AFP Africa

Tributes were paid Tuesday to award-winning South African singer Zahara, whose debut album made her an overnight pop sensation, after her death at the age of 36. South Africa’s arts minister and Zahara’s record company announced her death late Monday in a Johannesburg hospital where she was first admitted last month. Born Bulelwa Mkutukana to a poor …

S.Africa afro-pop sensation Zahara dies aged 36Tue, 12 Dec 2023 09:53:37 GMT Read More »

South Africa, battling crippling power blackouts, plans to add 2,500 megawatts of new nuclear generation, the government announced Tuesday.The country has Africa’s only nuclear power station but the Koeberg plant near Cape Town is currently only working at half capacity.The first of the new units will probably come on stream in 2032 or 2033, Zizamele …

South Africa to build new nuclear plants: govtTue, 12 Dec 2023 08:34:05 GMT Read More »

Hikers hit the trail before dawn at South Africa’s natural jewel Table Mountain, but instead of simply trekking its rugged landscape they were also demonstrating against a surge in attacks on walkers and tourists. Pensioner Mary Lloyd, among the roughly 50 gathered to sound the alarm at one of Africa’s most visited landmarks, had only weeks …

Table Mountain attacks highlight crime threat to S.Africa tourismTue, 12 Dec 2023 07:42:34 GMT Read More »

The lights fade and the screen lights up, transporting Senegalese cinemagoers back in time to the world of Ousmane Sembene, who would have been 100 this year.  To celebrate, Dakar movie theatres are showing some of the best-known works by the father of African film, including “The Money Order”, “The Outsiders”, “Camp de Thiaroye” and “Black Girl”.  Sembene, who died in …

Senegalese cinemas pay tribute to Sembene on 100th anniversaryTue, 12 Dec 2023 07:20:33 GMT Read More »

As Edinah Nyasuguta Omwenga fought for her life after developing complications during childbirth, she overheard doctors in the Kenyan hospital describe her condition as a textbook example of the damaging — even deadly — effects of genital mutilation.But unlike thousands of girls across East Africa, Omwenga underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) in a hospital, at …

The dangerous rise of ‘medicalised’ genital mutilation in KenyaTue, 12 Dec 2023 06:08:44 GMT Read More »

American sprinter Noah Lyles and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon were named the men’s and women’s track athletes of the year by World Athletics on Monday.Lyles was recognised for the three gold medals he won at the world championships in Budapest.After an all-conquering 2023, the 26-year-old will now turn his focus to next year’s Paris Olympics where …

Lyles and Kipyegon named track athletes of the yearMon, 11 Dec 2023 22:11:13 GMT Read More »

The United Nations mission in Mali officially ended its 10-year deployment in the country on Monday, in a pullout ordered by Mali’s military leaders. The symbolic ceremony marks the official end of the mission, the mission’s spokesperson Fatoumata Kaba said, even though some elements remain in the country.”We are leaving… proud of what we have been …

UN mission in Mali officially ends after 10 yearsMon, 11 Dec 2023 17:51:41 GMT Read More »

Saudi Arabia, the staunchest opponent of phasing out fossil fuels at COP28, may dominate the Arab bloc at the UN climate talks in Dubai. But it is far from the only voice.”We’re seeing a split between the UAE and other big petrostates on the future of fossil fuels,” said Jim Krane of Rice University in …

Not all Arab states backing Saudi Arabia in COP28 talksMon, 11 Dec 2023 16:47:28 GMT Read More »