Africa Daily

On World Press Freedom Day last week– journalists from Burkina Faso alongside their colleagues in Mali, called for an end to all measures that undermine press freedom. The military, who have been in charge in Burkina Faso since coups they led last year overthrew the government, are dealing with a jihadist insurgency which spread over the border from Mali in 2015. Almost half of the country is currently outside state control. Journalists there say they face intimidation over what they report and are scared about the future of the media. Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje has been speaking to Ouagadougou based journalist Ouezin Louis Oulon and BBC Monitoring’s Beverly Ochieng.

Gifty Ayoka is the mother of a child with what used to be called Autism, but is now known as Autism Spectrum Disorder. It’s caused by differences in the brain that might lead to different ways of learning, moving or paying attention. When her son was born 11 years ago, there was very little knowledge about the disorder. Gifty decided to train as a language therapist herself, to help support her son. There were just three such therapists in Ghana at the time. Now there are around 50, but is that enough? And what progress still needs to be made?#AfricaDaily

"The resounding cry from the report is these babies should have the same chance. And they can."A report out today says that globally, we’ve made no progress at all over the last decade in reducing the number of pregnancies that end with a premature birth. And in Africa - just 1 in 10 of those premature babies will survive, compared to 9 out of 10 in high income countries. So why are premature babies still dying in such numbers? And what can be done to improve the situation? For Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje speaks to Miriam, a nurse and the mother of two premature babies, and to Professor Joy Lawn, who’s worked in neonatal care across Africa all her life - and is the author of the “Born Too Soon” report.

Kenya imports most of its honey from countries including India, Australia and UAE. But Kenya has huge potential to produce its own honey. And it could be a hugely profitable crop for farmers or budding entrepreneurs. So how do you run a successful beekeeping and honey production business? And what are entrepreneurs in Kenya doing to take advantage of the market?#AfricaDaily

It's been a serious issue in Kenya for a long time: household air pollution caused by unclean cooking fuels. Now, a campaign is underway to persuade people to switch from charcoal, kerosene and firewood use. Pollutants from the fuels kill more than 23,000 Kenyans each year. PRESENTER: @kasujjaGUESTS: Nancy Chebichi and Willah Nabukwangwa of Clean-Air (Africa)

The fighting in Sudan has continued for a third week On Thursday a new seven day ceasefire took effect, but they haven’t been fully observed in the past. Hundreds of thousands of people are continuing to leave the country. But many more are staying, either through choice or lack of choice. So, what is life like for those still in Sudan?#AfricaDaily

It’s been a case of will they? Won’t they? Speaking at an event last month, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said that his party, the ANC, had taken the decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court. But then, the party backtracked and said it was still under discussion. It’s all come about because of President Vladimir Putin. In March, the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. As a signatory, South Africa is expected to hand him over if he steps foot on its soil. But in August he’s due to attend a BRICS summit in Durban, attended by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. So what’s likely to happen? Will President Putin be able to visit? For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to the ANC’s Mmapaseka Letsike and Ottilia Maunganidze of the Institute for Security Studies.

A few weeks ago the United States President Joe Biden said he wants at least two thirds of new vehicles sold in the US to be electric within a decade. The government say this is about positioning America to drive the electric vehicle future forward, outcompeting China, and tackling the climate crisis. It’s a message which puts Africa in a unique position. Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have large reserves of copper and cobalt, two crucial components needed to make the batteries for electric vehicles. DRCongo is currently the world’s top producer of cobalt. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been looking at whether this all represents an opportunity or risk for the continent.

We regularly hear about plastic pollution – but what about textile waste? An activist is swimming the length of Ghana's longest river – all 450 kilometres of it - to highlight the issue of unchecked second hand clothing imports and its impact on water pollution. Ghana imports a staggering 15 million pieces of unwanted clothing every WEEK - more than any other African country. The clothes are donated or recycled by people from the west, but 40% of the items actually end up in landfill. Many are then washed into rivers.PRESENTER: @kasujja GUESTS: Yvette Tetteh and Solomon Noi.

“There are times when you are sitting in a taxi listening to boring music. Remember, we don’t all enjoy the same type of music. But with wi-fi, you can connect to your smartphone and do something different. You can be on social networks. It’s a lovely initiative”. Over a decade ago, a South African tech start-up owned by the taxi industry came up with an idea to roll out free wi-fi in minibus taxis. This would empower millions of people who don’t have access to the internet at home, school or work. The initiative hit a series of stumbling blocks over the years, but finally took off a few weeks ago. At least 15 million South Africans use minibus taxis on a daily basis. Our producer for this episode, Mpho Lakaje, took a taxi ride around Johannesburg to see if the internet works. Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Onica Makwakwa, Brian Mdluli and Cliff de Wit