News

By Hajaratu Kalokoh

The United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the telecoms operator, Africell as part of efforts to strengthen the U-Reports in Sierra Leone.

U-Report is a UNICEF youth engagement platform created to help maximize participation of young people in national issues. U-Report is an SMS based platform through which young people send SMS to a dedicated short code to make their input into any development issue.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

Parliament in Sierra Leone has amended the country's sexual offence law to include new provisions including one that targets sexual solicitation. The law against solicitation is part of the amended Sexual Offences Act passed in the House on Thursday.

By Kemo Cham & Mabinty M. Kamara

The competence of the administration of the Sierra Leone Law School has come under scrutiny after it registered arguably the worst ever results in the Bar examination since the School was established in nearly 30 years.

Of 179 students who sat to the 2019 exams, only 29 passed. 91 failed, some 54 had references in various modules, while results for five candidates were withheld for unspecified reasons.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

Sierra Leone has shown unity on the international stage by presenting Honourable (Hon.) Mohamed Sidi Tunis as its candidate to takeover as the next speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament. The Sierra Leonean delegation to the regional parliament made the announcement on Tuesday in an extraordinary congress in Liberia.

By Kemo Cham

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio has assured a closer working relation with the new World Bank Country Director.

Mr Pierre Frank Laporte, Country for Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ghana, is in the country on his first visit since his appointment to the position based in Accra, Ghana.

He was at State House on Monday where he was presented officially to the president.

Sierra Leone and India hope to strengthen bilateral ties following a meeting by President Julius Maada Bio and an Indian envoy.

The envoy, who is the High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone, Birender Singh Yadav, met with Bio on Monday at State House. A statement issued by the Presidential press secretary said the two discussed possible means of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

The statement quoted Mr Yadav saying he was thankful for the opportunity to meet with the President.

By Mohamed T. Massaquoi

The Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) has added its voice to the debate over the legality of the decision to cancel last month’s by-election in Constituency 110.

The Association said the move by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) was unconstitutional.