Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The pot-holed streets of Bangui’s Muslim quarter are lined with stalls plying their trade to a cacophony of honking horns and cars backfiring — a comforting image of bustling life in Central African Republic’s capital. But beneath this veneer of normalcy, many traders …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Funmi Ilori once had a dream about creating the biggest library in Africa. Now she drives vans packed with books to poor areas of Lagos to help children discover a love of reading. “Readers are what?” she asks about 15 youngsters, sitting on little plastic …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | With Zimbabwe holding elections this year, the opposition had been feeling cautiously optimistic — until its arch-enemy, Robert Mugabe, was ousted from power. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, now faces the threat of a revived ZANU-PF party at polls that …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Olivier Giroud was a helpless spectator as Chelsea slumped to a shock 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League on Wednesday. Giroud had completed a move across London from Arsenal worth a reported £18 million ($26 million, 21 million euros) earlier in …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Jose Mourinho accused his Manchester United stars of failing to follow instructions after Christian Eriksen scored just 11 seconds into Tottenham’s 2-0 win at Wembley. United boss Mourinho was furious with his side’s sloppy defending as they made a host of mistakes that allowed …

Washington, United States | AFP | The top US public health official resigned Wednesday due to financial conflicts of interest, a day after US media reported she bought tobacco stocks while heading the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A statement from the US Department of Health and Human …

Lome, Togo | AFP | Togo’s government was facing fresh turbulence on Wednesday as healthcare workers went on strike, joining thousands of demonstrators holding opposition protests on the streets. The two-day nationwide strike was called by the National Union of Hospital Practitioners of Togo (SYNPHOT) who are demanding better equipment …

Niamey, Niger | AFP | The UN refugee agency appealed on Wednesday for $157 million (126 million euros) to help over a quarter of a million people affected by the insurgency led by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The UNHCR, acting with more than 40 other agencies, said it …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is his barometer for success after he joined the Gunners for a club record fee reported to be £56 million ($79.2 million, 63.7 million euros) form Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Gabon striker, who scored 141 …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s interior minister said Wednesday that opposition leader Raila Odinga’s mock inauguration as “people’s president” was an effort to overthrow the government, with media outlets shut down for their complicity in the event. Odinga, 73, held a swearing-in ceremony in Nairobi on Tuesday with the …