African countries are casting a worried eye as the West pumps aid into Ukraine, sensing a retreat in pledges to help their development and fight climate change.According to the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), assistance for Ukraine in 2022 shot up to $16 billion, compared to less than a billion a year …

African concerns mount as West pours aid into UkraineWed, 21 Jun 2023 06:43:01 GMT Read More »

On stage, Julius Maada Bio dances to an afrobeats hit, pacing with a slightly off-rhythm bounce as supporters in his party’s token green cheer.The scene, like others captured in widely shared videos from campaign rallies, appears unnatural for the quiet former putschist, now leading Sierra Leone as an elected civilian.But Bio, 59, who on Saturday …

SLeone’s ex-soldier turned progressive champion vying for second termWed, 21 Jun 2023 06:21:08 GMT Read More »

Hawa used to relish competing with her cousin for top marks in school until, eight months ago, she fell pregnant.”We studied hard together,” the slight 18-year-old told AFP. “I was one of the top girls in the class.”In Sierra Leone, where pregnant girls have been allowed in classrooms since a ban was lifted in 2020, …

Sierra Leone’s battle to keep pregnant girls in schoolWed, 21 Jun 2023 06:16:02 GMT Read More »

The makers of Guurdoon, the first app for singles in Somalia, are hoping to help their fellow citizens find love in a nation with no shortage of challenges.Just don’t call it a dating app.Guurdoon (“seeking marriage” in English) was launched in October last year by the Guryosamo family development centre, whose chairman Ahmed Abshir Geedi sees the …

Somalis search for love online, but don’t call it datingWed, 21 Jun 2023 06:07:59 GMT Read More »

A new, young generation of Moroccan filmmakers last month stepped into the limelight to make its debut at France’s Cannes Film Festival — snatching three prestigious awards.”The Moroccan films screened at Cannes represent some of the best in the history of cinema in Morocco,” said film critic Bilal Marmid, who covered the two-week festival on …

New generation of Moroccan filmmakers shines at CannesWed, 21 Jun 2023 01:49:40 GMT Read More »

The head of the UN’s refugee agency on Tuesday urged Sudan’s neighbours to keep their borders open despite security worries as the number of people fleeing the conflict topped 500,000, while those internally displaced climbed to two million.Filippo Grandi warned in an interview with AFP that the two-month-old war threatened to spread insecurity in the …

UN urges Sudan neighbours to keep borders open as exodus tops 500,000Tue, 20 Jun 2023 22:42:50 GMT Read More »

Musician-turned-designer Pharrell Williams took over the oldest bridge in Paris, packed it with celebs and turned it into a pumping gospel nightclub as he made his historic debut for Louis Vuitton on Tuesday. Rihanna, Beyonce, Jay Z, LeBron James and Zendaya were among the many stars lined up along the Pont Neuf in central Paris, which …

Pharrell brings gospel party to Paris with fashion debutTue, 20 Jun 2023 21:34:53 GMT Read More »

The trial of Guinea’s former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara for a 2009 massacre will resume on Wednesday after lawyers ended a boycott over pay that caused a three-week suspension, attorneys said.Camara and 10 other ex-military and government officials stand accused over the killing of 156 people and the rape of least 109 women by pro-junta …

Trial of Guinea ex-dictator Camara to resume Wednesday: lawyersTue, 20 Jun 2023 20:47:12 GMT Read More »

More than 2.5 million people have been uprooted by Sudan’s conflict, the UN said Tuesday, but in the western Darfur region the bodies of those who couldn’t escape lie face down in the dirt.A three-day ceasefire due to end Wednesday at dawn brought a brief respite to the capital Khartoum, gripped by the war that …

Sudan war uproots 2.5 million, UN says, as bodies litter Darfur streetsTue, 20 Jun 2023 19:49:53 GMT Read More »

Nearly 40 countries at the United Nations backed LGBTQ families on Tuesday, at a time when some Muslim and African nations are contesting sexual orientation and gender identity language in UN forums.”Families play a fundamental role in society. Supporting families is an important element in promoting and protecting human rights,” 37 countries said in a …

Nearly 40 countries at UN back LGBTQ familiesTue, 20 Jun 2023 19:11:06 GMT Read More »