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Category: Africa

Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent. At about 30.3 million km² (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers six per cent of Earth’s total surface area and 20.4 per cent of its total land area. With 1.1 billion people as of 2013, it accounts for about 15% of the world’s human population.[1] The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition.

Africa’s population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4.[6] Algeria is Africa’s largest country by area, and Nigeria by population. Africa, particularly central Eastern Africa, is widely accepted as the place of origin of humans and the Hominidae clade (great apes), as evidenced by the discovery of the earliest hominids and their ancestors, as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago, including Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Australopithecus africanus, A. afarensis, Homo erectus, H. habilis and H. ergaster – with the earliest Homo sapiens (modern human) found in Ethiopia being dated to circa 200,000 years ago. Africa straddles the equator and encompasses numerous climate areas; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones.

Africa hosts a large diversity of ethnicities, cultures and languages. In the late 19th century European countries colonized most of Africa. Most present states in Africa originate from a process of decolonization in the 20th century.

Africa 

Sudan: Protests in Khartoum over price-spiking petrol subsidy removal

Village Reporter, 0 comment

Tyres burned in blockades along the streets of Khartoum Thursday in protest of the Sudanese government’s decision — in line with reforms to make the country eligible for an IMF debt relief initiative, to remove subsidies on petrol and diesel resulting in their respective prices more than doubling. The demonstrations were in response to a call the day before by an influential trade union group that had spearheaded mass protests leading to Omar al-Bashir’s ouster. “We call on protesters to take to the streets now and daily until these unjust…

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Africa 

Clashes in Tunis as police try to break up protest

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Last updated: 9 hours ago Violent clashes broke out Saturday between Tunisian security forces and hundreds of young protesters who took to the streets of central Tunis to demonstrate against a spike in police brutality in Tunisia’s working-class neighbourhoods. In footage from the capital, protesters were seen throwing sticks, chairs and water bottles at security forces who in turn fired tear gas and roughly detained several people. Saturday’s rally followed three consecutive nights of clashes after a young man was killed “in suspicious circumstances” in the Sidi Hassine Sijoumi area…

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Africa Featured West Africa World 

African countries urged to develop child online protection policies

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– Advertisement – Speakers at the just ended first ever Africa Week of Action for Child Online Protection (AWA4COP) symposium have urged African countries to take seriously the issue of protecting children online. The symposium was part of the inaugural campaign aimed at urging African countries to consider Child Online Protection Guidelines to develop inclusive, multi-stakeholder national strategies for online child protection. The campaign was held under theme, Make Child Online Protection Visible. One of the lead speakers for the event held on June 11, Burkina Faso’s minister for digital economy…

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Africa 

Massive damage to Syrian hospital after shelling

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Last updated: 3 hours ago Shelling of the rebel-held city of Afrin in northern Syria killed at least 18 people on Saturday, many of them when a hospital was hit, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a doctor, three hospital staff, two women and two children died at Al-Shifaa hospital in the city which is held by Turkish-backed rebels. A rebel commander also died at the hospital, the Observatory said, adding that 23 people were injured. The artillery fire originated from northern Aleppo province “where…

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Africa 

European football split over the act of kneeling

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It’s a gesture that has stirred some controversy in the European football tournament. Taking a knee to protest against racism, and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. A move done by members of the England national team just before they won 1-0 in their opening game against Croatia. If 3 Lions supporters at Wembley stadium clapped, many were scared at a possible strong reaction from the fans to the symbolic gesture. England’s left-back Luke Shaw was very clear in a press conference earlier this week: when asked whether…

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Africa Central Africa World 

Why Patrice Lumumba’s tooth is yet to return to DR Congo

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , 0 comment

In September 2020, the family of the Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba received news of taking in the tooth taken from his corpse. A court in Belgium had ruled that the tooth should be returned to Lumumba’s family. Lumumba’s tooth was believed to have been taken by a Belgian policeman who was helping to dispose of the body. The tooth was seized by authorities in 2016 as part of an investigation by federal public prosecutors on Lumumba’s death. The court in Belgium said that the tooth should be given to Lumumba’s…

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Leaders Malawi 

By Now Peter Mutharika is saying “I told you so” – Idriss Nassar

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By Idriss Nassar Betrayal is when those that came to power through a revolution suddenly embrace and become comfortable in what they (seemingly) vehemently opposed not too long ago—grand theft, corruption, looting, cronyism, love of power for power’s sake, unexplained sudden wealth, primitive accumulation, hostility and intolerance toward opposing views, state capture by a coterie of dubious characters, hero worshipping, sponsored mobs of zigoba. Yet the revolution that brought about the Tonse Alliance government into power was not all about party or tribal identity. It was propelled by a broad…

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Malawi Opinions 

Chakwera is leader without substance, presiding over a yet another corrupt Malawian regime – Professor Danwood M Chirwa

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Opinion by Professor Danwood M Chirwa The emerging revelations around NOCMA oil procurement scandal are deeply shocking but not unexpected.  NOCMA’s de facto CEO’s meticulous account and documentation of the interference by political agents in the procurement process brings to light the anatomy of corruption in Malawi. It shows that parastatals are not independent and the invidious position that management and boards of these parastatals find themselves in. It is either they comply and submit or get hounded out. The schematic structure of corruption is the same, from the old…

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Africa 

Adesanya beats Vettori to defend middleweight title at UFC 263

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Israel Adesanya dominated Vettori at UFC 263 Saturday night, earning a unanimous decision to remain undefeated in the middleweight division. The crafty UFC middleweight star left no doubt in the rematch, pummeling Vettori with a flurry of kicks to the head and legs to defend his title. Adesanya (21-1) kept out of reach from Vettori’s powerful punches most of the night and used his feet effectively, keeping the Italian fighter off balance. The Nigeria-born New Zealander won 50-45 on all three judges’ scorecards in the third full-capacity UFC event. “I’m…

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Africa 

World celebrates 7th International Albinism Awareness Day

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This June 13th marks the 7th International Albinism Awareness Day. An International event aiming at ending violence and discrimination against people with albinism. This year’s theme, “Strength Beyond All Odds”, highlights achievements of people living with albinism around the world. According to the UN, 1 person in 20 000 lives with the condition, most of them in the Sub-Saharan Africa. But over the past decade, hundreds of cases of attacks and killings were documented in at least 28 countries south of the Sahara. In countries like Zimbabwe, Tanzania or Mozambique,…

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