Page 5 - Africa

Fast-spreading mpox variant detected in Congo's densely populated capital

Co-circulation of clades Ia and Ib was reported for the first time in the central African city of more than 17 million people

China's Xi boosts Africa financing by $51 billion, offers a million jobs

China and Africa account for one-third of the world population, without our modernisation, there will be no global modernisation, Xi said

Chinese, African leaders hold summit on deepening bilateral cooperation

Dozens of African leaders have descended on Beijing for a summit that signals China's influence in a continent that it hopes will be a key ally in pushing back against a U.S.-led global order. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to the assembled leaders Thursday that relations with all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the strategic level. We have always understood and supported each other, setting an example for a new type of international relations," he said at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China has become a major player in Africa since the forum was founded in 2000. Its companies have invested heavily in mining for the resources Chinese industry needs and its development banks have made loans to build railways, roads and other infrastructure under Xi's Belt and Road program. China has become sub-Saharan Africa's largest bilateral trading partner but exports much more to the continent than it imports. In part

China offers Africa billions in fresh financing, promises 1 million jobs

Xi promised delegrates from more than 50 African nations that the $19 trillion Chinese economy will unilaterally improve access to its market for African trade

UN chief warns Africa's inadequate access to debt relief risks unrest

Zambia in June became the first country to successfully restructure its debt through the scheme

What to expect from the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit

China approved loans worth $4.61 billion to Africa last year, the first annual increase since 2016

Xi Jinping wants bigger returns, fewer headaches from African debt deals

From Angola to Djibouti, for over a decade, China poured more than $120 billion of government-backed loans through its Belt and Road Initiative to build hydropower plants

Indonesia expects to sign $3.5 bn business deals at 2nd Africa forum

"The partnership between Indonesia and Africa so far has significantly increased trade volumes and trade agreements," President Joko Widodo said during his opening speech for the forum on Monday

China to pitch green tech exports to Africa amid concerns of Western curbs

"That's a big ask for a continent that generally has very poor China literacy."

UN releases $100 million for humanitarian emergencies in 10 countries

The United Nations released USD 100 million on Friday for humanitarian emergencies in 10 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean. Acting UN humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya said a lack of funding in these countries is preventing aid agencies from providing life-saving assistance, and that is heart-wrenching. More than one-third of the new funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund known as CERF will go to Yemen, where a civil war is now in its 10th year, and Ethiopia, where government forces are fighting several rebel groups in its regions as well as ethnic-related insurgencies. Yemen is getting USD 20 million and Ethiopia USD 15 million. Humanitarian operations in countries engulfed in years of conflict and displacement, exacerbated by climate shocks will also be getting funds: Myanmar (USD 12 million), Mali (USD 11 million), Burkina Faso (USD 10 million), Haiti (USD 9 million), Cameroon (USD 7 million) and Mozambique (USD 7 million). So will two countries

African debt crisis may have severe implications for world economy

The continent's foreign debt reached more than $1.1 trillion at the end of last year. More than two dozen countries have excessive debt or are at high risk of it

Officials expediting efforts to bring next batch of cheetahs by year-end

India has expedited efforts to bring a new batch of 12-14 cheetahs by the end of the year, with a delegation set to visit South Africa soon for ground-to-ground negotiations, officials said on Tuesday. PTI has learned that negotiations are also ongoing with Kenya, and a memorandum of understanding is being finalized. "We are actively engaging with South Africa on the matter. A delegation will visit the country in late September or early October to hold ground-to-ground negotiations. The next batch of cheetahs could come from either of these two countries," the official said. The 'Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India' talks about bringing around 12-14 cheetahs each year from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries for five years to establish a founder stock. "We have communicated to South Africa that we want to expedite efforts to bring another batch of cheetahs by the end of the year as per the recommendation of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee and in

India considered sourcing cheetahs from Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan

India considered sourcing new cheetahs from Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan and other range countries closer to the equator or in the Northern Hemisphere to avoid biorhythm complications observed in big cats brought from Southern Hemisphere countries like South Africa and Namibia, according to official records. Due to the differences in circadian rhythms between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, some cheetahs developed thick winter coats during the Indian summer and monsoon last year, anticipating the African winter (June to September). Three of these cheetahs -- a Namibian female and two South African males -- died after wounds beneath their winter coats, on their backs and necks, became infested with maggots and led to blood infections. PTI has learnt from sources that the cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa have once again developed thick winter coats. Despite these concerns, discussions are ongoing with Southern Hemisphere countries to bring new cheetahs. "Talks are ongoing wi

Mpox risks heighten with mosaic of infection patterns in Central Africa

Diagnostic testing is insufficient in central Africa, investigators say, as is the sophisticated genomic sequencing that helped scientists map and understand the spread of Covid-19 within communities

Africa's natural resources, demographic advantage attract investors: V-P

Africa's natural resources, demographic advantage and growing economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area make it an attractive destination for investments, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday. He also said that India's new-age digital technologies and its space programme offer huge opportunities for Africa to increase cooperation with India. "Africa's natural resources, demographic advantage and growing economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area make it an attractive destination for investments," Dhankhar said. He was addressing CII's India-Africa Business Conclave here. He added that India's Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme offers enormous opportunities for mutual development. The vice president said that resurgent Africa and rising India can give a strong impetus to south-south cooperation specially in areas like clean technology, climate-resilient agriculture, maritime security, and connectivity. "India

Africa's mpox vaccine plan aims to avoid repeat of Covid-19 pandemic errors

It was a similar story during the Covid-19 pandemic. When those shots first became available, Africa found itself at the back of the queue

African swine fever causes Rs 800 cr worth loss to Mizoram pig farmers

The pig farmers of Mizoram suffered a loss of nearly Rs 800 crore following the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the state since 2021, the assembly was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister C Lalsawivunga said that 57,217 pigs died of ASF and 43,159 others were culled to prevent the spread of the disease between March 2021 and 15 August 2024. Pig farmers of the northeastern state incurred financial loss to the tune of Rs 799.68 crore during that period, he said. The minister said that 9,866 pigs have died and 17,977 others culled causing a loss of Rs 239.45 crore due to ASF between January to 15 August this year. Lalsawivunga said that the state government received financial assistance of varied amounts from the Centre from time to time to tackl the situation. The state government declared ASF as state of disaster or calamity on January 1 this year, he said adding that the administration is making massive efforts to

Mpox outbreak spreads in Africa with Burundi reporting 100 cases: WHO

The cases, 28 per cent of which were in children under five, have been reported since July in multiple districts

Domestic exporters keep fingers crossed amid Mpox outbreak in Africa

Indian exporters are keeping their fingers crossed amid the outbreak of Monkeypox in Africa, as the continent is a crucial region for domestic exports. According to exporters, though the spread of the disease is contained in certain countries, it would be a challenge, if it spreads to more nations. "As of now, the spread is not rampant, but looking into the infection, the exporters are definitely concerned, hoping it will not spread," Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai said. Another exporter said that so far, there is no lockdown-like situation in the continent, and therefore, no payment delays are happening. "But, we are keeping our fingers crossed," he said. Think tank GTRI said the direct impact of the MPox outbreak on global trade has been relatively limited so far, though the situation warrants close monitoring. Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to strict travel bans, the current MPox situation has not necessitated such drastic

Mpox triggers second global alert in 2 years as new variant spreads rapidly

A new mpox variant, clade Ib, detected in Sweden and Pakistan, spreads mainly through household contact and has a higher fatality rate, prompting increased global alert