Africa

The country has 2nd highest cost of living in Africa after Ethiopia, according to Business Insider Africa considering affordability of essential goods and services like housing, transportation, food, health care and education in the cost of living index

An outbreak of Marburg virus disease was declared after one case was confirmed and 25 more suspected cases identified in the Kagera region of north-western Tanzania

The funeral of Prince Johnson, the former Liberian warlord who became an influential politician after the end of the civil war, who died in November at the age of 72, was attended by a huge crowd of thousands of people in a ceremony that lasted 5 days

The transitional parliament approved a new electoral code, after days of deliberations, allowing members of the security forces and magistrates to participate in elections as candidates; opponents see it as favourable to junta leader Brice Oligui Nguema

The Togolese government bought back the headquarters of Union Togolaise de Banque and IB Bank to help stabilise these ailing banks, which hold 20% of the assets of Togo's banking sector

French colonial names will be removed from public buildings, which will be renamed in honour of local historical figures, announced President Bassirou Diomaye Faye

Construction work has begun on a new football technical center, fully funded by the International Football Federation's Forward Fund, to strengthen the base of Ivorian soccer

The Confucius Institute of the University of Seychelles hosted an afternoon celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival to welcome the lunar new year that will take place on January 29

Hachim Saadi, one of the great voices of National Radio for more than 20 years, was buried in Ntsudjini in the presence of a large crowd who came to pay their respects