March 17, 1992: This date will forever be remembered in South Africa as the day when whites voted to end the apartheid system that privileged them and oppressed others. The country has seen momentous change since then — but is still wracked by injustice and poverty.

South Africa has eased rules on travel to the country, where the omicron variant was first identified in November. Meanwhile, China's most-populous city, Shanghai, reports record COVID-19 cases.

Floods and mudslides triggered by heavy rain have caused widespread damage around the port city of Durban. At least 45 people have been killed in recent flooding that hit the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, authorities said on April 12.

A government official says flooding in KwaZulu-Natal province has caused the deaths of 259 people. Many people are still missing and thousands of others have been displaced.

At least 306 people have been killed in flooding around Durban in South Africa. On a visit to the stricken city, President Cyril Ramaphosa described the devastation as a "catastrophe of enormous proportions". Also, Amnesty International accuses Mali of stalling war crimes and abuse investigations. And after the French city of Bordeaux, the international tour of an exhibition highlighting the African experience heads to Abidjan in Ivory Coast.

Thousands have been displaced and scores are missing in what is considered to be one of the worst natural disasters on record. South Africa's weather service is warning of even more heavy rains.

The death toll from South Africa's unprecedented floods has risen to nearly 400. Police army and volunteers have widened the search, and the dozens of people still missing after the storm that devastated Durban over the weekend. In Senegal, citizens express their anger at the failures of the healthcare system after a pregnant woman died in hospital. And in South Sudan, the World Food Programme warns that millions are on the brink of hunger.

Thousands of troops have been deployed to South Africa's flood-ravaged KwaZulu-Natal province where residents are still searching for the missing more than a week after torrential rains began.

South Africa is grappling with one of the biggest natural disasters in the country's history. Floods killed more than 400 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a phone call with South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa about the war in Ukraine, but Pretoria has still stopped short of condemning the Russian invasion. Also, Nairobi says it will host talks between the Congolese government and rebels that have been terrorising parts of eastern DR Congo. The announcement comes after leaders from across East Africa met in Kenya to discuss the crisis. Plus, our correspondents report on how park rangers in Burkina Faso are facing the twin threat of poachers and jihadists.

Helicopters and sniffer dogs joined search and rescue teams on the ground, looking for bodies after heavy rains caused flooding , close to Durban in South Africa on Tuesday

Four Argentine friends will cycle 10,500 kilometres from South Africa to Qatar to support their country at the World Cup in November, an initiative that will also lead to 10,500 new trees being planted in their homeland.