AFRICA

Blantyre, Malawi | AFP Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday declared a state of national disaster due to food shortages caused by drought, in the latest sign of alarm over a hunger crisis across southern Africa. Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are all suffering food supply problems, while South Africa …

Nairobi, KENYA | AFP | Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Monday he will give priority to pass a new anti-doping law to beat a deadline and ensure the east African track giants compete at the Rio Olympics. The second World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) deadline for Kenya to tighten its anti-doping …

Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone called Sunday for increased vigilance to prevent a resurgence of the Ebola virus after new cases in neighbouring Liberia and Guinea, but cautioned against shutting off borders between the west African states. The alert came after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed …

Kariba, Zimbabwe | AFP Lake Kariba on the Zambezi River border between Zimbabwe and Zambia used to be dotted with hundreds of commercial fishing rigs, while local fishermen in small makeshift boats would catch enough bream for their livelihood. Now the fishermen are standing on shore praying for rain as …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP Two members of Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab jihadist group were executed by firing squad Saturday for the murder of a journalist killed by a car bomb last year, a judge said. Abdirisak Mohamed Barow et Hassan Nur Ali, who admitted being Shebab members during their trial, were …

United Nations, United States | AFP Eleven girls and women from the Democratic Republic of Congo claim they became pregnant as a result of sexual abuse by Tanzanian troops serving in the UN peace mission there, the UN said Tuesday. “Seven of the alleged victims have already given birth and …

Washington, United States | AFP Angola said Wednesday it had asked the International Monetary Fund for help after the crash in oil prices ravaged government finances. The IMF said discussions would begin next week in Washington on what could be a three-year support plan for the government. “The sharp decline …

Brazzaville, Congo | AFP |    At least seventeen people died Monday in fighting in Congo’s capital Brazzaville, the government said, adding they had been killed in a “terror attack” and the subsequent “rapid intervention” by security forces. “Three members of the security forces, two civilians and 12 attackers” were …

  Cape Town, South Africa | AFP South African President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday easily survived an impeachment vote after a stormy session of parliament over a court ruling that he had violated the constitution. Lawmakers from Zuma’s African National Congress party rallied to his defence, defeating the motion by …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP  Deputy Kenyan President William Ruto was to learn later Tuesday if war crimes judges will throw out a case against him for his role in post-election bloodshed which left some 1,300 people dead. The judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) were to file a …