Sierra Leone U-18 side secured the bronze medal and trophy at the IHF Trophy Zone 2 Africa tourney in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The young Sierra Leonean team were able to attain the third-place position after finishing behind Guinea, and Senegal. Both Mali and Mauritania ended the tournament with two points in fourth and fifth places respectively. Sierra Leone beat Mali 43:27, and the match between Guinea and Mauritania was stopped after nine minutes played when Guinea led 6:0, and eventually Guinea were given a 10:0 victory. In the junior (U20) tournament, both semi-finals were played. Guinea l ..read more

The Olympic Torch will have to travel through Chamonix on its journey from Greece to Paris. Over two and a half months the flame will travel through 64 territories, finally landing in Paris 26 July 2024. On World Olympic Day, 23 June 2024, Chamonix will welcome the torch-bearers from 18:45. The lighting of the cauldron will take place at Place Mont Blanc. Torch bearers include: Meije Bidault (sit-ski athlete), Merlin Surget (snowboard cross athlete), Michel Caux (ice hockey athlete), Monique Mollier (lifeguard), and Edith Aubert (head of popular aid). Already, members of the Sentinelle army fo ..read more

The International Football Federation (FIFA) says it plans to organize a tour of football legends around the world and in the future hold a World Cup among former players. This plan was revealed during the 74th FIFA Congress in which FIFA President Gianni Infantino participated in a friendly football match with former Leone Stars and AC Mila midfielder, Rodney Strasser and other legends of the game in Bangkok, Thailand. The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, announced during the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok. “As for our plans, 75 FIFA academies around the world will be open until 2027,” Infant ..read more

Sierra Leone national female U-20 team Shooting Starlets will kick-start their Group B campaign in the 2024 WAFU U-20 Female Tourney in Senegal against Mauritania on Tuesday evening, May 21 at Stade Lat Dior. The Starlets will then face next-door neighbours Liberia at the same venue in the 23rd May before entertaining Guinea in their final group B clash at the Stade Maniang Soumare on Saturday May 25. Earlier, the team departed the country on Saturday with 20 players and 8 technical staff. The Shooting Starlets have been rigorously preparing for this regional competition, which serves as a pla ..read more

By Jeneba A Conteh In the ongoing trial at Pademba Road Court No.1, Freetown, prosecution witness Issa Kamara, an exhibit officer, testified before Magistrate Sahr Kekura on Thursday, April 16. Kamara presented a locally made gun in a case involving alleged unlawful possession of arms. The accused faces three charges: unlawful possession of small arms without a license, control of small arms without a license, and unlawful concealment of arms, as per the Arms and Ammunition Act No.9 of 2012 and its 2014 regulations. The offense allegedly occurred on December 29, 2023, at Concern Pump, Kissy To ..read more

By Jeneba A Conteh Agibu Mansaray, a 38-year-old steel bender, and Alfred Jayah, a 31-year-old tailor, appeared before Principal Magistrate Kekura at the Pademba Road Court No.1 in Freetown. They were granted bail of Le500,000 New Leones each, following charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and housebreaking and larceny under Section 26 (1) of the Larceny Act of 1916. The incident allegedly occurred on April 21, 2024, at #5 Mansaray Drive, Hill Cut, where the accused reportedly broke into Barnard Jamiru’s residence and stole a Lenovo laptop valued at 26,000 Leones. Both pleaded not guilty to ..read more

By Jeneba A Conteh In the court case involving Pastor Anthony Keita and four others, a female Correctional Service Officer was implicated by a defendant in the maltreatment of accused inmates. The third accused claimed that Officer Zainab threatened to ensure harsh treatment because they allegedly assaulted her pastor. He reported that since her statement, the accused have faced severe mistreatment at the male correctional center, including being forced to stand throughout the night. The accused appeared before Principal Magistrate Kekura as the prosecution presented video evidence of them dis ..read more

By Alfred Koroma In order to improve media coverage on health emergencies, Health Alert, a well-known civil society organisation has on Friday 17th May initiated a specialised training program for journalists, focused on health security and emergency pandemic preparedness.  The training, which took place in Freetown, converged journalists from diverse media outlets to improve their skills in reporting on health issues. The day-long training covered a range of topics useful for effective health reporting. Journalists who attended the training were trained by medical and public health commu ..read more

By Hassan Gbassay Koroma The President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice (ECCJ), Edward Amoako Asante, has called on member states to faithfully comply with the Court’s judgments and adhere to its decisions. This appeal was made during the closing session of a four-day international conference in Freetown, which focused on enhancing the Court’s role, relevance, and effectiveness through stronger collaboration with national stakeholders. Asante emphasized the importance of member states honoring the Court’s rulings and urged the three nations yet to appoint their competent national authorities to ..read more

By Yusufu S. Bangura Last Friday, the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA) and its partners convened at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Freetown to discuss strategies for ending the unmet need for family planning in Sierra Leone.  The dialogue aimed to exchange experiences, foster collaboration, and identify actions for sustainable financing of family planning initiatives. In her opening statement, UNFPA Representative Nadia Rasheed emphasized that family planning is crucial not only for health and well-being but also for women’s empowerment and the reduction of poverty and inequality. Sh ..read more