AFRICA

Kenya’s Vincent Kipsegechi Yator, who survived a nasty accident to finish third at Honolulu Marathon last year, has been given a four-year ban after violating anti-doping rules. World Athletics’ Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) had suspended Yator on October 2 last year after having tested positive to a banned substance. Yator’s …

Zimbabwe’s police began using water cannon on Friday to disinfect markets and bus ranks, turning instruments associated with repression into weapons against the new coronavirus. Zimbabwean police have a reputation for heavy-handed tactics against government opponents, including dispersing protesters with water. But spokesman and assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi said the …

Kenya’s former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang has been released on bail after being charged for breaking a nationwide curfew imposed to control the spread of coronavirus. Kipsang, who claimed the world record during the 2013 Berlin marathon, is a police officer. He pleaded guilty in a court on …

Justice Kate O’Regan has been appointed as Covid-19 Designate Judge to oversee the tracking and tracing of people using their cell phone numbers, Minister of Justice, Ronald Lamola, has said. O’Reagan is a retired Constitutional Court judge. The Department of Health will provide O’Regan with a weekly report with the …

More than 17,000 people have been arrested during the first week of the coronavirus lockdown in South Africa for defying the restrictions imposed. South African officials have warned that unless people stay at home infections could soar over the next few weeks. There are currently nearly 1,500 confirmed cases in …

Sandra Dozie has a fluffy new friend to keep her company during the long tedious hours of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus – a four-month old rabbit called Coco. “My family and I got bored of just being alone at home, so we wanted someone …

Coronavirus cases in Kenya stand at 122 after 12 more people tested positive. Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi said in a briefing Friday that the patients are 11 Kenyans and a Somali citizen. Dr Mwangangi also announced that a six-year-old has died from the virus. She said the young patient was at …

Rwanda’s government has ordered the arrest of some five soldiers accused of raping women and brutalizing civilians during the coronavirus lockdown. Residents of a slum in the capital, Kigali accused the soldiers of the sexual abuse as they enforce a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Rwanda …

Three Rwandan soldiers have been arrested after residents of a slum in the capital, Kigali, alleged that they raped women as they enforced a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the army has said. Residents of Nyarutarama have been telling the military prosecution office that the soldiers also …

Togo President Faure Gnassingbé has declared a 3-month state of emergency to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The President said the seriousness of the situation warrants a quick response, which includes the immediate start of a curfew from 7pm to 6am local time. President Gnassingbe announced that an alleviation …