AFRICA

Ibadan, Nigeria | AFP |  When six-year-old Naziru Abdulwahab was abducted from northern Nigeria, his kidnapper transported him across the country and tried to sell him — but the potential buyer backed out. What saved the boy from the child-smuggling rings, police said, was the traditional facial scarrings on his cheeks …

UN appoints new HIV/AIDS chief after controversy United Nations, United States | AFP |  United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed a new HIV/AIDS chief on Wednesday after the previous incumbent left accused of serious mismanagement. Oxfam International executive director Winnie Byanyima of Uganda will lead UNAIDS, a spokesperson for …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  Four years ago, South African fashion designer Innocent Molefe, 38, was diagnosed with tuberculosis. A year ago, it developed into multi-drug resistant strain requiring painful injections and heaps of pills. Three months after the first round of treatment, he relapsed and started a second round. At the …

Dakar, Senegal | AFP | When Senegal’s Muslim families gather for the biggest Islamic religious feast of the year, they often encourage the Christian minority to join them in a tradition of tolerance rare in West Africa. Many Roman Catholics in Dakar were invited Monday to join Muslim friends for Tabaski, …

Morogoro, Tanzania | AFP | Tanzania on Sunday laid to rest most of the 71 people who died while trying to collect leaking petrol from an overturned fuel tanker that exploded. The deadly blast, which took place Saturday near the town of Morogoro, west of the economic capital Dar es Salaam, …

Goma, DR Congo | AFP | DR Congo’s pointman on Ebola voiced delight on Tuesday after researchers announced that two prototype drugs boost chances of surviving the dreaded disease. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, newly appointed by President Felix Tshisekedi to coordinate the year-long campaign against Ebola, said that out of four confirmed …

Gabes, Tunisia | AFP | As soon as the sun is up, people in southern Tunisia rush out to buy a glass or bottle of legmi, a coveted date palm drink that is too delicate to be sold far from the oasis. At 7:00 am, at the busy Ain Slam roundabout …

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP |  DJ Arafat, an Ivorian singer with a huge following in francophone Africa, has died after a road accident in Abidjan, evoking a wave of tributes to the award-winning star of the “coupe-decale” dance genre. “Death of artist DJ Arafat… today at 8am as a result …

Juba, South Sudan | AFP | South Sudan activists on Monday began a campaign to pressure the country’s warring parties to meet a fast-approaching deadline to form a unity government as part of their 2018 peace agreement. The Civil Society Forum, a coalition of more than 100 organisations, on Monday marked the beginning of a …

Two Ebola drugs found to increase survival rates: health officials Washington, United States | AFP |  Scientists were a step closer to a cure for Ebola on Monday after two of four drugs in a clinical trial were found to significantly increase survival rates, the US health authority co-funding the …