DR Congo's Kabila says elections will be held

In his first speech in six years, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed his country will hold elections.

Joseph Kabila said polling will go ahead, even though voting has already been postponed twice.

He also denied accusations that his security forces are cracking down on protesters who are calling for him to step down.

Al Jazeera's Catherine Soi reports from Nairobi, Kenya.

Source: Aljazeera

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90-year-old tourist killed after being attacked by crocodiles while on inflatable boat in Zimbabwe

The attack took place in crocodile hatching season (file photo) Getty images Crocodile attacks tend to spike around this time of year as hatchlings emerge and females leave their nests, which they have guarded without eating for three months. Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said: “The crocodiles attacked the air-pumped boat they were using until it punctured. Their colleagues noticed that they were struggling and drove to seek help “When the park rangers arrived at the dam, Bowman and Mitchell were still under attack from the crocodiles “The rangers had to shoot at the crocodiles to disperse them and rescue the two and take them to hospital where Bowman died before arrival. Mitchell has life-threatening injuries and remains in intensive care unit in Bulawayo.” Crocodiles typically grab their prey by a limb and spin them in a “death roll” which subdues the victim by drowning. Source: Independent

Ex-VP Mujuru 'was hit on the cheek with a stone by Zanu-PF activist': Spokesperson

Harare - A Zimbabwean opposition leader and her entourage were Thursday attacked with stones by suspected ruling party activists in Harare, her party said. Joice Mujuru, a former vice president of the country who is now leader of the National People's Party (NPP), and her supporters were pelted while on the campaign trail. Zimbabwe is due to hold general elections before July - the first polls since independence hero Robert Mugabe was ousted after 37 years in power. Mujuru is one of the prominent contenders. Mujuru was hit on the cheek with a stone and later addressed a rally in the working class suburb of Glen Norah after she received medical treatment, her spokesperson said. Mujuru "was going to address a rally ...she passed through a shopping centre and when people realised it was her, they came out of the shops to cheer her", Jeffryson Chitando told AFP. "She got out of her car and greeted the people, and that is when Zanu-PF (activists) started thro...

The great fish robbery that costs Africa billions

(CNN) The ocean once offered a comfortable life for the fishing community of Joal, in the Senegalese capital Dakar. "Ten years ago a fisherman could support a big family," says Ahmed Diame, a Greenpeace ocean campaigner based in the region. "Now they cannot eat." Depleted fish stocks force the fishermen to travel further out to sea in search of a worthwhile catch, says Diame, which can be dangerous. Others quit and leave Joal to find work abroad, often via migration routes that are even more dangerous. In a community that relies on fish, the wider economy suffers. The jobs of processing and preparing fish are also disappearing, along with those of the boat builders. The drought is also taking its toll on the population's health. "People rely on fish for protein," says Diame. "A lot of the boys are very weak with malnutrition." The crisis in Joal is indicative of a wider problem. West Africa has become a global hub of ill...

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