Page 9 - Africa

Leaders from emerging economies visiting China for 'Belt and Road' forum

A stream of leaders of emerging market countries are arriving in Beijing for a meeting organised by the Chinese government that will mark the 10th anniversary of its Belt and Road Initiative. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed landed in Beijing on Monday, following Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday night. Under the initiative, a signature policy of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Chinese companies have built ports, roads, railways, power plants around the world in a bid to boost trade and economic growth. But the massive Chinese development loans that funded the projects have also burdened some poorer countries with heavy debts. Others leaders from Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Mideast will attend the Belt and Road Forum, whose main day is on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend, as are representatives of the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

George Soros closes offices across $25 billion philanthropy empire

The charity doles out more than $1 billion in grants annually, including over $100 million in Africa

IMF, World Bank pledge Africa focus at 1st meetings on continent in 50 yrs

In the shadow of a deadly earthquake in Morocco that caused nearly $12 billion in damage, the world's most powerful economic policymakers said they would focus on Africa as they work to grow and stabilising the global economy during times of war, inequality and climate change. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank are holding their annual meetings in Africa for the first time in 50 years as they face a growing chorus of criticism that poorer nations are underrepresented at the two institutions. Both have recently said they plan to give Africa additional seats on their executive boards. The conference theme was clear Monday during the gathering in Marrakech, although definitive details had yet to be discussed. We're here, Africa, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on a panel with African entrepreneurs. Often lenders of last resort, the IMF and the World Bank use billions in loans and assistance to buoy struggling economies and encourage countries operating in ..

Gates Foundation funding $40 mn to help develop mRNA vaccines in Africa

A USD 40 million investment will help several African manufacturers produce new messenger RNA vaccines on the continent where people were last in line to receive jabs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Monday. While it could still take at least three more years before any of the vaccines are approved and on the market, the foundation said that its mRNA investment marks an important step forward in improving vaccine equity. Whether it's for local diseases in Africa like Rift Valley (fever) or for global diseases like TB, mRNA looks like a very promising approach, Bill Gates told The Associated Press on Sunday after visiting one of the facilities involved, the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal. And so it allows us to bring in lots of African capabilities to work on these vaccines, and then this can be scaled up. The announcement comes as the foundation opens its annual three-day Grand Challenges event, which brings together scientists and .

Tanzania our closest, biggest partner in Africa: PM at MoU exchange event

India has made significant contributions to Tanzania's skill development and capacity building

New wildfire on Tenerife island in Spain forces 3,000 evacuations

Soldiers and firefighters were battling to control a new wildfire on Spain's Tenerife island that has forced some 3,000 people to leave their homes for safety, the Canary Islands government said Thursday. The blaze, which started Wednesday, is centred on the towns of Santa rsula and La Orotava in the mountainous northeast of the island, away from the main tourist areas in Tenerife's southwest. The same area suffered one of the island's worst wildfires in decades in August when 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of pine forest and scrubland were burnt and some 12,000 residents evacuated over several weeks. Although that wildfire was brought under control it was never fully extinguished. Small fires have continued to break out periodically in the same area due to winds and high temperatures. Some 120 agents including soldiers and firefighters were taking part in the operation to put out the fire, the Canary Islands government said. So far, an area of just 30 hectares (70 acres) has been .

India considering importing Cheetahs from northern Africa: Officials

India is considering importing cheetahs from northern Africa due to concerns that these big cats from Namibia and South Africa have developed a winter coat in the Indian summer, officials said on Wednesday. According to the officials, one of the significant challenges faced during the first year of managing cheetahs in India was the unexpected development of winter coats by some cheetahs during the Indian summer and monsoon, in anticipation of the African winter (June to September). Even African experts did not anticipate this, a senior forest official said. The winter coat, combined with high humidity and temperatures, caused itching, leading the animals to scratch their necks on tree trunks or the ground. This scratching resulted in bruises and exposed skin, where flies laid their eggs, leading to maggot infestations and, ultimately, bacterial infections and septicemia, resulting in the deaths of three cheetahs, the official explained. "Considering that cheetahs in northern and .

Jindal SAW-Hunting Energy JV eyes M East, Africa to supply OCTG from India

Jindal Hunting Energy Services Ltd (JHESL) is looking to export oil country tubular goods from its plant located at Nashik in Maharashtra. Piping products used in oil and gas production are referred as oil country tubular goods (OCTG). JHESL is a 51:49 per cent joint venture (JV) company between US-based Hunting Energy Services and domestic pipes maker Jindal SAW. On September 18, the JV inaugurated a plant with an annual capacity of 70,000 metric tonnes, which has been set up at a cost of USD 25 million to manufacture and supply pipes and tubes with premium connections to OCTG market in oil and gas sector. JHESL will first cater to the domestic market and continue to explore markets like Middle East and Africa, Neeraj Kumar, Group Chief Executive Officer and Whole-Time Director, Jindal SAW Ltd, told PTI in an interaction. When asked about the timeline for the exports, Kumar said there are certain approvals that need to be received for supplying OCTG. JHESL already has approvals

India a superpower, ahead of China now: African Union chairperson Assoumani

President of the Union of Comoros and chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, on Sunday said India is a superpower in terms of "inhabitance" and "ahead of China now"

Defining milestone: Sunil Mittal on African Union joining G20 as member

As the African Union joined the G20 on Saturday, Sunil Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises said the day will be remembered as a "defining milestone" towards charting more inclusive compositions across international organisations and their bodies. Mittal congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi "for successfully leading the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20". "My hearty congratulations to PM Narendra Modi for successfully leading the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20. As this announcement finds its way from New Delhi to the world, I am certain that this day will be remembered as a defining milestone towards charting more inclusive compositions across international organisations and their bodies," Mittal said in a statement. Mittal added he has personally witnessed the government's "uncompromising focus" on this inclusion through his engagement as Chair of the B20 Action Council on African Economic ...

Voice of Africa, Global south will grow with AU inclusion: SA delegate

Hours after the African Union joined the G20 on Saturday, a senior delegate from South Africa said the voice of the continent and the Global South will "grow stronger" globally after the AU's inclusion. Speaking to PTI, the delegate who is in New Delhi currently for the G20 Summit, said that South Africa always expected that AU's inclusion will happen. "We are very happy, especially considering that South Africa has always supported the inclusion of AU in the G20, which would give our continent a voice on a bigger platform globally, not only for the African continent but the Global South [as well]," she told PTI, on the condition of anonymity. On India's Presidency of the G20, she said it was heartening to see AU's permanent membership of the G20 happen at the New Delhi Leaders' Summit. The African Union became a new permanent member of the G20 on the first day of the summit being held in New Delhi. It is the first expansion of the influential bloc since its inception in 1999. The

African Union joining G20 is an acknowledgement of continent of 1 bn people

The group of the world's 20 leading economies is welcoming the African Union as a permanent member, a powerful acknowledgement of Africa as its more than 50 countries seek a more important role on the global stage. US President Joe Biden called last year for the AU's permanent membership in the G20, saying it's been a long time in coming. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the bloc was invited to join during the G20 summit his country is hosting this week. The African Union has advocated for full membership for seven years, spokesperson Ebba Kalondo said. Until now, South Africa was the bloc's only G20 member. Here's a look at the AU and what its membership represents in a world where Africa is central to discussions about climate change, food security, migration and other issues. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR AFRICA? Permanent G20 membership signals the rise of a continent whose young population of 1.3 billion is set to double by 2050 and make up a quarter of the planet's ...

EU supports African Union joining G20, slams Russia for Ukraine war

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first proposed making African Union a member of G20

EU looking forward to welcome African Union as permanent member of G20

The European Union on Friday said it is looking forward to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 at its New Delhi summit. President of European Council Charles Michel said this a day ahead of the G2O summit being hosted by India. "The European Union is looking forward to welcome African Union as a permanent member of the G20," Michel said at a media briefing. "The European Union supports African Union's entry into G20," he said. In June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to the G-20 leaders pitching for according the African Union the full membership of the grouping at its New Delhi summit. Weeks later, the proposal was formally included in the draft communique for the summit during the third G-20 Sherpas meeting that took place in Karnataka's Hampi in July. A final decision on the proposal would be taken at the G-20 summit. The African Union (AU) is an influential organisation comprising 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent.

African Union to get full G20 membership; announcement likely during summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting the G20 summit, has made it a priority to grant the African Union full membership

Carbon markets 'bogus solutions' as rich keeps polluting: African activist

A Nigerian environmental activist declared Wednesday at the first African Climate Summit that carbon markets are bogus solutions, providing a sharp reminder that not all of Africa's 1.3 billion people support richer countries using the continent's green spaces to offset continued polluting at home. The summit has sought to reframe the African continent, which has enormous amounts of clean energy minerals and renewable energy sources, as less of a victim of climate change driven by the world's biggest economies and more of the solution, with. But investment in the continent in exchange for the ability to keep polluting elsewhere has angered some in Africa who prefer to see China, the United States, India, the European Union and others rein in their emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. We reject forced solutions on our land, Priscilla Achakpa, founder of the Nigeria-based Women Environmental Programme, told summit participants on the event's final day. She urged the so-called

Time to have global conversation about carbon tax on polluters: Kenya prez

Climate change is relentlessly eating away at Africa's economic progress and it's time to have a global conversation about a carbon tax on polluters, Kenya's president declared Tuesday as the first Africa Climate Summit got underway. Those who produce the garbage refuse to pay their bills, President William Ruto, a host of the summit, said to an audience that included senior officials from China, the United States and the European Union - some of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The rapidly growing African continent of more than 1.3 billion people is losing 5% to 15% of its gross domestic product growth every year to the widespread impacts of climate change, according to Ruto. It's a source of deep frustration in the resource-rich region that contributes by far the least to global warming. He and other leaders urged reforms to the global financial structures that have left African nations paying about five times more to borrow money than others, worsening the debt .

Soldiers in Gabon seize power, republican guard chief new head of state

Mutinous soldiers in Gabon announced Wednesday that the head of the republican guard would be the country's new head of state, hours after saying they had placed the newly reelected president under house arrest. The mutinous soldiers went on Gabon's state television and said that Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was president of the Committee for the Transition and Restauration of Institutions. Oligui is the leader of the republican guard, an elite military unit. He's also the cousin of President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Earlier Wednesday, soldiers had hoisted Oligui into the air in the capital and chanted his name.

Gabon Military officers announce seizing power days after prez election

Nearly a dozen soldiers took to state television and said they were overturning the presidential election and called for calm among the population. We reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon's commitments to the national and international community," said a spokesperson for the group. The soldiers on television were comprised of members from the gendarme, the republican guard and other factions of the security forces. Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, 64, was seeking a third term in elections this weekend that could extend his family's 55-year political dynasty. He served two terms since coming to power in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years. There was concern of violence before the election due to deep-seated grievances among the population of some 800,000 people. Nearly 40 per cent of Gabonese ages 15-24 were out of work in 2020, according to the World Bank. After last week's vote, the Central African nation's Communications .

Sunil Mittal says 60% of world's arable, uncultivated land in Africa

Africa's arable, uncultivated and fertile land can offer solution to food crisis, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair of B20 India Action Council on African Economic Integration, said, adding that adopting Africa as a place to do agriculture can potentially change the world. Mittal said Africa economic integration is gaining momentum, and expressed hope that the Africa Union will soon become a permanent member of G20. Mittal asserted that African voice in G20 is "absolutely important". "Sixty per cent of world's arable and yet uncultivated land is in Africa...today we have all seen the crisis that the world is going through on food production...Just adopt Africa as place to do agriculture, perhaps some value added agriculture...the entire world can change," he said speaking at B20 Summit India 2023. Mittal, who is Bharti Enterprises Chairperson, described Africa as the last continent of hope. "...one of the most populous young continent around the globe, but equally one of the most backwar