Nairobi, Kenya — In Africa, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are undergoing a quiet but powerful transformation. Many countries are changing their policies. They are expanding contraceptive and maternal health services, improving HIV prevention efforts, and challenging deeply rooted social norms and stigmas. Despite this progress, young people and adolescents face a growing…
As the sun set on the Amazon, the promise of a “people’s Cop” faded with it. The latest UN climate summit – known as Cop30, hosted in the Brazilian city of Belém – came with the usual geopolitics and the added excitement of a flood and a fire. The summit saw Indigenous protests on an…
It wasn’t a comfortable process for the tens of thousands of delegates trying to hash out progress on climate change on the edge of the Amazon in Belém, Brazil. I experienced the challenges of the United Nations COP30 climate talks firsthand. Delegates were hot and sweaty. Tech and aircon didn’t always work. Both flood and…
Uber in South Africa has launched its first fleet of electric vehicles. The roll-out has started in Johannesburg. There are currently 70 cars on the road, and 350 will be on the streets by the end of January. The Henrey Minicar 4-seater has been imported from China by Valternative Energy, which has partnered with Uber…
He said the continent stood at a historic inflexion point, where democratic fragility and data exploitation now converge with unprecedented prospects for renewal. Africa is approaching a decisive decade that will determine whether the continent shapes its own digital destiny or remains exposed to escalating democratic, developmental and data-governance vulnerabilities, the Chief Executive Officer of…
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, a broad alliance of governments, companies, Indigenous-peoples organisations and civil society announced the launch of the Scaling J-REDD+ Coalition, a global effort to accelerate jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) programmes, mobilise large-scale finance and channel it into forests, climate and livelihoods. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), J-REDD+ could mobilise…
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has paid tribute to Judge Leonora van den Heever who has passed away at the age of 99. Van den Heever was the first woman ever to serve as a judge in South Africa. “Known for her sharp wit, humanity, and rigorous legal mind, she transformed the…
Johannesburg — The much-anticipated first G20 Summit held on African soil concluded with world leaders adopting a sweeping declaration on the first day. This decision signals new momentum for global cooperation, despite the notable absence of U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentina’s opposition to the declaration. “This summit has taken place at a crucial moment,…
Africa NSAs also raised issue raised with the lack of commitments to address the primary driver of global warming: fossil fuels. PHOTO/UN. By PATRICK MAYOYO [email protected] As the 30th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30) came to an end in Belém, Brazil, African Non-State Actors (NSAs) have offered a measured response to the…
Vaccine alliance Gavi and children’s agency UNICEF have struck a new pricing deal that will sharply cut the cost of a key malaria vaccine and make it possible to protect nearly seven million additional children by 2030, the agencies announced on Sunday. Under the agreement, the price of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine will fall to $2.99…
