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Nigeria Food Crisis Worsens As UN Aid Cuts

Nigeria Food Crisis Worsens As UN Aid Cuts

January 16, 2026 7:27 am

Thousands of people in northeastern Nigeria are facing the risk of extreme hunger for the first time in nearly a decade, as cuts to humanitarian funding worsen food shortages and malnutrition, the U.N. World Food Programme warned on Friday.

The agency said about 15,000 people in Borno state could soon face catastrophic food insecurity, a stark escalation in a region already weakened by years of insurgency and displacement.

The warning comes amid a broader food emergency across West and Central Africa. According to the World Food Programme, around 55 million people in the region are struggling to find enough food, …

Japan Probes X Over Grok After Explicit Image Concerns

Japan Probes X Over Grok After Explicit Image Concerns

January 16, 2026 7:07 am

Japan has opened an official investigation into X over its image generating service Grok, becoming the latest government to scrutinize the platform amid global concern over the creation of sexualized images.

The Cabinet Office said Friday it has asked X Corp to take immediate corrective action and warned that legal steps remain on the table if safeguards are not strengthened. The move follows similar probes launched by Britain and Canada.

Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda said the government was reviewing every available option to prevent the spread of inappropriate images, particularly those involving real people. “We plan to promptly examine …

Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced For Five Years Over Failed Martial Law

Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced For Five Years Over Failed Martial Law

January 16, 2026 2:13 am

South Korea’s impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to five years in prison over crimes linked to his failed attempt to impose martial law in 2024, marking the first court verdict in a series of high profile trials stemming from the episode.

The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Friday that Yoon was guilty of abuse of power, obstructing justice, and falsifying official documents. Judges said his actions triggered a national political crisis and showed a lack of remorse, according to court statements cited by Reuters and local media.

In its ruling, the court found that Yoon …

Russia Expels British Diplomat Amid Espionage Dispute

Russia Expels British Diplomat Amid Espionage Dispute

January 15, 2026 7:44 am

Russia ordered a British diplomat to leave the country within two weeks on Thursday after accusing him of working as an undeclared intelligence officer, a claim the United Kingdom rejected as false and damaging to diplomatic relations.

The move deepens already strained ties between Moscow and London and signals another escalation in a long running dispute over alleged spying activities that has intensified since Russia’s war in Ukraine.

According to Russia’s Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, the diplomat identified as Gareth Samuel Davies was operating under cover as a second secretary at the British embassy in Moscow while …

Australia Under 16 Social Media Ban Removes 4.7m Accounts

Australia Under 16 Social Media Ban Removes 4.7m Accounts

January 15, 2026 7:31 am

Nearly five million online platform accounts belonging to Australian teenagers have been shut down within weeks of a landmark national ban on under sixteen users, according to new figures released by the country’s internet regulator.

The data marks the first official snapshot of compliance since the law took effect on December 10 and suggests companies moved quickly to enforce the restriction, which is the first of its kind worldwide.

The eSafety Commissioner said about 4.7 million accounts held by underage users had already been removed, a figure far higher than estimates shared before the law came into force.

The new …

Thailand Crane Collapse Near Bangkok Kills Two

Thailand Crane Collapse Near Bangkok Kills Two

January 15, 2026 7:20 am

A construction crane collapsed onto a roadway near Bangkok on Thursday, killing two people and injuring others, just one day after a separate crane failure in northeastern Thailand derailed a passenger train and left dozens dead.

Thai authorities said the latest incident occurred in Samut Sakhon province while workers were building an elevated highway. The crane fell onto traffic below, crushing two vehicles, according to local police.

The accident intensified pressure on the government and on construction firm Italian Thai Development PCL, which officials confirmed was involved in both this crash and Wednesday’s deadly rail disaster in Nakhon Ratchasima province.…

Reuters/Singapore Opposition Leader Removed After Lying Conviction

Singapore Opposition Leader Removed After Lying Conviction

January 15, 2026 7:08 am

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has removed Pritam Singh from his role as Leader of the Opposition, marking the first time a holder of the post has been stripped of the title following a criminal conviction.

In a statement issued Thursday, Wong said Singh’s position had become untenable after parliament voted a day earlier that the opposition leader was unsuitable to continue following his conviction for lying to lawmakers.

The decision follows a February court ruling that found Singh guilty of giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee in 2021. The case centered on his handling of statements made by …

Thailand Cambodia Border Dispute Tests Fragile Ceasefire

Thailand Cambodia Border Dispute Tests Fragile Ceasefire

January 14, 2026 4:55 am

Cambodia’s foreign minister has accused Thailand’s military of continuing to occupy civilian areas inside Cambodian territory, warning that the situation could undermine a fragile ceasefire reached after deadly border clashes last year.

Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said Thai forces have fortified several locations along the disputed frontier using barbed wire and shipping containers, preventing thousands of Cambodian families from returning home.

“The Thai military is still occupying territories well inside Cambodia,” Prak Sokhonn said, naming at least four border sites where incursions are alleged. He added that while conditions remain calm for now, the risk of renewed tension remains …

Uganda Election Internet Shutdown Sparks Rights Concerns

Uganda Election Internet Shutdown Sparks Rights Concerns

January 14, 2026 4:38 am

Ugandan authorities shut down nationwide internet access and restricted mobile services on Tuesday, just two days before a national election that will see President Yoweri Museveni seek a seventh term after nearly four decades in power.

The move, ordered by the Uganda Communications Commission, took effect at 6 p.m. local time and affected public internet connections across the country, according to a letter sent to mobile operators and internet service providers and seen by Reuters.

In the directive, the regulator said the shutdown was intended to prevent “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks” during what it described as a …

Reuters/Benin Citizenship Program Invites Diaspora To Reclaim Roots

Benin Citizenship Program Invites Diaspora To Reclaim Roots

January 14, 2026 4:29 am

Benin has begun granting citizenship to people of African descent whose ancestors were enslaved and taken across the Atlantic, a move aimed at reconnecting the diaspora with one of the most significant departure points of the transatlantic slave trade.

Among the first to be naturalised is Isaline Attelly, a 28 year old content creator originally from the Caribbean island of Martinique. Attelly had been living in Benin for nearly a year when genealogical research confirmed that her great grandmother was born in what is now Benin before being trafficked during the height of the slave trade.

The discovery led Attelly …

Grok Deepfake Investigation Launched by UK Regulator

Grok Deepfake Investigation Launched by UK Regulator

January 13, 2026 12:05 pm

Britain’s media regulator has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social platform X over concerns that its Grok tool may be generating sexually explicit synthetic images, raising alarms about potential violations of UK laws designed to protect the public from illegal online content.

The probe, announced Monday by Ofcom, comes as the British government prepares to activate new legislation that makes the creation of sexual deepfake images a criminal offence. Officials say the move is aimed at curbing the spread of images they describe as weapons of abuse.

Technology Minister Liz Kendall told lawmakers that the government is …

Jimmy Lai Mitigation Hearings Conclude In Hong Kong

Jimmy Lai Mitigation Hearings Conclude In Hong Kong

January 13, 2026 5:13 am

Hong Kong’s High Court on Tuesday wrapped up mitigation hearings for media tycoon Jimmy Lai, moving his long running national security case into its final phase ahead of sentencing.

The hearings mark the last major step in a trial that has drawn sustained international attention and diplomatic concern, with a sentencing date to be announced later by the court.

Lai’s lawyers and counsel for eight co defendants, including senior former editors and executives at the now closed Apple Daily newspaper, spent two days arguing for reduced sentences based on the defendants’ roles and circumstances. “There are a lot of …

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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.

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