AFP Africa

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 »

The Emirati head of the UN’s climate conference pressed countries on Wednesday to strive for common ground and reach a “historic” deal by early next week, giving negotiators days to untangle disagreements over the fate of fossil fuels.It is rare for UN climate talks to end as scheduled but COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber set …

COP28 head presses nations to reach climate ‘compromise’Wed, 06 Dec 2023 20:49:34 GMT Read More »

The Emirati head of UN climate talks faced growing pressure Wednesday to steer nations towards a consensus as negotiators sparred over the thorny issue of fossil fuels.A report confirming that 2023 will be the hottest year in recorded history was a reminder of the stakes as the UN negotiations hosted by the oil-rich UAE reached …

Pressure mounts on COP28 president as fossil fuel debate sizzlesWed, 06 Dec 2023 14:47:42 GMT Read More »

UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Wednesday accused nations of “posturing” at the COP28 talks in Dubai, raising the temperature on negotiators sparring over the thorny issue of fossil fuels.Pressure is mounting near the end of the first week of the UN negotiations hosted by the oil-rich UAE, with Europe’s climate monitor confirming that 2023 …

UN slams COP28 ‘posturing’ as fossil fuel debate sizzlesWed, 06 Dec 2023 11:35:02 GMT Read More »