Africa

As Zimbabweans head to the polls this Wednesday, we take a look at the dire economic straits the country finds itself in. Inflation has gone from the single digits in 2017 to 77 percent this month, the currency has crashed against the US dollar, and high unemployment has led many to emigrate. While incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa has played up improved infrastructure on the campaign trail, his opponent Nelson Chamisa detailed a plan that he says will build Zimbabwe into a $100 billion economy.

Young people in Zimbabwe, including many first-time voters, could determine the election winner. But is Jamaican dancehall music enough to win them over?

The russian warlord at the head of Wagner mercenary group who had been courting African nations who'd been turning away from their traditional colonial allies, is reported dead. A chaotic day at the polls in Zimbabwe leads opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to cry foul. And the BRICS leaders agree to expand the bloc at the emerging economies summit

Zimbabwe's opposition is seeking to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagw's ZANU-PF party, which has ruled since the country's independence in 1980.

Leaders of the BRICS group of emerging economies meet in Johannesburg as divisions between the founding members about the bloc's future appear to emerge. Thirty-eight Senegalese nationals are repatriated after a migrant boat drifts off Cape Verde. And Zimbabwe gears up for presidential elections amid economic hardship.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he was confident he would win the election on Wednesday after casting his vote in Kwekwe.

Maxime Mokom is accused of crimes against humanity for atrocities committed against Muslim civilians in the Central African Republic. ICC judges are determining whether he should stand trial.

After Human Rights Watch reported the killing of hundreds of Ethiopians at the Saudi-Yemeni border, the Ethiopian government decided to launch a joint investigation with Saudi Arabia.

A rise in violence towards hospital staff in Sudan has cut short the training of medical staff - despite the dire need for doctors and nurses amid the conflict in the country. However, new opportunities are meanwhile opening up for young medical professionals in Tanzania.

The AU said the suspension would remain in place until civilian rule in the country is restored, and that it would assess the implications of a military intervention in Niger.

Eleven candiadates are hoping to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Wednesday's election. Zimbabwe's electorate is skeptical of the opposition's ability to defeat his repressive regime.

BRICS countries will meet next week in Johannesburg as the bloc aims to widen its influence. But Russian President Vladimir Putin's absence is already causing a stir.