Politics and society

South Africa’s sports minister has expressed support for rugby star Bongi Mbonambi, who was accused of using a racial slur towards England’s Tom Curry during the World Cup semi-final last Saturday. “Bongi Mbonambi is us. We support you Bongi, and the rest of the Springboks as you prepare for the …

The governor of Nigeria’s central Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, has denied he was the target of an assassination attempt along the busy Lokoja-Abuja highway. His spokesperson Kingsley Fanwo had earlier been quoted by local media saying that gunmen “dressed in military uniforms” attacked Mr Bello’s convoy on Sunday. Mr Fanwo …

Italian authorities signed on Friday an agreement to welcome some 4,000 Tunisian workers, in line with commitments made to help the North African state stem migrant pressure at its borders. “The deal was signed during a visit by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to Tunis, where he was scheduled to meet …

The Zambian government announced that it had evacuated 77 nationals from Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants, local media reported. The evacuees, who returned to Zambia on Wednesday, include 72 students. Zambia’s Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo said on Thursday that 172 Zambians, including 143 students, …

Africa is now realising its potential and capacity, with the formerly side-lined continent harnessing its demographic dividend and natural resources and becoming an economic, political and social powerhouse, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Wednesday. The African continent has particularly suffered the consequences of the climate crisis and conflict …

Ugandan police foiled a bomb attack on churches by a notorious Islamist militant group, President Yoweri Museveni has said. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were on Sunday planning to plant two bombs in churches in Kibibi, about 50 km (30 miles) from the capital Kampala, Mr Museveni wrote on X, …

The International Olympic Committee suspended the Russian National Olympic Committee (NOC) this Thursday “with immediate effect” for having placed several organizations in occupied Ukrainian regions under its authority, the organization’s spokesperson announced. This decision automatically deprives the Russian body of Olympic funding, but has no consequences on the possible presence …

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo announced that it has suspended some of its peacekeepers. “This is in response to reports of serious misconduct,” it said in a statement, adding that it had “zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse”. It did not say how many peacekeepers …

Three survivors and four relatives of the victims of a terrorist attack in Mozambique have sued the French multinational oil company TotalEnergies. The survivors and relatives, who are British and South African, are accusing Total of involuntary manslaughter and negligence for failing to protect its subcontractors. Dozens of people including …

Cameroon’s media regulator has lifted its suspension on the TV channel Canal+ Elles, which it sanctioned in September for broadcasting “programmes conveying obscene practices with a homosexual tendency”. The National Communication Council said the channel – a subsidiary of the French media group Canal + International – was allowed to …