Reuters Africa Top

By Edwin Waita NAIROBI (Reuters) -A 16-year-old schoolboy who is on a quest to become the youngest person to fly around the world solo, landed his small plane in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday. Mack Rutherford, who has British and Belgian nationality, started his journey near the Bulgarian capital Sofia in March and is looking …

Teen pilot reaches Kenya in round the world quest Read More »

NIAMEY (Reuters) – Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum said that the G5 Sahel multi-national force fighting Islamist insurgents in West Africa is “dead” following Mali’s announcement that it was pulling out. The force, which includes troops from Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, was set up in 2017 to counter jihadists who have swept across the …

Niger president says G5 Sahel force is “dead” after Mali’s departure Read More »

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON (Reuters) – Smoking rates have declined globally for the first time on record, according to a new report on tobacco use from a public health campaign group and U.S. academics. However, the figures from the Tobacco Atlas report – described as a potential tipping point by the authors – also mask …

Global smoking rates fall for first time, but rise for kids, Africa – report Read More »

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt will start operating its new Sphinx International Airport near the Giza pyramids by mid-July with the aim of easing pressure on Cairo’s main airport and boosting tourism, a cabinet statement said on Wednesday. The airport near the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza on the outskirts of greater Cairo is part …

New Egypt international airport to open in mid-July Read More »

By Crispin Kyala BUKAVU (Reuters) – Nsimire M’Buhendwa used to spend long days working in fields surrounding her village in east Democratic Republic of Congo, only to return home with backaches and barely enough money to put food on the table. But the mother of four’s struggles eased after she joined a women’s cooperative producing …

Coffee soap factory helps east Congo women make ends meet Read More »

By Camillus Eboh ABUJA (Reuters) -A Nigerian court on Wednesday denied a bail request for separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial on terrorism charges and for broadcasting falsehoods, one of his defence lawyers said. A judge said Kanu has to account for his whereabout following previous bail and refusal to attend court hearing, …

Nigerian court denies bail for separatist leader -lawyer Read More »

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Mozambique on Wednesday declared a polio outbreak after the virus was detected in a child living in the northeastern Tete region, the first case of the poliovirus in the country in almost three decades, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. The case, which marks the second imported case of wild poliovirus …

Mozambique detects first case of polio in 30 years Read More »

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The EU will leave its military training mission in Mali suspended, but will not terminate it for the time being, the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Tuesday. “We decided to reaffirm our decision of suspending operational training …, but we are not canceling this mission,” the European Union’s foreign policy …

EU leaves military training in Mali suspended, stops short of ending mission Read More »

By Anne Mimault and Thiam Ndiaga OUGADOUGOU (Reuters) – Rescue workers have found no survivors in a rescue chamber deep inside a flooded zinc mine in Burkina Faso, the government and the mine owner said on Tuesday, all but extinguishing hope that eight missing miners could still be alive after a month. The Perkoa mine, …

Burkina Faso rescuers find no survivors in flooded mine’s rescue chamber Read More »