AFRICA

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | A Nigerian government official found with 86 new luxury cars was charged with fraud on Thursday, court papers show. Ibrahim Tumsah, finance and account director at the Power, Works and Housing Ministry was arraigned at Abuja Federal High Court along with his brother Tijani Tumsah, …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The Gambia was readmitted to the Commonwealth on Thursday, welcomed back following the democratic election of President Adama Barrow, who reversed the shock pullout of 2013. His predecessor Yahya Jammeh suddenly withdrew the impoverished west African nation in October that year, branding the group …

Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s opposition demanded Thursday that the ruling ANC party end confusion over President Jacob Zuma’s expected departure from office, as tense transition talks continued in Cape Town. ANC party officials met with Zuma over the weekend to request his resignation, but he …

N’Djamena, Chad | AFP | The government of Chad on Wednesday suspended 10 opposition parties for “disturbing public order” and “inciting violence” after they backed trade union calls for a mass protest over austerity measures. The parties’ activities “have been suspended for a duration of two months,” Security Minister Ahmat …

Tripoli, Libya | AFP | UN envoy Ghassan Salame said Wednesday he hoped for elections in Libya by the end of 2018 but that conditions in the strife-torn country were not yet ready for polling. “There are several conditions. For the time being, we have only achieved one: the start of …

The latest African Development Bank (AfDB) Economic Outlook for 2018 predicts 4.1% average growth COMMENT | KAUSHIK BASU | The African Development Bank (AfDB) has just published its African Economic Outlook for 2018. This year’s revamped publication – shorter than usual, analytically well-structured, and written in lucid prose, without hyperbole – …

elephant Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Ever tried to put a GPS real-time tracking collar on a five-tonne animal? Well in Gabon conservationists have begun trying to use the devices on elephants; tracking and drugging the animals, before attaching the high-tech gadgets in a bid to stop poachers and ivory …

Maputo, Mozambique | AFP | Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi vowed Wednesday to introduce constitutional changes to decentralise power as part of peace efforts between his Frelimo party and the opposition Renamo group. Renamo rebels fought a 16-year war against the ruling Frelimo party until 1992, and unrest again boiled over …

Beijing, China | AFP | The African Union’s chairman dismissed during a visit to Beijing on Thursday a French newspaper report alleging that China had spied on the continental body as “lies” intended to derail cooperation. The report published by Le Monde in January claimed technicians at the AU’s Chinese-built …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Six children drowned when two boats collided and capsized in northwest Nigeria, the emergency services said on Wednesday. A passenger boat on the River Niger collided head-on with another vessel carrying onions to a market in the fishing town of Yauri in Kebbi state on …