AFRICA

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina appears to have made a U-turn regarding the much publicised purported coronavirus remedy he said his country had developed. Last month Mr Rajoelina officially launched a local herbal tonic which he said could prevent and cure coronavirus. But this was disputed by the World Health Organization …

A total of 875 people have committed suicide during the lockdown period in Nepal. The country has been under lockdown since March 24. According to the data compiled by the Nepal Police, the suicide cases across the country increased by 16 per cent in the first month of the lockdown. …

The UN says at least 38 people have been killed by an armed group in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They were killed in a series of attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. A local monitoring groups says …

Police in Bugiri District has commenced investigations into the motive for the murder of a woman allegedly by her husband, who was later also killed by an angry mob. Mr Patrick Bakaleka, 60, is alleged to have beaten Ms Teddy Nakaweesa, 50, to death on Monday morning before being killed …

New swarms of locusts are increasing the risk of food insecurity for millions of people in East and Central Africa who are already reeling from the impact of Covid-19 and flooding, humanitarian agency Oxfam has said in a new report. Locust invasions in recent months are estimated to have destroyed …

The illicit trade in cigarettes in South Africa is now in full swing after the sale of tobacco was banned at the end of March as part of strict measures imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus, as the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani reports. Whereas once Michelle could go to her …

Four grave diggers have been arrested by policemen in Ondo State after they were found with the heads of five dead people which they exhumed at the cemetery where they are working. The four men identified as Adewale Abiodun, 40; Akinola Sunday, 69; Seun Olomofe, 45; and Oluwadare Idowu 67, …

Teachers in South Africa want the planned reopening of schools on 1 June halted, Independent Online news website reports. Educators Union of SA (Eusa) general secretary Siphiwe Mpungose is quoted as saying that they will file a court application on Monday against the Department of Basic Education (DBE). The DBE …

The Lagos state police command has arrested a young man simply identified as Chima for allegedly setting his pregnant elder sister, Victoria, 20, ablaze at their residence around CAC Bus Stop in Okokomaiko, Ojo, on May 14. According to reports, Chima and Victoria, who was said to be two months …

The president of South Africa has warned that the country’s coronavirus outbreak is going to get much worse, while announcing that lockdown measures are to be eased. Cyril Ramaphosa said a third of the country’s more than 22,000 cases had been recorded in the last week. Despite that, the president …