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Africa

Africa
Africa
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Africa. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Oliver Jenks and Seth Scott with Sheila, the three-wheeler. Photo: Instagram/hold.mygear
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

China travel

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

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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Cameroon

In Cameroon, Pope Leo assails ‘tyrants ravaging’ world amid Trump row

‘The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,’ Leo says.

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Pope Leo releases a white dove at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Black market workarounds scale up for Claude as Anthropic tightens ID checks

Chinese developers are bypassing new ID checks as demand for Claude remains strong despite official restrictions.

European Union

Europe running low on jet fuel, stoking fears of flight cancellations

IEA executive director Birol said the Hormuz blockade-induced energy crisis will hit nations including Japan, China and India harder.

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China-Africa relations

Why China’s trade with Africa benefits from Trump’s policy volatility

Continent is China’s fastest growing export market in first quarter of 2026, with machinery and hi-tech shipments leading US$60 billion surge.

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Motor vehicles bound for export to Ivory Coast are loaded on a cargo ship at Yantai port in China’s eastern Shandong province on Monday. Photo: Xinhua
Sudan

Sudan enters 4th year of war as ‘abandoned crisis’ grows

The war has pushed parts of Sudan into famine and the UN says about 34 million people, or almost two of every three Sudanese, need help.

A Sudanese man pulls a donkey cart filled with water for sale in Port Sudan on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
France

France open to engaging on slavery reparations, says Ghana

The African nation says discussions with President Macron last week included economic inequities, structural racism and looted artefacts.

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Donald Trump

‘Someone must stand for a better way’: Pope speaks out after Trump’s attack

After the US president shatters norms with a direct hit on the pontiff, Leo says he will continue to speak out ‘loudly’ and promote peace.

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Nigeria

At least 200 feared dead after Nigerian air strike hits busy village market

Nigerian Air Force launches investigation into civilian casualties at Jilli Market as it targeted jihadists.

Nigerian Air Force officers display ammunition next to a fighter jet in 2017. Photo: AP
China-Africa relations

War of words: China and the US battle it out for African hearts and minds

Rivalry between two global superpowers spills into the media as East meets West head-on in a clash of narratives to win over the continent.

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The battle is on to win over Africa with China and the US wielding their influence through their nation’s media with each superpower pushing narratives designed to denigrate each other. Photo: AFP
Benin

Benin election favours continuity amid al-Qaeda attacks, poverty

Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni has overseen a decade of growth in the West African nation despite jihadist attacks and extreme poverty.

Technology

Opinion | AI pessimism is a luxury the Global South cannot afford

Young, developing states must ride the tech waves if they don’t want to fall further behind and learn from others’ mistakes.

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