In the news

A South African court ruled that the country’s former president, Jacob Zuma, must return to prison, saying his medical parole was “illegal”. Zuma had been jailed for failing to attend an inquiry into corruption during his presidency but was released on 5 September for an undisclosed medical condition. “The time …

The Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, has urged people to comply with preventive measures and get vaccinated in order to curb the spread of the new coronavirus variant. His declaration comes amid a rise in recent days of the number of daily infections. “The situation is not good. The day before …

British authorities have said they have removed all African countries from the red list, which impose travel bans between those states and the UK after a new variant of the coronavirus is discovered in southern Africa. The restrictions were first imposed last month in order to slow the spread of …

French military forces in Timbuktu have left the region after spending nine years helping Malian troops retake the city from Islamist insurgents. France has gradually reduced its anti-terrorism operation in northern Mali, despite the persistent threat from jihadists. On Tuesday, a French General handed a symbolic wooden key to a …

Security forces in Sudan said they have strengthened security along border with Ethiopia, announcing that they have full control of the region amid tensions with Addis Ababa. Sudan announced on December 1 that its troops had dismantled and taken control of an Ethiopian colony after reports that 21 Sudanese soldiers …

Authorities in Zimbabwe have tightened the restrictions for another two weeks, as coronavirus cases are increasing in the country after the discovery of the Omicron variant. The new measures say government activities are to be scaled down to 30% except for essential services. Hotels and lodges have been asked to …

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it is investigating the deaths of nearly 100 people who succumbed to a yet to be identified disease in Fangak, Jonglei State, in South Sudan, BBC News reports. The South Sudanese health ministry reported that an unknown disease had killed dozens of people in …

A delegation of Russian scientists has arrived in South Africa to study the new variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, which was detected last month in this southern African country. The Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has tweeted a video of the team’s arrival, adding that the plane was also carrying …

A high court in Kenya has suspended a government directive aimed at preventing citizens who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 from entering administrative buildings or benefiting from state services. The petition filed by businessman Enock Aura said the directive, which was to be implemented next week, was unconstitutional and …

Tunisian President Kais Saied, in a speech on national television, announced that parliament would remain suspended until new elections are held in a year, the BBC reports. Mr Saied also laid out plans for a referendum on the constitution next year. Ever since he froze parliament and dismissed the then …