Police in London say at least 79 people have died in the London Grenfell Tower blaze, including many who remain missing but are presumed dead. Another 10 people remain in critical condition following the massive fire that swept through the 24-story residential tower, with 19 people all told still in hospital for…
Social media images of trapped migrants in Libya are being used to extort ransom from their family and friends, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Thursday. The United Nations Migration Agency described a video recorded by a Somali journalist and posted to Facebook on June 9 that showed some…
German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed her case for investment in Africa on Monday as part of the G20’s Compact for Africa initiative, the focus of two-day meetings in Berlin. Merkel, whose nation holds the current G20 presidency, welcomed African leaders from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Tunisia, the three nations that…
The nations of Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea were elected to two-year terms on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday. They join the 10-nation roster of nonpermanent members to the council, along with incoming nations Kuwait, Poland and Peru. The Netherlands also will join the council for one…
World Health organization officials say an “unprecedented” outbreak of cholera in Somalia is linked to the drought that began in October 2016, creating widespread shortages of clean drinking water and food. There are more than 40,000 suspected cases since the beginning of the year, with nearly 700 deaths to date,…
The physician who leads the Africa Tobacco-Free Initiative has spoken out against candidate Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia, just as the final vote for World Health Organization Director-General (WHO DG) looms next week. Dr. Frank Ashall, in an open letter published online Friday in the well-regarded British medical journal The…
Negeri Lencho of Ethiopia, the country’s information minister, has defended the extended state of emergency in the East African nation and its refusal to allow United Nations officials access to investigate allegations of human rights abuses. Lencho’s comments came during an interview with al Jazeera broadcast Tuesday. “It is the…
President Uhuru Kenyatta has arrived in China to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) in Beijing, which runs through May 15. The Government of Kenya announced in April that it was one of more than 100 participating nations, with the heads of state of at least…
Ethiopian courts have adjourned until June 2 the case of leading opposition leader Merera Gudina, chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), who has denied charges of terrorism lodged against him. A hearing scheduled for Thursday followed last week’s 11-page response, presented by Merera and his legal team, arguing that…
With less than a month to go before the World Health Assembly in Geneva, the three finalists for the Director General position are making their final campaign push – and perhaps none more so than Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In recent days the highly visible Ethiopian candidate has penned an op-ed…
The nation of Eritrea remains one of the most repressive environments in the world for working journalists, with only North Korea ranked worse in the new Reporters Without Borders analysis released Wednesday. The 2017 World Press Freedom Index rankings are based on a range of criteria that include transparency, diversity…
China says that 28 governments so far have confirmed they will attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) in Beijing in May, with the attendees including President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia. They will be joined by United Nations Secretary General…
Economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is showing signs of recovery, the World Bank said Wednesday, but regional growth in 2017 is still projected to reach a comparatively weak 2.6 percent. Seven countries show the greatest economic resilience, with annual growth rates above 5.4 percent in the 2015-2017 period. They include…
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said Tuesday that 669 people were killed in the waves of protests that began in 2015, the majority of them in the volatile Oromia region. Dr. Addisu Gebregziabher, head of the EHRC, said the numbers were based on investigations of incidents in Oromia, as…
Kenyan athletes were ahead of the pack at the Boston Marathon race on Monday, winning both the men’s and the women’s competition at the premier marathon race. For the men, it was a little closer with Geoffrey Kirui completing the challenging course in 2:09:37, just seconds ahead of American runner…