Africa

US and Israel look to Africa for resettling Palestinians uprooted from Gaza

The US and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for resettling Palestinians uprooted from the Gaza Strip under President Donald Trump's proposed postwar plan, American and Israeli officials say. The contacts with Sudan, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland reflect the determination by the US and Israel to press ahead with a plan that has been widely condemned and raised serious legal and moral issues. Because all three places are poor, and in some cases wracked by violence, the proposal also casts doubt on Trump's stated goal of resettling Gaza's Palestinians in a beautiful area. Officials from Sudan said they have rejected overtures from the US, while officials from Somalia and Somaliland told The Associated Press that they were not aware of any contacts. Under Trump's plan, Gaza's more than 2 million people would be permanently sent elsewhere. He has proposed t

Indian refiners turn to Latam, Africa to replace Russian oil in Feb: Data

The South Asian nation became the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne oil sold at a discount after Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow

Malaria remains Africa's deadliest disease as US aid cuts hurt fight

Malaria season begins this month in a large part of Africa. No disease is deadlier on the continent, especially for children. But the Trump administration's decision to terminate 90 per cent of USAID's foreign aid contracts has local health officials warning of catastrophe in some of the world's poorest communities. Dr. Jimmy Opigo, who runs Uganda's malaria control programme, told The Associated Press that USAID stop-work orders issued in late January left him and others focusing on disaster preparedness. The US is the top bilateral funder of anti-malaria efforts in Africa. Anti-malarial medicines and insecticide-treated bed nets to help control the mosquito-borne disease are like our groceries, Opigo said. There's got to be continuous supply. As those dwindle with the US-terminated contracts, he expects a rise in cases later this year of severe malaria, which includes problems like organ failure. There is no cure. Vaccines being rolled out in parts of Africa are imperfect but are

Judge stops immediate shutdown of small US agency for African development

A judge barred the Trump administration on Thursday from immediately moving to shut down a small federal agency that supports investment in African countries on Thursday. US District Judge Richard J Leon in Washington issued the order hours after the filing of a lawsuit by the president and CEO of the US African Development Foundation. Ward Brehm said in a complaint that he directed his staff on Wednesday to deny building entry to staffers from billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and Pete Marocco, the deputy administrator for the US Agency for International Development. DOGE and Trump do not have the authority to shut down the agency, which was created by Congress, Brehm said in the complaint. The order from Leon, who was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, bars Brehm from being removed or DOGE from adding members to the board over the next few days. Brehm also said that days after President Donald Trump targeted the agency in a Feb. 19 execut

As Musk eyes Lesotho for business, Trump says no one has heard of it

US President Donald Trump says no one has ever heard of Lesotho. The foreign minister of the small African kingdom tells The Associated Press that Trump should speak for himself. It is surprising and disappointing that he claimed no one knows Lesotho, especially given that the US has an embassy here, minster Lejone Mpotjoane said, a day after Trump's dismissive comment in a speech to Congress caused some laughter. He should speak for himself and not generalise. Mpotjoane said Trump appeared to pick on Lesotho because it isn't a rich country but warned: One day America may need Lesotho's support. In fact, Trump's key adviser Elon Musk has already sought it. Trump mocked Lesotho while criticising some US foreign aid contracts as a waste of money in his 99-minute speech on Tuesday. Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of, Trump said, struggling to pronounce the name correctly as Vice President JD Vance and House Speake

Sudan war at critical juncture as military advances in key regions

The war in Sudan appears to be reaching a critical juncture after nearly two years of fighting that has killed tens of thousands, driven millions from their homes and seen bloody atrocities. For the first time, the military has been making steady advances against its rival, the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and it could soon wrest back control of the capital, Khartoum. The RSF responded by announcing at a gathering in Kenya that it and its allies will establish a parallel government. What's happening on the ground? The war erupted in April 2023 between the military and the RSF with battles in Khartoum and around the country. The leaders of the two forces had been allies who were meant to have overseen the democratic transition after a popular uprising in 2019, but instead worked together to thwart a return to civilian rule. However, tensions exploded into a bloody fight for power. Since then, at least 20,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far

Govt's Africa approach based on mutual benefits, not extractive: Jaishankar

India's approach towards Africa has been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to build mutually-beneficial partnerships, unlike "extractive" models of engagement, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday, amid China's relentless attempts to expand influence in the continent. India and Japan, with their complementary strengths, are well-positioned to support Africa's development in a sustainable and inclusive manner, he said. The external affairs minister was delivering a lecture at the Japan-India-Africa Business Forum. "India's approach to Africa has always been guided by a deep-rooted commitment to building long-term, mutually-beneficial partnerships," he said. "Unlike extractive models of engagement, India believes in capacity-building, skill development and technology transfer, ensuring that African countries not only benefit from investments but also develop self-sustaining growth ecosystems," he added. India is Africa's fourth-largest trading partner, with ...

World Bank's Banga seeks $85 billion to leverage Africa's youth potential

Banga laid out a plan in which the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Development Bank and private investors may spend about $85 billion to bring power to 300 million people by 2030

IOC buys 7 million barrels of Middle Eastern, African crude oil via tenders

Indian refiners are increasing Middle Eastern crude purchases from the spot markets after Washington last Friday announced sweeping sanctions targeting Russian producers

Islamic State-linked rebels kill at least 10 people in eastern Congo

At least 10 people were killed in eastern Congo by extremist rebels linked to the Islamic State group, a local official said on Wednesday. The rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces, an IS affiliate in the region, attacked the village of Makoko in the Lubero territory of the North Kivu province on Wednesday, a provincial member of parliament, David Sikuli, told The Associated Press. I call on the Congolese government to allow joint operations by Congo and Uganda's army to be expanded in all areas where the ADF are located, Sikuli said. There were no Congolese soldiers in the village, only local fighters known as Wazalendo, who often fight alongside Congolese security forces, he added. Eastern Congo has struggled with armed violence for decades as more than 120 groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities. Some armed groups have been accused of mass killings. The violence has caused nearly 7 million people to flee their

Violence breaks out in Mozambique after election court ruling, 56 dead

The US called the electoral process "flawed," while the European Union pointed to "irregularities during counting of votes and unjustified alteration of election results."

Wipro names Ranjita Ghosh as global chief marketing officer effective Feb 1

IT company Wipro on Monday said it has appointed Ranjita Ghosh as its new Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective February 1 next year. Ghosh takes the chair from Laura Langdon, who has decided to explore career opportunities outside Wipro, a company statement said. Previously CMO of Wipro's Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA) strategic market unit, Ghosh will now lead all marketing activities for Wipro across its geographies. She will report to the Chief Strategist & Technology Officer Hari Shetty. With about two decades of experience in the global technology services industry, she has held various roles in sales, business development, growth marketing, buyer experience, and ecosystem partnerships. Additionally, she has managed marketing for several high-value portfolios and led teams across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Shares of Wipro settled at Rs 307.90 apiece on the BSE on Monday, 0.90 per cent higher than the previous close.

Varun Beverages' growth strategy could prove beneficial for investors

The VBL board approved the acquisition of SBC Tanzania for Rs 1,304 crore and SBC Beverages Ghana for Rs 127 crore

Morocco produces Africa's 1st mpox tests as continent rely less on imports

After African countries struggled to get testing kits during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials vowed to make the continent less dependent on imported medical supplies. Now, in a first for Africa, a Moroccan company is filling orders for mpox tests as an outbreak continues. Moroccan startup Moldiag began developing mpox tests after the World Health Organisation declared the virus a global emergency in August. Africa's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 59,000 mpox cases and 1,164 deaths in 20 countries this year. The WHO has also announced a plan to provide mpox tests, vaccines and treatments to the most vulnerable people in the world's poorest countries, after facing criticism for moving too slowly on vaccines. It recommends all suspected mpox cases be tested. But in some far-flung areas of the mpox outbreak, tests have to be delivered to distant labs for processing. Most of Congo's 26 provinces don't have such facilities. And some areas have no tests.

'Disease X' outbreak spreads more as UN sends health team to Congo

Outbreak is centered in a remote rural area of Kwango province, where poor road conditions and heavy rains mean it takes nearly 48 hours to reach from Kinshasa

Cause of 'Disease X' investigated after it killed 79 people in Congo

Almost 200 of the 376 afflicted with a flu-like illness are younger than five, said Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Joe Biden on his maiden visit to Angola; seeks to strengthen US-Africa ties

President Joe Biden arrived for his long-awaited first presidential visit to sub-Saharan Africa on Monday to the cheers of thousands in Angola, where he will highlight an ambitious US-backed railway project meant to counter China's influence on the continent of over 1.4 billion people. Biden's three-day visit to Angola will focus largely on the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment in Zambia, Congo and Angola. It aims to advance the US presence in a region rich in the critical minerals used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies. Biden's trip comes weeks before Republican Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, finally delivering on Biden's pledge to visit sub-Saharan Africa. On his way to Angola, he stopped in the Atlantic Ocean island nation of Cape Verde for a brief, closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva. Biden plans to meet with Angolan President Joo Loureno in the capital, Luanda, where crowds lined the stree

Joe Biden begins long-awaited Africa trip to secure win against China

At stake are vast supplies of minerals like copper and cobalt, which are found in Congo and are a key component of batteries and other electronics, and China is the top player in Congo as of now

In a first, France's Macron calls 1944 killings of West Africans 'massacre'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday for the first time recognised the killing of West African soldiers by the French Army in 1944 as a massacre in a letter addressed to the Senegalese authorities. Macron's move, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the World War II killings in Thiaroye a fishing village on the outskirts of the Senegalese capital of Dakar comes as France's influence is declining in the region, with Paris losing its sway in the former French colonies in West Africa. Between 35 and 400 West African soldiers who fought for the French Army in the Battle of France in 1940 were killed on Dec 1, 1944 by French soldiers after what the French described as a mutiny over unpaid wages. The West Africans were members of the unit called Tirailleurs Senegalais, a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. According to historians, there were disputes over unpaid wages in the days before the massacre but on that Dec 1, French troops rounded up the West African soldie

Biocon Biologics, Diabetes Africa collab over nurses project in Ethiopia

Ethiopia, with a 2-3 per cent diabetes prevalence rate, ranks among the top four countries in sub-Saharan Africa for adult diabetes cases