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West Africa's last giraffes make surprise comeback
A crisp African dawn is breaking overhead, and Zibo Mounkaila is on the back of a pickup truck bounding across a sparse landscape of rocky orange soil. (Associated Press Writer, 1:41 p.m.)
Madagascar political rivals reach government deal
Madagascar's political rivals have agreed on posts within a transitional government that will hold power until next year's elections following a power struggle that brought months of volatility to the country, an African Union statement said. (Associated Press Writer, 11:12 a.m.)
Officials to tighten aviation standards in Africa
LOME, Togo - Africa accounts for only 4 percent of the world’s air traffic but nearly a third of the world’s air disasters occur on the continent, a top aviation official said, and the dismal situation has prompted aviation officials to tighten safety standards and collaborate on crash investigations. (Associated Press, 12:29 a.m.)
Diamond watchdog gives Zimbabwe time to comply
Investigators for the world's diamond control body say the gems were mined by virtual slaves who had been told to dig or die, and were smuggled out by soldiers who rape and beat civilians. (Associated Press Writer, 11/6/09)
Zimbabwe's premier counting on South Africa
Zimbabwe's prime minister says assurances South Africa will be watching persuaded him to end his boycott of his country's troubled unity Cabinet. (AP, 11/6/09)
World court to investigate Kenya violence
NAIROBI, Kenya - Members of the political elite in Kenya, a nation where top leaders have long escaped prosecution for corruption and other crimes, could now face an international investigation into the violence that shook the country after disputed elections last year. (New York Times, 11/5/09)
Downturn hurting AIDS fight, group warns
JOHANNESBURG - The global recession and pressure to divert funds to other health crises are hurting the fight against AIDS, a medical group warned yesterday, with one health worker saying he feared a return to the days when the disease was a death sentence in Africa. (Boston Globe, 11/5/09)
Zimbabwe's premier ends boycott of unity Cabinet
Zimbabwe's prime minister ended his boycott of his country's unity Cabinet on Thursday, saying he was relenting to give southern African leaders a chance to resolve the problems besetting the coalition. (AP, 11/5/09)
43 Somalis rescued by EU warship handed to UNHCR
The EU Naval Force says it has handed over 43 Somalis abandoned at sea by their human smugglers to the United Nations refugee agency in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. (AP, 11/5/09)
South Africa cancels Airbus contract
South Africa's government says it has canceled a contract to buy eight Airbus military aircraft that had set off a debate about public spending. (AP, 11/5/09)
Former senior Rwandan executive jailed for 8 years
A United Nations war crimes tribunal sentenced on Thursday a former chief of Rwanda's tea processing and marketing agency to eight years in prison for his role in the country's 1994 genocide. (Associated Press Writer, 11/5/09)
South Africa track chief suspended in Semenya case
The South African track chief who lied about his role in runner Caster Semenya's gender tests was suspended Thursday. (AP, 11/5/09)
Air Zimbabwe plane smashes into wild pigs
Zimbabwe's transport ministry says one of the national airline's planes collided with five wild pigs on the runway in the capital during takeoff. (AP, 11/5/09)
ICC prosecutor wants to investigate Kenya violence
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor said Thursday that Kenya's postelection violence that killed more than 1,000 people was a crime against humanity and pledged to initiate proceedings that could result in top officials facing trial. (Associated Press Writers, 11/5/09)
Medical aid group raises alarm about AIDS funding
The global recession and pressure to divert funds to other health crises are hurting the fight against AIDS, a medical group warned Thursday, with one health worker saying he feared a return to the days when the AIDS virus was a death sentence in Africa. (Associated Press Writer, 11/5/09)
Diamond authority blasts Zimbabwe
Investigators for the world’s diamond control body say Zimbabwe should be suspended because its security forces are raping women, killing illegal miners, and smuggling gems out of a diamond field in the troubled country’s east. (Associated Press, 11/5/09)
Report: Suspend Zimbabwe over diamond smuggling
Investigators for the world's diamond control body say Zimbabwe should be suspended because its security forces are raping women, killing illegal miners and smuggling gems out of a diamond field in the troubled country's east. (Associated Press Writer, 11/4/09)
Kenyan attorney mulls legal action against US
Kenya's attorney general said on Wednesday he is seeking legal advice as to whether he can sue the United States government for revoking his travel visa. (Associated Press Writer, 11/4/09)
Equatorial Guinea coup-plotter returns home to UK
British mercenary Simon Mann has threatened to settle some old scores after arriving home Wednesday following more than five years in African jails for a failed plot to take over Equatorial Guinea's oil riches. (Associated Press Writer, 11/4/09)
Clinton in Cairo to meet with Egyptian leaders
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is holding hastily arranged meetings with Egyptian leaders to discuss the stalemate over restarting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. (AP National Security Writer, 11/3/09)
African kings, queens, chiefs to honor Mandela
Dancers clad in animal skins opened a royal ceremony Tuesday, a nod to tradition for the forward-thinking kings, queens and chiefs who jetted in to Johannesburg from across Africa to launch an institute they hope will expand their roles on the continent (Associated Press Writer, 11/3/09)
Group: Congo military killed hundreds of civilians
A top human rights group is accusing the Congolese military of killing more than 500 civilians in eastern Congo and says the U.N. peacekeeping force in the area did nothing to stop the soldiers from decapitating men and raping young girls. (Associated Press Writer, 11/3/09)
Clinton urges restraint in push for Mideast peace
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday urged Arabs and Israelis to set aside their historical differences, avoid inflammatory rhetoric and recommit to attaining a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. (AP National Security Writer, 11/3/09)
British coup-plotter freed in Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea freed a British coup-plotter and four South African mercenaries Tuesday after a presidential pardon for their foreign-bankrolled conspiracy to overthrow the government and take over the country's oil riches. (Associated Press Writer, 11/3/09)
Clinton changes tone on Israeli settlements
MARRAKECH, Morocco - Trying to mute Arab criticism that the Obama administration had retreated from its tough stance on Israeli settlements, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday softened her praise for Israel’s offer to restrain new housing in Palestinian areas. (Associated Press, 11/3/09)
Guinea coup leader says he "regrets" massacre
The man who led Guinea's most recent coup says he "bitterly regrets" the deaths of civilians who were gunned down by soldiers at a protest last month. (Associated Press Writer, 11/2/09)
Clinton says nuke offer to Iran won't be changed
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that the nuclear offer to Iran, intended to restrain its potential for making a nuclear weapon, should be fully accepted by Iran and will not be changed. (AP National Security Writer, 11/2/09)