Tanzanian President John Magufuli came to power as a no-nonsense man of the people nicknamed The Bulldozer, but along with popular efforts to clean up graft, he has been accused of crushing dissent and stifling democracy. The 61-year-old on Friday won a second term in office with a resounding 84 percent of the vote, after […]

An American citizen kidnapped by gunmen in Niger earlier this week has been freed, the country’s defence minister told AFP on Saturday. The hostage, Philip Walton, was abducted Monday night on the outskirts of Massalata, a village about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the border with Nigeria. “I confirm the American hostage was released last […]

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara seeks reelection on Saturday in a presidential vote that his opponents boycotted in protest over his bid to secure a contested third term. At least 30 people were killed in pre-election clashes since August, stoking fears of a return to the violence that left 3,000 dead in a crisis a […]

World number two Simona Halep has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is recovering well from her mild symptoms. “Hi everyone, I wanted to let you know that I tested positive for COVID-19,” the 29-year-old Romanian said on Twitter on Saturday. “I am self-isolating at home and (I) am recovering well from mild symptoms. […]

A Saudi man rammed a car at high speed into the outer walls of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, authorities said on Saturday. Guards chased the driver as he crashed through two barriers before hitting one of the southern entrances of the mosque late Friday, according to officials in the holy city and videos […]