BRICS foreign ministers gathered in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday for the second and final day of meetings, bringing together representatives from all 11 member states. In a news conference following the gathering, Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira presented a statement from the BRICS presidency summarising their discussions. He highlig...

 South Africa continues to face delays in the production of driving licence cards following the breakdown of the country's only functional card printing machine. The Department of Transport has been issuing temporary driving licences in the meantime, as the outdated backup machine currently in use is slow and frequently malfunctions.According ...

 Russia is set to assist Senegal in boosting its agricultural sector, with plans to help restore seed reserves, introduce organic fertilizers, and provide specialized training for local professionals. This initiative was announced by the International Organization for Eurasian Cooperation (IOEC). The partnership details were agreed upon in Dia...

 The authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have officially announced the opening of a criminal case against former president Joseph Kabila. According to a statement from the Ministry of Justice, the minister has ordered an investigation into the ex-president, who is suspected of facilitating armed intervention by Rwanda through t...

 Four of Durban's most popular beaches have been deemed safe for swimming and other recreational activities, following recent water quality tests conducted by the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology. The approved beaches include Umhlanga Lighthouse, North Beach, uShaka Beach, and the Golden Mile, all of which passed safety assessment...

President Donald Trump's administration said on Friday it sought Harvard University'srecords on foreign funding going back a decade and on some foreign ties, in the government's latest escalation against the educational institution. The Trump administration has launched a widely condemned crackdown against top U.S. universities, including Harvard, ...

 Floyd Shivambu, Secretary-General of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party, has accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of employing negative campaigning during the recent Ward 110 by-election in eThekwini. Despite these tactics, the MK Party secured a narrow victory, garnering 2,435 votes to the DA's 2,413, with the African National Congress (ANC) t...

As the Easter weekend approaches, the City of Cape Town's Traffic Department has announced an increased deployment of officers to ensure road safety during the anticipated surge in holiday travel. The department's initiative, known as Operation Exodus, offers free vehicle safety checks for long-distance public transport operators. These checks focu...

 South Africa's health research sector is under severe threat following the termination of major US funding streams, particularly from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The move forms part of US President Donald Trump's efforts to cut federal spending and end support for programmes focused on diversity, LGBTQ+ populations, and global eq...

 The decision of US President Donald Trump's administration to suspend foreign aid and shut down the USAID agency has sent shockwaves across the development industry. In 2024, nearly a third of the $41bn in US foreign aid went to Africa, helping support various sectors from healthcare to education and sanitation. But as aid organisations sound...

 President Cyril Ramaphosa has renewed his calls for urgent reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in response to escalating global trade tensions and tariff disputes. Speaking during the 30th-anniversary commemoration of the WTO on Thursday, Ramaphosa highlighted significant shortcomings in the current global trading system, stressing t...

 World champion Max Verstappen took pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, stunning the McLarens with a late flying lap to put his Red Bull at the front of the grid for the fourth year in a row at Suzuka. The McLarens of championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have dominated qualifying so far this season and looked l...

 In one of the most critical sessions of the Global AI Summit Africa 2025, titled "Data: A Strategic Imperative for Adoption, Equity, and Sovereignty," leaders from across sectors converged to explore the foundational role of data in Africa's digital future. Moderated by Isobel Acquah, Executive Director of the Certa Foundation, the conversati...

 ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has stated that the party will not consider joining the Government of National Unity (GNU) unless the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) increase is withdrawn. Despite supporting the African National Congress (ANC) in passing the fiscal framework in Parliament, Mashaba emphasized that addressing the VAT hike and inc...

 Heavy rainfall has led to significant flooding across Cape Town, impacting multiple neighborhoods and causing substantial disruptions. Areas such as Table View, Wynberg, and Parow have reported severe inundation, with numerous vehicles submerged and roadways rendered impassable. The City's Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powe...

 In the heart of Accra, Ghana, a groundbreaking initiative is reshaping the landscape of global cancer research. Yaw Bediako, a Ghanaian immunologist, has taken a monumental step in addressing a long-ignored gap in medical science. After losing his father to liver cancer, Bediako dedicated himself to changing the narrative of cancer research o...

 In the fourth quarter of 2024, Nigeria witnessed a remarkable surge in its foreign exchange inflow, reaching an impressive $17.39 billion. This significant increase was primarily driven by a substantial 47.55% rise in autonomous inflows, which include remittances, exports, and foreign investments. These autonomous sources played a key role in...

 In a groundbreaking trial, MTN South Africa and US-based Lynk Global successfully conducted Africa's first satellite-to-smartphone voice call on 27 March in Vryburg, using a standard mobile device linked to a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite. This historic connection, approved by South Africa's communications regulator, signals a potential bre...

 This thick green mat extends for as far as the eye can see, it's an unwanted, invasive South American aquatic plant species called Salvinia minima. Hidden beneath it is South Africa's Hartbeespoort Dam near Johannesburg, an important source of irrigation for nearby farms and a popular recreation site. This is also the site of the pilot projec...

 Emergency rescue teams on Sunday began trickling into the area of Myanmar hardest hit by a massive earthquake that killed more than 1,600 people. But their efforts were hindered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the midst of a civil war.The 7.7 magnitude quake hit midday Fr...