South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a new cabinet in which, for the first time in the country's history, half of all ministers are women.In another unexpected move, one of the women is from the opposition.He appointed veteran opposition politician Patricia de Lille, who had stood for the Good Party, as minister of infrastructure development.The African National Congress party won a general ...

Muhammadu Buhari has been sworn in for a second term as president of Nigeria at a ceremony in the capital, Abuja.The president took his oath of office in traditional dress - simple white robes and an embroidered hat."I do solemnly swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he said. "I will preserve, protect and defend the constitution."Mr Buhari's to-do list ...

The latest edition of the World Bank Africa’s Pulse report has urged African countries to as a matter of urgency increase their investments in digital infrastructure as a way of engendering a digital economy which holds the key to turnaround the non-impressive growth saddling the continent.The World Bank’s bi-annual analysis of the state of African economies released on Monday said the continent’s economic ...

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says his government has taken the policy decision to integrate climate action into Ghana’s national development agenda, i.e. the Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies (2017- 2022).According to Mr Akufo-Addo, the Paris Agreement and SDG Goal No. 13, which demand urgent action to combat climate change and its impact, is providing the framewor ...

At least five Sudanese protesters and a member of the security forces have died in clashes in the capital, Khartoum.They were killed in gunfire at a sit-in outside military HQ where demonstrators are demanding full civilian government. Dozens have also been injured.Protesters said soldiers were responsible, but the army blamed it on "unidentified elements".Sudan has been ruled by a transitional military cou ...

The Islamic Sharia police in northern Nigeria's Kano state briefly detained 80 people accused of eating in public, rather than fasting from dawn to sunset as Muslims are required to do during their holy month of Ramadan.The Sharia police, known as Hisbah, say the people were arrested at different times across the city of Kano in the past couple of days.Kano state is one of the several states in northern Nig ...

A court in Montenegro has handed five-year jail terms to two pro-Russian opposition politicians for trying to topple the government in October 2016.The court also found 12 others guilty including two Russians - alleged GRU secret agents - tried in absentia.Prosecutors said the plotters had Kremlin support to assassinate the then-prime minister, Milo Djukanovic and block Nato accession.Russia has called the ...

Iran has suspended commitments under the 2015 international nuclear deal, a year after it was abandoned by the US.President Hassan Rouhani said he would keep enriched uranium stocks in the country rather than sell them abroad.He also threatened to resume production of uranium enriched to a higher level in 60 days.The accord was aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions in return for sanctions relief. Iran-U ...

Nigeria’s government has secured the release of Zainab Aliyu, an undergraduate who was arrested in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug trafficking.An assistant to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has just tweeted the announcement using the popular hashtag #FreeZeinab.On Monday, President Buhari had ordered the attorney general to intervene in the matter.The news comes as hundreds of her fellow students gathere ...

The United Nations is granting Mozambique and the Comoros Islands $13m (£10m) in emergency aid after the second cyclone battered the region in a month.The UN said the funds would help provide food and water, as well as repair damaged infrastructure, after Cyclone Kenneth hit northern Mozambique on Thursday last week, flattening entire villages.Weather experts are warning the latest tropical storm could dump ...