The Basketball Africa League announced Wednesday that its inaugural season – set to begin next week in Dakar – has been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. League president Amadou Gallo Fall said he was making the decision after consulting with the Senegalese government, which is now dealing with four…
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is sending $10 million to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to help combat a devastating locust infestation in East Africa and Horn nations. “The locust invasion is the worst Kenya has seen in 70 years, and the worst in nearly a…
Three Africans have been named as special envoys on the coronavirus, as the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed growing concern Friday over the COVID-19 spread in Iran, South Korea and beyond the borders of China. The three envoys will serve to provide strategic advice and high-level political advocacy and engagement…
Tech giant Apple says its operations in China, where much of its iPhone manufacturing is concentrated, have been seriously disrupted by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. “Work is starting to resume around the country, but we are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated,” said Apple in…
The African Development Bank delivered a forceful response on Thursday, after World Bank President David Malpass suggested the AfDB was among multinational development banks that are too quick to lend and therefore adding to the debt burden in African nations. Malpass specifically mentioned AfDB loans to Nigeria and South Africa…
Mobile World Congress (MWC), one of the world’s premier tech and telecom events, has been canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak, its GSMA organizers said Wednesday. “With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has canceled MWC Barcelona 2020 because…
Madagascar has welcomed its new Hakanto Contemporary gallery in Antananarivo with an exhibit celebrating local artists in a space committed to contemporary art. The “Here We Reach All the Dreams of the World” exhibit opening showcased Malagasy dancers, musicians, writers, designers and chefs, in a dedication of the 300 square…
The environmental records of oil majors with operations in Nigeria have long been placed under scrutiny, along with investigations into corruption and human rights violations. This year promises to be a watershed year for cases involving Shell entities, according to a summary from Amnesty International. The organization says at least…
The investigation into Isabel dos Santos, the oil-rich daughter of former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos, advanced on Monday with the revealed identity of a whistleblower responsible for leaked documents her accusers say implicate her in long-suspected illegal financial dealings. “The source of the “Luanda Leaks” is the whistleblower…
As the African continent speeds up its response to the coronavirus spreading from China, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Sunday a $10 million commitment in emergency funds and additional tech support to help responders in China and Africa contain the spread of 2019-nCoV. Half is going to China,…
President Uhuru Kenyatta rang the bell to begin trading at the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on Monday, as part of the launch of Kenya’s first green bond in conjunction with his visit to the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020. The US$40 million bond by Acorn Holdings, a property development firm based…
There were 121 crew members kidnapped on ships attacked in the Gulf of Guinea in 2019, representing a more than 50 percent increase despite global trends that saw a decline in overall piracy incidents. “This equates to over 90 percent of global kidnappings reported at sea with 64 crew members…
In Zambia, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) announced Tuesday that three universities have been deregistered and are prevented from any further operations. They include Citizen University, Pamodzi University, and University of East and Southern Africa, according to an HEA statement. The decisions followed compliance audits at the institutions. In the…
Websites across some 30 countries remain locked down for Travelex customers as the foreign exchange firm deals with a ransomware attack that’s crippled its operations since New Year’s Eve. Company officials say they took their websites offline in Europe, Southeast Asia and North America as a precaution to contain the…
There’s excitement in the air in Saudi Arabia, where the press conference kicking off the Dakar Rally was held Friday. “You will already find sand, dunes, and all the ingredients of the Dakar, so get ready,” said race director David Castera. There are plenty of comparisons to the African continent,…