AFRICA

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday dropped two ministers he had appointed to his new cabinet just a day earlier, a move widely seen as a response to a public uproar over the nominations. Mnangagwa, 75, named his cabinet overnight Thursday, and is expected to …

Maseru, Lesotho | AFP | A 258-strong regional force was deployed to Lesotho on Saturday to ease security concerns in the landlocked kingdom after the killing of the country’s top army commander in September. The move by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc, was approved in September …

Lome, Togo | AFP | Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Lome on Saturday for the third time this week to demand the exit of President Faure Gnassingbe, with little sign of progress on promised talks. Gnassingbe, who has ruled Togo for more than 15 years, pledged in …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | At least 13 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in a dual suicide bomb attack at a busy morning market in northeast Nigeria on Saturday, according to local sources. The attacks occurred in the town of Biu, about 185 kilometres (115 miles) south …

Beatrice, Zimbabwe | AFP | Standing outside the gates of the farmhouse from which he was evicted in 2008, white Zimbabwean Deon Theron knows he will never get his land back. But he does believe that Robert Mugabe’s fall after almost 40 years in power could lead the new government …

Brazzaville, Congo | AFP | The US and French embassies in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, said Friday Congolese authorities had beefed up security at their buildings after receiving threats. The French embassy on its website said “a message relating to possible attacks” had been received overnight Wednesday. …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s former vice president, who was on a trip abroad during last month’s military takeover that led to Robert Mugabe’s resignation, has returned home, local media reported Saturday. Phelekezela Mphoko was the second deputy appointed in 2014 by longtime strongman Mugabe, along with current President Emmerson …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, came under fire on Friday for unveiling a debut cabinet that named two military allies to top positions, reappointed figures from Robert Mugabe’s discredited era and sidelined the opposition. Mnangagwa gave key jobs to two top military officers, including Sibusiso …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | As many as 512 died in an October truck bombing in the Somali capital Mogadishu, an emergency committee investigating the terrorist atrocity has found. An earlier death toll of 358 already made the October 14 bombing the deadliest terrorist attack in Somalia’s history. No group claimed …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nearly 1,300 Nigerian migrants were brought home from Libya in November — nearly twice as many as in the previous month, the head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Friday. “1,295 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in November after being stranded in …