By Rédaction Africanews and AP World Economic Forum head Børge Brende said Thursday that he is stepping down after facing pressure over his contacts with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, said in a statement that he had decided “after careful consideration” to step down as president and chief executive of the forum, known for its annual January summit in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos. “I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners, and constituents, and I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important…
Author: Montage Africa
Police in South Africa are investigating a fatal shooting at a secondary school in the coastal city of Cape Town that killed a 14-year-old pupil and a taxi operator. An unidentified man opened fire on a taxi as the driver waited to pick up pupils on Wednesday, shooting the driver, another man and two children, police said. Two pupils, aged 14 and 16, were also injured in the attack, which has been linked to long-running deadly turf wars between rival taxi associations. “It is unacceptable that our children continue to be exposed to danger as a result of ongoing conflict…
By Rédaction Africanews A Lagos coroner has initiated proceedings for an inquiry into the death of acclaimed Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi’s toddler son, who died on 7 January at a Euracare hospital. The author and her husband accused the hospital of medical negligence. Nkanu Nnamdi Esege was just 21 months old when he died in early January after a worsening illness at a Euracare hospital. The toddler had been set to be transferred to the US for medical treatment, but had undergone pre-flight procedures, including an MRI and a spinal tap at a Euracare hospital. His mother, acclaimed novelist…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP Tensions between Iran and the United States are playing out in Geneva, where another round of indirect talks to try to salvage a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and possibly prevent another war, have ended. President Donald Trump wants Iran to halt uranium enrichment and roll back its missile and regional activities, while Iran insists it will only discuss nuclear issues and that its program is peaceful. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of a “terrible scenario” if talks fail, with US bases and Israel at risk of attack. The talks, mediated by Oman, brought…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP Spanning some 150 million hectares, the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are among the most coveted in the world, sought by logging companies and controversial carbon-offset developers alike. In 2023, after four years of negotiations and bureaucratic hurdles, villages in the Yainyongo community secured official rights to 11,000 hectares in Tshopo Province. The concession gives them the power to manage and protect their forest, even as conflict simmers in the region. Henry, displaced by intercommunal violence, says tensions escalated when a company known as Cap Congo sought to buy forest land. “If…
Jeffrey Epstein tried to buy a multimillion-dollar palace in Morocco the day before his arrest in 2019, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice last month. Epstein had pursued acquiring Bin Ennakhil since 2011, but disputes with the seller over the price and purchase arrangement dragged on for years. The grand palace in the luxury Palmeraie neighbourhood of Marrakech has been described as an architectural masterpiece, built by 1,300 craftsmen and featuring ornate carvings and mosaics. Epstein signed a $14.95m (£11m) wire transfer on 5 July 2019, the day before his arrest, following an agreement to buy…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Ghana’s licensed cocoa buyers are staggering under up to $750 million in debt to banks, the Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association revealed Thursday, as delayed payments from regulator Cocobod and falling global prices squeeze the sector supplying half the world’s cocoa. Association President Samuel Adimado told Reuters buyers owe banks 7-8 billion cedis ($650-750 million) and farmers an additional $205-234 million, with “interest piling up.” Buyers have delivered 580,000 tonnes of beans this season but await full payment, while another 70,000 tonnes remain in fields. Root causes The crisis follows two poor harvests from disease…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Zambia has halted a proposed $1 billion US health funding agreement over clauses tying aid to mining partnerships, joining Zimbabwe and Kenya in pushing back against what African nations view as sovereignty-compromising conditions. The five-year deal with Zambia, intended to combat HIV/AIDS and malaria, stalled after the US linked funding to a “bilateral compact” involving copper and cobalt access. “This deal would slash US funding to life-saving programs while prioritizing mining corporations over Zambians with HIV,” said Health GAP’s Asia Russell. Zambia confirmed requesting “revisions” to the memorandum, with President Hakainde Hichilema viewing aid…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies A Nigerian defendant who suffered a stroke appeared in court Thursday as his lawyer sought bail on compassionate grounds, in a case unfolding against the backdrop of high-level US-Nigeria talks over Washington’s designation of the country for religious freedom violations. Defence lawyer Ibrahim Angulu filed two applications: challenging duplicate counts and seeking bail for the first defendant. “As you can see, the first defendant has suffered a stroke. So, on compassionate grounds, we are asking the court to allow him to be treated in a hospital instead of just lying in prison,” Angulu told…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Killings of civilians in Sudan’s war more than doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year, the United Nations rights chief said Thursday, warning that thousands more dead are unidentified or remain missing. Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has killed tens of thousands, displaced 11 million people and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. “This war is ugly. It’s bloody and it’s senseless,” Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council, blaming both warring sides, which have so…