Ebola death toll is almost 7000

Protective measures are key to stopping the spread of the virus

The number of people killed by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has risen to 6,928, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. 

A Ghanian king who rules his people from Germany has been robbed

A king of an African tribe, who rules his people via Skype, e-mail and phone from Germany, has been the victim of burglary. The thieves reportedly managed to steal four crowns.

King Togbe Ngoryifia Cephas Kosi Bansah, 66, who rules an area in southeastern Ghana, came home with his German wife, Gabriele, to find out his house had been ransacked.
The thieves took almost all his royal regalia, including crowns and golden chains, from his house in Ludwigshafen. 

DR Congo suspects acquitted in South Africa

  The group of Congolese men were acquitted due to lack of evidence

A group of 15 men accused of plotting to assassinate the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, have been acquitted by a South African court. Prosecutors dropped the case because of a lack of evidence against the men, all Congolese nationals.

French President Hollande warns African leaders who cling to power

French President Francois Hollande is taking to task African leaders who seek ways around term limits to extend their reigns.

Protests in Egypt after court clears former President Mubarak

Mubarak waves as he is wheeled out of the court after the ruling 

Egyptian police have used tear gas to disperse protesters angry that charges against ex-President Hosni Mubarak over killings during the uprising three years ago have been dropped.

Both liberals and Muslim Brotherhood supporters joined the protest in Tahrir Square

Skin toning - at what point do you feel comfortable in your own skin

This is former Cameroonian model Irene Major, now the wife of Canadian oil tycoon, Sam Malin and she's a proud skin toner or bleacher. Here are the before and after photos she shared with UK Daily Mail and told the paper the reasoning behind her bleaching;  

"When my skin is lighter, I just feel prettier. It’s a taboo subject, and people get judgmental about it, but that’s how I feel.’   

"A skin-lightening regime has been part of my life practically since birth. There are many different types of African skin — from dark charcoal to a lighter version — and you grow up knowing that the lighter ladies are the prettier ones. It’s just a fact.’ she said


I think she was more beautiful in her natural skin tone

Ugandan nanny in child abuse case is 'sorry'

There's absolutely no reason for severely battering a helpless 18month old but the Nanny who is currently in prison awaiting trial for attempted murder of baby Arnella tries to explain why she did it and begs for forgiveness. She's due in court again on December 8th.

Zambian woman killed by British husband in murder-suicide case

Four schoolgirls have been left orphaned after a village butcher killed his estranged wife before leaping to his death from a multi-storey car park. Oliver Ruse, 37, was left ‘heartbroken’ after his wife Debbie left him and their four children and moved abroad.

He is understood to have been upset further when she came back and requested access to their daughters and demanded half the family business, which was founded by his great-great-grandfather.

Nigeria's Petroleum minister appointed OPEC's first female president

Members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, yesterday, elected Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Minister of Petroleum, as its president, making her the first female president of the oil cartel.
 
 
Alison-Madueke, who is currently the Alternate President of OPEC, was elected at the 166th meeting of the OPEC Conference in Vienna, Austria, and will assume office from January 2015.

Ex Egyptian President Mubarak's murder retrial to be ruled

                                                        Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt for almost 30 years until he was swept from power in a wave of protests in 2011

 

An Egyptian court is expected to deliver its verdict in the retrial of ousted President Hosni Mubarak on charges of conspiring in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising.

Last year, an appeals court overturned an initial life sentence given to Mubarak in 2012 on technical grounds.

Multiple bomb blasts rock several mosques in Northern Nigerian city of Kano

Nigeria's president has pledged "to leave no stone unturned" in tracking down the perpetrators of a mosque attack that killed dozens of people.

      A number of the injured are being treated at Kano's hospital

Namibians go to the polls

Voting began today, Friday in Namibia's presidential and legislative elections, in a vote that is expected to see liberation party the South West People's Organisation (SWAPO) retain power.

Voters at Katutura township, outside the capital Windhoek, formed longed lines before daybreak, including some first time "born free" voters, those born after independence in 1990.

French President to visit Ebola hit Guinea

Ebola patients are taken to dedicated treatment centres across Guinea

French President Francois Hollande is to arrive in Guinea, becoming the first Western leader to visit a nation hit hard by the deadly Ebola virus. He will deliver "a message of solidarity" to Guinea, where more than 1,200 have died of Ebola.

Burkina Faso wants former President extradited from Morocco

Burkina Faso will ask Morocco to extradite ousted leader Blaise Compaore, interim Prime Minister Isaac Zida told reporters on Thursday after the new government's first meeting.
"We will ask Morocco to place president Compaore at the disposal of Burkinabe justice", Zida said during a meeting with journalists in Burkina's capital, Ouagadougou.
 

Scientists optimistic on the outcome of Ebola vaccine human trials

A 39-year-old woman was the first volunteer to receive the experimental Ebola vaccine

The first human trial of an experimental vaccine against Ebola suggests that it is safe and may help the immune system to combat the virus. Twenty volunteers were immunised in the United States. Scientists at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) described the results as "promising". The research is published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). None of those immunised suffered major side-effects and all produced antibodies.
Dr Anthony Fauci of the NIH told the BBC: "On safety and on the ability to produce an appropriate immune response we can call this trial an unqualified success, even though it was an early Phase One trial."

Zimbabwe's Zanu PF blocks former VP's leadership bid

Joyce Mujuru was once a staunch ally of Mr Mugabe
 

Zimbabwe's Vice-President Joyce Mujuru has been barred by the ruling Zanu-PF party from serving on its powerful central committee, state media reports. She had failed to win nomination after being linked to a plot to oust President Robert Mugabe, The Herald newspaper reports.  

Please read NFL Benjamin Watson's take on Ferguson riots

Benjamin Watson who plays for the New Orleans Saints posted the following on his Facebook page and it has since gone viral: 




"At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

UK cocaine seizure leads to accusations in Ghana's parliament

                            Ghana has been raising awareness about the drug trade at its international airport
 

Ghana's opposition has called for a parliamentary inquiry into allegations that a suspected cocaine trafficker had access to the presidential lounge at the country's main airport.

The alleged trafficker was arrested in the UK, while three officials have been charged in Ghana. 

Expert says South African Toddlers Switched at Birth Shouldn't Be Exchanged

Two South African toddlers accidentally swapped at birth should stay with the families who raised them and not be returned to their biological parents, a court-appointed expert said Wednesday. 

 

Fraud alert in South Africa's Eskom

At least two Eskom employees have been arrested in connection with fraud that could have resulted in the power utility losing billions of rand, the Hawks said on Wednesday.

"During a weekend sting operation two employees of the South African electricity public utility Eskom, together with an accomplice, were arrested for fraud involving a potential loss of billions by Eskom," spokesperson Captain Paul Ramaloko said in a statement.
Alarm bells were raised when Eskom's investigation team picked up suspicious fraudulent activities within their information technology (IT) section and alerted the Hawks.

Ecobank Wins Award for 'Best Use of IT in Wholesale/Transaction Banking'

Ecobank, the Pan-African Bank, has won the award for 'Best Use of Information Technology in Wholesale/Transaction Banking' at the Banking Technology Awards 2014 in London.

Ecobank was recognised for Ecobank Omni, a comprehensive suite of flexible online cash management solutions, designed to help corporations increase productivity, manage their cashflows and help with an efficient management of their working capital cycle.

Gambia signs anti-ga bill as US shows concern

The Point newspaper has confirmed from an authentic government source that President Jammeh has signed the bill that imposes life imprisonment for some homosexual acts.
The National Assembly in August, this year, passed the Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2014 which imposed a life sentence for 'aggravated homosexuality'.

 

Ghana's fate in the Under 17 Championships to be known soon.

Ghana will learn on Wednesday the outcome of their appeal against the disqualification of their team from the 2015 Under-17 Championship in Niger. 

The Confederation of African Football penalised Ghana for fielding an over-aged player, Isaac Twum, against Cameroon in a qualifying match. Ghana won the 13 September first-leg tie 2-1 and went on to record a 6-4 aggregate victory. 

Two female suicide bombers detonate in Maiduguri Northern Nigeria

Suicide attacks by two female bombers at a crowded market in northern Nigeria's Maiduguri city have killed 78 people, medical officials say. One teenage girl blew herself up first and as people gathered to help victims, the second girl detonated herself, witnesses say. 

Forced evitions in Democratic Republic of Congo linked to Belgian mining giant

                                                                                Photo: Melanie Gouby/RNW   Displaced people (file photo) 

 

A Belgian mining company, Groupe Forrest International, has consistently lied about the bulldozing of hundreds of homes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and has denied justice to those affected, said Amnesty International today in a new report.

30 washed away and many missing in Morocco's flash flooding

The national weather service warned that more heavy rainfall was expected until Monday [AFP]

 

Flash flooding in southern Morocco has reportedly killed at least 30 people, with many others still missing.
Heavy storms have swept across several regions including tourist hub Marrakesh, where torrential rain destroyed many mud homes on Sunday.

From homelessness to South Affrican Idol winner - Vincent Bones

                                                                                                     Photo: IdolsSA/Facebook Vincent Bones. 

 

The winner of Idols SA Season 10 is Vincent Bones. The 30 year-old worship leader from Pietermaritzburg heard tonight at the spectacular live finale at the Carnival City Casino and Entertainment Centre on Gauteng's East Rand that he received the most of the more than 4.5 million votes that were cast during the last week of this tough singing competition, thereby defeating fellow finalist, the charismatic Nelspruit singer Bongi Silinda (24).

Fogo volcano erupts in Cape Verde off the West African coast

A volcano in the Cape Verde archipelago off the coast of West Africa has erupted, prompting the nation's prime minister to call for evacuations.

 

 

A photograph posted on the local RTC TV station website showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the sky, visible from the capital Praia on a neighbouring island.

Ugandan nanny in child torture video remanded

Ugandan nanny in the child abuse video that went viral in the last couple of days is due back in court on the 8th of December 2014. 22 year old Tumuhirwe Jolly is in Luzira Prison where she is currently been remanded. 

This story calls to mind the dangers faced by African families who have to rely on childminders for they care of their children while the strive to earn a living. This is a very sad story.

Robbers in Guinea make away with Ebola infected blood

                       
A group of highway robbers in Guinea may have got more than they bargained for. They escaped with blood samples thought to be infected with Ebola.

Boko Haram ambush and kill 48 Nigerian fish traders near Chad

Islamist militants from Nigeria's Boko Haram have reportedly killed 48 people in an attack on fish sellers near the border with Chad.

A fish traders' group said some victims had their throats slit whilst others were tied up and drowned in Lake Chad.



 
The attack took place on Thursday, but the news took several days to come to light because Boko Haram has destroyed mobile phone masts in the area.
It was the second major attack in two days by Boko Haram.
In Thursday's attack, the traders were on their way to Chad to buy fish when militants blocked their path near the village of Doron Baga, some 180km (112 miles) north of Maiduguri in Borno state.
Abubakar Gamandi, the head of the fish sellers' association, said the militants had used no guns.
"The attackers killed their victims silently without the use of the gun to avoid attracting attention from the multi-national troops," he told AFP news agency.

Kenyan Military kill more than100 Al Shabab militants

 Security provisions in Mandera county have been criticised following the attack
 

The Kenyan military has killed more than 100 al-Shabab militants linked to a deadly attack on a bus, Kenya's deputy president says.

William Ruto said the armed forces had carried out two operations in Somalia, destroying equipment and a camp from which the bus attack was planned.

Children 'killed and snatched by Mali rebels'

A French-led military intervention has sent the rebels underground [Reuters]

Suspected al-Qaeda-linked rebels have kidnapped 10 children and killed two others who tried to escape near two towns in Mali, capping a week of violence in the West African country's desert north, a senior Malian military official said.

General accused of coup bid leaves Lesotho

The renegade general accused of leading a failed coup attempt in Lesotho has left the kingdom along with two of his rivals as part of a deal to restore security, the South African mediator said on Saturday.

Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli is under investigation for treason and murder following the 30 August putsch, which saw the military attack several police installations and the prime minister's residence, killing one police officer.

 

Kamoli as well as a rival general, Maaparankoe Mahao, and Lesotho police commissioner Lhotatso Tsooana left the small mountain kingdom on Friday for "working visits" in Uganda, Sudan and Algeria, respectively, said South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement.

Tunisians go to the polls to vote a President, first since the revolution

Tunisians went to the polls on Sunday to vote for their first directly elected president since the 2011 revolution that ended the regime of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.


Ballot boxes delivered to polling stations
 

Nearly 30 candidates are running but a race is emerging between a veteran former Ben Ali official and a rights activist who says the election is a chance to stop the return of old-regime stalwarts

More than three years after the end of Ben Ali's one-party rule, Tunisia has become a model of transition for the region by adopting a new constitution and avoiding the turmoil facing its neighbours.

United Nations Security Council calls out nations over 'Ebola Discrimination'

The United Nations Security Council has made veiled criticism of countries like Australia for imposing "acts of discrimination" against people from Ebola-affected West Africa.

Last month, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia had closed its doors to people from the region because of concerns about the deadly virus.

The UN Security Council, which is currently chaired by Australia, said it recognised the need for "appropriate screening measures" to stop the spread of Ebola.

Madagascar's plague outbreak kills 40

 

The authorities can use insecticide to try to halt outbreaks of the plague.

An outbreak of plague in Madagascar has killed 40 people and infected almost 80 others, the World Health Organization has said.

Kenyan bus attacked by suspected Somali militant - Al Shabab

Suspected members of the Somali militant group al-Shabab have killed at least 28 people in an attack on a bus in northern Kenya, officials say.

 

 

After stopping the bus, attackers separated out those they thought were non-Muslim before killing them, they said.

The bus was travelling to the capital, Nairobi, when it was stopped in Mandera county, near the Somali border. 

Somalia-based al-Shabab has carried out several attacks in Kenya since 2011.

Egypt's President Sisi set to release detained journalists

Egypt's military commander-turned-president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is considering pardoning three Al Jazeera staff jailed for nearly a year.

 
The French public broadcasting channel, FRANCE 24, reports that Sisi told its correspondents in an exclusive interview on Thursday that had he been president at the time of the media workers' arrests, he would not have put them on trial.

"If I were president at that time, I would have decided, for the good and the security of Egypt, that the journalists would have to be expelled," FRANCE 24 reported him as saying.

He added: "Let me just say, this issue is currently under discussion so that we may find a solution."

Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed were first detained last December, and then were sentenced in June to jail terms ranging from seven to 10 years on charges including broadcasting false news and involvement with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
Amnesty International has said that during 12 court sessions, the prosecution in the trial "failed to produce a single shred of solid evidence linking the journalists to a terrorism organization or proving they had 'falsified' news footage".

When the Al Jazeera staff were arrested, Sisi was still head of the armed forces. He played a key role in ousting the Muslim Brotherhood's President Mohamed Mursi, then resigned from the army earlier this year and stood for election in May.

11 killed in a stampede during Zimbabwe church service in stadium

Walter Magaya is one of Zimbabwe's most popular preachers

Eleven people have been killed in a stampede after a religious service in a stadium in Zimbabwe, police say.

Four people died in the stadium in the central town of Kwekwe, while seven others were declared dead on arrival in hospital, they say. The stampede occurred as thousands of worshippers rushed to leave after the service by popular Pentecostal preacher Walter Magaya.
 
He claims to be able to heal people by performing miracles. Some witnesses accused the police of blocking most of the stadium exits and then firing tear gas as people battled to get through the only one left open.
 
The police have denied firing tear gas. Mr Magaya, head of the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries, told a local newspaper that when he learnt of the deaths, it was "the saddest moment of my life".

On the closure of Nigeria's National Assembly

The Senate President, David Mark, has announced an immediate closure of the National Assembly after an attempt to stop the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, from the assembly, plunged the complex into chaos.


 Lawmakers scale over a gate to get into the National Assembly

Police fired teargas to push back a surging crowd Thursday after Mr. Tambuwal was denied access thrice before his loyalists smuggled him into the House of Representatives' chamber later.
Apparently invoking his powers as the chairman of the National Assembly, Mr. Mark announced an immediate adjournment of the two chambers till Tuesday to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
Mr. Mark had reportedly met Mr. Tambuwal in solidarity after the speaker successfully gained access into the chamber.
The House of Representatives was in session at the time of the announcement, and it is yet unclear whether the chamber will abide by Mr. Mark's declaration.

Jail term for Tunisian policemen convicted of rape increased

  Protests during the March trials of the police officers
 

Two Tunisian policeman convicted of raping a woman in a police car have had their sentences more than doubled in a high-profile court case. The officers were jailed for seven years in March, drawing accusations of leniency.

Zimbabwe's jazz singer Dudu spared jail

THE High Court yesterday quashed the 18-month prison term imposed on Jazz musician Duduzile Manhenga last year for causing the death of a motorcyclist in a road accident. Justices Francis Bere and Charles Hungwe, instead, slapped Dudu with a wholly suspended sentence for the offence after establishing that the accident was not due to "gross" negligence.
 

The Appeals Court ruled that the negligence was not gross, hence the penalty imposed was too harsh. Dudu will also pay $1 000 for driving without a licence, failing which she will be sentenced to three months in jail.

Cote d'Ivoire qualifies for African Nations Cup after yesterday's draw with Cameroon

Cote d'Ivoire booked their place for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Equatorial Guinea 2015 after holding Cameroon to a draw. 

 

 

 

Cote d'Ivoire booked their place for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Equatorial Guinea 2015 after holding Cameroon to a barren draw on Wednesday in Abidjan.

Late President Sata's wife joins race for Zambia's presidency

FORMER First Lady Christine Kaseba has joined the race for the Patriotic Front (PF) candidacy for the presidential by-election set for January 20, next year.   
 

Lt Col Zida appointed Burkina Faso's interim PM

 

 Lt Col Zida handed over as head of state to Michel Kafando on Monday

The authorities in Burkina Faso have appointed an army officer, Lt Col Isaac Zida, as transitional prime minister.

Col Zida who was a senior officer in Mr Compaore's presidential guard had been among officers who took power when then President Blaise Compaore was forced to resign on 31 October during mass protests.

Kenyan police seize explosives in new raids

Kenyan police carried out new raids at mosques in Mombasa on Wednesday, finding explosives and arresting more than 100 people on suspicion they were undergoing militant training, Voice of America reports.

Raids on the Swafaa and Minaa mosques found grenades, ammunition and petrol bombs. Four mosques have been searched since Monday in the port city, security officers said.

Local police said 109 people were arrested on Wednesday, adding to more than 250 arrested on Monday.

Kenya is looking to break up Islamist militant networks it blames for a series of attacks in the capital, Nairobi, as well as along its Indian Ocean coastline. Police say many of the recruits are inspired by al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked Somali group.

“These operations have started and will go on until all places of worship especially mosques in Mombasa are set free from terrorist and criminal elements,” Robert Kitur, Mombasa County police commander, told Reuters.

Reigning African champions fail to qualify for tournament

South Africa Bafana Bafana have scuttled the dream of Nigeria’s Super Eagles to defend their crown at the African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea as they stunned Nigeria with 2-0 lead before the Eagles levelled the game at 2-2.

 

Police accused of killing 51 youths in Democratic Republic of Congo

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo summarily killed at least 51 youth and forcibly disappeared 33 others during an anti-crime campaign that began a year ago, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
"Operation Likofi," which lasted from November 2013 to February 2014, targeted alleged gang members in Congo's capital, Kinshasa.


General Célestin Kanyama, the primary commander of Operation Likofi 

Human Rights Watch conducted interviews in Kinshasa with 107 witnesses, family members of victims, police officers who participated in Operation Likofi, government officials, and others. Human Rights Watch also released new video footage and photographs, including of suspected kuluna who were killed during Operation Likofi and interviews with their relatives.
The Congolese government launched Operation Likofi on November 15, 2013, following a public commitment by President Joseph Kabila to end gang crime in Kinshasa. Kulunahad been responsible for a surge of armed robberies and other serious crimes across Kinshasa since 2006.

Nigerian Super Eagles to play South Africa today

The Nigerian national team will meet their South African counterparts this evening in fate deciding match. Today's match will determine if the Super Eagles will make it to the African Cup of Nations tournament holding in Equitorial Guinea.


South Africa's Bafana Bafana has already qualified but the current African campions - the Super Eagles will need a win today should Congo beat Sudan in the other Group A fixture.

Putting an end to child marriages in the African continent

The issue of child brides have not been properly addressed in the African nations. Its still a practise that cuts across Africa and a more aggressive movement to put and end to this is yet to be visible. Recently on the news was a pledge by African Union to 'stop all child marriages within a generation.'

Ivorian soldiers asked to end protests

 Soldiers disrupted traffic in Abidjan to demand that the government pay their allowances
 

Ivory Coast's defence minister, Paul Koffi Koffi, has ordered soldiers to return to barracks after they staged protests in at least two cities. 

Three stabbed to death in Kenya following police raid mosques

 
Police say they recovered this flag, associated with Islamist militants, in the raids
 

At least three people have been stabbed to death by rampaging youths in the Kenyan city of Mombasa, officials say. The attacks came hours after police raided two mosques they accuse of having links with militant Islamists in neighbouring Somalia. One person was killed in the police raids and more than 200 were arrested.