Africa (except North Africa)

NAIROBI, Feb 28 (NNN-KBC) — The United States government, through the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) said it will give Kenya Ksh 16 billion to tackle severe drought.

The announcement by USAID comes following a visit to the country by First Lady Jill Biden will meet the urgent needs for approximately 1.3 million people across Kenya.

According to USAID, more than four million people are the grips of a dire hunger crisis, with the number expected to rise to over five million by June.

LAGOS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Provisional results from Nigeria's disputed presidential election over the weekend showed Bola Tinubu from the ruling party in the lead, a Reuters tally of votes in 25 of the country's 36 states showed on Tuesday.

LAGOS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi, whose campaign attracted young people and urban voters fed up with corrupt politics, won most votes in the commercial hub of Lagos state, where Africa's biggest city is located.

Nigeria's electoral commission began announcing state-by-state results in the national elections on Sunday, though it is not expected to name a victor in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari for several days.

LUANDA, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Angolan Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas Diamantino Azevedo announced Saturday that the country intends to create tax incentives to attract more investors to the diamond-cutting sector.

The announcement was made by the minister at the inauguration of the fifth diamond-cutting factory at Saurimo Diamond Development Park in Lunda Sul province.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — More people in Nigeria cast ballots Sunday morning even though voting in the presidential and parliamentary elections of Africa’s most populous nation was supposed to end Saturday.

Votes were cast in Benue, Adamawa and Bayelsa states even as the counting of ballots ballots was underway Sunday in places where polls had closed, election observers said. Preliminary results were expected as early as Sunday evening.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Voters in Nigeria cast ballots Saturday to choose a new president as Africa’s most populous nation struggles with a bank note shortage that some observers fear will result in a lower than expected turnout.

The presidential and parliamentary elections come amid fears of violence, from Islamic militants in the north to separatists in the south, though officials stressed that this year’s vote would not be postponed as the last two presidential elections were.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Police in Nigeria arrested a lawmaker who allegedly was carrying nearly $500,000 in cash in a battleground state a day before the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections, raising fresh concerns Friday about the influence of money in the vote.

Chinyere Igwe, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, was found traveling with the money inside a bag in his car around 2 a.m. along with a distribution list, Rivers state police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said.

ABUJA, Feb 22 (NNN-XINHUA) — Nigeria’s state railway company announced the suspension of rail services across the country from Saturday to Monday to enable Nigerians to vote during the coming general elections.

Spokesman for the Nigerian Railway Corporation Mahmood Yakubu said in a statement that the suspension was to enable Nigerians to exercise their democratic right in the presidential and National Assembly elections and that the train services would resume from Tuesday.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The Russian military denied Wednesday that it was planning to test its new Zircon hypersonic missiles during naval drills off the coast of South Africa this week that will coincide with the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

China’s navy also is participating in the Indian Ocean exercises, which come at a time when Russia’s relationship with the West is at its lowest point since the Cold War, and ties between China and the United States are under serious strain.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Security forces in Somalia have ended a siege by al-Shabab extremists that killed 10 people and wounded three others at a home in the capital, Mogadishu.

The Information Ministry late Tuesday said the al-Qaida-linked fighters launched the rare attack on a private home with a suicide bombing. Al-Shabab often attacks hotels and government buildings.