AFP Africa

South Africa captain Aiden Markram warned his side against under-estimating the United States ahead of their T20 World Cup showdown, claiming the Americans are “not a small team anymore”.Co-hosts USA stunned the sport by beating former champions and Asian powerhouse Pakistan in the first-round group stage, a result which helped propel the Americans into the …

South Africa’s Markram warns USA ‘not small team anymore’Tue, 18 Jun 2024 19:23:12 GMT Read More »

Kenya’s government on Tuesday walked back plans to impose multiple tax hikes, the presidency said, amending a controversial bill that sparked protests where more than a dozen demonstrators were arrested.The East African economic powerhouse has struggled with a cost-of-living crisis, which critics warned would only worsen under the levies laid out in a bill due …

Kenya scraps most new tax hikes as hundreds protestTue, 18 Jun 2024 18:09:07 GMT Read More »

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara told parliament Tuesday that he was aiming for a seven percent growth over the next three years in the world’s top cocoa producer but did not spell out if he would seek a fourth term next year.Ouattara, 82, has been called upon by the ruling party to run in the …

ICoast leader pledges seven pc growth but coy about re-electionTue, 18 Jun 2024 17:48:03 GMT Read More »

Flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit will captain understrength world champions South Africa in a one-off Test against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday.The 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup winner got the nod head of fellow forwards Bongi Mbonambi and Eben Etzebeth for the Springboks’ first match since winning the World Cup in France last October.Du Toit …

Du Toit to captain weakened Springboks against WalesTue, 18 Jun 2024 11:41:14 GMT Read More »

Kenyan police fired tear gas and arrested at least a dozen demonstrators Tuesday as hundreds of people gathered near parliament to protest tax hikes, according to AFP journalists at the scene.The East African economic powerhouse has struggled with a cost-of-living crisis, which critics say will only worsen under the levies laid out in a bill …

Kenya police arrest demonstrators as hundreds protest new tax hikesTue, 18 Jun 2024 11:27:17 GMT Read More »

Saudi Arabia on Monday warned of a temperature spike in Mecca as Muslim pilgrims wrapped up the hajj in searing conditions, with more than a dozen heat-related deaths confirmed.One of the world’s largest religious gatherings unfolded during the oven-like Saudi summer again this year, and authorities recorded more than 2,700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on …

Hajj pilgrimage ends amid deadly Saudi heat spikeTue, 18 Jun 2024 00:15:31 GMT Read More »

France is planning to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to around 600 troops in line with President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to limit the French military footprint in the region, three sources told AFP.In February 2023, Macron announced a “noticeable reduction” of French troop presence in Africa, as anti-French sentiment is running …

France cutting troops in West, Central Africa to 600: sourcesMon, 17 Jun 2024 15:46:36 GMT Read More »

More than one billion dollars will be pledged towards ramping up vaccine production in Africa at a summit held in Paris later this week, France said on Monday.A “new mechanism to accelerate the financing of vaccine production on the African continent” will be launched during the summit on Thursday, which will be attended by several …

Over $1 bn to be pledged for Africa vaccine sovereignty: FranceMon, 17 Jun 2024 13:14:25 GMT Read More »

In the Libyan village of Kabaw in the Nafusa Mountains, M’hamed Maakaf waters an ailing fig tree as climate change pushes villagers to forsake lands and livestock.Once flourishing and known for its figs, olives, and almonds, fields around Kabaw, located some 200 kilometres (124 miles) southwest of Tripoli, are now mostly barren and battered by climate …

Once fruitful, Libyan village suffers climate crisisMon, 17 Jun 2024 07:14:06 GMT Read More »

Pilgrims on Sunday performed the last major ritual of the hajj, the “stoning of the devil”, in western Saudi Arabia as Muslims around the globe celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday.As one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings wound down, authorities from multiple countries said at least 22 people had died, many of them from …

Hajj pilgrims ‘stone the devil’ as Muslims mark Eid al-AdhaMon, 17 Jun 2024 02:04:55 GMT Read More »