Vice President Jane Mayemu Ansah has called for reforms to electoral systems, political party structures and campaign financing to give women a fair chance to participate in political leadership across Africa. Speaking virtually at the inaugural High-Level Annual Conference on Gender and Elections in Africa in Johannesburg on Oct. 29, 2026, Ansah said democracy should…
The United Nations General Assembly backed a move toward world maps that show continents in their correct relative sizes, supporting an Africa-led campaign to reduce use of the Mercator projection. The resolution passed on September 4 with 164 countries voting in favor, 1 against and 6 abstaining. Togo led the proposal with support from the…
Nairobi — The United States was the lone country to reject an African-led campaign to change how the world is depicted on maps, as 164 countries backed a United Nations resolution promoting more geographically accurate projections. The vote at the UN General Assembly on Friday put Washington at odds with the overwhelming majority of member…
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the weekend adopted a resolution promoting the wider use of equal-area world maps, including the Equal Earth projection, in a move aimed at addressing long-standing distortions in the representation of Africa and other equatorial regions. The resolution, titled: “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable…
Telecoms industry executive Farhad Khan. In a country grappling with soaring crime rates, justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi recently held a pivotal meeting about fighting crime that has not received the kind of public attention it deserves. This gathering, which included police officials, the minister of Home Affairs, and senior telecoms industry players, highlighted the correlation…
Nairobi — President William Ruto has called on African nations to take greater control of their development financing and reduce reliance on foreign aid and unsustainable borrowing, saying the continent must assert its rightful place in global decision-making. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit on Tuesday, which brought together heads of state, including French President…
New York — With more than three weeks still to go to the end of the year, the number of journalists and media workers killed worldwide in 2025 already equals 2024’s record figures, data gathered by the Committee to Protect Journalists shows. Led by Israel’s attacks on journalists in Gaza, Iran, and Yemen, the number…
Biologists often form deep bonds with the species they study. For some, that relationship begins early in their careers and shapes decades of research. The connection can be personal, even affectionate, but it can also create tensions when others set their sights on the same species. In biology, certain plants and animals are considered “charismatic…
Awaza, Turkmenistan — Heads of State, ministers, investors and grassroots leaders are gathered in Awaza on Turkmenistan’s Caspian coast for a once-in-a-decade UN conference aimed at rewiring the global system in support of 32 landlocked developing countries whose economies are often ‘locked out’ of opportunity due to their lack of access to the sea. Geography…
The southern African country of about three million people is not only the continent’s top performer, but also the only African nation to break into the top 10 worldwide, a milestone fuelled by its unprecedented leadership configuration. Namibia is Africa’s most gender-equal economy, closing 81.1% of its gender gap and ranking eighth globally in the…
