African legislators meeting in Midrand, South Africa this week have been tasked to lobby their governments to support the adoption of the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons on the continent in the January 2018 African Union Summit. Speaking to parliamentarians in the Committee of Trade, Customs and …
Read More »Bishops ask Radio Vatican to restore services to Africa
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | African bishops have asked Radio Vatican, the official radio of the pope, to restore shortwave transmissions to the continent, the Catholic agency Fides reported on Friday. Catholics are estimated to number more than 150 million in Africa, the poorest of all continents, and …
Read More »AU’s .africa joins the internet
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | In the beginning was .com, followed by a host of other .somethings, but on Friday, 32 years after the world’s first domain name was registered, the African Union has launched .africa for the continent. Africans who want to register a website will be able …
Read More »LATIGO: Domesticate the draft anti-terrorism bill developed for Africa
African parliaments have been urged to be at the forefront of combating terrorism and violent extremism, by ratifying and implementing anti terrorism laws. Terrorism was a top item on the agenda at the Pan African Parliament session in Midrand, South Africa on Wednesday, with Uganda’s Prof. Ogenga-Latigo saying that every country hould domesticate …
Read More »COMMENT: Achieving Africa’s industrialisation
COMMENT: By Justin Yifu Lin and Andrea Goldstein In an interconnected global economy, effective development demands effective external partnerships In the mid-2000s, after decades in the slow lane, African economies hit the accelerator. But what lies ahead for the continent is not an open highway. If Africa is to achieve …
Read More »No Ibrahim Prize awarded for African leadership
London, United Kingdom | AFP | The Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership — the world’s biggest individual prize — drew a blank once again in finding a suitable laureate, it was announced Tuesday. The prize only goes to a democratically-elected African leader who demonstrated exceptional leadership, served their …
Read More »First drug-resistant malaria parasite detected in Africa
Miami, United States | AFP | For the first time in Africa, researchers said Wednesday they have detected a malaria parasite that is partially resistant to the top anti-malaria drug, artemisinin, raising concern about efforts to fight a disease that sickens hundreds of millions of people each year. The discovery …
Read More »Africa wants 10 World Cup places
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Africa wants 10 places in the 48-nation World Cup from 2026, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was told in Johannesburg Wednesday. The Swiss-Italian was attending a two-day meeting of African national football association presidents behind closed doors. “All associations back an expanded World Cup and …
Read More »COMMENT: Powering Africa’s future
COMMENT: By Alpha Condé Leaders are demonstrating a new determination to improve prospects for younger generations by electrifying our economies When G20 leaders meet later this year in Hamburg, investment in Africa’s future will be high on their agenda. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already committed to using her presidency …
Read More »Africa retail giants Steinhoff, Shoprite shelve merger
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African retail firms Steinhoff International and Shoprite Holdings announced Monday they had scrapped plans to merge their local assets to form the continent’s biggest retailer. The plan announced in December 2016 was geared to create a discount retailer worth over $14 billion to …
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