Africa Business News

India's parliament has passed a stringent new law to prevent cheating in exams for government jobs and admission to public colleges. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 - which was passed carries a jail sentence of three to 10 years for those who facilitate cheating. It also carries a fine ranging between 1 million rupees and 10 million rupees. The new law does not impose penalties directly on test takers; instead, their punishments will be determined by the rules set forth by their respective testing authorities. The law will be applicable to most exams conducted by the federal government and its test agencies. All offences are non-bailable and will be investigated by senior police officials. The Bharatiya Janata Party led government says the act will bring greater transparency, fairness and credibility as it is the first federal legislation to prevent malpractices in examinations.

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Zimbabwe's cabinet has supported proposed legislation to end the death penalty, marking a pivotal point in abolishing capital punishment in the southern African country. Information Minister Jenfan Muswere says that the cabinet's decision was made following countrywide consultations. Should parliament approve the bill, life imprisonment will serve as the maximum sentence. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has previously criticised capital punishment. He was sentenced to death in 1965 following accusations that he bombed a train while fighting against white minority rule.

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Zimbabwe's cabinet has supported proposed legislation to end the death penalty, marking a pivotal point in abolishing capital punishment in the southern African country. Information Minister Jenfan Muswere says that the cabinet's decision was made following countrywide consultations. Should parliament approve the bill, life imprisonment will serve as the maximum sentence. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has previously criticised capital punishment. He was sentenced to death in 1965 following accusations that he bombed a train while fighting against white minority rule.

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The Minister of Power, Bayi Adelabu, has assured Nigerians there would be incremental power supply. Adelabu appealed for calm, saying the power sector would soon receive a boost. The minister‘s assurance comes on the heels of lingering low power supply and the collapse of the national grid. Stakeholders in the sector blamed the low gas supply for the current outage. He stated that the blackout we have been experiencing is because gas supply to the GenCos has been reduced and that was due to indebtedness and the minister is looking into it.

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The Minister of Power, Bayi Adelabu, has assured Nigerians there would be incremental power supply. Adelabu appealed for calm, saying the power sector would soon receive a boost. The minister‘s assurance comes on the heels of lingering low power supply and the collapse of the national grid. Stakeholders in the sector blamed the low gas supply for the current outage. He stated that the blackout we have been experiencing is because gas supply to the GenCos has been reduced and that was due to indebtedness and the minister is looking into it.

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China says Chinese developers must now install monitoring equipment at their projects, under official measures which took effect this month. The rules apply to firms that have received at least 30 million yuan ($4.2m) of government funding. It comes as authorities move to support China's crisis-hit property industry. The National Development and Reform Commission says that it was moving to regulate the implementation of projects and the use of funding. The rules are part of the Chinese government's efforts to ensure that funds being used to prop up struggling property developers are being used for their intended purposes.

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China says Chinese developers must now install monitoring equipment at their projects, under official measures which took effect this month. The rules apply to firms that have received at least 30 million yuan ($4.2m) of government funding. It comes as authorities move to support China's crisis-hit property industry. The National Development and Reform Commission says that it was moving to regulate the implementation of projects and the use of funding. The rules are part of the Chinese government's efforts to ensure that funds being used to prop up struggling property developers are being used for their intended purposes.

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US Central Command (Centcom) says the US carried out more strikes against Houthi missiles in Yemen. Centcom says US forces struck a land-attack cruise missile and four anti-ship missiles that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis' attacks have forced major shipping companies to avoid the waterway, impacting international trade. Egypt says its revenue from the Suez Canal plunged by almost half in January, with the number of ships travelling through the key trade artery last month down by more than a third. Houthi officials struck a defiant tone in response to the US-led strikes - and vowed to respond.

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US Central Command (Centcom) says the US carried out more strikes against Houthi missiles in Yemen. Centcom says US forces struck a land-attack cruise missile and four anti-ship missiles that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis' attacks have forced major shipping companies to avoid the waterway, impacting international trade. Egypt says its revenue from the Suez Canal plunged by almost half in January, with the number of ships travelling through the key trade artery last month down by more than a third. Houthi officials struck a defiant tone in response to the US-led strikes - and vowed to respond.

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A fuel emissions levy has taken effect in Ghana, sparking mixed reactions. The government now requires Ghanaians to pay an annual levy for the carbon emissions produced by their petrol or diesel-powered vehicles. Several citizens are opposing the charge, which they see as an added burden amid an ongoing economic crisis. The tax agency, the Ghana Revenue Authority says that the levy aligns with the government's plans to promote the use of eco-friendly technology and green energy. The GRA will begin immediately collecting the annual levy, approved by parliament in December.

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