Problems are plaguing the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, just two weeks ahead of polling, with many voters rushing to replace illegible voter cards. The impoverished central African nation is due hold presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections on December 20. President Felix Tshisekedi, who took office in 2019 after a disputed election, is running …

DR Congo voters face hurdles ahead of pollThu, 07 Dec 2023 20:11:37 GMT Read More »

In parts of Africa, expert honey-hunters call out to a species of bird known as the greater honeyguide, which leads them to wild bee nests — a mutually beneficial practice.In a new study published Thursday in Science, researchers have found that honeyguide birds in Tanzania and Mozambique distinguish between honey-hunters’ calls, responding more readily to …

Wild birds analyze grunts, whistles made by human honey-huntersThu, 07 Dec 2023 19:35:50 GMT Read More »

Climate change caused by human activity made torrential rains that have lashed East Africa since October and killed more than 300 people up to twice as intense, a scientific study said Thursday.Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia are grappling with heavy rainfall that has caused flooding in the latest devastating climate disaster to strike the region after …

Heavier rains in East Africa due to human activity: studyThu, 07 Dec 2023 17:31:01 GMT Read More »

A huge blast at an explosives depot in Seychelles on Thursday injured 66 people and brought down buildings, prompting the country’s “shocked” president to declare a state of emergency for much of the day.The archipelago — famous for its idyllic white beaches and high-end tourism — is also grappling with flooding and landslides due to …

Dozens injured in Seychelles blast at explosives depotThu, 07 Dec 2023 16:12:08 GMT Read More »

A Zimbabwe court on Thursday barred most opposition candidates from running in by-elections on Saturday that could take the ruling ZANU-PF party closer to changing the constitution. The ruling is the latest twist in a battle for control of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) amidst heightened political tensions in the mineral-rich nation.The Harare high …

Zimbabwe court bars opposition MPs from crucial by-electionsThu, 07 Dec 2023 16:08:25 GMT Read More »

Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland has rolled back plans to hold next year’s parliamentary polls via a one-person one-vote system, opting instead to continue with a complex, clan-based ballot.In May, the oil-rich region staged its first direct polls in more than half a century during local council elections, a move hailed by international partners as …

Somalia region reverses plan for direct universal suffrageThu, 07 Dec 2023 11:11:07 GMT Read More »

Bravian Mise hits a series of grand jetes — leaping like a gazelle across the cramped living room — and pirouettes during an exhaustive rehearsal at his home in a Kenyan slum.The 13-year-old has been practising ballet for four years and is among a hundred or so children who have been rehearsing for months to …

‘Dance is beautiful’: Kenyan slum reaches for ballet starsThu, 07 Dec 2023 07:50:02 GMT Read More »

Petronille Vaweka, a tireless peace activist from eastern DR Congo who’s now up for a prestigious award, recalls tense exchanges with militiamen, and the horrors of war in her native Ituri province.The 75-year-old has spent decades pushing for peace in Ituri, a gold-rich province where brutal violence between the Hema and Lendu communities has raged …

DR Congo’s veteran peace campaigner, Petronille VawekaThu, 07 Dec 2023 06:57:37 GMT Read More »

Any eventual agreement on a fossil fuel phase-out at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai must take into account “different national circumstances”, South Africa’s environment minister Barbara Creecy told AFP.Creecy has been appointed by the Emirati presidency to facilitate discussions on how countries are making progress on meeting their Paris Agreement climate goals.The 2015 Paris …

‘National circumstances’ key to COP28 fossil fuel deal: S.Africa ministerThu, 07 Dec 2023 06:40:51 GMT Read More »

The United States said Wednesday that Sudan’s rival forces have both committed war crimes in their brutal conflict and alleged a new ethnic cleansing campaign in scarred Darfur.After months of rising concern and frustration at the failure of talks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented findings following an evaluation by the State Department.Blinken said that …

US finds war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Sudan warWed, 06 Dec 2023 22:46:59 GMT Read More »