In the news

Namibia’s national carrier Air Namibia has decided to suspend all operations, cancelling all of its flights and grounding its aircraft with immediate effect. The airline urged all customers to cancel reservations and request refunds. According to the state-owned New Era newspaper, the announcement leaves more than 600 employees without jobs. …

Malagasy police have banned all political rallies in the capital, Antananarivo ahead of planned protests by the opposition. There are growing concerns in the country over unemployment and poor economy. Opposition lawmakers, under the banner of Miara-manonja Malagasy for Let’s make waves together have demanded for the withdrawal of security …

The municipal authorities in Chimoio city in Mozambique have announced plans to expand the morgue at the main provincial hospital citing rising Covid-19 deaths. City mayor João Ferreira has confirmed the expansion. The project will include expanding the mortuary building and refrigeration capacity at a cost of $5,300 in Manica …

Eight canditates are running for the presidential elections in Congo Brazaville and their names have been submitted to the constitutional court for validation ahead of the 21 March election. President Denis Sassou Nguesso will face seven challengers including the former finance minister, Mathias Dzon, and Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, the son …

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has warned of the global economic consequences of delayed vaccination in Africa. In an op-ed published on 7 February on the British news website The Guardian, the Rwandan leader pointed to a “nationalism” of Covid-19 vaccines on the part of the United States and Europe. …

China called on the United States on Wednesday to invite the World Health Organization to investigate origins of the COVID-19 outbreak there, as sparring over the pandemic continued after the WHO wrapped up its field work in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Hours after the WHO team revealed preliminary findings …

South Sudan’s central bank on Tuesday introduced a banknote of 1,000 South Sudanese pounds (SSP), the largest denomination in the country, amidst high inflation. The local currency continues to depreciate against foreign currencies, but Bank of South Sudan governor, Dier Tong Ngor, said the new banknote “will partially restore the …

Human rights activists and supporters took part in a sit-in at the Casablanca Appeals Court to rally behind a journalist, who’s being tried over accusation of sexual assault in Morocco. In fact, The trial of editor-in-chief of the Akhbar Al Yaoun newspaper, Soulaimane Raissouni was postponed to March 2 at …

Facebook Inc said on Wednesday it would temporarily reduce political content appearing on New Feeds for some users in Canada, Brazil and Indonesia this week and in the United States within the coming weeks. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in January that he wanted to “turn down the temperature” …

On Tuesday the Senegalese army said it took three rebel “bases” in the restive southern region Casamance and recovered weapons during an offensive launched in late January after months of a lull in the long-standing conflict. Officers of the Senegalese army took the press for a rare visit to two …