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Africa

Africa
Africa
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Africa. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Pope Leo meets Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally at The Vatican on Monday. Photo: Simone Risoluti / Vatican media / AFP
Religion

Pope meets first female Archbishop of Canterbury in symbolic Vatican encounter

Sarah Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the Church of England, and the pope exchanged gifts and prayed together.

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Aviation accidents

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14

War and conflict

Mali’s junta in crisis as defence minister is killed in massive coordinated attacks

US, Israel war on Iran

China is poised to reap rewards as energy shock heats up the race for renewables

The US war on Iran may have inadvertently triggered a global transition that will favour Beijing’s green leadership, analysts predict.

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Solar panels on a residential building in Matanzas, Cuba. Photo: AFP
Zimbabwe

Tianqi Lithium favours China’s salt lakes over Africa amid resource nationalism

In response to Zimbabwe’s export ban, two Chinese companies have promised to build a domestic lithium sulphate plant.

War and conflict

Mali junta reports ‘terrorist’ attacks on several targets

The landlocked West African nation has been ruled by the military since a coup in 2020.

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China-Africa relations

China and resource-rich Mozambique sign minerals and security agreement

The two countries are set to survey rare earth elements while strengthening security ties in Mozambique’s conflict-ridden north.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo hold talks in Beijing on April 21. Photo: AP
World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO approves first malaria treatment for babies

Up to now, infants have been given formulations for older children – carrying a greater risk of dose errors, side effects and toxicity.

Taiwan

As I see it | Kuomintang gets the carrots, DPP the stick

Beijing and Taiwan’s opposition KMT want to foster cross-strait interdependence but DPP offers only isolation and endless confrontation.

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United States

US FDA plans ultra-fast review of 3 psychedelic drugs after Trump directive

The recent moves on psychedelics reflect growing popular support for the mind-altering substances among Trump’s supporters.

US President Donald Trump holds an executive order about easing restrictions on mental health treatments, including ibogaine, which he signed, in the Oval Office of the White House on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
2026 Trump-Xi summit

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker 2026

World leaders are flocking to Beijing, seeking new ties amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mozambique President Daniel Chapo. Photo: Xinhua
Expeditions and adventures

2 guys, 1 Reliant Robin and a long road trip to Cape Town – what could go wrong?

22,500km, 22 countries, 1 Reliant Robin. Two friends’ intercontinental road trip was risky and rewarding. But why embark on such a journey?

Vietnam

Pangolin win: Vietnam sends scale smugglers to prison for 8 years

The Asian pangolin has been hunted for its meat and scales to the point of extinction, causing poachers to turn to its African cousins.

China travel

More bookings, shorter trips: Chinese adjust to pricier fuel for May holiday

Domestic flight bookings up about 8 per cent and domestic package-tour reservations up about 10 per cent, survey finds.

Chinese tourists wearing traditional Thai costumes shield themselves from the sun at Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, in Bangkok on April 14. Photo: EPA
US-China relations

US slams Beijing after African countries block Taiwan leader’s eSwatini trip

A State Department official called the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system.

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Taiwan leader William Lai Ching-te speaks during an interview in Taipei in February. Photo: AFP
Nepal

Nepal minister quits amid financial scrutiny after just weeks in office

Home Minister Sudan Gurung was a key figure in the Gen-Z protests last September that toppled Nepal’s previous government.

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China-Africa relations

Why China is backing nuclear fuel rod production in Namibia

On week-long trip to China, Namibian minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi pitches investment case to business leaders in Shenzhen.

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Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo denounces ‘colonisation’ of minerals on final leg of Africa tour

The pontiff warns that a global lust for profit ‘kills’ as he meets with a government accused of widespread corruption and authoritarianism.

Pope Leo attends a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Taiwan

Taiwan’s leader Lai delays Africa trip after 3 nations revoke flight permission

Taiwan blames Beijing for the move, which forced William Lai to put off visit to eSwatini, the island’s sole remaining partner in Africa.

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Religion

Pope Leo criticises exploitation by world’s ‘authoritarians’ during Angola trip

The US pope, who has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, has repeatedly criticised world leaders, without naming individuals.

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Crime

LA woman charged in US with trafficking arms to Sudan for Iran

Shamim Mafi is accused ‘brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition’.

Los Angeles International Airport, where Iranian national Shamim Mafi was arrested on Saturday. Photo: AP
Pope Leo XIV

In Angola, Pope Leo prays at shrine that was once a hub for slavery

First American pontiff recalls centuries of ‘suffering’ at site originally built by Portuguese colonisers.

Pope Leo amid faithful in Muxima, Angola on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
South Africa

Trump backs US$50 million investment for South Africa rare earths

Despite a rift with South Africa, the current Trump administration has proceeded with the project to broaden US access to critical minerals.

China-Africa relations

China steps up aid to Africa but huge funding gap left by Trump’s cuts remains

Beijing’s efforts in food and medical relief, a sector traditionally dominated by US programmes, could partly fill the void, observers said.

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Donald Trump

Pope Leo seeks to defuse tensions with Trump, says not trying to debate him

The pontiff clarified that his Cameroon comments weren’t aimed at Trump amid media misinterpretations.

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Pope Leo arrives at Luanda International Airport in Angola on Saturday. Photo: IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong minister urges long-term view, says Middle East investment unaffected

Minister Algernon Yau urges businesses to avoid short-term thinking, says Hong Kong entrepreneurs are discerning in assessing opportunities.

Dubai cityscape. The trade between Hong Kong and the Middle East accounted for 1.5 per cent of the city’s total trade volume. Photo: Getty Images
Pope Leo XIV

Pope urges Cameroon to reject violence at mass that draws 120,000 people

Believers slept overnight on mats to hear the address from the pontiff, who has drawn Trump’s ire with his anti-war comments.

US, Israel war on Iran

Asian airlines face ‘major headwind’ from jet fuel costs, forcing flight changes

Fuel has jumped from 25 per cent of total operating costs for airlines to nearly 45 per cent in a matter of weeks, analysts say.

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