AFRICA

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Nairobi’s gold-flashing governor posted bail and was freed from custody Wednesday after his dramatic arrest on corruption charges saw him become the latest top official nabbed for graft in Kenya. Mike Sonko, whose penchant for flashy jewellery and cars has come under scrutiny, paid 15 million Kenyan shillings (USD$147,500/133,000 euros) …

Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Rwanda announced Wednesday it was scrapping an 18 percent value added tax on sanitary pads to make them cheaper for girls who are often forced to skip school during their periods. The country becomes the latest to drop the controversial tax which has increasingly infuriated women …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP |   Five people including three civilians were killed when jihadist militants stormed a hotel in Somalia’s capital, police said Wednesday, adding that all five attackers had also died after an hours-long siege. The attack on Tuesday evening, claimed by the Islamist group al-Shabaab, took place at …

Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria | AFP |  In Algeria’s disaffected Kabylie region, the brick has become the symbol of the anti-vote campaign ahead of unpopular presidential elections set for Thursday. Protesters have even bricked up the entrances to local government offices to prevent the distribution of election material in Tizi-Ouzou, a key city …

  Meteoric rise of Abiy Ahmed trying to remould Ethiopia Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP |  Abiy Ahmed, the son of poor villagers who became a spy boss, and now the man behind dizzying attempts to reform Africa’s fastest-growing economy and heal wounds with Ethiopia’s neighbours, has seen an unpredictable and …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP |  When Eritrean painter Noah Mulubrhan crossed into Ethiopia last year, he had little desire to stay — and even less of an expectation that the move would be a boon to his career. The 35-year-old was taking advantage of the sudden rapprochement between the two …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s debt-laden state power company Eskom on Monday announced it was implementing a more intense electricity rationing schedule, five days after continued rolling power cuts have plunged businesses, schools and homes into darkness. The power cuts, known as “load shedding” are implemented to …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The flashy governor of Nairobi on Monday pleaded not guilty to over 30 charges of money laundering, receiving bribes and conflict of interest in a court appearance held under tight security. Governor Mike , the latest top official to be hauled in on corruption charges in …

Kigali, Rwanda | AFP |  Rwanda on Sunday started a voluntary Ebola vaccination programme at its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly virus from its neighbour. All countries in high-risk areas, even if not hit by Ebola, had been …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The flashy governor of Nairobi was arrested Friday shortly after Kenya’s chief prosecutor ordered he be detained to face charges of economic crimes. Governor Mike Sonko is the latest in a string of top officials — including Finance Minister Henry Rotch — to be hauled in …