AFRICA

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP |  African bishops have asked Radio Vatican, the official radio of the pope, to restore shortwave transmissions to the continent, the Catholic agency Fides reported on Friday. Catholics are estimated to number more than 150 million in Africa, the poorest of all continents, and …

Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Gambian coalition parties which united last year to deliver the first new president in 22 years are unlikely to run together for legislative elections next month, a senior government source told AFP. President Adama Barrow said in January his coalition government would “continue as a …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudan summoned on Thursday US charge d’affaires Steven Koutsis to protest President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban which bars its citizens from entering the United States. “The US charge d’affaires was informed of Sudan’s discontent over the decisions issued by the American adminstration on March 6,” …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday returned to Nigeria after nearly two months’ medical leave in Britain but did little to quell fears about the state of his health by saying he would not start work again immediately. The 74-year-old, who has been in London since …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | President Muhammadu Buhari arrived back in Nigeria on Friday after nearly two months in London receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. The 74-year-old landed at the airport in the northern city of Kaduna at about 7:40 am (0640 GMT) and was flown by helicopter to the …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  The International Olympic Committee on Thursday imposed a freeze on grants to the Kenyan Olympic committee in a move which would affect the running of national sports activities in the country. The IOC said in a statement that it was unhappy that the Kenyan National …

The Leader of the Opposition in Uganda’s Parliament Winnie Kiiza has said that opposition parties should not be viewed as enemies of the ruling government, but as an organ with an advisory role. Kiiza said that the opposition is a government in waiting’ and should not be classified as being against …

African parliaments have been urged to be at the forefront of combating terrorism and violent extremism, by ratifying and implementing anti terrorism laws. Terrorism was a top item on the agenda at the Pan African Parliament session in Midrand, South Africa on Wednesday, with Uganda’s Prof. Ogenga-Latigo saying that every country hould domesticate …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday pardoned 259 rebels captured in fighting with government forces, including dozens who had been sentenced to death, the presidency said. Bashir’s order came three days after a prominent insurgent group freed dozens of prisoners, mostly soldiers, it had captured in …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Dozens of Egyptians protested across the country on Tuesday because they were unable to get their share of subsidised bread, police said. The protests followed a supply ministry decision to limit the number of subsidised loaves bakeries can sell people who do not yet have …