Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The World Health Organization on Thursday advised governments to clinically test a herbal drink touted by Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina as a remedy against coronavirus. The Covid-Organics infusion is derived from artemisia — a plant with proven anti-malarial properties — and other indigenous herbs. Rajoelina …

Paris, France | AFP | Africa is the only continent in the world where deforestation is accelerating, according to key findings of a five-year report released Thursday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In South America, where some countries have been blamed for rampant forest exploitation, the rate of forest loss was …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told senior ministers on Thursday the government would adopt “maximum caution” as it moves towards a relaxation of lockdown measures imposed to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Johnson will address the nation on Sunday evening, his spokesman said, but warned against …

Beijing, China | AFP | China accused the United States on Thursday of trying to shift blame over the coronavirus, after President Donald Trump said the pandemic was a worse “attack” than Pearl Harbor or 9/11. Tension between the world’s two biggest economies has reached fever pitch in recent days as …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Bundesliga clubs were racing Thursday to get ready for the restart of the season in nine days’ time, amid concerns about whether the players will stick to the strict hygiene guidelines implemented to ensure the campaign is completed. Twenty-four hours after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government gave …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Bitcoin miners, whose computer processors enable the running of the world’s most popular virtual currency, will soon face an event that takes place every four years and alters the profitability of the hi-tech industry. So-called halving is when cryptocurrency-mining companies and individuals find out the …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday sought to ease concerns by Tanzania that the country’s coronavirus test kits were faulty. President John Magufuli on Monday suspended top officials at the country’s national laboratory, after saying he had secretly had animals and fruits …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | The number of international tourist arrivals could plunge by 60 to 80 percent in 2020 owing to the coronavirus, the World Tourism Organization said Thursday, revising its previous forecast sharply lower. Widespread travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders to curb the spread …

Paris, France | AFP | As COVID-19 deaths climb ever higher in Europe and the United States, millions of lives are at risk in developing nations where lockdowns and overwhelmed medical systems are disrupting vital testing, vaccination and treatment for other killer diseases. The pandemic has seen unprecedented social distancing measures, …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has questioned the suspension of district council meetings during the coronavirus crisis describing the move by the Ministry of Local Government as a ‘suspension of democracy.’ This followed a concern raised by Nakasongola County MP Noah Mutebi Wanzala …