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Africa

Africa
Africa
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Africa. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
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Belt and Road Initiative

China ramps up Belt and Road deals amid US competition

A 75 per cent boom in China’s Belt and Road Initiative last year will help lock in resources for the energy transition and AI rush, as well as extending the country’s global reach.

Belt and Road Initiative

US trade war? China had bigger plans in 2025 as ‘belt and road’ deals surged

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China-Africa relations

How China is ramping up Africa charm offensive to boost cultural ties, influence

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Uganda

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni wins in election marred by fraud claims

Museveni’s main rival, Bobi Wine, claimed there was ‘massive ballot stuffing’ and that his party’s polling agents were abducted.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni leaves after casting his ballot in Rwakitura on Thursday. Photo: AFP
Natural disasters

Over 100 dead in torrential rains and floods across southern Africa

Thousands have been forced to evacuate in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, with helicopters plucking people to safety.

Uganda

Museveni leads Uganda vote as Bobi Wine under house arrest amid violence claims

Uganda election marred by violence and internet blackout as one MP accuses security forces of killing 10 supporters at his home during crackdown.

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China-Africa relations

Why ‘monumental’ China duty-free trade deal has Kenya wanting more

Preliminary ‘early harvest’ framework grants zero-duty entry to over 98 per cent of Kenyan exports, as Nairobi pushes for 100 per cent access.

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Coffee beans being harvested in Tindiret, Kenya. Duty-free access to China is expected to help Kenya leverage its agricultural economy. Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Pakistan

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

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India

Trump’s 500% tariff push raises risk of India-US trade freeze

Such punitive tariffs would erode India’s export competitiveness and force the country to reorient its trade elsewhere, analysts warn.

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Uganda

Uganda shuts down internet as Museveni seeks to extend 40-year rule

Government imposes a blackout as the 81-year-old leader moves to secure a seventh term in Thursday’s election.

A wall decorated with posters supporting Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni. Photo: AFP
China trade

As China’s US exports plunge, Beijing banks on diversification for 2026 growth

Shipments to Asean and Africa surged to drive a record US$1.19 trillion surplus for China, offsetting headwinds as leaders push to boost local demand.

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The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is seen on Thursday in China’s Zhejiang province. The nation’s trade resilience has been attributed to its fastest-growing sectors having limited exposure to the United States. Photo: Xinhua
Iran

Iranians use Musk’s Starlink to pierce internet blackout during protests

Smuggled satellite terminals offer a high-risk lifeline as Iran’s protest death toll climbs.

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China-Africa relations

China’s Wang Yi cites ‘severe risks’ after Somalia dropped from Africa itinerary

In a call with the Somali foreign minister, China’s top envoy reiterates Beijing’s support for Somalia’s territorial integrity.

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China-Africa relations

China urges Tanzania to back multilateralism, will ‘stand together’ with Africa

Top diplomat Wang Yi also reaffirms support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (second from left) poses with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan (second from right), Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo (right) and China’s ambassador to Tanzania Chen Mingjian (left) at the State House in Dar es Salaam on Saturday. Photo: AFP / State House Tanzania
Chinese offshore investment

How China’s global investment model is changing – and what it means for the yuan

The trade war, weak domestic demand and stronger policy support push more firms to invest overseas, with growing implications for currency.

The logo of China’s Huawei Technologies Co is displayed on the middle of city road in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: EPA-EFE
China-Africa relations

China FM Wang Yi opens Africa tour with united call for rules-based order

In Ethiopia, Wang joins African Union leader Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in voicing concerns over US raid on Venezuela.

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Saudi Arabia

US allies Saudi Arabia, UAE risk a split in Middle East over competing visions

A ‘new order’ is emerging as Abu Dhabi-backed separatist allies clash with pro-Riyadh governments in the region.

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France

Europe paralysed by snow as brutal cold snap disrupts flights, rail services

Thousands stranded as chaos grounds flights, with black ice sparking fatal accidents, while death toll rises to six in season’s worst freeze.

Snow falls on the streets of central Paris on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
War and conflict

War in Sudan: drone strikes cut power supply in oil-rich south

Over the past week, some 15,000 people have been displaced from the region, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.

Italy

Owner of Swiss bar where New Year fire killed 40 insists safety norms followed

‘Everything was done according to the regulations,’ Jacques Moretti, a Frenchman who manages the Le Constellation bar, told local media.

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Middle East

Saudi-UAE rivalry explodes into view after strike in war-torn Yemen

Gulf powers Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are at odds over rival factions and a deepening struggle for regional pre-eminence.

Damaged military vehicles, allegedly sent by the United Arab Emirates to support Southern Transitional Council separatist forces, following an air strike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in the port of Mukalla, southern Yemen on December 30. Photo: AFP
South Africa

41 young men die in South Africa from circumcision procedures

The procedures were done as part of traditional initiation, a rite of passage into manhood for young men from various ethnic groups.

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Boys stand in a field during traditional Xhosa male circumcision ceremonies into manhood in Qunu, South Africa, in June 2013. Photo: AP
China trade

How the ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump’s tariffs – and grew even stronger

Yiwu, one of China’s biggest export hubs, was expected to take a hit from US tariffs. Instead, it has seen trade surge.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

China’s EV makers to corner one-third of global market by 2030, UBS says

Analysts see China’s EV edge enduring, citing overseas profits and supply chain strengths despite tariffs and Western protectionism.

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United States

Zohran Mamdani takes over as New York mayor in the era of Trump

Mamdani sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Koran as he took his oath.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani after taking the oath of office. Photo: AP
United States

‘Equivalent measures’: Mali, Burkina Faso restrict entry for US citizens

The African nations said they were imposing the travel restrictions after the US included them, and others, on a no-entry list.

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The leader of Mali’s ruling junta, Assimi Goita, centre, attends an independence day military parade. File photo: AP
Mainland China

Junta leader declared winner of Guinea’s presidential election

Mamady Doumbouya claims a landslide victory in the west African nation after sidelining major rivals.

Technology

Opinion | Amid the bad news of 2025, science cooperation has been a beacon of hope

Even in a difficult year for many, science has demonstrated the ability to transcend borders, unite people and help those in need.

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