Zambians seek class action over lead poisoning

The High Court in South Africa will determine whether 140,000 Zambians can bring a class action lawsuit against Anglo-American, over lead poisoning allegations the mining company denies. Inhabitants of the town of Kabwe say extreme levels of lead pollution caused by almost five decades of metal mining and smelting are responsible for severe health problems in the community.

Plus, Somalia’s government has denied claims by militant group al-Shabab that it killed almost 160 army soldiers in its latest attack on a military base, saying seven were killed.

And a charity in Sierra Leone is ringing the alarm bell over what it says is a concerning trend of young people in the country reading less than in previous generations.

(Photo: Kabwe resident Kenneth spoke to the BBC in 2018; Credit: BBC)