Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Angry protesters barricaded roads with burning tyres and rocks in Zimbabwe on Monday after the government more than doubled the price of fuel in a bid to improve supplies as the country battles its worst gasoline shortages in a decade. Protesters turned back drivers and blocked buses from carrying passengers …

Doha, Qatar | AFP | Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani admitted Monday that Qatar’s inclusion among teams in this year’s Copa America was a “surprise” but backed the Gulf state’s first ever tournament appearance. The 31-year-old, who plays for Qatari-owned French champions Paris Saint-Germain, said allowing the World Cup 2022 host in to South America’s biggest international …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s chief justice, Walter Onnoghen, was absent Monday from the first day of his fiercely-disputed trial overshadowed by the country’s upcoming elections. Onnoghen had been scheduled to attend the Code of Conduct Tribunal, a special court set up to enforce ethical conduct among holders of public office. Last week he was …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that talks were under way on Washington’s proposal to establish a “safe zone” in flashpoint border areas of northeastern Syria, where tensions are rising between Turkey and Kurdish militia. “We want to make sure that the folks who fought with us …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Defiant Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Monday that ongoing protests will not lead to a change in government, as he addressed a rally of cheering supporters in war-torn Darfur. “Demonstrations will not change the government,” Bashir told crowds of supporters gathered in Niyala, the capital of South Darfur state, where …

Melbourne, Australia | AFP | Gutsy Andy Murray fought to the end before losing an epic Australian Open farewell match 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7) at the hands of Roberto Bautista Agut Monday. The Scot, who said he will retire this season because of chronic hip pain, seemed finished at two sets and a break …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe will re-introduce a local currency “in less than 12 months”, after using the US dollar and regional currencies since a hyperinflation crisis a decade ago, the finance minister said in an interview published on Saturday. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over from long-time ruler Robert Mugabe and won a …

Washington, United States | AFP | The partial US government shutdown entered a record 22nd day Saturday, as President Donald Trump remains steadfast in his demand for $5.7 billion to build a Mexico border wall and Democrats in Congress determined to refuse the funds. The impasse has paralyzed Washington, with the president retaliating by refusing …

Durban, South Africa | AFP | South African President on Saturday launched the ANC’s campaign for legislative elections in May, acknowledging the party’s past mistakes and promising to restore democratic institutions and economic growth. Ramaphosa unveiled a 68-page manifesto before tens of thousands of supporters in the eastern city of Durban, marking the start of …

Washington, United States | AFP | The US military has begun moving non-essential gear out of Syria but is not withdrawing troops for now, defense officials said amid uncertainty over America’s planned exit from the war-battered nation. President Donald Trump last month claimed the Islamic State group had been defeated in Syria and said all …