AFRICA

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday accused Kenyan police of killing at least six people and beating and extorting others while enforcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Kenya imposed the 7pm-5am lockdown from March 27. The rights watchdog said police …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | In early March, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told an aviation conference in Addis Ababa the coronavirus pandemic was “a temporary problem” — comparable to a natural disaster or a spike in oil prices. Several weeks later Africa’s largest carrier is locked in what Tewolde …

  Johannesburg, South Africa | THE INDEPENDENT | AGeoPoll survey on Sub-Saharan Africa shows that there is concern that many nations on the continent are poorly prepared for a pandemic as easily transmissible as COVID-19.  Many are frightened about coronavirus spreading in their countries, others about its economic impact, especially …

Paris, France | AFP | The coronavirus pandemic could nearly double the number of people around the world facing acute hunger, the UN’s World Food Programme warned Tuesday. “The number of people facing acute food insecurity stands to rise to 265 million in 2020, up by 130 million from the 135 million in 2019, as …

Paris, France | AFP | Half of the world’s school and university students affected by class closures because of the coronavirus outbreak — from pre-primary to university level — do not have access to a computer for home-schooling, the UN’s educational agency said Tuesday. Highlighting “startling digital divides” between the rich and poor, a UNESCO …

Kampala, Uganda | Isaac Khisa | Ecobank Group, the Pan African Bank, has contributed about US$3 million to the fight against COVID-19 across its footprint in Africa which also include Uganda. Ade Ayeyemi, Group CEO, Ecobank Group said with their knowledge of Africa, and to compliment various government efforts, the lender has …

Blantyre, Malawi | AFP |  While much of the world labours under strict coronavirus lockdowns, Malawi has bucked the trend after a court blocked attempts to restrict its population’s movements — much to the relief of some residents. “Had the lockdown been implemented, we would certainly have died of hunger and …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP |  After showing symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus, Egyptian doctor Ahmed Negm went into self-isolation in an old apartment, but before long he was hounded out by fearful neighbours. While health workers in many countries are getting cheers and applause for risking their lives in …

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | AFP |  It was back to business at the sprawling central market of Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, on Monday after a closure of nearly a month in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s a joy to see the market reopen its doors,” said fabric dealer …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | A black market in coronavirus test kits is flourishing in Nigeria, spurred in part by negligible faith in the country’s health system to defeat an emerging threat. Testing is a crucial weapon in combatting COVID-19. It not only identifies where the stealthy virus has invaded — …