AllAfrica

2021-05-12 09:03:10 Africa: Pilgrimage in a Pandemic - Lessons From Mecca On Containing Covid-19
‍[The Conversation Africa] As a Muslim, at least once a year I go on pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam's holiest city, located in Saudi Arabia. Muslims perform the short "Umrah" pilgrimage at any time of the year, and there could be over 19 million pilgrims each year. I have also been to Mecca a couple of times for "Hajj" - the annual major pilgrimage. Held once a year, this is a mass gathering of over 2.5 million Muslims.
Both the Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages weren't possible for most of 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ho
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2021-05-12 09:03:05 Uganda: Young People Must Rise Up - Bobi Wine
‍[DW] In this interview with "The 77 Percent", musician-turned-opposition leader Bobi Wine explains why the African youth are the drivers of political change and his hope for the future.
DW Interviewed Ugandan opposition leader, Bobi Wine. Here is the transcript.
Liz Shoo: Well, the man you just heard, Bobi Wine, is joining me live from Uganda. Bobi Wine, welcome to the 77 Percent.
Bobi Wine: Thank you for having me on the 77 Percent, I'm happy to be here.
Shoo: And we are happy to have you. So, the last few wee
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2021-05-12 02:36:05 Namibia: Govt Cuts Deal On N$2,5b Air Nam Lease Debt
‍[Namibian] MINISTER of public enterprises Leon Jooste says the government has struck a deal with American aircraft lessor Castlelake to reduce the N$2,5 billion debt owed by the now-defunct Air Namibia.
Although Jooste could not give the actual discount agreed on by the two parties, he revealed they are in the final phase of making the arrangement.
The liquidated airline's debt stemmed from renting two Airbus A330 aircraft before cancelling the deal prematurely due to the unviability of the company.
"We have bee
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2021-05-11 23:12:11 Kenya Suspends Flights to and From Somalia
‍[Nation] Kenya on Monday suspended flights to and from Somalia in the latest show that relations between the two countries have not thawed as announced last week.
In a Notice to Airmen (Notam), Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said flights departing for or arriving from Somalia will not be allowed for three months.
Only humanitarian deliveries and medical evacuation flights will be allowed into the country, the aviation regulator said.
The authority did not elaborate on reasons but suggested there had been a security
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2021-05-11 23:12:06 Ethiopia Must Set Right Environment for Election, U.S. Says
‍[VOA] The United States said it "strongly supports democratization in Ethiopia" as it nears a national election June 5, while noting a "free, fair, and credible election" can happen only with a conducive electoral environment.
The statement comes amid a humanitarian crisis and conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had pressed for Ethiopia's and Eritrea's commitments to withdraw Eritrean troops from Tigray "immediately, in full, and in a verifiable manner." Ethiopia
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2021-05-11 21:57:05 South Africa: Coach Hugo Broos Arrives in the Country
‍[SAFA] He will then meet members of the media to further spell out his plans but is buoyant that he can't wait to hit the ground running.
Broos was appointed Bafana Bafana coach last week and his first official assignment will be the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers which starts in September.
South Africa is in Group G, together with Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia and kick-off their campaign with an away match against Zimbabwe in September.
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2021-05-11 21:48:06 Burkina Faso: Providing Healthcare in a Region Ravaged By Violence
‍[MSF] Burkina Faso's North region hosts more than 100,000 internally displaced people who have fled recurring violence in this part of the country.
Since January 2021, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has sent mobile teams offering healthcare to displaced people in the villages of Sirfou, Todiame, Rounga and Ouindigui, where access to healthcare and other basic services is severely limited.
"We have nothing left, since we fled the conflict," says Zallé Ramata, a displaced woman living in the v
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2021-05-11 21:33:17 Africa Yet to Realise Potential in Sesame Production
‍[Daily News] IN the next few weeks we will be trying to have a look on the less-spoken edible oil, the palm oil. Its health and economic value is usually understated causing little attention to people who might have been great beneficiaries if they knew of it and tried just a little bit.
But today we will focus our attention on a now famous crop especially to farmers in Mtwara, Lindi, Morogoro, Songwe and Manyara, the edible sesame seeds. Tanzania, like so many African countries, is yet to realize its potential in agri
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2021-05-11 21:24:05 Nigeria: Buhari Congratulates Designer of National Flag At 85
‍[Daily Trust] President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, OFR, on his 85th birthday.
President Buhari, in a statement on Monday by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, joined family members and friends to celebrate with designer of the national flag, whose creativity and patriotism, he said, remain remarkable.
Buhari said Akinkunmi, who is an honorary Life Presidential Adviser, upholds the values that every citizen should emulate for nation building, which include humility, selflessness, integrity and
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2021-05-11 20:45:10 Zimbabwe: Ministry Bosses in Court for Land Fraud
‍[New Zimbabwe] Four Local Government ministry officials are in trouble with the law after they allegedly took land illegally from a Harare housing cooperative.
The four, who include Andrew Rhory Shawatu, Nyarai Priscilla Mudzinge, Leah Chigoma and Daisy Mtyambizi, all appeared before Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje charged with criminal abuse of office.
They were remanded in custody to this Tuesday for bail ruling.
According to prosecutors, Shawatu was the principal administration officer State Lands, Mudzinge (direc
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