By AFP With parts of Northern Europe experiencing sweltering May temperatures, scientists are warning that it’s only going to get worse. Parts of Northern Europe have been basking in unseasonable spring heat this week. A new report by World Meteorological Organization suggests this may soon be the norm. The report authored by the WMO and UK Met Office predicts global temperatures over the next five years. Now the new United Nations climate projections forecast a high likelihood of more speeded-up warming through to 2030, with Earth smashing its record for the hottest year and regularly surging past the international climate…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews The president of Senegal has pardoned a journalist convicted to life in prison over a 2018 massacre in the southern Casamance region, the Committee to Protect Journalists watchdog said in a statement. Journalist Rene Capain Bassene was convicted over the rounding up and killing of 14 loggers in January 2018 by armed individuals in the Bayottes forest in Casamance. The region is almost entirely separated from the rest of Senegal by The Gambia, and is home to an independence rebellion that has simmered for 43 years. “The Senegalese president has sought to correct a grave miscarriage of…
A flight carrying nearly 300 Ghanaians, repatriated from South Africa amid fears there could be a resurgence of xenophobic violence there, has landed in Ghana’s capital city, Accra. Ghana’s government chartered a flight from Johannesburg following a wave of protests against illegal immigration in South Africa. Further departures are expected in the coming days – roughly 800 Ghanaians registered for repatriation. The country’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, joined other officials at the airport in Accra on Wednesday in order to welcome the first set of arrivals. A total of 297 Ghanaian citizens arrived on Wednesday, Ghana’s High Commissioner in…
Ghana has welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s apology for the Catholic Church’s historic role in slavery, describing it as an “act of moral courage” that was important in the global pursuit of “truth, human dignity and justice”. The Pope issued the clearest apology yet for the Church’s involvement in legitimising slavery and its delay in condemning it for centuries. The apology was published on Monday in the Pope’s first major teaching document of his papacy, which also focused on the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI). Ghana was a major hub for the transatlantic slave trade when millions of people were captured and…
Ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is hampering the Ebola outbreak response, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Ituri province in the east of the country was at the centre of a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict”. In a statement posted on X, Tedros said the WHO could not “build community trust or isolate the sick while bombs are falling”. He is due to travel to DR Congo this week to spearhead efforts to contain the virus. Meanwhile Uganda has announced it is temporarily closing its border with…
The death of 16 students in a fire on Thursday has once again sparked concerns over the safety of Kenya’s boarding schools. The tragedy, which occured at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km (77 miles) north-west of capital city Nairobi, follows a string of deadly fires at boarding schools in recent years. The authorities are still investigating the cause of Thursday’s fire but parents of the students, along with Kenyans on social media, have been questioning how prepared boarding schools are for fires and whether dormitories meet the required safety standards. Roughly 12 hours after the fire, several parents…
By Rédaction Africanews A Stockholm court on Thursday wrapped up hearings in the trial of two former oil executives accused of complicity in war crimes over their business dealings during Sudan’s second civil war, with a ruling expected in December. The trial, which is the longest ever in Sweden, opened in September 2023 after more than a decade of investigations that resulted in an 80,000-page report. A court official told AFP that a ruling was expected toward the end of December. Ian Lundin of Swednen and Swiss national Alex Schneiter are accused of asking Sudan’s government to make its military…
By AP Pope Leo XIV called for robust regulation of artificial intelligence on Monday and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit. “Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed,” Leo said. “The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity.” In his first encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas – or Magnificent Humanity – Leo also apologised for the Catholic Church’s role in slavery. He said with the advent of AI, the world is once again in danger of normalising the…
By Dominic Wabwireh with AP Mexico has offered to host Iran’s national football team during the 2026 World Cup after the United States refused overnight stays on its territory. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico has “no problem” accommodating the squad as it travels for its matches. Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that Mexico is prepared to host Iran’s national team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup after logistical complications arose with the United States. Sheinbaum said FIFA approached Mexico after U.S. authorities declined to allow the Iranian squad to remain overnight on American soil during the tournament. U.S. refusal prompts…
By Rédaction Africanews Three people were killed and four others injured when a minivan travelling through a national park in Uganda hit an elephant crossing the road. The crash occurred on Sunday evening within Murchison Falls National Park in Nwoya District. The vehicle was carrying seven members of the Uganda Revenue Authority who were returning to the capital Kampala from Arua when the accident happened. The condition of the elephant isn’t known. In a post on social media, the Uganda police force urged motorists to exercise extreme caution and observe the speed limit while driving through national parts especially at night.…