The National Equitable Economic Empowerment Framework (NEEEF) is not targeting white businesses but a policy tool to correct historic racial and gender inequalities among Namibians.

Finance Minister, Calle Schleittwein says cost cutting measures, that government introduced in 2017, were too harsh and to an extent contributed to poor economic growth and job losses. The Finance Minister made this remark during a panel discussion on this year's economic outlook.

The Health Ministry in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported that a fourth person has died from Ebola.

Emmanuel Macron was elected President of France on Sunday with a business-friendly vision of European integration. He defeated Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist, who threatened to take France out of the European Union.

Aid agencies are withdrawing staff from South Sudan's Upper Nile region. That follows the killing of three aid workers last week. At least 82 humanitarian staff have been killed in South Sudan since civil war broke out in December 2013.

Humanitarian agencies are warning that a failure to help millions of Nigerians on the brink of starvation could force huge numbers of people to leave the country. Currently close to five million people in Nigeria's northeast are food insecure.

German police are investigating what they call a probable terrorist attack after a man ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin. Twelve people were killed and 48 others injured.

Russia's ambassador to Turkey was killed in a gun attack. The Russian Embassy in Turkey confirmed the attack, which happened as career diplomat Andrei Karlov was attending an art exhibition in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

Talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo between the ruling coalition and opposition have failed to reach a compromise on the political future of President Joseph Kabila. His mandate ends today but Kabila intends to stay in power until elections are organised.

The African Union says it is ready to deploy some 4 000 troops to South Sudan to restore peace in that country.