Author: BBC

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is on a historic visit to South Africa, signalling a dramatic improvement in the once-strained relations between the two nations. The visit marks a diplomatic breakthrough for the Ukrainian leader in his efforts to counter Russia’s strong – and growing – influence in Africa. “I’m sure that Russia will be annoyed […]

In a stark warning, the head of the UN’s food aid agency in Ethiopia has said millions in the country are “one shock away from falling into a catastrophe”. Zlatan Milišić’s statement came as he announced that because of a lack of funding the World Food Programme (WFP ) “is being forced to halt treatment” […]

Ivory Coast’s main opposition leader has been removed from the electoral roll by the judiciary which says he is ineligible to run in October’s presidential election. Tidjane Thiam renounced his French citizenship in order to run for president, but a court argued on Thursday that the former Credit Suisse boss forfeited his Ivory Coast nationality […]

If the sole predictor of who would become the next Pope was where the Catholic Church is growing fastest, then it is almost certain he would hail from Africa. The continent’s Catholic population is expanding more rapidly than anywhere else, representing more than half of the global increase. While there have been at least three […]

Ghanaian President John Mahama has suspended the country’s Supreme Court chief justice – a move that marks a first in the country’s history. An investigation has been launched and three undisclosed petitions have been filed making allegations against Gertrude Torkornoo, calling for her permanent removal. Chief justices in Ghana enjoy security of tenure – meaning […]

Megan Dixon was 13 years old when she started feeling unwell. By 16, her health had deteriorated to such an extent that she was taken to hospital after losing the ability to speak. Doctors believed she may have had a stroke. She had only been due to remain there for four days for tests, but […]

Films made with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) will be able to win top awards at the Oscars, according to its organisers. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued new rules on Monday which said the use of AI and other digital tools would “neither help nor harm the chances of achieving […]

The US Commerce Department has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar panels from four South East Asian countries. It comes after an investigation that began a year ago when several major solar equipment producers asked the administration of then-President Joe Biden to protect their US operations. The proposed […]

Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration claiming that its freezing of federal grants worth billions of dollars is unlawful. Its president, Alan M Garber, announced the action on Monday in a letter to the university community which said the $2bn funding freeze would hamper critical disease research. Harvard, the world’s richest […]

When the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, left Argentina’s capital to participate in the Vatican conclave to elect Pope Benedict XVI’s successor, he did not know it would be the last time he would see his hometown. The fact that Pope Francis never returned to his country after becoming the pontiff left […]