Despite fertile land, Covid-19 worsens food insecurity in DR Congo

Amid falling prices of raw materials, recession, and now COVID-19, Africa is in serious trouble as debt burden grows. Zambia is on the brink of defaulting on its foreign debt as a so-called grace period expires. 

The brewer Heineken is cutting 8,000 jobs around the world, around 10 percent of its current workforce. The Dutch company reported losses of €204 million for 2020, as Covid-19 restrictions shut down much of the hospitality sector over the past year. Also today, we look at President Joe Biden's efforts to win support from business leaders for his $1.9 trillion economic rescue plan. He hosted several top CEOs for a meeting in the White House on Tuesday, along with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Locals were seen mourning their deaths on Monday, after at least 13 civilians and three soldiers were killed during an attack on the village of Ndalya, in Democratic Republic of Congo's north-eastern Ituri province, on Sunday. An army spokesperson blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Ugandan armed group active in eastern Congo since the 1990s. Locals were seen wrapping the dead bodies in plastic.

A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit on the state of democratic freedoms has downgraded France to a "flawed democracy", as civil liberties in rich and poor countries alike come under attack amid Covid-19 restrictions. We discuss the delicate balancing act of protecting individual freedoms in the midst of a global health crisis with the report's author Joan Hoey, Europe Editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit. She says that although "nobody has put forward a convincing alternative to the policy of lockdowns and social distancing", checks and balances remain essential.

The DRC is no stranger to violence and death. But when a foreign diplomat is killed, one expects swift answers. History tells us not to hold our breath when it comes to the DRC and the UN, writes Mimi Mefo Takambou.

Rich countries need to share their Covid-19 vaccines evenly amongst the entire global population, or else the coronavirus will never go away. That's the message from the organisation The ONE, which campaigns to end extreme poverty and preventable disease. The NGO has created a series of films called "Pandemica" to highlight the argument that if Covid-19 is not tackled universally, it will continue to mutate and cross borders. We spoke to the deputy director of The ONE in France, Maé Kurkjian.

The Entertainment industry world over has taken the biggest hit since the world was forced to shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic and Nigeria is not exempted. Estimated to worth over 2 Billion Dollars, GuardianTV takes an exclusive look at the massive impact it has on the Nigerian entertainment and event industry.

Volcano scientists from Goma Volcano Observatory (OVG) were seen working at Mount  Nyiragongo's eruption site after thousands of residents had to flee from the eastern city of Goma in the wake of the natural disaster, Friday.

People walk down Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles as California -- the first US state to enact a stay-at-home order just under 15 months ago -- celebrates its "reopening day" by lifting almost all pandemic-related social distancing and capacity limits. "It's not up to individual businesses and companies owners to decide if we wear it", regrets a Los Angeles resident reacting to mask mandate exceptions.

A new report on terrorist activity in the EU has highlighted the threat of online propaganda during the pandemic. The research shows Islamist and far-right extremists have posed the greatest threat.

Volcano scientists from Goma Volcano Observatory (OVG) were seen working at Mount  Nyiragongo's eruption site after thousands of residents had to flee from the eastern city of Goma in the wake of the natural disaster, Friday. The volcanologists walked through the charred area using portable measuring devices such as landfill gas analysers to collect samples of the lava.  

Some 30 women had accused WHO employees of sexual exploitation and abuse. Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the allegations were "horrific" and launched the independent investigation.