AFRICA

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | A truck bomb exploded outside a hotel at a busy junction in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday causing widespread devastation that left at least 20 dead, with the toll likely to rise. “Initial reports from emergency departments indicate more than 20 bodies picked up off the …

Weah and Boakai edge towards Liberia presidential run-off Monrovia, Liberia | AFP |  Former football star George Weah and incumbent Vice-President Joseph Boakai on Saturday edged closer to competing in a run-off vote for Liberia’s presidency, with three quarters of polling stations counted. Weah now commands 39.2 percent of votes …

Luanda, Angola | AFP | All seven passengers and crew were killed when a plane bound for the Angolan capital Luanda crashed in a remote corner of the country, emergency services said Friday. The Brazilian-built Embraer aircraft operated by Air Guicango crashed on Thursday after taking off from Dundo in …

Mozogo, Cameroon | AFP | Nearly 60 men who said they were captured by the Boko Haram Islamist group and forced to fight for them in Nigeria have surrendered to authorities in northern Cameroon. After spending two years with Boko Haram, the men decided to flee with their families and …

Victoria, Seychelles | AFP | The Seychelles government ordered schools to close Friday, after the discovery of two suspected cases of plague thought to have been brought from Madagascar where the disease has killed scores. The health ministry has also put under surveillance 320 people who have come into contact …

Luanda, Angola | AFP | Nearly a fourth of the estimated 30,000 refugees sheltered in Angola’s northeast have returned to their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s restive Kasai region, an Angolan official said Friday. “Of the 31,240 refugees from DRC hosted by the Angolan government in the Lunda …

Monrovia, Liberia | AFP |  More partial figures released by Liberia’s electoral commission Friday showed former footballer George Weah ahead of incumbent Vice-President Joseph Boakai as they battle for the presidency. With 33.71 percent of polling stations counted, Weah has taken the lead with 39.7 percent (205,218 votes), while Boakai …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP |  Somalia’s defence minister and army chief have both resigned, without explaining why, in a potential blow to the government’s fight against Shabaab Islamist militants. The resignations come as Somali security forces struggle to contain attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked group. Defence Minister Abdirashid Abdullahi confirmed his …

S.Africa court clears way for Zuma graft prosecution Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that President Jacob Zuma can face prosecution on almost 800 charges of corruption relating to a 1990s arms deal. Zuma had lodged a challenge at the court …

Nairobi, Kenya | PSCU |  Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law the Supplementary budget that allocates  ($116 million) for the October 26 fresh presidential poll and Kshs 25 billion ($242 million) for free secondary education that kicks off in January next year.  The Supplementary Appropriation (No. 3) Act, 2017, also allocates Kshs 6.7 billion …