Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | President Donald Trump said the United States “deeply respects” Africans and will dispatch its top diplomat to the continent, in a letter to African leaders seen by AFP on Sunday. The letter sent last week comes after Trump provoked a firestorm of indignation among …
Read More »Trump meets Kagame, sends ‘warmest regards’ to African leaders after reported slur
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Friday asked the African Union chairman to pass on his “warmest regards” to other regional leaders at a summit this weekend, after sparking outrage with a reported slur against Africans. Trump met Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the World Economic …
Read More »Oldest human fossil outside Africa is dug up in Israel
Miami, United States | AFP | The oldest remains of a modern human outside Africa have been dug up in Israel, offering evidence of what genetic studies have already suggested — that humans migrated out of Africa some 50,000 years earlier than previously thought. Facial fragments, including a jawbone and …
Read More »Toyota South Africa recalls more than 700,000 cars over airbags
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Toyota South Africa Motors said Thursday it had issued a notice to recall more than 700,000 vehicles over airbag safety concerns, with some affected models dating back over 15 years. The Japanese carmaker said the recall was needed to replace front airbag inflators produced …
Read More »COMMENT: Burning Africa’s ivory
Why Africa should not celebrate the ban of ivory markets even if ending poaching is noble COMMENT | GERALD MBANDA | China, which for decades has been the world’s largest ivory market, is hailed for her recent ban on ivory trade and shutting down more than 150 ivory factories and shops …
Read More »Unleashing Africa’s inner strengths
Institutions, policies, and champions COMMENT | Paul Kagame | Despite the myriad challenges we still face, over the past two generations our world has become more prosperous and equitable, and also safer. Cooperation among nations has been a foundation of that progress, as well as the best mechanism for sustaining …
Read More »More African billionaires
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Buoyed by rising stock markets and commodity prices, Africa’s billionaires are collectively wealthier than a year ago. The 23 billionaires that Forbes found in Africa – up from 21 billionaires last year — are worth a combined $75.4 billion, compared to $70 billion in January …
Read More »‘Massive’ infrastructure spending needed in Africa, says report
Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | Economic growth in Africa picked up steam last year and is set to accelerate strongly in 2018, but “massive investments” are needed in infrastructure, the African Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday. Growth in Africa rose from 2.2 percent in 2016 to 3.6 percent in …
Read More »Fake medicines flourish in Africa despite killing thousands
Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | There’s nothing covert about Roxy — a huge market in Abidjan selling counterfeit medicine, the scourge of Africa and the cause of around 100,000 deaths annually on the world’s poorest continent. Located in the bustling Adjame quarter of Ivory Coast’s main city and commercial hub, …
Read More »Second Sahel ‘G5’ anti-terror force mission begins
Paris, France | AFP | Five Sahel countries – Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso — on Monday launched their second anti-Jihadist operation in the troubled region, after talks in Paris with their partner France. After the discussions between the defence ministers of the so-called G5 Sahel and their …
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