New Year Celebrations: Buhari felicitates with Nigerians, calls for unity

The Solomon Islands in the South Pacific is planning a security agreement with China. But the prospect of Chinese warships based less than 2,000 kilometers off the Australian coast has set alarm bells ringing in the region.

The ongoing war in Ukraine not only caused the disruption of Russian gas and oil supplies, forcing a sharp spike in energy prices, but also cut off all Ukrainian grain exports, 95% of which pass through the ports of the Black Sea. The same is true of Russian exports of grain from the Sea of Azov.

Capitol Police told staff to evacuate on Wednesday evening, citing an "aircraft that poses a probable threat." The flight, it later transpired, was routine. Politicians were quick to lambast the communication breakdown.

Courts in the military-ruled country have already sentenced the deposed Myanmar leader to six years in prison, but her combined maximum sentences could see her jailed for decades.

The imprisonment and political exclusion of former President Lula da Silva was a violation of his rights, the UN has said. Lula is currently leading in polls for October's presidential election.

The latest installment in a scathing report into the presidency of former South African leader Jacob Zuma says that he played a critical role in the plunder of state entities. About 880 million euros worth of contracts for the Eskom power utility are thought to have been shadily awarded.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed food insecurity onto the table. Could an overlooked cereal help steady the situation and feed the global population in an era of climate crisis?

An election committee composed largely of pro-Beijing figures voted for John Lee, a former security official, to be the new leader of Hong Kong. Lee, the only candidate in the vote, replaces Carrie Lam in July.

Nearly 5 million jobs lost since start of invasion, labour markets disrupted in neighbouring countries. An estimated 4.8 million jobs have been lost in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, according to a report from the International Labour Organisation.

In 2021, sub-Saharan Africa counted the most internal movements, with more than five million displacements reported in Ethiopia alone, as the country grappled with the raging and expanding Tigray conflict and a devastating drought. That marks the highest figure ever registered for a single country.

The opposition leader has been behind bars since January 2021 on charges of fraud. The US has described the legal process as a "sham" while human rights groups have decried his treatment in prison.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a virtual meeting with counterparts from 10 Pacific nations to discuss a deal that would expand China's influence in the region.