In the news

As the international community commemorates International Malaria Day this Friday, April 25, more than 263 million people contracted the disease in 2023, and nearly 600,000 died from it. On the African continent, RFI reports, malaria claims some 500,000 lives every year. And yet, the international community had pledged to eliminate …

An attack by Islamic militants on military posts in northern Benin last week left at least 54 soldiers dead, the West African country’s government said. Authorities had previously said that only eight soldiers were killed on April 17. JNIM, an extremist group linked to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the attack …

A 34-year-old cab driver has been arrested for the alleged murder of his long-time girlfriend in Abuakwa, in Ghana’s Ashanti region. The suspect was arrested at his hideout in Namong, Offinso Municipality, on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, three days after he went into hiding. He is alleged to have picked …

In the DRC, the opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Matata Ponyo, is facing a 20-year prison sentence for alleged embezzlement of nearly $200 million earmarked for the agri-food park project. This is the sentence requested against the man who was head of government between 2012 and 2016, on Wednesday …

A 23-year-old woman lost her life in a tragic fire in Aboduabo, in the municipality of Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai, in Ghana’s North-West Region. According to reports, “the nursing mother lost her life when a fire engulfed a makeshift kiosk where she sold bottled petrol.” According to an eyewitness, “the fire …

A 13-year-old disabled girl was allegedly impregnated by a pastor in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, with the Nigerian police opening an investigation. The pastor, was, until the incident, the head of charge of Christ Apostolic Church. He was first dragged to the palace for allegedly impregnating the …

President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Madagascar on Wednesday for a two-day visit aimed at reinforcing France’s presence in the Indian Ocean. Macron is the first French president to visit the former colony since Jacques Chirac in 2005. As France loses its influence in the Sahel, its leaders have been turning …

The body of Pope Francis was moved on Wednesday morning to St. Peter’s Basilica for three days of public mourning for an Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace. Heads of state are expected for the funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s …

At least five people have died and several others are missing after a speedboat linking Brazzaville and Kinshasa on the Congo River capsized, according to reports. The boat, carrying 16 passengers, had left Brazzaville around 09:00 (+1 GMT) bound for Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, just across …

Egyptian Coptic Catholics attended a prayer service for the late Pope Francis at the Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Catholic Cathedral on Tuesday in Cairo. Worshippers at the cathedral remembered Pope Francis values and his efforts to bring peace to the world. “Certainly, we believe that the Pope’s departure may be …