AFRICA

Epworth, Zimbabwe | AFP | It’s a meagre sum, just $9 per month, but for many families in poverty-stricken Zimbabwe, it is their last shred of hope. The innovative scheme by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), UKAID and Denmark’s DanChurchAid (DCA) is helping thousands of urban households that each day …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian President Edgar Lungu wants the US to recall its ambassador to Lusaka for criticising the southern African nation over a 15-year jail term slapped on two gay men for consensual sex. Daniel Foote came under fire in Zambia after he expressed horror over the high …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Fake eyelashes fluttered, bespoke suits were on display and slick music videos played at the inaugural edition of The Entertainment Fair and Festival in Nigeria’s economic hub Lagos in late November. But behind the glitter, the reality of the film and music sectors in Africa’s most …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  As if choreographed by a puppet master, stores along the aisle of a Johannesburg mall hurriedly shut their doors one by one as soon as power outages strike slap-bang in the middle of the day. “We have to close the store immediately because people can …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | From soldier to Islamist, populist and war crimes suspect, Sudan’s deposed leader Omar al-Bashir showed many different faces during his three decades of iron-fisted rule. The 75-year-old, who was one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents, has been held in prison since his ouster in April on corruption …

Adelaide, South Africa | AFP |  South African farmer Steve Bothma heaved a sigh of relief when the weatherman finally predicted rain. His excitement was short-lived. Just a few days later, the forecast changed. It was back to cloudless sunshine. In South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, no one can remember the …

Algiers, Algeria | AFP |  A former ally of Algeria’s deposed leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika was elected president of the protest-wracked country in a widely boycotted vote, sparking another outpouring of anger on the streets Friday. Huge crowds massed once again in Algiers vowing to keep up their campaign for the total …

South Africa | AFP |  A loud hiss rips through the stillness of southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert. It sounds like a fighter jet flying low over the Hakskeen Pan, an isolated dry lake bed in South Africa’s Northern Cape province, near the Namibian border. Then a thick cloud of sand appears …

Algiers, Algeria | AFP |  Algeria held a tense presidential election Thursday meant to bring stability after a year of turmoil, but voting was marred as protesters stormed polling stations and staged a mass rally in the capital. The unpopular vote comes almost 10 months into a street protest movement that …

Niamey, Niger | AFP | The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on an army camp in Niger which left 71 military personnel dead, the SITE intelligence group said Thursday. Hundreds of jihadists attacked the camp, near the border with Mali with shells and mortars on Tuesday, killing …