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Jobs are likely to be lost as a result of store closures in

Tanzania protest over 'Uchumi supermarket closures'

Angry staff and suppliers from one of East Africa's leading retailers, Uchumi Supermarkets, have forced the closure of one of its stores in Tanzania.

More than 300 people barricaded the store in Dar es Salaam amid fears they would not get paid.

There have been reports that the chain, which is based in neighbouring Kenya, is closing some of its shops.

Africa faces the challenge of sustaining growth

Sub-Saharan Africa countries are continuing to grow, albeit at a slower pace, due to a more challenging economic environment, the World Bank has said.

According to new projections of the multilateral lender, growth will slow in 2015 to 3.7 per cent from 4.6 per cent in 2014, reaching the lowest growth rate since 2009.

These latest figures are outlined in the World Bank’s new Africa’s Pulse, the twice-yearly analysis of economic trends and the latest data on the continent. The 2015 forecast remains below the robust 6.5 per cent growth in GDP which the region sustained in 2003-2008, and drags below the 4.5 per cent growth following the global financial crisis in 2009-2014.

Proper use of fertiliser can help improve yield in smallholder farms such as this

‘Africa’s farmers ‘need urgent climate-proof investment’

A lack of investment will derail efforts to ensure Africa's farmers can feed future generations in the face of climate change, a report has warned.

Food shortages, malnutrition and migration will undo decades of development unless more funding is made available, the authors added and warned that failure to act could jeopardise UN global development goals.

The findings were compiled by the Montpellier Panel, a group of experts from Europe and Africa.

The report - The Farms of Change: African Smallholders Responding to an Uncertain Climate Future - recommended that international donors and governments take action in a range of priority areas, including:

Photo is not related to the story

Nigerian woman arrested for selling her baby

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Enugu State Command, has arrested a young woman, identified as Nkechi Isioko, from Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area of the State for allegedly attempting to sell her baby for N100, 000.

Nkechi was paraded alongside some prostitutes and pipeline vandals. It was gathered that the suspect had collected the sum of N100, 000 from one Mrs. Blessing Egbo before operatives of the NSCDC arrested her and the suspected buyer.

She claimed that Mrs. Egbo initially gave her part payment of N10,000, and later completed the money.

Girl 9, flees husband, 78

Singing and dancing as she performs in a school assembly, Younis looks for all the world like a typical Kenyan teenager, with a beaming smile and a grey and maroon uniform.

There's little outward clue to the trauma she's already been through in her 13 short years. When she was just nine years old, Younis's parents arranged for her to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, in accordance with local Samburu tradition.

The Samburu are an ancient Kenyan tribe pastoralist cattle herders, said to be "distant cousins" of the Maasai. Even to outsiders, their languages and customs are strikingly similar.

Many South Sudanese have known little but war and some, like this man, have lost their homes

South Sudan rebel Oloni 'may take up arms again'

A major rebel leader in South Sudan has told the BBC he may have to take up arms again, despite the signing of a peace agreement six weeks ago.

Gen Johnson Oloni said the government was undermining the deal with attacks on civilians and a plan to re-draw state boundaries in the country.

Tens of thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced since the civil war began in 2013.

South Sudan gained independence from neighbouring Sudan four years ago.

Kenya's MPs are among the highest paid in the world

Kenya MPs furious after parliament's power supply cut

MPs in Kenya have reacted furiously after the electricity supply to parliament was cut for three days apparently because of an unpaid bill of $97,000 (£63,000).

The opposition blamed the government, but MPs of the governing coalition rallied to its defence.

MPs also said they had not received their allowances and some parliamentary staff had not been paid.

The government and parliamentary officials have not yet commented.

Mr Kagame's critics say he leads a repressive regime

Rwanda court backs scrapping presidential term limits

Rwanda's highest court has ruled in favour of changing the constitution to allow President Paul Kagame to stand for a third seven-year term in 2017.

It would be undemocratic to deny people the right to "choose how they are governed", the court said.

Rwanda plans to hold a referendum to see whether the public supports a constitutional amendment to lift the current two-term limit on presidents.

Third-term presidential campaigns have caused unrest in other African states.

Ebola scare as man dies in Nigerian city of Calabar

An Ebola scare has been reported in southern Nigeria, a year after the country was declared free of the virus.

Ten people have been quarantined after coming into contact with a man showing Ebola-like symptoms, officials said.

The man reportedly died shortly after being admitted to hospital in Calabar.

On Wednesday, the three countries worst affected by Ebola - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - recorded their first week with no new cases since the outbreak began in March 2014.

The government of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is fighting al-Shabab

Somali president's nephew killed in al-Shabab attack

The nephew of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been shot dead in the capital, Mogadishu.

Gunmen opened fire on Dr Liban Osman's vehicle as it was travelling through the city's Wadajir neighbourhood early on Wednesday.

Both Dr Osman, who reportedly worked as a doctor at the presidential palace, and another man, thought to be a lawyer, died in the attack.

Gen Gilbert Diendere later described the coup as "the biggest mistake"

Burkina Faso coup leader charged

The leader of last month's short-lived coup in Burkina Faso has been charged with crimes including threatening state security and murder.

Gen Gilbert Diendere is expected to face trial before a military tribunal.

Interim President Michel Kafando was reinstated two weeks ago after intervention from the army and West African leaders.

The Standard Gauge Railway under construction. Kenya’s economic growth could be the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa over the next 15 years, according to a new World Bank report.

World Bank: Kenya set to lead Africa in growth over 15 years

Kenya’s economic growth could be the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa over the next 15 years, according to a new World Bank report.

The bank’s Pulse report on the African economy said that Kenya’s growth should remain “robust” at around 6.2 per cent until 2030, well above that of many other African economies that will suffer from China’s economic slowdown and restructuring away from foreign investment and towards domestic consumption.

Over the next three years, however, Tanzania and Rwanda are likely to witness even higher growth, at over seven per cent of GDP, along with Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

Their growth will be spurred by investments in energy and transport, consumer spending and investment in natural resources.

The report highlighted education as a tool to reduce poverty.

Extreme poverty to fall below 10% of world’s population — World Bank

The World Bank has said that for the first time less than 10 per cent of the world's population will be living in extreme poverty by the end of 2015.

The bank said it was using a new income figure of $1.90 per day to define extreme poverty, up from $1.25.

It forecasts that the proportion of the world's population in this category will fall from 12.8 per cent in 2012 to 9.6per cent.

Tunisia to lift state of emergency after Sousse beach attack

Tunisia is to lift the state of emergency it imposed after a terror attack at a resort in June killed 38 tourists, mainly Britons.

The short announcement carried on state media said the measure would be lifted at midnight on Friday local time (23:00 GMT).

The state of emergency gave security forces more powers and limited the right of public assembly.

Nigeria's Abuja hit by two blasts causing deaths

Two bomb blasts have rocked the outskirts of the Nigerian capital Abuja causing a number of deaths, officials say.

The first struck near a police station in Kuje, 25 miles (40km) from Abuja, the second hit a bus stop in Nyanya.

No group has said it carried out the attacks yet but suspicion has fallen on Boko Haram Islamists.

Kenyan 'fake gynaecologist' charged with raping patients

A Kenyan man has been charged with 12 offences including rape, impersonating a gynaecologist and operating a clinic without a licence in Nairobi.

Mugo wa Wairimu pleaded not guilty and has previously denied that he raped his patients after sedating them.

The charges stem from a Kenyan TV report which had footage showing an unidentified man allegedly assaulting an unconscious woman on a clinic bed.

Nigerian city of Maiduguri 'attacked by five girl bombers'

Five young girls were behind a series of deadly explosions in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Thursday evening, security sources say.

Fourteen people, including the girls, died and 39 were injured in the attacks at a mosque and house of vigilante leader, the military said.

More than 100 people died in similar attacks in the city two weeks ago.

Maiduguri is where Boko Haram Islamist militants were first based when they began their insurgency six years ago.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chairman Lydia Nzomo (left) with Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia at a press conference at the TSC head office in Nairobi on September 5, 2015. TSC said over 245,000 teachers will miss their September salaries after it released the payroll showing that only 42,973 would be paid. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya: Over 240,000 teachers miss September pay over strike

Over 245,000 teachers will miss their September salaries after their employer released the payroll showing that only 42,973 would be paid.

The Teachers Service Commission took the drastic step as the Court of Appeal on Thursday ordered teachers to return to work immediately.

Most of the teachers who will get their full pay are principals, their deputies and heads of department who were in school for the duration of the strike that started a month ago.

According to sources in the Teachers Service Commission, about 26,000 teachers in secondary schools have been paid, as have 9,000 primary school headteachers.

All teachers in technical institutes, teacher training colleges and special institutions have also been fully paid.

“The teachers would have been on the payroll after the Friday ruling when they were directed to report to duty, but they did not,” the source, who could not be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said.

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