An operation launched in Kenya in 2015 to root out extremists struggles to stamp out the al-Shabaab terrorist group; The wife of Lesotho’s prime minister, charged with murdering her predecessor, is set to stand trial in March; U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo meets with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa; Nigeria's annual inflation rises to its highest level in nearly two years.

A54 Health:As the Corona-virus continues its deadly assault on Hubei province, Chinese health officials reports the number of confirmed cases from the COVID-19 outbreak now tops 72,000 with the death toll rising to nearly 1,900.