Military ruler and son of a former president, Deby Itno, declared winner of Chad’s presidential poll
The oil-exporting country of nearly 18 million people hasn’t had a free-and-fair transfer of power since it became independent in 1960 after decades of French colonial rule. Hours ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Prime Minister Succès Masra published a speech on Facebook accusing the authorities of planning to manipulate the outcome.
South Sudan mediation talks begin in Kenya as world’s youngest nation prepares for elections later this year
The talks are between the government and rebel opposition groups that were not part of an 2018 agreement that ended a five-year civil war that left 400,000 people dead.
UN General Assembly wants UN Security Council to ‘reconsider favourably’ Palestine’s quest for statehood
The vote by the 193-member General Assembly on Friday will act as a global survey of support for the Palestinians. An application to become a full UN member first needs to be approved by the Security Council and then the General Assembly.
US contractors land in Haiti to build base for UN forces as Kenyan contingent reassembles in Nairobi
The Kenyan contingent that will deploy reassembled this week for the first time since the Kenyan government announced in March that the deployment would be delayed, said a Kenyan security official, who asked not to be named.
Bamako-bound Boeing 737 catches fire, skids off runway at Senegal airport and injures 10 people
The incident has raised scrutiny of Boeing to the highest level since two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. About a dozen relatives of passengers who died in the second crash have been pushing the US government to revive a criminal fraud charge against the company by determining that Boeing violated terms of a 2021 settlement.
AstraZeneca withdraws dangerous Covid vaccines worldwide that cause blood-clots, memory loss
Despite these known dangers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in December 2021 that the AstraZeneca vaccine was “excellent,” adding that “there is no indication to not use it.” The WHO reiterated these claims in June 2022, saying the AstraZeneca vaccine is “safe and effective for all individuals aged 18 and above.”
Haiti’s transitional council rejigs its operations as it navigates political turmoil, gang violence
Instead of having a single council president, four longtime politicians will take turns leading the council every five months, according to two members who were not authorised to publicly share the changes because they had not yet been announced.
China’s economy rumbles from a lull as exports, imports return to growth signalling demand recovery
China’s economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, although data on exports, consumer inflation, producer prices and bank lending for March showed that momentum could be faltering again. A protracted property crisis is also showing few signs of abating, spurring calls for more policy stimulus.
Relief for patients as Kenyan doctors agree to end national strike after almost two months
The end of the strike comes as a relief to millions of Kenyans seeking health services from public hospitals that had been crippled by the strike. Some hospitals had decided to hire temporary doctors for emergency services.
Bulldozers kill three people as Kenya government demolishes shanties on riparian land in Nairobi
President William Ruto, who visited the vast Mathare informal settlement along the Nairobi River on Monday, said those whose houses had been demolished would be given Ksh10,000 ($75) compensation to help them resettle elsewhere.
