COMMENT: Why African countries must prepare for a pull-out by a major contributor to their development University of Cape Town | Carlos Lopes|  As Britain focuses on what its relationship with the European Union might look like once it leaves the bloc, sometime during 2019, the rest of the world …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump pitched a new concept to his supporters Wednesday for the wall he intends to erect on the Mexican border: cover it with solar panels — and use the energy to cover construction costs. “Yes, we will build a wall,” he …

Le Bourget, France | Sonia WOLF, AFP | Inflight internet access, a nascent market still hobbled by slow speeds, is set to take off as dedicated satellites make surfing in the skies a reality, experts say. Even bans on bringing laptops and tablets on board imposed by Britain and the …

Paris, France | Gina Doggett, Laurence Benhamou,  AFP | France’s new President Emmanuel Macron heads to his first EU summit on Thursday pledging to breathe new life into the bloc after Britain’s shock Brexit decision and to bolster European defences in the face of Donald Trump’s “America First” policy. The …

COMMENT: Scientists have developed an independent analytical framework to prioritise policies Anne-Sophie Stevance, David McCollum|   In just the latest example of popular support for science, tens of thousands of people around the world recently marched to advocate for a worldview based on facts, not fiction. They understand that science could actually …

Bangkok, Thailand | AFP | Thai wildlife officers have arrested a Malaysian man attempting to smuggle two baby orangutans, 51 tortoises and six raccoons into the kingdom across its southern border, officials said Thursday. The animals were packed into plastic boxes and suitcases loaded into Ismail Bin Ahmad’s car, officials said. …

Juba, South Sudan | AFP | A famine that was declared in parts of South Sudan four months ago is over, UN aid agencies said Wednesday, but extreme hunger has increased to its highest levels ever across the war-torn country. “The accepted technical definition of famine no longer applies in …

COMMENT: The new G20 Compact with Africa stands for a new approach in international development policy Germany |Wolfgang Schäuble |   Africa’s enormous economic potential is not news. But, until now, policymakers around the world have not successfully defined the political and economic steps that must be taken to enable Africa …

Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The death toll from clashes in Central African Republic has surged to around 100, local officials said Wednesday of violence that erupted hours after the government signed a truce with rebel groups. The bloodshed, which left dozens more injured, dashed hopes of an …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP |Financially hamstrung Zimbabwe joined UN agencies and charities Wednesday in appealing for $10.9 million of aid for thousands of refugees in the country including families fleeing violence in neighbouring Mozambique. Zimbabwe, grappling an economic crisis including a cash crunch which has had a toll on social …