GABON

African Union Chairman Thomas Boni Yayi will visit some of the continent's conflict areas -- including Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, and Libya -- for direct talks, an aide said on Saturday.

The latest survey indicates that 69 percent of India's population still live in rural areas.

Gabon's oil union ONEP has re-launched talks with the government on a dispute over the use of expatriate labour, averting for now the threat of a strike in the sector.

Abuse of Zambian workers is widespread in mines owned by Chinese companies, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.

Mining companies would be banned from investing in Eritrea's potentially booming minerals sector under a draft U.N. resolution that Security Council members are due to start negotiating on Tuesday.

Banda conceded to Sata on Friday, ending three days of riots and protesting. The presidential vote was held nationwide on Tuesday, but the government had been slow to tally the votes, a fact which angered eager Zambians.

After 85 of 150 voting districts have been tallied, Sata leads the race with 43 percent of the vote, compared to President Banda's 36 percent. However, Banda still leads in the most recent opinion polls.

Zambia held presidential elections Tuesday, but two days later only 85 of the country's 150 constituencies have reported results, sparking wide-scale unrest in the country and again bringing up fraud allegations. While all eyes are on Zambia, one nation's gaze is especially fixed: China.

Irish musician Bono and Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour are planning a global Olympic-style torch relay, culminating in a concert in Kenya in 2012 to raise funds and awareness about the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

The top of the list might shock you: Expatriate cost of living is examined in Mercer's annual study.

Unlike immigrants from Europe and Asia, most Africans in the New World have little or no detailed accounts of their ancestors’ lives and histories.

Inflation is likely to rise further in Mauritius, central bank governor Rundheersing Bheenick said on Saturday, reinforcing speculation that the central bank may raise rates at its March meeting.

Economic growth in the six-nation Central African CEMAC bloc will reach 4.8 percent in 2011, up from 4 percent last year, the grouping's regional central bank said on Thursday.

Morocco will stage the 2015 African Nations Cup and the 2017 edition will be hosted by South Africa, the Confederation of African Football said on Saturday.

Egyptian police fought protesters in two cities in eastern Egypt on Thursday and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei headed back to the country to join demonstrators trying to oust President Hosni Mubarak.

Egyptian police fought protesters in two cities in eastern Egypt on Thursday and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei headed back to the country to join demonstrators trying to oust President Hosni Mubarak.

Gabon disbanded the main opposition party on Wednesday after one of its leaders declared himself president, claiming inspiration from power struggles in Tunisia and Ivory Coast.