The number of climate change-related court cases has more than doubled since 2017 as people turn to litigation to try to fight global warming, the UN said Thursday 27 July 2023. Courts are increasingly becoming a venue to force governments and businesses to take action as the human-caused warming of Earth becomes ever more destructive […]

Suspected Islamic State-affiliated jihadists have killed 32 people, including 25 herders, in two attacks in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, anti-jihadist militia told AFP Thursday 27 July 2023. The attacks happened on Tuesday in the Lake Chad area, where the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) controls swathes of territory. In the first attack, ISWAP fighters riding in […]

African migrants pleaded to be saved from a desert zone between Libya and Tunisia on Wednesday 26 July 2023, weeks after Tunisian authorities allegedly dumped dozens of them there with nothing. “We are dying. We are dying by the minute,” a Nigerian who wanted to be identified only by his first name, George, told AFP. “Please, […]

Here are five things to know about Niger, where the country’s president was being detained by guards in what the African Union on Wednesday 27 July 2023 condemned as an “attempted coup”. Niger, a vast West African country that is two-thirds desert, is one of the world’s poorest nations. Half of its 26.2 million people […]

We are not alone — and American authorities are covering up the evidence, a former US intelligence officer told a congressional committee on Wednesday. David Grusch testified that he “absolutely” believes the government is in possession of unidentified anomalous phenomenon, or UAPs — which has replaced UFO in official parlance — as well as remains of their […]

Barbie dolls are flying off the shelves in South Africa as “Barbie” movie mania has hit the country’s shores, with toy stores seeing a cotton candy-hued boom in sales. The iconic toy, known for its blonde mane, blue eyes, and pink clothing, has been a household name in the southern African nation for decades — but […]

Rwanda considers Belgium’s refusal to approve the appointment of its ambassador as “unfortunate”, a government spokesman said Wednesday 26 July 2023, adding that the move “does not bode well” for bilateral relations. Vincent Karega, Rwanda’s former ambassador to South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — from where he was expelled last October […]

Soldiers claim to have overthrown Niger’s government following an apparent coup in the West African nation on Wednesday 26 July 2023 when members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum. Members of the elite guard sealed off access to the president’s residence and offices in the capital Niamey, and after talks broke down, “refused […]

Opposition leader Raila Odinga told AFP Wednesday 26 July 2023 that he would not hold talks with President William Ruto without a third-party mediator after months of anti-government protests. Since Odinga urged Kenyans to take to the streets in March, his Azimio alliance has held nine days of protests against the government, with the demonstrations sometimes spiralling […]

Twenty-three people died Wednesday when a bus crashed in northern Senegal, President Macky Sall announced on social media. ALSO READ: Tragic migrant boat capsize off Senegal’s coast claims 16 lives “I call for even more caution on the road”, Sall said in a message posted on Twitter. Earlier, a national fire brigade official and a first […]

At least five Moroccans drowned when their boat sank off Western Sahara, a rights group said on Tuesday, as crossing attempts by migrants hoping to reach Europe multiply from the area. ALSO READ: Eight dead after boat capsizes off Senegal On Saturday authorities said six migrants drowned off northern Morocco trying to reach Spain. Mohamed Zendour, […]

Air strikes and artillery barrages from Sudan’s warring generals killed at least 16 people in a Khartoum neighbourhood on Tuesday 24 July 2023, a neighbourhood group reported. After more than 100 days of war, the latest bombardments added to a toll of at least 3,900 killed nationwide. “Sixteen citizens died today in this senseless war” […]

Senegal on Tuesday announced one more death following a migrant boat capsize off the coast of the capital Dakar, taking the total to 16. ALSO READ: Senegalese boat sinks off Morocco coast leaving 13 migrants dead Officials had initially reported 15 people died when the wooden boat overturned overnight Sunday to Monday. ALSO READ: Civilian plane crash in […]

Algerian firefighters were Tuesday 24 July 2023 battling blazes that have killed 34 people across the tinder-dry north, destroyed homes and coastal resorts and turned vast forest areas into blackened wastelands. Witnesses described fleeing walls of flames that raged “like a blowtorch” as TV footage showed charred cars, burnt-out shops and smouldering fields and scrubland. […]

A gold, ruby and diamond crown ring worn by rap legend Tupac Shakur during his last public appearance sold for $1 million at auction in New York Tuesday. ALSO READ: Drip, drip! Karim Benzema channels Tupac at Ballon d’Or The winning bid was well above Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate of between $200,000 and $300,000 and becomes the […]

Kenyan President William Ruto said Tuesday he is ready to meet opposition leader Raila Odinga “anytime” after months of anti-government protests that have sparked international alarm and calls for dialogue. ALSO READ: Civilian plane crash in war-torn Sudan leaves nine dead “As you have always known, am available to meet one on one with you […]

Russian fighter aircraft dropped flares above a US drone as it took part in a mission against the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria, damaging its propeller, a US commander said Tuesday. ALSO READ: Unusual encounter: Russian bride runs to Putin for picture [Video] The United States has accused Russian pilots of putting both aircraft and crewmembers […]

A top envoy to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Monday said it was “time for peace” in Sudan and the Darfur region even as RSF’s war with Sudan’s regular army passed its 100th day. ALSO READ: Sudanese shocked as rockets, shells kill 20 civilians in Darfur RSF representative Youssef Ezzat made his remarks in the West […]

A court in Burkina Faso on Tuesday jailed a pro-junta activist for one year for defaming the police and added two more years from a previous suspended sentence for making death threats. ALSO READ: Mali’s junta chief new constitution fuels opponents protests The court in the capital Ouagadougou found Mohamed Sinon guilty after he accused the […]

Singapore is set to hang two drug convicts this week, including the first woman to be sent to the gallows in nearly 20 years, rights groups said Tuesday, while urging the executions be halted. ALSO READ: Civilian plane crash in war-torn Sudan leaves nine dead Local rights organisation Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) said a 56-year-old […]

Retail giant Hennes & Mauritz has sued its fast-growing rival Shein in a Hong Kong court for copyright infringement, the Swedish fashion juggernaut said Tuesday. Shein, founded in China in 2008, has swiftly claimed a top place in the global fast-fashion marketplace, offering low-priced collections attractive to young social media-savvy customers. H&M confirmed on Tuesday […]

A $2.2-billion mining tunnel in South Africa has started to produce its first diamonds, mining giant De Beers said on Tuesday. In 2012, the global firm started digging beneath the country’s largest diamond mine, Venetia, seeking to reach gems at a depth of more than 1,000 metres (3,250 feet). ALSO READ: Botswana secures last-minute deal with De Beers […]

The race quota law aimed at increasing the employment of black people in South Africa has enraged some businesses and opposition parties who say the legislation could see qualified workers lose their jobs. The government has rebuffed the criticism, saying the bill is not going to result in job losses and only seeks to promote […]

Nicaragua has concluded negotiations on a free trade deal with China, which is due to be signed in August and come into force early next year, Nicaraguan officials said Monday. “We thank God for the good news that we have achieved the substantial conclusion of the negotiations,” Laureano Ortega Murillo, presidential adviser on trade and investment, […]

Russia said Monday that drone attacks in central Moscow and annexed Crimea could warrant a harsh response, after Ukraine claimed an attack on the capital. ALSO READ: African Union regrets Russia’s suspension of grain cargo deal “We regard what happened as yet another use of terrorist methods and intimidation of the civilian population by the military […]