West Africa's regional organization, ECOWAS, has set an exit timeline for three nations affected by coups, following nearly a year of mediation efforts aimed at preventing a significant fracture within the bloc. Omar Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, announced that the transitional period will run from January 29, 2025, to July 29, 20...

 Rwanda's President Paul Kagame on Friday confirmed that his country is bidding to host the Formula One race. He was speaking ahead of the prize-giving ceremony of the FIA, the motorsport governing body, which was hosted in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, on Friday night. "I am happy to formally announce that Rwanda is bidding to bring the thrill of...

 Ethiopia and Somalia agreed on Wednesday to hold "technical talks" to resolve a dispute sparked by Ethiopia's deal with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland, according to a statement following talks in Turkey. Turkey has been mediating between the two east African countries as tensions between them have simmered since Ethiopia signed a me...

 With advanced technology and the help of AI, scientists are increasingly discovering proof that many animals are much smarter than previously thought. From self-medicating great apes to elephants that call one another by individual names, the wonderful world of nature was full of fascinating discoveries throughout 2024. In June, biologists fr...

 A day after dissolving the government without providing any reason, Burkina Faso's ruling military junta on Saturday appointed a new prime minister. Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, communications minister and spokesperson for the previous government, has been named as the country's new premier. Military leader, Ibrahim Traore, made the anno...

 Pope Francis has appointed 21 new cardinals, many of whom are key figures in his ongoing efforts to reform the Catholic Church. The new cardinals, aged between 44 and 100, come from five continents and represent a diverse range of backgrounds and regions. Among the new appointees is a Peruvian bishop who has strongly supported the Pope's crac...

 Authorities in Sierra Leone on Thursday started a nationwide rollout of the single-dose Ebola vaccine, the first such campaign in West Africa where a deadly outbreak 10 years ago resulted in the death of thousands. The 2014 Ebola outbreak – the deadliest in history – was primarily in West Africa but affected Sierra Leone the most, with nearly...

One of the Middle East and North Africa's largest film festivals opened Friday in Morocco, drawing actors and directors from throughout the world to present 70 features from 32 countries. The Marrakech International Film Festival, now in its 21st year, will showcase Oscar contenders and screen films for members of the public. But unlike larger fest...

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Senzo Mchunu says authorities do not know how many people are trapped in the disused goldmine in Stilfontein. South Africa's police minister has pledged to rescue all the people still trapped in an abandoned goldmine in the northwestern town of Stilfontein "as soon as possible". In an interview with Al Jazeera on Fr...

 South Africa is poised to take over the leadership of the G20 on Sunday. This is the first time an African country is taking the presidency of a Group of 20 countries. Johannesburg will be tasked to lead the group until the end of 2025 when the United States will take over the helm of G20 leadership. The G20 group is targeting to address incl...

Tanzanians have been voting in local government elections that are widely seen as a crucial test for the country's democratic institutions ahead of next year's presidential poll. About 31 million people were eligible to cast their ballots for more than 80,000 street and village leaders who wield considerable power in the country. President Samia Su...

 Nigeria, with its abundant natural gas reserves, is embracing a new era in transportation. The adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (otherwise known as CNG) to power vehicles offers a sustainable and economical alternative to traditional fuels, tackling the country's dependency on fuel imports and combating environmental pollution. At this conv...

 The mpox outbreak continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern, the WHO has said. The conclusion of the body's emergency commitee unveiled Friday (Nov. 22) was "based on the rising number and continuing geographic spread of cases, operational challenges in the field and the need to mount and sustain a cohesive re...

 Freeman Mbowe, the leader of Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema, has been released on bail after being arrested on Friday, just days before local elections set for November 27. Chadema announced the release on Saturday via the social media platform X, stating, "Chairman Freeman Mbowe (...) and other leaders detained at the Vwawa police ...

 Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China is ready to continue working with Morocco to firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, and push for greater development of China-Morocco strategic partnership. Xi made the remarks when meeting with Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan during a techni...

 Residents of the Haitian capital's Solino neighborhood congregated to improvise shelters in the neighboring Bourbon neighborhood. In a desperate effort to establish a camp where they can settle, the residents join forces with hammers, sticks, and machetes. They are among thousands of residents displaced by gang violence in the capital Port-au...

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a peaceful resolution to the standoff between police and illegal miners at an abandoned mine in the northwest of the country. In his weekly newsletter on Monday, he said the situation was precarious and could turn volatile, but urged the police to respect the miners' rights and not put their l...

 Massa the lioness has good reason to roar at visitors at Rabat National Zoo, as she is the proud mother of a new cub. The male youngster, known as Azaghar was born on 26 July 2024, a member of the subpopulation known as the Atlas Lion or the Barbary lion, of the subspecies Panthera Leo Leo. This birth was announced on October 20, 2024 and is ...

 The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced Thursday its endorsement of Morocco's locally developed mpox test, marking a significant step forward in Africa's response to the ongoing outbreak. The new real-time PCR test, capable of detecting mpox pathogen DNA in blood, saliva, and tissue samples, is seen as a "...

 Russian military advisors are in Equatorial Guinea helping to train local forces. Between 100 and 200 Russian instructors are said to be working with elite guards responsible for protecting the President and the first family, Reuters reported Tuesday citing unnamed sources. The men have been sighted in the capital Malabo and Bata, the country...