AFRICA

Blantyre, Malawi | AFP | Malawi’s presidential election re-run could be brought forward by a week to comply with a court order that a new leader be declared within 150 days of a ruling that quashed last year’s polls, the electoral commission has said. The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) had set July 2 for a …

UPDATE UGANDA 🔸 13 new cases (truck drivers) ✳ 65,275 tested ✳ 139 Confirmed cases ✳ 55 Recoveries ✳ 0 deaths SOURCE MOH Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has just confirmed 13 new COVID-19 positive cases, the second time in a week that this high …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan on Tuesday rejected an Ethiopian proposal to sign an initial agreement greenlighting the filling of a controversial mega-dam it is building. “I cannot accept the signing of a draft agreement to the first phase (filling the dam) because it poses legal and technical problems that must be addressed,” Sudanese …

Bukavu, DR Congo | AFP | Fourteen boys were raped by a man posing as a pastor in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Panzi Foundation said Tuesday. The Bukavu charity hospital founded by Denis Mukwege, the Nobel laureate and gynaecologist hailed for his work with rape victims, said the children were admitted last month …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African smokers rejoiced last month as President Cyril Ramaphosa lifted a ban on tobacco sales imposed as part of draconian measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic. But less than a week later, one of his cabinet ministers reversed the decision for “health-related” reasons — …

But CSOs say carrying out negotiation virtually will defranchise majority of the stakeholders Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | African Business leaders across the continent have signed a joint letter calling for the ministers and heads of state to stick to the July 1 deadline for the free trade agreement …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The powerful top aide to DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi goes on trial for corruption on Monday in a case without precedent in the vast African country. Tshisekedi’s chief of staff Vital Kamerhe, who has been at the very heart of political life in DR …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa has topped 10,000, including 194 fatalities, Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize announced on Sunday. “As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 10,015, the minister said in a statement. “We note with concern that the …

Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | South African Fredie Blom celebrated his 116th birthday on Friday unfazed by the coronavirus crisis, over 100 years since the Spanish flu pandemic killed his sister. “I have lived this long because of God’s grace,” said Blom, possibly one of the oldest men …

Cotonou, Benin | AFP |  Benin on Saturday was conducting mass coronavirus testing of teachers ahead of the reopening of schools as part of a plan to loosen measures against the pandemic. The West African nation of 11 million is set to end six weeks of travel restrictions to key …