Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, will assume the additional role of defence minister, according to a decree announced on Monday, after the death of the previous minister in large-scale attacks

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy returned to the Paris Court of Appeal for the final hearings in the high‑profile case over alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, again rejecting accusations that he sought funds from Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

Table Mountain National Park, extending south along a peninsula from Table Mountain, is a global biodiversity hotspot. A newly updated checklist, published in 2025, indicates 2,785 plant species within this approximately 250 square kilometre area

The athletes and spectators have gone but the five artists selected to record the event are still working, putting the finishing touches on their paintings. They were chosen to participate in the Live Painting Experience at the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Gaborone.

A state-backed Nigerian militia, operating alongside the military, killed scores of ethnic Fulani herders in a raid, local sources have told AFP.

Iran said on Monday that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must coordinate with Iranian authorities, after the US announced an effort to open the strait

Previous outbreaks of violence — including deadly riots in 2008 and renewed attacks in 2015 and 2019 — have strained relations between Africa’s two largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa.

With the 2026 FIFA world cup kicking off in June, researchers are warning that rising temperatures could pose a risk to athletes, fans and staff. Games will take place across the US, Canada and Mexico between June and July, among the hottest months of the year for the North America region.

Soaring diesel prices linked to the Iran conflict are accelerating a continent‑wide shift in Africa’s telecom industry, pushing operators to replace fuel‑hungry generators with solar‑powered systems to keep mobile networks running and costs under control.

Pix of the Day, 4 May 2026

Simmering tensions between Senegal’s president and firebrand prime minister, a dynamic duo that has seemingly soured, came to a head late Saturday with the president’s suggestion their party was bigger than any one man.

There’s still more than a month to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America. But in the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu — a global trade hub for small commodities — merchants are already seeing a surge in demand for tournament merchandise.

The move echoes the monarch’s own path to leadership. In 1985, the late King Hassan II appointed Mohammed VI — then crown prince — to a similar role, giving him early exposure to military command and decision-making processes.

South Africa’s health ministry confirmed that one of the infected patients, now in intensive care in Johannesburg, tested positive for hantavirus — a rare but potentially deadly disease typically spread through contact with infected rodents.

The soldiers were participating in African Lion, the US military’s largest annual joint exercise in Africa, which brings together more than 10,000 personnel from more than 20 countries, including NATO allies

South Africa’s health ministry confirmed that one of the infected patients, now in intensive care in Johannesburg, tested positive for hantavirus — a rare but potentially deadly disease typically spread through contact with infected rodents.

The soldiers were participating in African Lion, the US military’s largest annual joint exercise in Africa, which brings together more than 10,000 personnel from more than 20 countries, including NATO allies

Two young Sudanese women appear to have suffocated to death on Sunday while trying to reach Britain from northern France in a small boat crammed with more than 80 people including pregnant women and children, officials said.

Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other OPEC+ countries increased their oil production quota on Sunday in an expected move aimed at demonstrating continuity at the cartel after the shock withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates.

A well-known Malian lawyer and politician critical of the ruling junta was abducted overnight by masked men in the capital Bamako, members of his family told AFP Sunday.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrived in Eswatini on Saturday for a state visit to bolster ties with one of its few remaining diplomatic allies despite growing international pressure from China.

After years of war and restrictions in Gaza, a mother of five has turned to making dolls to bring comfort to children who have lost their toys in the devastation.

For the first time, Audubon Zoo in New Orleans welcomed three Hartmann’s mountain zebras last week. This species is rarely seen in human care as there are just 80 of these zebras across 20 facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

For the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has introduced rules addressing the use of AI in films eligible for the 2027 Academy Awards.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Saturday announced his arrival in Eswatini — Taipei’s only diplomatic ally in Africa — after an earlier trip was cancelled when several countries revoked overflight permits.

A cyclist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is embarking on a 14,000-kilometer journey through 17 African countries to promote peace, as conflict rages in the country’s east.

Tanzania has shut down the Nduta refugee camp in the country’s northwest, sending almost all remaining Burundian refugees back home, according to activists and the United Nations.

Some military officers in Mali worked with jihadis and separatists who recently launched their biggest round of attacks in over a decade in the conflict-battered country, authorities said late Friday.

The United States has sharply criticized Zambia after a deadline passed without the signing of a major new health aid agreement worth more than one billion dollars.

Some mothers in Cameroon said they saw vast improvements in their children’s health after the rollout of malaria vaccines.

Motorists and residents in Syokimau, Machakos County, just southeast of Nairobi, are facing major disruption after heavy rains triggered flooding in the area.

A Chinese policy giving African nations tariff-free access to its market came into effect on Friday. The deal lasts two years and covers 53 of the continent’s 54 nations. Only Eswatini is excluded over its ongoing ties with Taiwan.

Waste pickers in the Kenyan capital are being trained how to be more productive and help the environment – by playing a board game. They learn about the circular economy, sustainable practices and how to advocate for their own needs.

Former Congolese leader Joseph Kabila has dismissed newly imposed US sanctions against him as “unjustified and politically motivated.”

This year the pavilion honors Jamaica with native food, drinks and artists across the island, including communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa

Tuareg separatists and jihadists have been waging a unified battle to bring down the country’s junta.

At a rally on Friday to mark International Workers Day, the head of Tunisia’s General Labour Union called for members to unite and overcome internal divisions.

The Eastern Route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen is one of the world’s deadliest migration paths, with over 900 deaths or disappearances in 2025. But desperate migrants keep making the journey, despite knowing the risks.

Edgar Lungu’s body will stay in a ‘mutually agreed mortuary’ in South Africa until the dispute between his family and the Zambian government is resolved.

The son of a Guinean opposition video blogger as well as an opposition member have been kidnapped, AFP learned Thursday from their respective family and political circles, the latest in a string of disappearances connected to government critics.