Africa Kigali is Africa’s fastest rising international financial centre By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency Rwanda’s deliberate move to carve a niche in sustainable finance is helping to grow Kigali as Africa’s next significant International Financial Centre. The capital city has climbed up 18 spots, the highest in Africa and third highest globally, in the 35th edition of the Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) rankings, placing it third in Africa and 67th globally. “The greatest improvements were […] today25 March, 2024
Africa Africa’s promising sports future evident at the 13th Africa Games in Accra By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency After three weeks of intense field and track event actions across multiple venues in Accra, the 13th edition of the Africa Games came to a close this past weekend. The pan-African sporting event has, yet again, showcased Africa's rich and diverse sports talent, with more than 35 countries participating across 23 sports disciplines. Egypt led with 107 gold, 47 silver, and 42 […] today25 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Largest frog in more than 100 years discovered in Africa By Bertie Jacobs A new species of African bullfrog has been discovered in northeastern Namibia, southern Angola, southwestern Zambia and northwestern Botswana. It is the largest frog species discovered in more than 100 years. The largest specimen found is 210 millimetres long and weighs 1 kilogram. Once there were three, now there are four. Professor Louis du Preez, from the North-West University (NWU) in South Africa, and […] today25 March, 2024
insert_link Africa School’s out: how climate change is already badly affecting children’s education The education of students in countries like Sudan is already being negatively affected by the extremes of climate change. Richard Juilliart/Shutterstock By Caitlin M Prentice, University of Oslo; Francis Vergunst, University of Oslo; Helen Louise Berry, Macquarie University, and Kelton Minor, Columbia University Schools across South Sudan have been ordered to close as a heat wave of 45°C sweeps across the country. In recent years, severe flooding has […] today22 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Pangolins in Africa: expert unpacks why millions have been traded illegally and what can be done about it By Olajumoke Morenikeji, University of Ibadan Pangolins are fascinating creatures known for their unique appearance and distinctive scales. They are mammals belonging to the order Pholidota and are native to Africa and Asia. Due to their primary diet of ants and termites, pangolins are often referred to as “scaly anteaters”. The African pangolin species are dispersed throughout southern, western, central and east Africa. Pangolins face rapid […] today22 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Ghana’s free high school policy is getting more girls to complete secondary education – study By Victor Osei Kwadwo, United Nations University and Rose Vincent, Utrecht University Education drives economic growth and individual well-being. Secondary education, in particular, plays a crucial role. In recent decades, this recognition has encouraged several African countries to make secondary education free. One example is Ghana’s Free Public Senior High School (FreeSHS) policy, initiated in 2017. The policy aimed to remove cost barriers to secondary education, including […] today22 March, 2024
insert_link Africa AU says African democracy a ‘ship in troubled waters’ Speaking on behalf of AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, says Africa has reached a tipping point and should "return to being an axis of progressive democracy" by enforcing the continent's zero tolerance to unconstitutional changes in governance. “Our badly bruised historical experience of dictatorship cannot be replicated in the 21st century again because these emerging anti-constitutional norms negate our commitment […] today22 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Duckbill dinosaur discovery in Morocco – expert unpacks the mystery of how they got there By Nicholas R. Longrich, University of Bath Why are fossils of duckbill dinosaurs, a North American family, found in North Africa? Dinosaurs couldn’t just walk there. Sixty-six million years ago, when duckbills suddenly appear in Africa’s fossil record, the world’s land masses formed a series of islands. A seaway divided eastern and western North America; Europe was an archipelago. South America, India, Australia and Madagascar were all island […] today22 March, 2024
insert_link Africa Chad presidential election: assassination of main opposition figure casts doubt on country’s return to democracy By Helga Dickow, University of Freiburg The assassination of Chad’s main opposition leader, Yaya Dillo, is hanging heavy over presidential elections due in early May. Dillo was killed on 28 February when the headquarters of the opposition Party Socialiste sans Frontières (Party of Socialists without Borders) in the Chadian capital N'Djamena was besieged by the newly formed Rapid Reaction Force. It’s not the first violence meted out […] today22 March, 2024
