Blinken's latest diplomatic trip will take him to Africa as crises continue to vex US foreign policy
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to visit four African countries as the Biden administration tries to keep its eyes on all corners of the world while being consumed by crises in Ukraine, the Mideast and the Red Sea.
A Spanish official says spotter planes are helping curtail the number of West African migrant boats
A senior Spanish official says the deployment of two Spanish surveillance planes to watch for migrant boats heading on the treacherous route from West Africa to Spainโs Canary Islands has enabled authorities to stop 59 canoes from Senegal and Gambia.
US military resumes drone flights and manned counterterrorism missions out of Niger bases
The top Air Force commander for Europe and Africa says the U.S. military has resumed counterterrorism missions in Niger, flying drones and other aircraft out of Niger air bases more than a month after a coup temporarily halted all those activities there.
A deadline arrives for Niger's junta to reinstate the president. Citizens cheer and fear what's next
The deadline has arrived for Nigerโs military junta to reinstate the countryโs ousted president, but the West Africa regional bloc that has threatened a military intervention faces prominent appeals to pursue more peaceful means.
UN says it's forced to cut food aid to millions globally because of a funding crisis
The United Nations says it has been forced to cut food, cash payments and assistance to millions of people in many countries because of โa crippling funding crisisโ that has seen its donations plummet by about half as acute hunger is hitting record levels.
Outbreaks from animals in Africa surge by 60% in last decade
The World Health Organization says that the number of outbreaks of diseases that jumped from animals to humans in Africa has increased by more than 60% in the last decade, a worrying sign the planet could face increased animal-borne diseases like monkeypox, Ebola and coronavirus in the future.
Canary Islands: More than 400 migrants rescued in Atlantic
Spanish rescuers have saved and disembarked more than 400 migrants and asylum seekers to the Canary Islands in the past two days as they attempted to reach the Atlantic Ocean archipelago from West Africa on overcrowded and often unsafe boats.
UN says Ebola in Guinea may be linked to 2014 outbreak
A top official at the World Health Organization has said on Friday, March 12, 2021 that a genetic analysis of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Guinea suggests it may have been sparked by a survivor of the devastating West Africa epidemic that ended five years ago. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, file)GENEVA โ A top official at the World Health Organization said that a genetic analysis of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Guinea suggests it may have been sparked by a survivor of the devastating West Africa epidemic that ended five years ago. But he added that based on the available genetic sequencing data, the current outbreak was unlikely to be linked to an animal โ which is how nearly all previous Ebola epidemics have begun. The rare possibility of Ebola spreading long after infection highlights the importance of monitoring survivors, and Ryan cautioned against their stigmatization. The Ebola outbreak that swept across West Africa from 2014 to 2016 ultimately killed more than 11,000 people.
Mali junta faces deadline for naming civilian leader
ABURI โ Mali's military rulers face a regional deadline for naming a civilian interim leader Tuesday, as the junta meet with West Africa leaders who maintain that new elections must be held within a year. The 15-nation regional bloc known as ECOWAS had issued the ultimatum to Mali's military leaders after they initially proposed remaining in power for three more years. However, the political opposition made clear it would accept nothing short of his ouster, and mutinous soldiers capitalized on Keita's unpopularity when they launched the Aug. 18 coup. Deep divisions have emerged in the weeks since between the opposition coalition and the junta leaders. Over the weekend, the opposition publicly criticized the junta for saying that the country's interim leader didn't have to be a civilian.
2 tropical storms, Paulette and Rene, form in the Atlantic
MIAMI Tropical Storm Rene was menacing the Cabo Verde islands on Tuesday after forming off the coast of West Africa. The Atlantics earliest known 17th named storm, Rene breaks the previous record of Rita, which formed Sept. 18, 2005. It was one of two storms that formed Monday; Tropical Storm Paulette took shape earlier in the day in the central Atlantic, far from land. Rene was centered about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south-southeast of Santo Antao with top sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kmh), and moving west at about 15 mph (24 kmh). Paulette, meanwhile, had maximum sustained winds were 50 mph (85 kph) with modest strengthening expected over the next few days.
French troops stay in Mali after coup, no end in sight
FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2019 file photo, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the president of Mali the country at the center of the battle against Islamist extremists was ousted last week in a coup detat. Operation Barkhane ... continues, French Defense Minister Florence Parly tweeted last week, after the bloodless coup in Mali by a clutch of military officers who detained Keita and his prime minister. France has 600 million euros ($708 million) in aid projects underway in Mali alone, according to the French Development Agency official in charge of Mali, Nicolas Mora. The French goal is to stabilize Mali and then allow troops of the region to take over.
Uber begins pilot phase of its boat service in Nigeria
CNNMoney(CNN) - As part of its expansion plans into Africa, global ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies launched a pilot test of their taxi boat service on Friday in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub. To attract customers who want to avoid the city's frequently congested roads, Uber will operate a two-week pilot phase of the boat service in conjunction with the Lagos State Water Authority (LASWA) and local boat operators, Texas Connection Ferries. The launch of the UberBOAT service comes four months after Uber's global head of business development, Brookes Entwistle, said the company was looking to gain more ground on the continent. The service will be available only on weekdays for the next two weeks and will cost 500 naira ($1.30) per trip. "The last couple of years have seen the Lagos State Government commit to building up infrastructure that supports multi-modal transportation, which includes water transport," he said.