As the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed globally has surpassed 1 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) is stressing the need for countries, shutting their economies down to curb the spreading of the coronavirus, to be patient and give time for lockdowns to work

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov told Sputnik on Friday that Libya had not yet contacted Russia to ask for help with the supply of medicines and equipment to counter the coronavirus

The government of Malawi confirmed on Friday that the first three COVID-19 cases were registered in the country, bringing the number of countries on the continent that have not officially registered cases of the disease down to four

As European countries agree to set up another task force to tackle terrorism in Africa's Sahel against the backdrop of the United States planning a troop drawdown, experts warn that a new mission will not necessarily lead to a reduction in violence in the already overcrowded region unless its economic and political issues are addressed, but will help the West to retain its geopolitical clout amid the rise of rival actors on the ground

The defense ministers of the European Union's member states will hold a video conference on Monday to discuss the security implications of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and to assess the pandemic's impact on the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy, according to a statement published by the European Council

It is in the European Union's interests to provide assistance to Africa to combat the spread of COVID-19, as a rapid rise in the number of cases could result in the disease spreading back to Europe, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said during a press briefing after the conclusion of a video conference of EU foreign ministers on Friday

The US military killed three al-Shabab extremists in an airstrike near Bush Madina, Somalia this week, United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement on Friday