Africa's week in pictures: 4 - 10 December 2020

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent:

A girl in a blue dress smiles shyly while holding a blue, dolphin-shaped balloon.
A girl clutches a balloon in Kyebi, southern Ghana, on Monday.
A man on a roadside paints a portrait of a woman with the Liberian national flag as its background.
On Friday, artist Saah John prepares a portrait in Monrovia's capital Liberia.
A man walks past a new piece of graffiti feature large flowers.
In South Africa, this mural seen on Thursday is one of the latest additions to Johannesburg's flourishing street art scene.
Bodybuilders gather in the warm-up area backstage. Some are talking, others are exercising.
Contestants prepare themselves backstage at Iron Fit Bodybuilding on Saturday...
Male bodybuilders dance onto the stage in a line-up.
About 130 people from across East Africa took part in the competition, held in Kenya's capital Nairobi.
A man is seen suspended in air as he jumps into a body of water off a small cliff. Behind him is a small group of others on the cliff waiting who are waiting to jump in. A couple of other people are already in the water.
On Friday a group of men and boys cool off in a river in Hamdayit, Sudan, which borders Ethiopia.
A rowing vessel is partly visible above a swell in the sea.
The next day in Cape Town, South Africa, Zirk Botha starts his attempt to become the first person on record to row solo across the Atlantic.
Two fishermen walk ashore carrying crates and buckets of fresh fish on their heads.
On Thursday, fishermen bring their catch ashore in Paquitequete, Mozambique. Half a million people have been forced from their homes in the wider Cabo Delgado province by violent Islamist insurgents linked to Islamic State.
Two women hold their hands up in supplication outside a green-washed church.
Women pray at an Ethiopian Orthodox church in Sudan on Sunday, having fled fighting between government and local troops in Ethiopia's Tigray region...
A soldier from the Afar Special Forces walks in front of a wall that has multiple bullet holes. There are cactii in the foreground.
On Thursday a soldier walks past a wall riddled with bullet holes in the village of Bisober, in Tigray.
People cheers inside a bus and a man waves a branch out of its window.
And on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporters of President Félix Tshisekedi react with glee to news his party will end its coalition with loyalists of powerful predecessor Joseph Kabila.

All pictures subject to copyright.

Latest Stories

  • Trump promised COVID-19 drug free for all Americans. His friends got it first.

    While supplies of an experimental drug cocktail given emergency use authorization to treat the coronavirus remain in short supply in the United States, three associates of President Trump apparently jumped to the front of the line to receive it.

  • Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reportedly went from Biden's VP list to being offered a Bahamas ambassadorship

    Talk about a demotion.Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) played a big advocacy role in President-elect Joe Biden's 2020 bid, no doubt helping him lock up the typically red state of Georgia. Bottoms was expected to be offered a White House role in return, perhaps as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or the head of the Small Business Administration, or even Biden's vice president.After the naming of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as Biden's running mate over the summer, and after Biden slotted Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) into the HUD spot, Bottoms' choices seemed to be slimming. But as sources tell The New Yorker's Charles Bethea, Bottoms was offered a role as the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, which she declined.> Mayor Bottoms' Press Secretary did not immediately offer comment when reached this morning. gapol (2/2)> > — Charles Bethea (@charlesbethea) December 11, 2020An ambassadorship to the Bahamas is typically given to apolitical Foreign Service professionals or, in some cases, top political donors. In either case, it's generally not considered a spot for a rising star in the Democratic party.More stories from theweek.com Ted Cruz says Senate will likely blockade Biden's nominations based on debunked election fraud allegations Joe Biden's agriculture appointment is a slap in the face to Black voters 7 criminally funny cartoons about Trump's potential pardon spree

  • '#Texit': A Texas state lawmaker says he will propose a referendum on seceding from the US because the 'federal government is out of control'

    State Republicans and Democrats are criticizing the proposal, which would violate a Supreme Court decision that no state can legally secede.

  • Nashville police arrest suspect in connection with highway murder of ICU nurse

    Metropolitan Nashville Police arrested a 21-year-old suspect in connection with the murder of Caitlyn Kaufman, who was found shot dead in her car this month.

  • China says two Canadians held for two years on 'spying' accusations have been indicted and tried

    China's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that two Canadians held for two years in a case linked to a Huawei executive have been indicted and put on trial, but gave no details. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been confined since December 10, 2018, just days after Canada detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the founder of the Chinese global communications equipment giant. China has said Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor were indicted June 19 by the Beijing prosecutor's office on "suspicion of spying for state secrets and intelligence." Neither China or Canada has released specifics about their cases. At a daily briefing Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the two had been "arrested, indicted and tried," in what appeared to be the first public mention that they had been brought to court. She reiterated that their cases and Ms Meng's were "different in nature," with Ms Meng's being a "purely political incident." Despite that, China has consistently linked the fate of the two Canadians to its demands that Ms Meng be released immediately. Canadian foreign minister Francois-Philippe Champagne issued a statement Wednesday marking their two years of captivity, saying; "These two Canadians are an absolute priority for our government, and we will continue to work tirelessly to secure their immediate release and to stand up for them as a government and as Canadians." "I am struck by the integrity and strength of character the two have shown as they endure immense hardship that would shake anyone's faith in humanity," Mr Champagne said. The US is seeking Ms Meng's extradition from Canada on fraud charges. Her arrest severely damaged relations between Canada and China, which has also sentenced two other Canadians to death and suspended imports of canola from Canada. Ms Meng, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, is living in a luxury Vancouver home while her extradition case continues in a British Columbia court. The US accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to deceive banks and do business with Iran in violation of US sanctions. It's not publicly known where Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor are being held or under what conditions, although Canada's ambassador to China testified to a House of Commons committee this week that they were "robust." Canadian diplomats had been denied all access to the two men from January to October because of coronavirus precautions cited by the Chinese side. On-site visits were banned and not even virtual visits were permitted. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has described China's approach as coercive diplomacy, spoke last month with US president-elect Joe Biden about the case of the two men and said he expects Mr Biden to be a good partner in persuading Beijing to release them. Canada's Foreign Ministry did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment on Ms Hua's remarks.

  • Beirut silos at heart of debate about remembering port blast

    Ghassan Hasrouty spent most of his life working at the silos in Beirut’s port, unloading grain shipments to feed the country even as fighting raged around him during the 1975-90 civil war. In a horrific instant, a burst of power ravaged Beirut. Hasrouty’s son, Elie, wants justice for his father and thinks the silos should stay as a “mark of shame” and reminder of the corruption and negligence of politicians that many Lebanese blame for the tragedy.

  • Ted Cruz says Senate will likely blockade Biden's nominations based on debunked election fraud allegations

    Some Republican senators are using their unfounded election fraud claims as an excuse to muddy President-elect Joe Biden's transition.Biden has spent the past few weeks since the election filling out his Cabinet, hoping quick confirmations will help him get a quick start on reversing President Trump's policies. But "as long as there's litigation ongoing, and the election result is disputed, I do not think you will see the Senate act to confirm any nominee," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told Axios.The Senate typically starts hearing from an incoming president's Cabinet nominees before Inauguration Day, allowing them to more quickly be confirmed and start work as soon as a new president is sworn in and can formally nominate them. That's especially essential during a pandemic — something retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) noted to Axios on Friday.But much of the Republican Senate and House have yet to acknowledge Biden's win. More than 100 of those congressmembers joined Texas' lawsuit Thursday aimed at overturning the election results in four states that went for Biden. The lawsuit alleges Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin improperly changed voting rules in the 2020 election, but is unlikely to succeed in the Supreme Court, not least because several states included on the suit made similar changes by the same means.Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) meanwhile wants a chance to challenge Biden's nominees on their credentials, particularly his controversial Defense Secretary pick retired Gen. Lloyd Austin.More stories from theweek.com Joe Biden's agriculture appointment is a slap in the face to Black voters 7 criminally funny cartoons about Trump's potential pardon spree White House reportedly tells FDA commissioner to approve Pfizer vaccine on Friday or resign

  • Australian Uighur family reunited after leaving Xinjiang

    An Australian man from China's Muslim Uighur community was reunited with his family, including a three-year-old son he had never met, after Beijing agreed they could depart Xinjiang. Sadam Abudusalamu posted on Twitter photographs of his family arriving at Sydney airport on Thursday and thanked Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne, human rights activists, and "everyone who worked so hard to reunite us". In 2017, Chinese authorities banned Abudusalamu's wife Nadila Wumaier and son from leaving Xinjiang by confiscating their passports, in what became a high-profile human rights case in Australia.

  • A driver flipped the bird to a Keys deputy and hit 120 mph, cops say. Then she laughed.

    A Miami Beach woman is accused of speeding though the Florida Keys and flipping her middle fingers at a pursuing Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy along the way.

  • Under fire for strong-arm tactics, DeSantis lashes out at former data scientist Rebekah Jones

    Gov. Ron DeSantis lashed out at the ex-Florida data chief turned whistleblower. What Jones is accused of doing is “clearly a felony offense," he said.

  • More Inside a John Stefanidis–Designed Dreamy Escape on the Island of Patmos

    Tasked with a California family’s historic getaway on Patmos, John Stefanidis gives the once-neutral house a vibrant polychrome presenceOriginally Appeared on Architectural Digest

  • ICC prosecutor ready to open investigation into Ukraine

    The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said Friday that a preliminary probe has found “a reasonable basis at this time to believe” that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed in Ukraine which merit a full-scale investigation. Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the suspected crimes and the failure of courts in Ukraine and Russia to successfully prosecute them mean that the next step for ICC prosecutors will be to request authorization from judges to open a formal investigation.

  • Manhattan prosecutors are reportedly 'significantly escalating' their investigation into Trump

    An investigation into President Trump being conducted by Manhattan prosecutors is reportedly "significantly escalating."The office of Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has "stepped up its efforts" to investigate Trump's business conduct, in recent weeks "significantly escalating" the probe by interviewing employees of lender Deutsche Bank and insurance broker Aon, The New York Times reported on Friday. The prosecutors have reportedly issued new subpoenas and questioned witnesses before a grand jury for investigative purposes. The Manhattan state prosecutors have sought Trump's tax returns as they look into potential financial misconduct, including "possible insurance, tax and bank-related fraud in the president's corporate dealings," according to the Times. In 2019, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen while testifying before Congress accused the president of having "inflated his total assets when it served his purposes" and "deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes." Trump has denied any wrongdoing.While noting it's not clear if any charges will ultimately be brought, the Times wrote that this was the "latest indication that once Mr. Trump leaves office, he still faces the potential threat of criminal charges that would be beyond the reach of federal pardons." Read more at The New York Times. More stories from theweek.com Ted Cruz says Senate will likely blockade Biden's nominations based on debunked election fraud allegations Joe Biden's agriculture appointment is a slap in the face to Black voters 7 criminally funny cartoons about Trump's potential pardon spree

  • Ahead of U.N. climate summit, urgent calls to 'fix the future'

    When the Paris Agreement on climate change was finalized after two weeks of fraught negotiations and years of past failures, diplomats hugged and shed tears of joy. Annual greenhouse gas emissions hit a new high last year. "Emissions are not being reduced at the rate that science says we need," said Alden Meyer, a longtime veteran of the U.N. talks and an analyst for the E3G climate change think-tank.

  • Sexual misconduct shakes FBI's senior ranks with little to no discipline

    An Associated Press investigation has identified at least six sexual misconduct allegations involving senior FBI officials over the past five years, including two new claims brought this week by women who say they were sexually assaulted by ranking agents.

  • Head pastors at Hillsong Church are accused of using volunteers as their personal babysitters for little or no pay, insiders said

    When Hillsong NYC celebrity pastor Carl Lentz was fired, insiders came forward with new allegations of exploitation.

  • Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai charged under security law

    Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been charged under the city’s national security law, amid a widening crackdown on dissent, according to local media reports. Lai, who founded the Apple Daily tabloid, was charged on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security, local broadcaster TVB reported Friday. Police said in a statement that they arrested a 73-year-old man under the national security law, but did not name him.

  • Donald Trump's late policy flurry complicates Joe Biden's transition into power

    The in-tray waiting for Joe Biden on the Oval Office’s Resolute desk when he takes over the US presidency on January 20 is already unenviably high. There is tackling the most devastating pandemic in a century, mending an economy with unemployment levels rivalling the Great Depression and trying to right vast structural problems like racial tensions in America and climate change. Yet in recent weeks another challenge has been added: unpicking policy changes that Donald Trump’s administration has been forcing through before the door shuts on his presidency. The latest example is changes to the asylum rules. The move, significantly tightening the definition of “persecution” that asylum seekers must prove to be granted refuge in America, matches the hardline stance the president has held for years. There have been other late policy changes. Mr Trump, largely avoiding the cameras as he smarts from election defeat and refuses to concede the race, has announced a draw-down of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has pardoned an ally. He has reportedly discussed new punishments for Iran over its nuclear program. His administration has also scheduled more federal executions.

  • White House reportedly tells FDA commissioner to approve Pfizer vaccine on Friday or resign

    The White House has reportedly demanded that the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration approve Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday or resign.White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Friday told FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn to submit his resignation should the FDA not approve the vaccine by the end of the day, The Washington Post reported.Pfizer applied for emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine in November, and the FDA was expected to provide the approval in the coming days after an independent advisory panel on Thursday recommended the agency do so. But President Trump urged the FDA speed up the process and accused the agency of "playing games" in a Friday tweet.The Post also reports that the "warning led the FDA to accelerate its timetable for clearing America's first vaccine from Saturday morning to later Friday," and the FDA and Pfizer are "rushing to complete" the necessary paperwork.Axios also reported that Meadows "hinted" in a phone call with Hahn on Friday "that his job security might be in jeopardy" while pushing for the vaccine to be approved by the end of the day. Hahn told Axios this is an "untrue representation" of their phone call, saying the "FDA was encouraged to continue working expeditiously on Pfizer-BioNTech's EUA request" and "is committed to issuing this authorization quickly."More stories from theweek.com Ted Cruz says Senate will likely blockade Biden's nominations based on debunked election fraud allegations Joe Biden's agriculture appointment is a slap in the face to Black voters 7 criminally funny cartoons about Trump's potential pardon spree

  • UK GDP growth slows to six-month low

    The British economy will likely shrink in the final three months of the year. Data out on Thursday (Dec 10) showed the economic recovery almost ground to a halt in October as a surge in coronavirus cases hammered the hospitality sector. That was as public authorities in much of the UK barred people from socialising in pubs and restaurants, ahead of a broader four-week partial lockdown across England in November. Gross domestic product rose 0.4% in October after expanding 1.1% in September. That's the weakest growth since output collapsed in April during the first lockdown. Some glimmers of hope arrived this week with a limited rollout of a COVID vaccine. And potential for a rebound in consumer spending in 2021. But many businesses will face new headwinds from trade restrictions with the European Union that come into force on January 1st. Britain and the EU have given themselves until Sunday to seal a new trade pact that would limit some of the damage. One economist told Reuters that the economy is in for a difficult few months. Britain has Europe's highest death toll from COVID-19. It also suffered the biggest economic hit of any major economy after GDP shrank by an unprecedented 19.8% in the second quarter of this year. And government forecasters do not expect the economy to regain its pre-COVID size until the end of 2022.