By Agencies Iran on Sunday night announced the end of search operations for victims of a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, reporting 165 deaths. The Shajareh Tayyebeh School is located in Minab, home to a military base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It was struck on Saturday amid a large-scale offensive jointly conducted by Washington and Tel Aviv. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the residents of Minab. He condemned the airstrikes in a statement, calling them “inhumane” and a barbaric act that “adds another…
Author: Montage Africa
The US has declared a stark policy shift towards three West African countries which are battling Islamist insurgents and whose military governments have broken defence ties with France and turned towards Russia. The state department announced that Nick Checker, head of its Bureau of African Affairs, would visit Mali’s capital Bamako to convey the United States’ “respect for Mali’s sovereignty” and chart a “new course” in relations, moving “past policy missteps”. It adds that the US also looks forward to co-operating with Mali’s allies, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, “on shared security and economic interests”. Absent from the agenda is…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies Witnesses have accused Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of kidnapping children during attacks in Darfur, including its capture of the city of al-Fashir in October. The 26 people told Reuters news agency that at least 56 youngsters – ranging from a two-month old baby to teenagers – had been abducted in separate incidents over several years. They said that in some instances, the RSF fighters killed the children’s parents first, while in others, families were told their children would be used as slaves or to herd livestock. People who witnessed the kidnappings were reportedly often…
South African singer Tyla has won her second Grammy, beating four others, including three Nigerian artists, to take the Best African Music Performance award. The 24-year-old won for her song Push 2 Start, which was preferred over tracks by Ayra Starr, Burna Boy and Davido, as well as Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo. Tyla bagged the same prize in 2024 for her global hit Water, also beating a host of Nigerian stars. Reacting to her win after the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, she exclaimed: “This is insane, this is so insane! I’m just so lucky to be here and I’m so…
South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie says “no formal decision has been taken to relocate” the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) away from Morocco after his deputy announced that South Africa would step in and stage the finals. McKenzie issued a clarifying statement after Peace Mabe declared the nation “will be hosting” the tournament, which is scheduled to kick off on 17 March. “When Morocco said ‘We are not able to host’, South Africa, we said ‘Yes, we are available’. We are going to take it,” Mabe later told SABC Sport after her announcement at an awards ceremony on…
A first group of Palestinians reached the Rafah crossing on Monday as Gaza’s border with Egypt partially reopened, with state television showing ambulances and microbuses advancing from the Egyptian side as the gates swung open. Officials from Egypt and Israel said the opening is part of the ceasefire process, with around 50 people expected to cross in each direction during the first days. The move follows a pilot phase focused on logistics rather than travel. Rafah is Gaza’s only exit that does not lead to Israel and remains a lifeline for civilians, especially the wounded. Hospitals in Egypt have prepared…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies The African Union on Friday issued a statement strongly condemning the recent attacks in Niger, including an assault on Niamey’s main airport. Describing them as “heinous acts” the Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, reaffirmed the AU’s support for the country amid ongoing security threats. Armed men launched an attack on the Diori Hamani International Airport overnight on Wednesday during which explosions and shooting was reported. The defence ministry says four soldiers were injured and 20 attackers were killed in in the incident. Around 30 civilians died in a separate attack on 18 January in the…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Some 200 teenage girls from six countries took part in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Under-17 girls’ tournament in Zimbabwe in December. But the focus of the competition was less about their games and more about raising awareness of cervical cancer and encouraging an uptake of the HPV vaccine. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is sexually transmitted and the primary cause of cervical cancer and the vaccine can prevent up to 90 per cent of cases. It is the fourth most common cancer among women, with Africa accounting for nearly a quarter of global deaths. Global…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP In a retaliatory move, Iran on Sunday declared the armies of European Union countries as “terrorist groups”. The announcement comes days after the EU foreign ministers agreed to add Tehran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) to the bloc’s list of terrorist organisations. That decision followed the Islamic Republic’s bloodiest crackdown on nationwide protests since its establishment in 1979. Security forces, including the IRGC, have used extreme brutality against demonstrators in recent weeks with rights organisations estimating as many as 30,000 people have died. The announcement by speaker of Iran’s parliament and a former Guard…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive and peaceful dialogue between all people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a New Year’s address to the diplomatic corps in Kinshasa on Saturday, he said national unity was “more than ever a fundamental requirement”. His comments come as fighting continues in the east of country between the army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. Called for by part of the opposition, the idea of an inter-Congolese national dialogue has also been promoted by Angolan President João Lourenço in recent weeks. Tshisekedi, however, set out conditions…