News

By Kemo Cham

The CNN African Journalist award list has been revealed.

A statement unveiled last week by the organizers indicates that South Africans and Nigerians continue their dominance over the coveted yearly contest organized by the US-based television network, CNN and the South Africa-based Multi Choice company.

The competition honors the best the journalism profession on the continent.

The independent panel of judges worked through about 1600 entries submitted for the 2016 edition from 38 countries.

By Kemo Cham

The BBC last Tuesday named Nigerian broadcaster Didi Akinyelure as winner of its coveted Komla Dumor Award.

The BBC World News Komla Dumor Award was set up in honored of respected Ghanaian journalist Komla Dumor who worked for the BBC until his sudden death in 2014 due to heart attack.

Ms Akinyelure is described as a prime-time news anchor in Nigeria and presenter of business news for the CNBC.

Ms Akinyelure will start a three-month placement at the BBC in London in September.

By Umaru Fofana

A daytime curfew has been imposed on the southern island of Bonthe after skirmishes between soldiers based on the island and members of the Poro secret society led to the shooting dead of two people.

Two other people involved in the skirmishes are hospitalised, as is the wife of the local head of the Office for National Security (ONS) and a military guard at the naval base who were allegedly beaten up by the mostly young angry Poro members.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

Telecommunications giant, Orange, has acquired Airtel Sierra Leone with the final documentation having been signed, sealed and delivered on Tuesday at the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) headquarters.

It completes the takeover of the Indian company Bharti Airtel in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone by the French one, a process which began in January 2016.

The takeover will be implemented by an Orange subsidiary in Senegal, SONATEL.

By Mustapha Sesay

The Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) has advised members of the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) to re-do their lower level elections in 32 constituencies where there were controversies over the credibility of the process.

PPRC got involved in the process after some officials of the party filed a complaint to the commission expressing dissatisfaction of the conduct of the elections, thus requesting for an investigation.

By Mabinty M Kamara

Aggrieved lecturers of polytechnic schools and colleges have suspended their strike action, after about a month of standoff with the Ministry of Education.

Five colleges and polytechnics – the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology, the Freetown Teachers College (FTC), the Eastern Polytechnic, Port Loko Teachers College, and the Northern Polytechnic – embarked on the industrial action after disagreement with the government over their condition of service and salary payment.

By Prince Musa in Kenema

Eight suspects escaped from police custody in Kenema at around 02:00am on Monday.

They include Umaru Vandi Gbao, who, as reported last week by Politico, allegedly killed a cookery seller after refusing to pay for her food.