Libreville, Gabon | AFP | The lush green canopy stretches over the Akanda National Park — one of the many forest jewels that Gabon is fighting to conserve. But those living in poverty in the shadow of the park are ambiguous. They see the forests less as a global treasure to …
Read More »UAE, Turkish drones battle it out in Libya skies
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | In Libya, where rival forces are deadlocked south of Tripoli, a months-long battle for the skies between Turkish and UAE drones has failed to break the stalemate, analysts say. Since April 4, when eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to capture Tripoli — the capital …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Embattled Trump leaves New York angry, bitter
New York, United States | AFP | From his New York skyscraper, President Donald Trump should have felt on top of the world. Instead, scandal over his alleged shakedown of Ukraine’s president for dirt on an opponent has brought him to the lowest point of his presidency — and at …
Read More »UN provides huge business opportunities for Africans
Christian Saunders has been the United Nations Assistance Secretary-General in the Office of Supply Chain Management. He spoke to the Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor about the opportunities that African companies can tap form the UN. Globally, the UN has been reforming its supply chain management. How is this expected to …
Read More »Pakistan PM Khan says Trump asked him to mediate with Iran
United Nations, United States | AFP | Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Tuesday Donald Trump had asked him to mediate with Iran to defuse tensions, though the US president later suggested it was Khan who approached him and nothing was final. Khan met Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani …
Read More »Millions’ protest in youth-led global climate strike
New York, United States | AFP | Masses of children skipped school Friday to join a global strike against climate change that teen activist Greta Thunberg said was “only the beginning” in the fight against environmental disaster. Some four million people filled city streets around the world, organizers said, in …
Read More »Climate change takes toll on oceans, ice: UN report
Paris, France | AFP | Humanity should brace for blowback from oceans and frozen zones increasingly addled by climate change, a major UN report will warn. Loading the atmosphere with CO2 and greenhouse gases has spawned a host of consequences, starting with irreversible sea-level rise, according to a draft Intergovernmental Panel …
Read More »UN chief Guterres arrives in Ebola-hit DR Congo
Goma, DR Congo | AFP | UN chief Antonio Guterres started a three-day tour of the Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday, expressing “solidarity” with a region ravaged by violence and an Ebola epidemic. The secretary general first visited Goma, the capital of North Kivu province which is trying to …
Read More »Tanzania to send back Burundi refugees from Oct 1
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Tanzania on Tuesday announced it would send back all Burundian refugees on its soil from October 1, saying it was working with the UN to secure their return. But the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued a statement that insisted any returnees should go home …
Read More »Aid groups warn against Kenya’s UN bid to sanction Al-Shabaab
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya is urging the UN to list Al-Shabaab under the same sanctions as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, but foreign donors say the move could leave millions in drought-stricken Somalia without aid. The proposed listing — which could take effect as soon as Thursday — comes …
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