All articles tagged with #zambia
A rights summit in Zambia was canceled after Chinese pressure to exclude Taiwanese activists, underscoring Beijing’s ability to influence international forums and heightening cross-strait tensions.
Zambia canceled RightsCon 2026 in Lusaka just days before its May start, saying it needed time to ensure the event aligns with national values, policy priorities, and public interest. The move, described by activists as censorship, comes amid concerns of political pressure and transnational repression, with more than 2,600 delegates expected and many having already traveled and paid for arrangements to discuss digital rights, online hate, surveillance, and internet governance.
RightsCon, the world’s largest digital rights conference, was canceled in Lusaka after Chinese authorities allegedly pressured Zambia to exclude Taiwanese participants from in-person and online participation, leading to postponement and signaling Beijing’s reach into global digital rights discourse. Access Now said it received informal briefings from multiple sources about China’s influence shaping the conference, which was set to address China’s digital authoritarianism and cyber activities, with UNESCO events nearby also affected.
RightsCon, the global conference on human rights and technology, was canceled in Lusaka just days before it was to start after the Zambian government demanded full alignment with national values and public-interest considerations, prompting organizers to advise registered participants not to travel. The decision comes amid Zambia’s tightened digital laws and ahead of an August election, drawing criticism from digital-rights groups and observers who say the move undermines civil society and free expression.
A court in Zambia has ordered the government to hand former President Edgar Lungu's body back to a funeral home amid a controversial, high-profile dispute over his funeral arrangements.
A leaked five-year US health-financing plan offers about $1.012 billion for Zambia in exchange for 40,000 new health workers, $400 million in health services, and extensive health-data sharing (including 25-year pathogen data) linked to mining concessions; civil-society groups warn the terms are worse than similar deals, risk undermining Zambia’s health programs, and could give Washington outsized leverage, prompting potential legal challenges.
A young woman in Zambia was sent to a maximum-security prison after authorities denied her a legal abortion and she terminated the pregnancy on her own.
Violet Zulu, a 26-year-old in Zambia, was sentenced to seven years in 2024 for procuring her own abortion after clinics refused legal care and she couldn't afford private services; she delivered the fetus in a toilet, pleaded guilty after representing herself in court, and was later freed on appeal thanks to intervention by international rights groups. Her case highlights barriers to legal abortion, stigma, and lack of information, underscoring the need for better access and education amid Africa's high rate of unsafe abortions.
A 52-year-old Zambian fisherman, Dean Nyirenda, was killed by a crocodile after fleeing a herd of elephants near the Luangwa River in eastern Zambia; he struck the crocodile with a stick and, with help from two companions, dragged himself from the stream but died from heavy bleeding, highlighting ongoing human-wildlife conflicts in an area with a high crocodile presence; authorities are considering measures like protective fences near wildlife hotspots.
Paleontologists have discovered new fossils in Tanzania and Zambia that provide valuable insights into the animals that thrived before the end-Permian mass extinction, helping to better understand which species survived and the impact of this catastrophic event on Earth's history.
A South African court has ruled that Zambia can repatriate the body of former President Edgar Lungu for a state funeral, despite his family's opposition to a public burial in South Africa. The family plans to appeal the decision, and Lungu's body remains in Pretoria under security. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Lungu's family and the Zambian government over funeral arrangements.
The US has announced a new visa bond requirement of up to $15,000 for tourists and business travelers from Zambia and Malawi, aiming to curb visa overstays. This move, part of broader immigration tightening measures, has been criticized as unfair and burdensome, especially for genuine travelers from these poorer nations, and raises concerns about potential expansion of travel restrictions across Africa.
The US Department of State has introduced a policy requiring tourists from Malawi and Zambia to pay up to $15,000 in visa bonds as a measure to curb visa overstays, with the scheme set to expand to more countries. The bonds are refundable if tourists leave on time or their visas are canceled, but are forfeited if they overstay or seek asylum. Critics argue the policy is discriminatory and burdensome for travelers from poorer nations.
Two tourists, a British woman and a New Zealand woman, were killed by a charging female elephant with a calf at South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, despite efforts by guides to stop the animal. The incident highlights the dangers of wildlife encounters during safaris, especially with protective elephants, and follows previous attacks on tourists in the country.
Two elderly female tourists from the UK and New Zealand were killed by a female elephant with a calf during a walking safari in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, despite efforts by guides to stop the attack with gunfire.