-ready airpower.

United States Marine Corps has completed a key live-fire test of a new helicopter-launched munition designed to dramatically extend the reach of its attack aircraft, signaling a shift in how U.S. forces plan to fight in high-threat environments.

The test, conducted over the Atlantic Test Range, involved the launch of L3Harris Technologies’ Red Wolf system from an AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter. According to the Marine Corps and the company, the munition successfully struck a sea-based target, marking …

Indore Diarrhoea Outbreak Kills Nine After Water Contamination

Indore Diarrhoea Outbreak Kills Nine After Water Contamination

January 2, 2026 3:04 am

At least nine people have died and more than 200 others have been hospitalized in Indore after a diarrhoea outbreak that local officials say was caused by contaminated drinking water in one neighborhood of the central Indian city.

Health authorities said the outbreak was traced to a leak in a water pipeline in the Bhagirathpur area, where tests later confirmed bacterial contamination. Emergency measures are now underway as officials try to contain the spread and prevent further illnesses.

The situation has drawn attention because Indore, located in Madhya Pradesh state, has been ranked India’s cleanest city for eight consecutive years …

Reuters/Kim Jong Un Daughter Ju Ae Appears At Kumsusan Mausoleum

Kim Jong Un Daughter Ju Ae Appears At Kumsusan Mausoleum

January 2, 2026 2:46 am

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared alongside his wife and daughter at the country’s most sacred mausoleum on New Year’s Day, marking the first time his child, Ju Ae, has been shown paying respects to past leaders in a highly symbolic public setting.

State media photographs released on Friday showed Ju Ae standing between her parents inside the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of state founder Kim Il Sung and former leader Kim Jong Il lie in state. Analysts say the appearance adds to growing signs that Kim’s daughter is being gradually introduced …

Venus Williams Australian Open Return Confirmed With Wildcard

Venus Williams Australian Open Return Confirmed With Wildcard

January 2, 2026 2:19 am

Venus Williams is set to return to the Australian Open after tournament organizers confirmed she has been awarded a wildcard entry, marking her first appearance at Melbourne Park in five years.

The seven time Grand Slam champion last competed at the Australian Open in 2021, when she was eliminated in the second round by Italy’s Sara Errani. Her comeback at the season’s first major will also see her make history as the oldest woman ever to appear in the Australian Open main draw.

“I am excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the summer,” Williams …

Xi Jinping Hosts South Korean President Amid Regional Strain

Xi Jinping Hosts South Korean President Amid Regional Strain

January 2, 2026 1:45 am

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit beginning Sunday, a move widely seen as Beijing’s effort to tighten ties with Seoul as regional tensions rise over Taiwan and relations with Japan remain strained.

The visit comes barely two months after Xi and Lee last met, an unusually short gap for top level diplomacy that highlights China’s urgency in strengthening political and economic links with South Korea. Analysts say the timing also reflects Beijing’s desire to engage Seoul ahead of Lee’s expected visit to Japan.

China and Japan relations have …

TRENDING

Breaking

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, is a nonpartisan online news portal founded on the truth to provide you with weekly, insightful articles written with precision and current updates on current events from Africa in particular and the rest of the world in general. All of our reports undergo extensive fact-checking to ensure their veracity, and we adhere strictly to the facts, no matter whose ox is gored.

follow on social media

Facebook Twitter Youtube Telegram Linkedin

subscribe to newsletter

© 2018 - 2020 Africa digital news, New York
Powered by

People and Polity