Author: gleanernewspaper

Hilton Fyle’s life is a story of imagination, bravery, and unwavering dedication to speaking truth to power. Fyle, a celebrated Sierra Leonean journalist and broadcaster, rose to prominence as the longtime host of the BBC’s Network Africa, where his distinct voice and incisive commentary reached listeners across the continent and beyond. Many Africans, both at home and abroad, saw him as a model of principled journalism, embodying professionalism, integrity, and a desire to inform the public. However, Fyle’s abilities and influence extended far beyond the radio studio. He is also a talented musician whose songs use personal experience to document…

Dr Ibrahim Bangura, the charismatic and presumptive All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer, drew one of the largest political crowds Waterloo has seen in recent memory when his nationwide “Meet the People Tour” swept into Bassa Town on Saturday, 15 November 2025. Supporters converged on the Bassa Town Field by the thousands, creating what many eyewitnesses called a “human forest” and turning the area into an impromptu carnival well before his arrival.  The mood in Waterloo was exuberant and festive from early in the day. Youth groups, market women, bike riders, community leaders and residents lined the streets, waving APC flags…

President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus has praised Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio for his leadership at the United Nations Security Council and as Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority, while promising to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations between the two countries. President Christodoulides described the visit, which was the first official trip to Cyprus by a sitting Sierra Leonean head of state, as a watershed moment, emphasising the two countries’ shared history as former British colonies and the importance of strengthening their relationship. During official talks, the two leaders agreed that, while cooperation has been strong thus far, the visit…

A high-level World Bank Implementation Support Mission was recently hosted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs in Freetown to review and advance the Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) project. Mr Robert S. Chase, World Bank Practice Manager for Social Protection and Jobs, and Ms Asha Monifa Williams led the delegation. The mission’s primary goals were to assess project progress, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and identify practical ways to expand the initiative’s impact on youth empowerment and job creation in Sierra Leone. PSSNYE, a flagship social protection and employment program implemented in collaboration by the Ministry of Youth Affairs,…

On November 13, 2025, a high-level delegation from the British High Commission, led by Deputy High Commissioner Kathleen Reid, paid courtesy visits to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) and the ECOWAS Logistics Depot in Lungi. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen cooperative dialogue and explore opportunities for increased UK support to ensure the Depot’s full operational status and as a strategic regional asset. The British delegation consisted of Kezia Exley, Deputy Sahel Envoy; Hamish Tye, UK Political Envoy to ECOWAS; Christopher Howells, Political Secretary; and Amalara Jalloh, Political Officer at the British High Commission.…

A China-aided Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), the first of its kind in Sierra Leone, has opened at the Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital in Freetown. The unit, which opened on Wednesday, is designed to provide centralised monitoring and prompt intervention to patients with acute and critical cardiovascular conditions, addressing a growing national demand for specialised heart care. The new CICU is outfitted with cardiac monitors, defibrillators, ventilators, and other specialised devices that allow for continuous monitoring and rapid response for patients with serious heart disease. According to members of the 26th batch of the Chinese medical team stationed in Sierra…

On Thursday, November 13, 2025, the Population Secretariat of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) completed a full-day stakeholders’ engagement at the Ministry’s conference room in Tower Hill, Freetown, to conduct the Annual Review of Sierra Leone’s commitments under the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) framework. The meeting brought together a diverse group of national actors to evaluate progress, identify gaps, and renew collective responsibility for implementing Sierra Leone’s renewed ICPD commitments through 2030. The engagement aimed to foster national ownership of the ICPD agenda, promote shared responsibility for implementation, and ensure that the commitments were…

By Kemo Cham Findings from studies by a group of mainly Sierra Leonean scientists have revealed a worrying trend of viral infections in the country. The scientists attached to the University of Sierra Leone and the Center for Biomedical and One Health Research (CBOHR) at the Koinadugu College (KC), through collaborations with local and international partners, uncovered the presence of deadly viruses hitherto considered as rare to Sierra Leone. One of the studies revealed the rare presence of a sexually transmitted infection in under-five children. These findings from about half a dozen studies were shared at the first dissemination of…

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom have joined Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in their investigation into what authorities believe to be an international cartel that is in charge of a 1,000-kilogram shipment of cocaine that was purportedly sent from Sierra Leone. At the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) in Lagos, the shipment was found inside a 20-foot export container. It is estimated to have a street value of N29.4 billion, or roughly $20.4 million. On October 7, 2025, while PTML staff were cleaning a set of…

Sierra Leone’s Clerk to Parliament, Mr Karmoh K. Konteh, paid a courtesy call on his Ghanaian counterpart, Mr Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, as part of a working visit aimed at strengthening inter-parliamentary relations and exchanging best practices in digital governance. The visit focused on Ghana’s information and communication technology (ICT) systems used in the parliamentary chamber, as well as how digital tools were used to improve legislative processes and institutional efficiency. Mr Konteh wanted a thorough understanding of the technological infrastructure that supports Ghana’s Parliament, including the software and hardware vendors and the architecture that allows for day-to-day operations. He looked…