https://www.scmp.com/rss/322266/feed The latest breaking news, politics and current affairs from Africa. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters African leaders and financiers gathered for the African Development Bank’s annual meeting on Monday as the continent faces shrinking aid flows, with this week’s event in Congo Republic overshadowed by an Ebola outbreak across the border. Overseas development aid from the world’s richest nations to poorer countries dropped by nearly a ‌quarter last year to US$174.3 billion. The US led the cuts, including reduced funding to the concessional lending arm of the AfDB – Africa’s largest development... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354795/african-development-bank-meets-shrinking-aid-ebola-cast-long-shadows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354795/african-development-bank-meets-shrinking-aid-ebola-cast-long-shadows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 13:37:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Geopolitical tensions and a funding crisis are jeopardising peacekeeping missions, particularly those under the auspices of the United Nations, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) warned on Monday. Just under 79,000 international staff were deployed in international peacekeeping operations at the end of 2025, the lowest number in at least 25 years, the institute said in a report. “If things continue in this way, we could see a dramatic weakening of multilateral conflict... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354706/global-tension-and-funding-woes-threaten-peacekeeping-missions-sipri-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3354706/global-tension-and-funding-woes-threaten-peacekeeping-missions-sipri-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 22:32:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Security was tightened in South Africa’s Kruger National Park nature reserve after two tourists were found killed there, authorities said on Sunday. The two South African victims, a 71-year-old man and a woman whose age was not disclosed, failed to return to their lodge on Wednesday evening, prompting a search operation. Other tourists eventually found them in a river on Friday afternoon. Police said the man had stab wounds and the woman’s body was bruised. Their car was missing. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354701/2-tourists-killed-south-africas-kruger-national-park-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354701/2-tourists-killed-south-africas-kruger-national-park-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 18:05:48 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) updated the death toll from the Ebola outbreak to 204 late on Saturday, hours after the Red Cross said three volunteers had died there and Uganda confirmed three new Ebola cases. A health ministry statement said 204 deaths had been recorded in three provinces of the vast Central African country, from 867 suspected cases. The last World Health Organization (WHO) toll on Friday put the number of deaths at 177 from 750 suspected cases. The WHO has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354679/ebola-toll-dr-congo-over-200-uganda-and-10-other-african-countries-also-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354679/ebola-toll-dr-congo-over-200-uganda-and-10-other-african-countries-also-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 10:04:42 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Ebola is spreading faster than responders can track it in eastern Congo, where health workers managed to follow up with barely one in five identified contacts in a single day. Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reported 83 confirmed infections, 746 suspected cases and 1,603 identified contacts as of May 21, according to the health ministry. Yet health workers were able to follow up with only 342 contacts that day – about 21 per cent of the total under monitoring – according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354634/ebola-spreads-eastern-congo-contact-tracing-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354634/ebola-spreads-eastern-congo-contact-tracing-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 11:37:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is “spreading rapidly” and now poses a “very high” risk at the national level. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency was revising upwards to “very high” its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high. The risk remains high for regional spread and low at global levels, he told reporters. The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354571/who-raises-risk-assessment-congos-ebola-outbreak-spreads-rapidly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354571/who-raises-risk-assessment-congos-ebola-outbreak-spreads-rapidly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 13:10:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters Police fired warning shots and tear gas ⁠as part of a dispute in Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeast over the burial of a suspected Ebola victim, a footballer who played for local teams, that saw protesters burn down tents for Ebola patients, Reuters witnesses said. The incident highlighted the struggle Congolese authorities could face to enforce the safe burials of people with confirmed and suspected cases that are required to help contain the outbreak. It took place in the town ‌of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354427/residents-set-fire-ebola-centre-dr-congo-fear-and-anger-grow-over-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354427/residents-set-fire-ebola-centre-dr-congo-fear-and-anger-grow-over-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 17:16:48 +0000 Reuters Reuters At least nine people were killed and others injured when a four-storey building collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of ‌Fez, about 200km (124 miles) east of the capital Rabat, the city’s prosecutor said on Thursday. State media 2M had said 11 people were killed before issuing an official correction. Residents of nearby buildings in the densely populated neighbourhood were asked to evacuate as a precaution against potential further collapses while a search for potential survivors was still... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354409/morocco-building-collapse-kills-least-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354409/morocco-building-collapse-kills-least-4?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 13:10:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An escalating outbreak of a rare Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo has kicked off a race to find vaccines and treatments that can be quickly tested and rolled out to save lives and stem the crisis. More than 130 people have died so far during the outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic”. Tedros pointed to the emergence of cases in urban... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354217/outbreak-rare-ebola-strain-sparks-race-find-vaccines-and-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354217/outbreak-rare-ebola-strain-sparks-race-find-vaccines-and-treatments?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:51:34 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A joint operation by the United States and Nigeria against Islamic State fighters has killed 175 over the past few days, Nigeria’s military said on Tuesday, while the head of the US Africa Command said it showed the capabilities its forces could bring in Africa, home to the “epicentre of global terrorism”. The US sent troops to Nigeria in February in what was deemed a mostly advisory and training role, but the joint operation signals more active involvement. The US Africa Command, or AFRICOM,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354190/joint-nigeria-us-strikes-kill-175-isis-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354190/joint-nigeria-us-strikes-kill-175-isis-fighters?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 05:40:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Health Organization chief voiced concern on Tuesday about the “scale and speed” of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo which has killed an estimated 131 people. The WHO has declared the surge of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever an international health emergency and called an emergency meeting on the crisis on Tuesday. No vaccine or therapeutic treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola responsible for the latest outbreak of the disease, which has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354108/who-warns-scale-and-speed-deadly-ebola-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3354108/who-warns-scale-and-speed-deadly-ebola-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:48:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States said Monday it is bolstering precautions to prevent the spread of Ebola, including screening air travellers from outbreak-hit areas and temporarily suspending visa services. The measures shared by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) come as the World Health Organization has declared the deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo an international health emergency. In a briefing, Satish Pillai, the health agency’s Ebola response incident... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354027/us-screen-ebola-airports-one-american-dr-congo-infected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354027/us-screen-ebola-airports-one-american-dr-congo-infected?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 22:49:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Health Organization opened a meeting of global health ministers on Monday amid concern over deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks and uncertainty over announced US and Argentinian withdrawals. While the rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that has gripped global attention is not officially on the agenda, it is expected to feature prominently in discussions, alongside the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The two outbreaks “are just the latest crises in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354010/who-kicks-annual-assembly-amid-ebola-hantavirus-us-withdrawal-funding-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354010/who-kicks-annual-assembly-amid-ebola-hantavirus-us-withdrawal-funding-cuts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 14:07:50 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US ⁠Africa Command (Africom) said on Monday ⁠it had carried out additional air strikes against Islamic State targets in northeastern Nigeria on Sunday, in coordination with the Nigerian government, as joint operations against militant groups intensify. Nigeria’s ‌Defence Headquarters said the latest strikes were conducted in the Metele area of Borno State, following intelligence that fighters had converged there. Multiple air strikes killed more than 20 Islamic State West Africa Province... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353995/us-nigeria-carry-out-more-strikes-least-20-militants-dead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353995/us-nigeria-carry-out-more-strikes-least-20-militants-dead?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 11:34:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Protests erupted in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Monday as a nationwide public transport strike kicked off in protest at rising fuel prices. Commuters were stranded in various suburbs and the city centre remained deserted as motorists with private vehicles opted to stay home as protesters burned tyres on major roads. The Kenya Association of Private Schools had advised its members to assess and determine the safety of learners going to school, and most schools opted for online learning. Kenya’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353985/kenya-protesters-block-roads-public-transport-strike-over-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353985/kenya-protesters-block-roads-public-transport-strike-over-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 10:28:25 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A rare Ebola outbreak that may have circulated undetected in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for several weeks has exposed the difficulty of detecting deadly viruses in regions where malaria, typhoid and other fever-causing illnesses are common and health systems are stretched thin. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared the Ebola disease outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. As of Monday, there were over 390 suspected cases and 105 deaths... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353956/silent-spread-rare-and-deadly-ebola-strain-exposes-surveillance-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353956/silent-spread-rare-and-deadly-ebola-strain-exposes-surveillance-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 08:19:48 +0000 Agencies Agencies A ⁠number ⁠of ⁠Americans currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo are believed to ‌have had exposure to suspected cases in the country’s latest Ebola outbreak, with several deemed to ⁠have had high-risk exposures, US health news website STAT ‌News reported on Sunday. At least one of ‌these individuals may have ⁠developed symptoms, ⁠the report said. Reuters could ‌not immediately verify the report. The ‌Ebola outbreak ‌in DR Congo ⁠and Uganda has been declared a ⁠public health emergency of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353907/americans-dr-congo-may-have-had-exposure-ebola-outbreak-us-media-reports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353907/americans-dr-congo-may-have-had-exposure-ebola-outbreak-us-media-reports?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 22:50:37 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency on Sunday over an outbreak of an Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has killed more than 80 and for which there is no vaccine. Fears of further spread grew when a laboratory on Sunday confirmed a case in the major eastern DRC city of Goma, which is controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia. A total of 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever have so far been... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353866/ebola-outbreak-dr-congo-uganda-declared-international-health-emergency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353866/ebola-outbreak-dr-congo-uganda-declared-international-health-emergency?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 07:11:40 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Rwandan suspect charged in connection with the 1994 genocide died in a hospital while in custody in The Hague, Netherlands, a UN court said on Saturday, three years after the court declared him unfit to continue standing trial. Felicien Kabuga, 91, was accused of encouraging and bankrolling the mass killing of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority. His trial began in 2022, nearly three decades after the 100-day massacre that left 800,000 dead. In 2023, the judges declared him unfit to continue standing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353844/rwandan-genocide-suspect-kabuga-dies-custody-hague-age-91?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353844/rwandan-genocide-suspect-kabuga-dies-custody-hague-age-91?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 20:19:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press At least 80 deaths have been reported in Congo’s new Ebola disease outbreak in the eastern Ituri province, authorities said, as health workers raced to intensify screening and contact tracing to contain the disease on Saturday. Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases. In Ituri’s capital, Bunia, locals recounted their fears amid constant burials. “Every day, people are dying … and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353823/congo-ebola-outbreak-constant-burials-death-toll-reaches-80?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353823/congo-ebola-outbreak-constant-burials-death-toll-reaches-80?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 12:09:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US and Nigerian forces killed a leader of Islamic State in Nigeria in a mission carried out on Friday, US President Donald Trump said. Trump announced the joint operation in Africa’s most populous country in a late-night social media post that offered few details. He said Abu Bakr al-Mainuki was second in command of Isis globally and “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.” Al-Mainuki was viewed as a key figure in IS... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353796/trump-says-isis-second-command-abu-bilal-eliminated-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353796/trump-says-isis-second-command-abu-bilal-eliminated-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 04:45:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the continent’s top public health body, on Friday confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far. The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the organisation said in a statement. The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353735/africa-confirms-fatal-ebola-outbreak-congo-urgent-cross-border-meeting-called?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353735/africa-confirms-fatal-ebola-outbreak-congo-urgent-cross-border-meeting-called?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 11:02:25 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Most readers of foreign news pages this weekend will be assuming that US President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing has been dominating everyone’s attention. But across Asia, Trump, with his massive business entourage, was not the only act in town this week. At least two other major sets of meetings should not be overlooked. First, in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosting foreign ministers from the 10 Brics economies and a growing community... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3353606/xi-trump-summit-aside-2-meetings-asia-matter-global-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron is facing backlash after he interrupted a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience. Macron stormed the stage to rebuke audience members for what he called a “total lack of respect”, accusing them of disrupting speakers during a presentation by artists and young entrepreneurs. He had earlier described himself as a “Pan-Africanist” during a news conference. The summit is meant to showcase France’s new policy for the continent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353386/french-presidents-onstage-outburst-kenya-overshadows-africa-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353386/french-presidents-onstage-outburst-kenya-overshadows-africa-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 05:51:21 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Forty years. That is how long Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been in power. The 81-year-old was sworn in on Tuesday to extend his presidency over a further five-year term that may well be his last – although not necessarily the last for the Museveni family. The president’s son and presumptive heir, army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, oversaw days-long rehearsals of the military parade that will animate the eighth inauguration of Museveni, with Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets flying... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353285/ugandan-president-81-sworn-new-term-after-40-years-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353285/ugandan-president-81-sworn-new-term-after-40-years-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 10:12:57 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong With the war in the Middle East entering its third month, questions have surfaced over its geopolitical ramifications in the region and beyond. An entity that has drawn particular scrutiny is Brics. The 10-member grouping is defined less by a clear set of common values and more by contingently overlapping interests. It does not and cannot speak with one voice on the conflict. Two Brics members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are at loggerheads: Tehran has launched missile and drone... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352951/brics-doesnt-need-unified-voice-iran-war-have-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faced down calls to resign on Monday over a scandal in which thieves stole bundles of cash in foreign currency hidden in a sofa on his ranch. In a televised address to the nation, Ramaphosa said he respected a constitutional court ruling that revived impeachment proceedings against him ‌last week but pledged to defend himself. “While there have been calls in some circles that I should resign, nothing in the Constitutional Court judgment compels me to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353196/south-africas-ramaphosa-faces-down-calls-resign-over-cash-sofa-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3353196/south-africas-ramaphosa-faces-down-calls-resign-over-cash-sofa-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 20:59:44 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Passengers aboard a cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will start being flown to their countries of origin after the vessel arrives in the Canary Islands on Sunday, the Spanish government said on Friday. The MV Hondius is scheduled to reach the port of Granadilla on the island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, on Sunday morning, cabinet minister Angel Victor Torres told journalists. “That same day, we will have planes available and will be able to start getting these... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352939/spain-repatriate-guests-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-heads-canaries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3352939/spain-repatriate-guests-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-heads-canaries?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 12:06:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters Countries worldwide scrambled on Thursday to trace people who had left the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak before it got marooned off the coast of Cabo Verde, to prevent further spread of the disease. Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Five of the eight suspected hantavirus cases have now been confirmed, according to the World Health Organization. The vessel’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said 29 passengers left the ship on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352775/nations-race-track-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352775/nations-race-track-passengers-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 10:53:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters It was billed as an Atlantic odyssey to some of the most remote islands in the world. Instead, the cruise on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius was left stranded off Cabo Verde, formerly known as Cape Verde, with passengers in their cabins, medical workers in protective suits tending to the sick and the ship’s operator seeking a safe port. The outbreak has left three dead and eight confirmed or suspected cases linked to the ‌Dutch-flagged expedition ship. Passengers, some of whom have been... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352673/passengers-hantavirus-stricken-ship-sway-between-fear-and-boredom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352673/passengers-hantavirus-stricken-ship-sway-between-fear-and-boredom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 21:00:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters A ⁠luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly ⁠hantavirus outbreak and marooned for days off the coast ⁠of Cabo Verde with close to 150 people on board was due to head to Spain, while South Africa confirmed it identified among the victims a strain of the virus that can – in rare cases – spread among humans. The ship will dock “within three days” at Granadilla on the island of Tenerife, Spain’s health minister said on Wednesday, despite opposition from the Canary Islands regional government. “A joint... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352594/spain-opens-port-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-who-suspects-human-transmission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352594/spain-opens-port-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-who-suspects-human-transmission?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 08:03:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it suspects some rare human-to-human transmission of the deadly hantavirus took place between very close contacts on board a luxury cruise ship hit by seven confirmed or suspected cases. Human-to-human transmission is not common, and the UN health agency reiterated that the risk to the wider public was low from a disease typically spread from contact with infected rodents. A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352543/deadly-hantavirus-may-have-spread-between-humans-luxury-cruise-risk-low-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352543/deadly-hantavirus-may-have-spread-between-humans-luxury-cruise-risk-low-who?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 20:12:38 +0000 Agencies Agencies A hantavirus outbreak tied to a cruise ship off Cabo Verde has grown to seven cases, including two confirmed infections, the World Health Organization said on Monday, with three deaths among those linked to the voyage. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries. Among the passengers are 17 Americans, 19 Britons and 13 from Spain. Sixty-one crew members are also on board. Of the seven cases identified, one British passenger in intensive care in Johannesburg... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352473/deadly-hantavirus-outbreak-traps-150-cruise-ship-who-identifies-more-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352473/deadly-hantavirus-outbreak-traps-150-cruise-ship-who-identifies-more-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 07:28:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Sudan’s armed forces blamed a drone attack ⁠on Monday that targeted Khartoum airport on the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia, the latest in a barrage of assaults in recent days that has shattered months of relative calm in Sudan’s capital, three years into its civil war. Reuters could not independently verify the claims. Neither country immediately commented on the allegations made late on Monday. Sudan has often accused the UAE of supporting Rapid Support ‌Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, a charge... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352452/drones-shatter-months-relative-calm-sudans-capital-international-airport-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352452/drones-shatter-months-relative-calm-sudans-capital-international-airport-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 05:33:46 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two US service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on Sunday. The service members are US Army soldiers who went missing while on a hike, a US defence official told Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the issue. “They were not actively taking part in any training. The day’s exercises had concluded... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352296/2-us-army-soldiers-missing-after-african-lion-military-exercises-morocco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352296/2-us-army-soldiers-missing-after-african-lion-military-exercises-morocco?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 22:02:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean killed three people, including an elderly married couple, and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organization and South Africa’s Department of Health said on Sunday. The WHO said an investigation was under way, but that at least one case of hantavirus had been confirmed. One of the patients was in intensive care in a South African hospital, the UN health agency said, and it was working with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352294/3-dead-atlantic-cruise-ship-suspected-hantavirus-outbreak-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352294/3-dead-atlantic-cruise-ship-suspected-hantavirus-outbreak-who?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 20:02:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A state-backed Nigerian militia, operating alongside the military, killed scores of ethnic Fulani herders in a raid, local sources have told journalists. The herders were killed in an operation that also involved vigilantes from Benin, just across the border from Niger State, after the herders were accused of being informants for the jihadist group Ansaru. The Nigerian vigilantes from Bussa district raided herding Fulani settlements around Kabe, in neighbouring Borgu, in a massacre that also saw... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352287/vigilantes-nigeria-kill-herders-amid-jihadist-tensions-kidnapping-gangs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352287/vigilantes-nigeria-kill-herders-amid-jihadist-tensions-kidnapping-gangs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 13:06:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Ugandan-American man was sentenced to death on Thursday over the murders of four young children he stabbed to death at a kindergarten in Uganda’s capital. Christopher Okello Onyum was arrested on April 2 as he tried to flee the day care centre in Kampala where he murdered the children aged 15 months to two-and-a-half years. Prosecutors said Onyum, who holds Ugandan and US citizenship, confessed to the crime, believing the “human sacrifice” would help him become rich, though he eventually... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352076/uganda-kindergarten-murderer-sentenced-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352076/uganda-kindergarten-murderer-sentenced-death?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:44:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters A series ⁠of reversals suffered by Mali’s Moscow-backed military government has dented Russia’s image as ⁠a self-styled security guarantor in Africa and threatens its strategic and economic interests on the continent. The military junta, which turned to Russia for support after expelling French and UN troops following coups in 2020 and 2021, was rocked at the weekend by an offensive by West Africa’s al-Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group. Mali’s Russia-trained defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351955/mali-turmoil-tests-russias-image-security-guarantor-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351955/mali-turmoil-tests-russias-image-security-guarantor-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:13:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The pace of tropical forest destruction slowed in 2025 after record losses the year before but remained at worrying levels equivalent to 11 football fields per minute, researchers said Wednesday. The world lost 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest last year, down 36 per cent from 2024, said researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland. “A drop of this scale in a single year is encouraging – it shows what decisive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:35:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The widespread use of rape and other sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan has spurred a massive mental health crisis, United Nations agencies and local aid groups warned. The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a brutal conflict since April 2023 that has killed tens of thousands and displaced around 11 million people. Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières last month said at least 3,396 survivors of sexual violence – nearly all of them women... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351888/sudans-sexual-violence-weapon-war-triggers-huge-mental-health-crisis-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351888/sudans-sexual-violence-weapon-war-triggers-huge-mental-health-crisis-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:30:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters The leader of Mali’s military government, Assimi Goita, on ⁠Tuesday made his first public appearance since insurgents launched coordinated attacks over the weekend, vowing in a televised address to “neutralise” those responsible. West Africa’s al-Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group hit Mali’s main army base and the area near Bamako’s airport in the attacks on Saturday, while also pushing Russian troops supporting government forces out of the strategic town of Kidal in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351799/malis-junta-leader-says-situation-under-control-first-appearance-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351799/malis-junta-leader-says-situation-under-control-first-appearance-attacks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:10:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A small plane crashed on Monday in South Sudan near the capital Juba, killing all 13 passengers and the pilot, local officials said. On top of instability, conflict and poverty, South Sudan also lacks reliable transport infrastructure with frequent plane crashes attributed to overloading and bad weather. The plane was a Cessna that departed Juba International Airport at 9.15am local time and crashed about 20km (12 miles) from the capital with no survivors, the South Sudanese Civil Aviation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351612/14-killed-plane-crash-outskirts-south-sudans-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351612/14-killed-plane-crash-outskirts-south-sudans-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:23:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Mali’s military rulers faced a security crisis on Sunday after coordinated nationwide attacks by jihadist fighters and separatist rebels this weekend killed the defence minister and reportedly left a key northern town in rebel hands. There was no word from the junta leader General Assimi Goita, who has not been seen since the attacks began at dawn on Saturday. The offensive, synchronised by Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition and the jihadist Group for the Support of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351500/mali-junta-crisis-after-defence-minister-killed-and-key-city-captured?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351500/mali-junta-crisis-after-defence-minister-killed-and-key-city-captured?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:37:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says Afghans who helped America’s war effort and have been stuck in Qatar in the hope of reaching the United States can safely return to Afghanistan. The statement on Saturday by foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi comes after reports emerged that the Trump administration is in discussions to potentially send 1,100 Afghans who assisted the US during its war in Afghanistan, and relatives of US service members, to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351436/taliban-says-afghans-stuck-qatar-who-helped-us-war-can-safely-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351436/taliban-says-afghans-stuck-qatar-who-helped-us-war-can-safely-return-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:09:21 +0000 dpa dpa An attack by “unknown armed terrorists” has been carried out on military barracks and other targets in the capital Bamako, the military in Mali reported on Saturday. Attacks had also occurred in other locations in the country, the general staff reported. Fighting was ongoing, a brief statement said. Witnesses reported intense fighting in a town near the capital where junta leader General Assimi Goita lives, and in other key cities. Mali, a landlocked West African country, has been ruled by a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351434/mali-junta-reports-terrorist-attacks-several-targets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351434/mali-junta-reports-terrorist-attacks-several-targets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:19:42 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Another day, another big humiliation for William Lai Ching-te. The Taiwanese leader effectively had to cancel a visit to eSwatini, the island’s last partner in Africa, for the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne and his 58th birthday. Taiwan said the visit was “postponed” after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled their previously approved overflight permission without warning. Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351128/kuomintang-gets-carrots-dpp-stick?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351128/kuomintang-gets-carrots-dpp-stick?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo on Tuesday used the fourth and final leg of his Africa tour in Equatorial Guinea to denounce the “colonisation” of Africa’s minerals and the “lust for power” in a country whose president has been in office since 1979. Adoring crowds in the largely Catholic country lined the road from the airport into the administrative capital, Malabo, cheering the first pope to visit since St John Paul II in 1982. Wearing his formal red mozzetta cape, Leo thrilled the flag-waving masses by arriving at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350961/pope-leo-denounces-colonisation-minerals-final-leg-africa-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3350961/pope-leo-denounces-colonisation-minerals-final-leg-africa-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:54:01 +0000