[MSF] Friday, January 29, 2021 -- After being relatively spared by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Malawi is being swept by a new, fast-spreading wave of the disease that is quickly overwhelming the health care system. In the first few weeks of Januar...

[SAnews.gov.za] President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to Jazz and Opera Musician, Dr Sibongile Khumalo, for advocating for the rights of performing arts, women, as well as human rights.

[Nation] One in three people in Nairobi has been infected by Covid-19, according to a new analysis of blood samples.

[Nation] Kenya dropped three places in the 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published on Thursday by Transparency International (TI).

[African Arguments] A poll in six African countries suggests 62% of people would get a COVID-19 vaccine if available. That wouldn't be enough for population immunity.

[East African] Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye on Thursday urged the country's media regulatory body (CNC) to hold an urgent meeting with media houses that were banned or sanctioned to discuss possible reopening of the businesses.

[SAnews.gov.za] Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has confirmed the long-awaited news that the first consignment of one million COVID-19 vaccines is expected to land on South African shores on Monday.

[WHO] Brazzaville -- COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging in Africa as new, more contagious variants of the virus spread to additional countries.

[RFI] In an effort to get the best price for their groundnuts, farmers in the Gambia are selling their product to Senegalese wholesalers who generally pay premium price, bypassing the lower rates offered by the Gambian government.

[WHO] A new World Health Organization (WHO) road map for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) proposes ambitious targets and innovative approaches to tackle 20 diseases which affect more than a billion mainly poor people and which thrive in areas where...

[DW] The coronavirus pandemic has struck southern Africa harder than any other region on the continent. DW looks at stories from South Africa to Tanzania that shed light on how different countries are battling the disease.

[The Conversation Africa] One certainty during a pandemic is that the virus will mutate. SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is no different. But how concerned should we be about the new variants of the virus that are arising in places such as the UK,...

[The Conversation Africa] Yoweri Museveni has claimed victory in Uganda's recent elections, potentially extending his presidential rule to 41 years. The elections were marred by widespread claims of rigging, malpractice and intimidation. At the recei...

[UNFPA] Cabo Delgado -- To respond to the urgent needs of an estimated 530,000 people displaced by violent conflict in Cabo Delgado, UNFPA has supported the government's installation of sexual and reproductive health tents, women and girl-friendly sp...

[DW] Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal, who served under ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, had originally been convicted of corruption in 2019.

[Thomson Reuters Foundation] The world must address the inequities that lie behind their persistence and treat people, not the diseases they carry

[Thomson Reuters Foundation] COVID-19 pandemic could hinder efforts to stop children being enrolled and exploited at Nigeria's almajiri schools, campaigners say

[IPS] United Nations -- A University of Oxford/UNDP initiative, the survey results span 50 countries, which cover more than half of the world's population.

[DW] Somali women's rights activists and politicians want a 30% quota for female lawmakers to be enshrined in law. Ahead of upcoming elections, female candidates and campaigners are apprehensive.

[ISS] Since 2016, terrorism has become a serious threat in Benin and Togo. Violent extremist groups continue to carry out attacks close to the northern borders that these countries share with Burkina Faso and Niger, or in their territories.

[The Herald] The national dam level has risen to over 79 percent following incessant rains that have been pounding the country.

[Nyasa Times] Female sex workers marched in the streets of the capital Lilongwe against a government decision to impose a night curfew and closure of bars which they say have serious economic implications on their lives.

[AI London] Nigerian authorities have failed to bring to justice those suspected to be responsible for the brutal crackdown by security forces on peaceful #EndSARS protesters at Lekki toll gate and Alausa in Lagos in October 2020 and have brazenly at...

[Daily Maverick] The Constitutional Court has ordered the former president to comply with State Capture Commission summonses and answer questions unless he can prove they would be self-incriminating.

[Namibian] A controversial plan by a Chinese company to start a tobacco plantation in the Zambezi region may not go ahead after the Chinese investor failed to meet key conditions set by the Cabinet before the project kicks off.

[New Times] Rwanda is ranked sixth globally among the countries that handled Covid-19 outbreak best, according to a new analysis that found smaller populations and capable institutions are the major factors in managing the global pandemic.

[Daily Maverick] South Africa's medicines regulator finds middle ground to authorise 'compassionate use' of ivermectin, whilst still stating that there is not yet sufficient evidence for full registration.

[MSF] After being relatively spared by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Malawi is now being swept by a new, fast-spreading wave of the disease that is quickly overwhelming the healthcare system. In the first few weeks of January 2021, the number of peo...

[RFI] The number of those displaced by clashes in Darfur, Sudan hit 123,000 people this week, according to the UN, worrying human rights experts, analysts and commentators about an outbreak of ethnic violence as the combined United Nations/African Un...

[New Zimbabwe] At least 23% of urban residents who used to work for a wage or to obtain a household business income before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, were no longer doing so in July 2020 due to the negative effects of the pandemic.