Africa's Catholic hierarchy refuses same-sex blessings, says such unions are contrary to God's will
In the greatest rebuke yet to Pope Francis, the Catholic bishops of Africa and Madagascar have issued a unified statement refusing to follow his declaration allowing priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples.
African leaders to broach thorny issue of paying Russia for fertilizers in Kyiv and Moscow talks
A delegation of six African leaders set to hold talks with Kyiv and Moscow aim to โinitiate a peace processโ but also broach the thorny issue of how a heavily-sanctioned Russia can be paid for the fertilizer exports Africa desperately needs, a key mediator in the talks said.
African nations consider swapping debt for climate funding
African countries saddled with debt and ravaged by losses and damages from weather events like cyclones, drought and extreme temperatures have agreed to consider swapping debt to invest in climate action in a meeting of finance ministers in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
African activists cast doubt over climate talks' credibility
Climate activists in Africa are expressing anger toward the United Nations climate agency, accusing it of allowing corporations and individuals with dubious climate credentials to greenwash their polluting activities by participating in its annual climate conference.
As Africa's climate warms, rich countries pledge more funds
Rich countries said they will spend about $25 billion by 2025 to boost Africaโs efforts to adapt to climate change as the continent continues to struggle with drought, cyclones and extreme heat, according to officials at a summit in Rotterdam in the Netherlands on Monday.
Africaโs wildlife parks managers meet to boost conservation
Officials are meeting in Kigali in Rwanda this week as part of the continentโs first-ever Africa Protected Areas Congress in a bid to expand the protection of land and marine wildlife, despite little funding and the low quality of many existing conservation areas in the region.
Africa needs better weather warning systems, urge experts
Better climate-related research and early warning systems are needed as extreme weather โ from cyclones to drought โ continues to inflict the African continent, said Sudanese billionaire and philanthropist Mo Ibrahim, who heads up his own foundation.
Growing African mangrove forests aim to combat climate woes
In a bid to protect coastal communities from climate change and encourage investment, African nations are increasingly turning to mangrove restoration projects, with Mozambique becoming the latest addition to the growing list of countries with large scale mangrove initiatives.
UNHCR appeals to Italy not to impede migrants rescue boats
The head of the U.N. refugee agency says he has urged Italy not to unnecessarily impede NGOs that operate migrant rescue ships in the central Mediterranean, as warmer weather is expected to bring the usual seasonal uptick in the departure of smugglersโ boats from Libya.
Africa CDC says India vaccine woes could be 'catastrophic'
An AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is administered at the Ndirande Health Centre in Blantyre Malawi, Monday, March 29, 2021. Malawi is vaccinating health care workers, elderly and those with health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19, using the AstraZeneca doses that arrived early in March. COVAX has largely relied on distributing the AstraZeneca vaccine, because it is cheaper and only requires ordinary refrigeration. Nkengasong said it is not yet known what impact the uncertainty might have for scheduling second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in African countries. AdIf those 400 million people receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it would represent more than half the continent's goal of 750 million, Nkengasong said.
BLM in Italian Fashion campaign shows early tangible results
A digital runway show by five Italian fashion designers of African origin opens Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2020, one tangible result of a campaign launched last summer by the only Black Italian designer belonging to the Italian fashion chamber. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)MILAN โ A digital runway show by five Italian fashion designers of African origin opens Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday, one tangible result of a campaign launched last summer by the only Black Italian designer belonging to the Milan fashion chamber. โWhen you want to do something, you can do them immediately,โโ said Jean, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter in Italian Fashion campaign. The collaboration with the Italian fashion council will continue in September, when five new designers from Italyโs minority communities will be featured during fashion week. AdSteele said Black designers are also under-represented in the United States, despite the role that Black culture has had on inspiring fashion there.