AFRICA

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Watching from afar as much of the world was brought to its knees by the coronavirus, African scientists, engineers and innovators have turned to homegrown solutions to prepare for the worst case scenario. By the time the virus hit Africa, where cases have risen relatively slowly, …

South Sudan rebel leader-turned-VP tests positive for coronavirus Juba, South Sudan | AFP | South Sudan’s first vice president, the former rebel leader Riek Machar, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his office said Monday. Machar’s wife, Defence Minister Angelina Teny, and “a number of his office staff and …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria has seized a British plane for flouting a travel ban imposed as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the aviation minister said Sunday. Flair Aviation, the airline involved, was authorised to conduct humanitarian flights but was caught operating commercial flights, Hadi Sirika said on …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa on Sunday reported 1,160 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily number since the first case was recorded in March, data released by the health ministry showed. “As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 15,515 with 1,160 …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi, which elects its president on May 20, has been mired in a political crisis since the last election in 2015, at the cost of 1,200 lives. The violence, sparked by opposition to Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for a third presidential term, stoked fears of a return …

Bujumbura, Burundi | AFP | Burundians will vote Wednesday in a tense general election, despite a largely-ignored outbreak of coronavirus which is set to be the first major challenge for the new president. President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power since 2005, shocked observers by deciding to step aside, five …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The small, central African country of Burundi is one of the poorest in the world, with a history of political crises and ethnic massacres and a long civil war. Here are some key facts about the nation of 11 million people ahead of its May 20 …

Israel ex-army chief Ashkenazi to serve as foreign minister: party Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP |  Former Israeli army chief Gabi Ashkenazi, who spent nearly four decades in the military, will be nominated as Israel’s next foreign minister, his Blue and White alliance said Wednesday. Ashkenazi held talks with US Secretary …

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | AFP |  Tanzania President John Magufuli said Sunday that the number of coronavirus cases there had dropped drastically thanks to the populations’ prayers, and implied the epidemic might soon end. Magufuli’s government has been criticised for a lack of transparency regarding the toll that COVID-19 …

Paris, France | AFP |  The arrest of Felicien Kabuga, one of the last key fugitives wanted over the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in a suburb of Paris has raised some difficult questions for France. Those committed to getting justice for the genocide victims want to know how fugitives such as Kabuga …