Pope Leo XIV on Monday begins his most ambitious trip since becoming head of the Catholic Church, travelling across four African countries with a focus on peace, inequality and interfaith dialogue. The 70-year-old will cover more than 18,000 kilometres across Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea – delivering 11 speeches and presiding over seven masses before returning on 23 April. Follow…
Cassava is a starchy, tuberous root, introduced to sub-Saharan Africa by Portuguese traders centuries ago. It is a nutrition lifeboat for over 800 million people worldwide. Sub-saharan Africa contributes over 63% of the world’s total cassava production. Nigeria alone grows over 20% of the world’s cassava, which is also the continent’s second most important staple…
Naivasha — The 2026 WRC Safari Rally revved off today morning (Thursday) in Naivasha with Belgian driver Thierry Neuville setting the pace after topping the times in shakedown as crews prepared for what is widely expected to be another brutal run. The Belgian, making his 185th start to move past Sébastien Loeb on the WRC’s…
Standing in front of an awkward-looking Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and the other stars of the Inter Miami soccer team on Thursday, Trump told the team’s owner, Cuban-born magnate Jorge Mas, that they would soon be “celebrating what’s going on in Cuba”, adding that the Cuban authorities “want to make a deal. So badly you…
BEIJING — China announced its lowest growth target in 35 years Thursday as the world’s second-biggest economy struggles with challenges at home and growing uncertainty around the world. This year, China will aim for gross domestic product growth of 4.5% to 5% “while striving for better in practice,” Premier Li Qiang, China’s No. 2 official,…
Xi Jinping, China’s president, center, attends the opening session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images China on Thursday set its GDP growth target for 2026 at 4.5% to 5% — the lowest…
People often think of a heatwave as a temporary event, a brutal week of sun that eventually breaks with a cool breeze. But as the climate changes globally, in parts of Africa, that level of heat is becoming a permanent part of the weather. Research shows Africa’s exposure to dangerous heat is rising rapidly. Until…
For the first time ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) is providing recommendations for healthy and nutritious food in schools around the world. The UN agency’s new global guidance on evidence-based policies and interventions shows that healthy food in schools can help children develop healthy dietary habits for life. “The food children eat at school,…
As the world shifts to clean energy, minerals such as lithium, cobalt and manganese have become as important as oil once was. Africa holds large reserves of these critical minerals. Yet they are mostly exported as raw materials, returning as expensive green technologies made in factories overseas. South Africa’s G20 presidency set up a new…
“Sinners” made good. Ryan Coogler’s vampire tale leads the pack of contenders for the 98th Academy Awards with 16 total nominations, including best picture, setting a record for the most in Oscar history. “Sinners” crushed the previous record of 14 nominations held by “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997) and “La La Land” (2016). Coogler…
