DEFENCE

• Launch of two indigenous frontline warships.
• Successful maiden flight-test of indigenously-developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile.
• Indigenisation of defence items with the Industry in full swing.
• Indian Navy-Bangladesh Navy Coordinated Patrol.
• Prime Minister’s participation in the Quad Leaders’ Summit.
• Prime Minister’s meeting with President of the United States of America.
• Prime Minister’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit.
• Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister of Japan.
• 11th meeting of India-UAE Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC).
• Raksha Mantri inaugurated the three-day 39th Commanders’ Conference of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• MoD signs over Rs 2,900 crore contract with BDL for procurement of ASTRA Mk I Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile System.
• 24th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

West Asia

• US sanctioned Iran’s IRGC and Hizbu’llah’s oil smuggling network.
• “Al-Aqsa violation ‘will blow apart region’”: Hizbu’llah’s chief Nasrallah
• US Department of State removed five organisations from terrorist blacklist.

Africa

Nigeria

• Boko Haram terrorists killed at least 50 people in an attack in Borno State.

Afghanistan

• “Afghan govt acting as mediator between Pakistan and TTP”: Taliban spokesman Mujahid.

“India should not retain ties with former Afghanistan rulers”: Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• NIA Special Court (New Delhi) pronounced sentence in ‘Hurriyat Terror Funding’ case.
• Security forces eliminated three JeM terrorists in Baramulla.
• Security forces cracked a module and arrested eight JeM OGWs from Pulwama.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Maoist couple surrendered in Chhattisgarh.

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

• NIA filed chargesheet against an accused in ‘Ansarullah’ case.
• Sufi Islamic Board claimed ‘PFI part of al-Qa’ida’ and reiterated demand to ban the PFI.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• “Pro-Khalistan group member involved in the ‘bomb near Chandigarh Model jail’ incident”: Police
• “Pakistan’s ISI instructed Khalistani OGWs to target railway tracks in Punjab and other States”: Indian intelligence agencies.

Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) cases

• NIA Special Court (Kolkata) convicted and sentenced three FICN traffickers in ‘FICN seizure in Farakka’ case.

DEFENCE

Launch of two indigenous frontline warships.

Raksha Mantri (RM) launched two frontline warships of the Indian Navy – ‘Surat’ and ‘Udaygiri’ – at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL), Mumbai on May 17, 2022. ‘Surat’ is the fourth Guided Missile Destroyer of P15B class, while ‘Udaygiri’ is the second Stealth Frigate of P17A class. Both warships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built at MDL, Mumbai.
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Successful maiden flight-test of indigenously-developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully conducted maiden flight-test of indigenously-developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile launched from a Naval Helicopter.
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Indigenisation of defence items with the Industry in full swing.

Ministry of Defence has intensified the drive for indigenisation of defence items by its DPSUs andthe progress is being reviewed on weekly basis by Defence Secretary.A comprehensive user-friendly ‘Dashboard’ on its SRIJAN Portal has been developed to monitor the status of progress of indigenisation. This dashboard enables real-time end-to-end updates of various activities being taken up by the respective DPSUs during the process of indigenisation. It may be mentioned that DDP had notified two Positive Indigenisation Lists in December 2021 and March 2022 in respect of DPSUs. The first list contains 2,851 items, out of which 2,500 items are already indigenised and 351 items are being indigenized.The second report notified 107 major Line Replacement Units/Sub-systems for indigenisation. Out of 107 items, DPSUs have already issued Expression of Interest (EoIs) for 98 items and the action is on for issuing EoIs for remaining nine items. Out of the 98 EoIs, 28 cases have already progressed in next stages and 70 EoIs are in active stage.
Reference: Click here to read…

Indian Navy-Bangladesh Navy Coordinated Patrol.

The fourth edition of the Indian Navy-Bangladesh Navy Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) commenced in the Northern Bay of Bengal on 22 May 22. Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy units will undertake joint patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) till 23 May 22.

In addition the third edition of Indian Navy (IN) – Bangladesh Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise ‘Bongosagar’ commenced at Port Mongla, Bangladesh on 24 May 22. The Harbour Phase of exercise is scheduled from 24-25 May which will be followed by a Sea Phase in the Northern Bay of Bengal from 26-27 May.
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Prime Minister’s participation in the Quad Leaders’ Summit.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the second in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo, Japan on 24 May 2022. This was the fourth interaction of the Leaders since their first virtual meeting in March 2021, the Summit in Washington D.C in September 2021 and their virtual interaction in March 2022. The Leaders reiterated their shared commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and the importance of upholding theprinciples of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes. They exchanged perspectives on developments in the Indo-Pacific and the conflict in Europe. Prime Minister highlighted India’s consistent and principled position on the need for cessation of hostilities, resumption of dialogue and diplomacy. The Leaders also took stock of ongoing Quad collaboration and their vision for the future.

Key aspects of terrorism, Covid management, environment, Maritime domain awareness, ASEAN centrality, HADR, critical technology supply chains, and critical cyber security infrastructure of the region were also discussed. The Leaders agreed to continue their dialogue and consultations and look forward to the next Summit hosted by Australia in 2023.
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Prime Minister’s meeting with President of the United States of America.

The Indian Prime Minister had a warm and productive meeting with the President of the United States of America, on 24 May 2022, in Tokyo. The meeting resulted in substantive outcomes which will add depth and momentum to the bilateral partnership.

The two Leaders welcomed the signing of the Investment Incentive Agreement which enables the US Development Finance Corporation to continue providing investment support in India in sectors of shared priority such as healthcare, renewable energy, SMEs, infrastructure etc. Both sides launched an India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) to facilitate outcome-oriented cooperation. Co-led by the National Security Council Secretariat in India and the U.S. National Security Council, iCET would forge closer linkages between government, academia and industry of the two countries in areas such as AI, quantum computing, 5G/6G, biotech, space and semiconductors.Noting that defence and security cooperation is a crucial pillar of the India-US bilateral agenda, both sides discussed how they can further strengthen collaboration. In this context Prime Minister invited the US industry to partner with India to manufacture in India under the Make in India and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India programmes which can be of mutual benefit to both countries.
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Prime Minister’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit.

The Indian Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister on 24 May 2022 on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo, Japan.
Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Albanese for his election victory. Both leaders reviewed the multi-faceted cooperation under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including in trade & investment, defence manufacturing, renewable energy including green hydrogen, education, science and technology, agricultural research, sports and people-to-people ties.
Reference: Click here to read…

Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister of Japan.

The Indian Prime Minister had a warm and productive meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, on 24 May 2022. The two leaders agreed to further enhance bilateral security and defence cooperation, including in the area of defence manufacturing. They concurred that the next 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting may be held in Japan at the earliest.
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11th meeting of India-UAE Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC).

Chief of the Force Development Authority at Ministry of Defence, United Arab Emirates Major General Staff Hassan Mohamed Sultan Bani Hammad called on Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar in New Delhi on May 25, 2022. They discussed ways to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries. The General also briefed the Defence Secretary about the 11th meeting of India-UAE Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) held on May 24, 2022.
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Raksha Mantri inaugurated the three-day 39th Commanders’ Conference of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

RM inaugurated the three-day 39th Commanders’ Conference of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). In his address to the gathering he said “Terrorism, drug trafficking and piracy are some non-traditional challenges in front of us today. The entire region is being affected by these challenges. Being a responsible maritime power, we have a clear interest to create a rule-based, peaceful and stable environment. Such a rule based environment is essential for both regional and global prosperity. In such a situation, the ICG has a big role to play.” He praised the ICG for playing an incomparable role in assisting the civil administration during natural calamities as well as towards achieving the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
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MoD signs over Rs 2,900 crore contract with BDL for procurement of ASTRA Mk I Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile System.

Ministry of Defence, on May 31, 2022, signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for supply of ASTRA MK-I Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile (AAM) and associated equipment for the Indian Air Force & Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 2,971 crore under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.The missile, for which successful trials have already been undertaken by the IAF, is fully integrated on the Su 30 MK-I fighter aircraft & will be integrated with other fighter aircraft in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas). The Indian Navy will integrate the missile on the MiG 29K fighter aircraft.
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24th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.

The 24th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 31 May 2022. The two sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector in Eastern Ladakh. They agreed that as instructed by the two Foreign Ministers, both sides should continue the discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC at the earliest so as to create conditions for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. In this context, they agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols.
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INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

West Asia

US sanctioned Iran’s IRGC and Hizbu’llah’s oil smuggling network

On 25 May 2022, the United States’ Department of Treasury imposed new sanctions against a list of Iranian, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Emirati, and Lebanese citizens and business entities for their alleged linkages with an oil smuggling network which further provide funding for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGCs) and Hizbu’llah.
“The network was led by current and former Quds force members, along with senior officials from Russian government. The group also included backing of Chinese companies and a former Afghan diplomat’s involvement and had raised hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran’s Quds force and its Lebanese allies Hizbu’llah,” read the statement released by the US Department of Treasury.
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“Al-Aqsa violation ‘will blow apart region’”: Hizbu’llah’s chief Nasrallah

On 25May 2022, ahead of ‘Jerusalem Day Flag March’, Hizbu’llah chief Hassan Nasrallah issued a warning that if Israel ‘violates’ al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, it will result in an ‘explosion’ in the region.
The Flag March consist of thousands of ‘hard-line’ Israeli nationalists who march through Old City’s Muslim quarter to reach the Western Wall to mark the anniversary of the city’s unification in 1967. “I want to tell the enemy’s [Israel] government… and those concerned with the regional situation. Any violation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock will blow apart the region. It will provoke all the Arab and Islamic people and every free person,” said Hizbu’llah’s Nasrallah.
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US Department of State removed five organisations from terrorist blacklist

On 20 May 2022, the United States (US) Department of State removed five extremist/terrorist organisations— i) Basque Separatist Group ETA (Spain), ii) AumShinrikyo (Japanese terror group), iii) Kahane Kach (Israeli radical group), and two Islamic terror groups that have been active in Israel, the Palestinian territory and Egypt, from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs). All these groups are believed to be defunct.
In a notice published in the Federal Register, the US Department of State removed these groups after a mandatory five-year review of their designations. “These revocations do not seek to overlook or excuse the terrorist acts each of these groups previously engaged in or the harm the organisations caused its victims, but rather recognize the success Egypt, Israel, Japan, and Spain have had in defusing the threat of terrorism by these groups,” read the statement released by the Department of State.
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Africa

Nigeria

Boko Haram terrorists killed at least 50 people in an attack in Borno State

On 22 May 2022, Boko Haram terrorists carried out an attack in the town of Rann in Borno State in Nigeria, and killed at least 50 people. “We are all in pain over the killing of our innocent people who were working on their farmland. … We buried 50 people today in Rann. They were clearing their farmlands ahead of the rainy season, while others went for firewood,” said a local farmer— Harun Tom.
Since 2009, Boko Haram carrying out terror attacks in Nigeria’s North-East and Borno State. Millions have been displaced and around 350,000 people have died from attacks, according to the data from the United Nations (UN).
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Afghanistan

“Afghan govt acting as mediator between Pakistan and TTP”: Taliban spokesman Mujahid.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that Taliban-led Afghan government is playing the role of a mediator in the ongoing talks between the Pakistan government and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror group, which demanded the release of 30 key TTP commanders detained by Pakistan authorities.
The TTP delegates handed-over a list of 30 key TTP commanders to Pakistani authorities, to which they received positive response.
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“India should not retain ties with former Afghanistan rulers”: Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen

In an interview with The Print, the Head of Taliban’s Political Office in Doha and spokesperson— Suhail Shaheen said that “India should establish ties— based on national and mutual interest with the Taliban government in Kabul and sever all links with the former Ashraf Ghani government.” Suhail added that India must think of having deeper ties with the ‘people of Afghanistan’ and must re-open its embassy in Kabul. Taliban was committed to provide complete security assurance to the Indian diplomats in Afghanistan.
“We [Taliban] have announced time and again that it is our commitment to provide security to all diplomats working in Kabul. It is our responsibility and we have proved that. There are many embassies working in Kabul and we have provided full security to them. That also includes India if they want to open their embassy,” said Suhail Shaheen.
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DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

NIA Special Court (New Delhi) pronounced sentence in ‘Hurriyat Terror Funding’ case

On 25 May 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, New Delhi, marked sentence convicting terrorists under various Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA (P)A] and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorist— Yasin Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment and fine under Sections 120-B, 121, 121-A of the IPC, Sections 13 r/w 120-B of IPC, 15 r/w 120-B of the IPC, 17, 18, 20, 38, and 39 of the UA(P)A.

The case— RC-10/2017/NIA/DLI pertains to the conspiracy of Hafiz Saeed and members of Hurriyat Conference, who acted with terrorists of banned organisations, including Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM), Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and other groups, to raise, receive funds domestically and internationally through illegal channels, including Hawala, for funding terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
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Security forces eliminated three JeM terrorists in Baramulla

On 25 May 2022, security forces killed three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists at Najibhat crossing in Kreeri area of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). During the gun-battle with terrorists, a constable of J&K police— Mudasir Khan attained Veergati. Security forces recovered incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, from the operation site.
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Security forces cracked a module and arrested eight JeM OGWs from Pulwama

Security forces, including Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police, cracked a module and arrested eight Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) Over-Ground Workers (OGWs)— i) Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, ii) Ishfaq Ahmad Dar, iii) Manzoor Ahmad Dar, iv) Fayaz Ahmad Rather, v) Shabir Ahmed Rather, vi) Mohammad Latief Rather, vii) Sheeraz Ahmad Mir, and viii) Waseem Ahmad Bhat, from Awantipora in Pulwama district.
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Left-Wing Extremism

Maoist couple surrendered in Chhattisgarh

On 17 May 2022, a Maoist couple— Hurra Kunjam and his wife Budhari Madvi, surrendered before security forces in Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh. The couple was involved in several attacks and together carrying a reward of ₹ 7 lakh. “The couple expressed their disappointment with the hollow Maoist ideology and exploitation of lower-rung cadres by senior Maoist members,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) [Dantewada] — Siddharth Tiwari.
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Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

NIA filed chargesheet against an accused in ‘Ansarullah’ case.

On 25 May 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a supplementary chargesheet against Divan Mujipeer aka Divan, under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A].

The case— RC-16/2019/NIA/DLI relates to the conspiracy hatched by Divan and his associates who had pledged to al-Qa’ida and Islamic State (IS) and had formed a module— Ansarullah, while being resident in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The investigation revealed that Divan and other accused— Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Sheikh Maitheen, Meeran Ghani, and Gulam Nabi Asath, formed Ansarullah cell in the UAE with intentions to establish Islamic caliphate in India, mainly in Tamil Nadu, through jihad.
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Sufi Islamic Board claimed ‘PFI part of al-Qa’ida’ and reiterated demand to ban the PFI.

The Sufi Islamic Board in India claimed that the radical outfit— Popular Front of India (PFI) is operating on direction of al-Qa’ida. “The PFI has been involved in several anti-India activities. After al-Qa’ida’s death threat to the Sufi Islamic Board, it is evident that the PFI is a part of al-Qa’ida. We (the Board) appeal to the Central government to ban PFI and take stringent action against the extremist organisation (PFI),” said the Sufi Islamic Board spokesperson Kashish Warsi.
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Khalistan-inspired Extremism

“Pro-Khalistan group member involved in the ‘bomb near Chandigarh Model jail’ incident”: Police.

The police investigation into the case of recovery of a bomb near Chandigarh Model jail in Sector 51, in April 2022, has revealed the involvement of Jaswinder Singh Multani— a Sikh For Justice (SFJ) member. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take over the case. Multani (45 years-old) was also the mastermind of the 2021 Ludhiana court blast case and was arrested in Germany in December 2021.

Along with his associates in Pakistan, Multani was involved in radicalising Sikh youth and conspiring attacks in Delhi and Mumbai as well.
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“Pakistan’s ISI instructed Khalistani OGWs to target railway tracks in Punjab and other States”: Indian intelligence agencies.

According to the Indian intelligence officials, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate has instructed Khalistani Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) to target railway tracks in Punjab. For the purpose, the ISI has been offering huge funding to OGWs with coordination from Khalistani terrorist— Harvinder Singh Rinda, who is hiding in Lahore, Pakistan.
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Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) cases

NIA Special Court (Kolkata) convicted and sentenced three FICN traffickers in ‘FICN seizure in Farakka’ case.

On 21 May 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Kolkata, convicted and sentenced three Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) traffickers— i) Jakir S K, ii) Bapi Ghosh, and iii) Mohammad Jamiul S K, under Sections 120-B, 489-B, 489-C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and awarded 05 years rigorous imprisonment and fine of ₹ 10,000 to each trafficker.

The case— RC-10/2019/NIA/DLI is related to the recovery of FICNs worth of ₹ 7,00,000 (7 lacs) in denomination of ₹ 2,000 (300 counts), and ₹ 500 (200 counts) from the possession of Jakir S K and Bapi Ghosh by West Bengal police at Ballalpur Belly bridge, Murshidabad district, West Bengal.
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China’s Tianjin appoints acting mayor: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

Zhang Gong was appointed deputy mayor and acting mayor of north China’s Tianjin Municipality on Tuesday. The appointment was made at the 34th session of the Standing Committee of the 17th Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress. Click here to read…

Xi stresses efforts to promote children’s healthy, all-round development: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed efforts to promote the healthy and all-round development of children and extended festive greetings to children across the country ahead of the International Children’s Day which falls on June 1. Click here to read…

Xi congratulates China Soong Ching Ling Foundation over 40th anniversary: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) over the 40th anniversary of its founding. In the letter, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the foundation to make new and greater contributions to the promotion of solidarity of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad. Click here to read…

U.S. urged to stop fabricating, spreading lies and rumors to smear China: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday urged the United States to stop fabricating and spreading lies and rumors of all kinds to smear and denigrate China, and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs in the name of so-called human rights issues. Click here to read…

Chinese FM stresses cooperation over competition in Sino-U.S. relations: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech here via video at a symposium named “Kissinger and China-U.S. Relations” on Tuesday to express his opinion on the right path of bilateral relations. Click here to read…

China relaxes restrictions, cuts taxes to boost auto sales: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

China will halve the purchase tax for eligible passenger vehicles and ease restrictions to spur auto sales and underpin consumption, authorities said. The country will slash the purchase tax by half for passenger cars under 300,000 yuan (about 45,040 U.S. dollars) with engine displacements within 2 liters purchased between June 1 and Dec. 31 this year, said a notice jointly released by the Ministry of Finance and the State Tax Administration Tuesday. Click here to read…

Chinese scientists reveal human impact on extreme precipitation: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

Human activities may increase extreme precipitation events, according to a study recently published in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. The study was conducted by a research team from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Click here to read…

Shanghai’s largest temporary COVID-19 hospital closes: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

The largest temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients in Shanghai during the latest resurgence of infections was closed on Tuesday. The hospital, which was set up in the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), started to receive patients on April 9. More than 174,000 patients in the megacity received treatment there during the outbreak. Click here to read…

China issues guideline on disinfection procedures amid epidemic: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

Chinese health authorities on Tuesday issued a set of disinfection procedures, banning any “simplistic or unmannerly” conduct of disinfectant workers while spraying disinfectant in the homes of coronavirus-infected people. Click here to read…

China to intensify efforts in improving rural transport infrastructure: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

China is planning to increase its efforts to improve transport infrastructure in rural areas this year, the country’s Vice Minister of Transport Zhao Chongjiu said Tuesday. China will complete the reconstruction of an extra 30,000 km of rural highways this year, bringing the total annual reconstruction goal to 150,000 km, Zhao told a press conference. Click here to read…

Shanghai rolls out measures to boost tourism: Xinhuanet

May 31, 2022

The Shanghai municipal government Tuesday released new measures to promote the recovery and development of tourism, the third year in a row that the city has introduced such measures. Click here to read…

Firefighting seaplane makes debut flight in Zhuhai: China Daily

May 31, 2022

The fire-extinguishing variant of China’s AG600 seaplane carried out its first flight in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on Tuesday morning, according to the Aviation Industry Corp of China. The State-owned aircraft maker said in a release that the plane was piloted by a four-member crew and took off from the Zhuhai Jinwan Airport at 10:55 am. It flew for 20 minutes before returning to the airport. Click here to read…

Air-inflated testing lab built in Beijing’s Fangshan district: China Daily

May 31, 2022

Beijing has completed the construction of an air-inflated testing lab in Fangshan district, covering an area of 4,000 square meters, which will have a daily testing capacity of 100,000 tubes of samples, including for nucleic acid tests, according to the official WeChat account of Fangshan district on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Chinese Defense Minister to attend Shangri-La Dialogue; throws possibility of a meeting with US defense chief into spotlight: Global Times

May 31, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in early June, the ministry announced Tuesday. With speculation rising over the possibility of a first in-person meeting between Wei and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the event amid tensions across the Taiwan Straits, Chinese experts said on Tuesday that both sides should keep communicating, despite low expectations for a tangible result. Click here to read…

PLA sends 30 warplanes near Taiwan island amid US senator visit, carrier drills: Global Times

May 31, 2022

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly dispatched 30 warplanes to the vicinity of the island of Taiwan on Monday, the same day a US senator arrived on the island for a surprise visit, and also at the same time the US Navy was holding dual carrier drills not far away from the region. Click here to read…

Shanghai-based shipyard in full swing as Omicron abates, ‘ready for launch of 3rd aircraft carrier’: Global Times

May 31, 2022

In a significant achievement of work resumption after the latest COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai, the Jiangnan Shipyard on Monday launched three new ships and readied two ships for the next stage of construction, with the shipbuilder vowing to make up for lost time and complete all production missions on time. Click here to read…

China rolls out 33 detailed measures to boost growth; major rebound expected in Q3: Global Times

May 31, 2022

China has mounted a full-fledged battle to stabilize its economy, as all levels of governments – from the State Council, the cabinet to ministries to local governments – raced to implement a sweeping set of 33 measures aimed at tackling specific challenges and keep economic operations within in reasonable range, according to an official notice on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Chinese apparel brand JNBY fined 800,000 yuan for using incorrect national map: Global Times

May 31, 2022

Chinese clothing brand JNBY was fined 800,000 yuan ($120,140) by the market supervisor for using an incorrect national map on its official website, according to an administrative penalty record shown on business information site Tianyancha. Click here to read…

China vows new financial tools to support drive to carbon neutrality: Reuters

May 31, 2022

China’s government said it will expand its range of financial tools and make greater use of fiscal and taxation policies to support the shift towards carbon neutrality. China aims to create a basic financial policy framework by 2030 to support green and low-carbon development, and will also aim to give more play to market mechanisms like carbon and pollution discharge trading, according to policy recommendations from the Ministry of Finance published late on Monday. Click here to read…

China announces detailed stimulus measures to support virus-hit economy: Reuters

May 31, 2022

China’s cabinet announced a package of 33 measures covering fiscal, financial, investment and industrial policies on Tuesday to revive its pandemic-ravaged economy, adding it will inspect how provincial governments implement them. Click here to read…

U.S. investigates Chinese companies over export sanction issues: Reuters

June 1, 2022

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Tuesday the Biden administration is actively considering adding new Chinese companies to the government’s economic blacklist as it investigates what it calls efforts by China to evade U.S. sanctions. The Commerce Department’s Entity List restricts access to U.S. exports. Click here to read…

China stops media questioning Wang: Taipei Times

June 1, 2022

Journalists covering a tour of the Pacific by Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi say they have been blocked from filming or accessing events, and that not a single question from a Pacific journalist has been allowed. The allegations raise serious press freedom concerns and alarm about the ability of Pacific journalists to do their jobs, particularly as the relationship between the region and China becomes closer. Click here to read…

PRC actress fined over fat-loss ads: Taipei Times

June 1, 2022

Chinese actress Jing Tian has been slapped with a US$1.1 million fine for breaching the nation’s advertising law by touting candies as a weight-loss drug. Jing, who has been in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Great Wall with Matt Damon and Kong: Skull Island, has been a brand ambassador for Infinite Free, a Guangzhou-based company that claimed its fruit and vegetable candy could prevent the body from absorbing sugars, oils and fats. Click here to read…

China urges supporting African countries to resolve problems in African ways: Xinhuanet

June 1, 2022

A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the international community to support African countries in resolving their own problems in their own ways. “We call on the international community to support the efforts by regional countries in resolving African issues in African ways,” Dai Bing, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told a UN Security Council meeting on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Click here to read…

China to defer social-insurance payments for more pandemic-hit sectors: Xinhuanet

June 1, 2022

Chinese authorities announced on Tuesday the temporary deferment of social-insurance premium payments for more firms that have been hit by the pandemic, as the latest move to alleviate the financial burden on certain industries. Click here to read…

1 dead, 13 injured after blast rocks restaurant in central China: Xinhuanet

June 1, 2022

One person had been killed and 13 others injured as of 10:30 a.m. after a blast rocked a rice noodle restaurant in Changsha County, central China’s Hunan Province, at about 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the local publicity department. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 22 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases, 14 in Beijing: Xinhuanet

June 1, 2022

The Chinese mainland Tuesday reported 22 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 14 in Beijing and five in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission’s report Wednesday. Click here to read…

China ready to boost friendship, cooperation with UAE: Quishi

June 1, 2022

China is ready to work with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to consolidate friendship, cement mutual trust and deepen cooperation, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday afternoon. Click here to read…

China remains attractive destination for foreign investment: Quishi

June 1, 2022

Data from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) indicated that China saw 185 newly-added major projects during the first four months of this year, each with foreign investment of over $100 million. This means that an average of 1.5 major foreign-funded projects had been launched in China per day during the period. Click here to read…

Defense minister to attend forum: China Daily

June 1, 2022

The attendance of China’s defense minister at the Shangri-La Dialogue will be vital amid the current fluctuating international situation, and provide an opportunity to avoid miscalculations among different parties, said experts. Click here to read…

Chinese state councilor stresses need for efforts to defuse major safety risks: China Daily

June 1, 2022

Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong has called for solid efforts to forestall and defuse various major safety risks and resolutely prevent serious and major accidents. Wang made the remarks during a national video conference on production safety held on Tuesday. Click here to read…

Beijing advises against traveling outside city during Dragon Boat holiday: China Daily

June 1, 2022

The Beijing government is encouraging all residents to spend the coming Dragon Boat Festival in the city and people should avoid infection by staying away from places of high or medium risk for COVID-19, a senior official said on Tuesday. Click here to read…

More Chinese students using e-cigarettes: Global Times

June 1, 2022

Nearly 5 percent of Chinese students in middle schools have the habit of smoking and 3.6 percent of the group use e-cigarettes regularly, according to a survey conducted in 2021 by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China’s CDC). The data was released on Tuesday, the World No Tobacco Day, along with other reports that demonstrate an increasing tendency of Chinese minors to use e-cigarettes. Click here to read…

China ranks first in world in numbers of MOOCs and viewers: People’s Daily

June 1, 2022

China ranks first globally in the numbers of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and viewers, and sees fast growth in the figures, said Wu Yan, director of the Department of Higher Education of China’s Ministry of Education (MOE). Smart Education of China, a government-sponsored online education platform in China, offers courses in a wide variety of fields. Click here to read…

Companies promote recruitment via livestreaming in China: People’s Daily

June 1, 2022

Livestreaming shows for recruitment, one of the most popular online recruitment methods lately, is in the ascendant on Chinese short-video sharing platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

African-Indian Ocean Diving: Inside Modi government’s Africa policy

India is Africa’s fourth-largest partner with a volume of $70 billion. India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference scheme extends duty-free access to 98.2 per cent of India’s tariff linesClick here to read…

Africa Day 2022: the Good, Bad and Ugly

Every year May 25, the world celebrates Africa Day. On May 25 1963, 30 independent African leaders signed the founding charter of the OAU (Organization of African Unity). In 2002, to give more impetus to the organization, many new areas were added and it was transformed into African Union (AU). Click here to read…

NEWS

Africa provides a ‘home for hope’, despite new challenges: Guterres

On Africa Day, the world celebrates the diverse and dynamic continent’s “enormous promise and potential”, the UN chief saidClick here to read…

For new Somalia government, al-Shabab a threat to authority

Somali police officer recently received an unexpected summons from the enemy. An unknown caller ordered him to report to a town outside the capital, Mogadishu. Click here to read…

Tunisia’s trade union rejects president Saied’s proposed dialogue

Tunisia’s powerful trade union centre UGTT has refused to take part in a dialogue proposed by President Kais Saied. Click here to read…

Security tensions in Tripoli as armed conflict appears to be looming

Tens of armed vehicles with tens of armed fighters took to roads in Hay Al-Andalus neighbourhood in Tripoli chanting words against the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbiebah. Click here to read…

South Africa’s Zuma suffers new setback in corruption trial

South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma has suffered another setback in his attempts to remove the lead prosecutor from his arms deal corruption trial. Click here to read…

UN votes narrowly to extend arms embargo on South Sudan

The U.N. Security Council voted by a narrow margin Thursday to extend an arms embargo on South Sudan and a travel ban and financial sanctions for targeted individuals for a year. Click here to read…

Afwerki defends Russia, China in Eritrean Independence Day speech

President Isaias Afwerki, authoritarian leader of Eritrea, defended both Russia and China while holding the West responsible for the situation in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Algeria-Morocco: Western Sahara diplomatic fight continues with Kabylia weaponised

The latest assertion from Morocco’s permanent representative to the UN against Algeria’s UN ambassador shows that Rabat is now determined to use the Kabyle card as a tool of counter-attack in the Western Sahara dossier.Click here to read…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Angola’s FM

Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed his Angolan counterpart to the State Department on Thursday. Click here to read…

Uganda criminally charges leader of protests over prices

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye was criminally charged Wednesday by authorities who accused him of inciting violence with his efforts to stage street protests against rising commodity prices that the government largely blames on the war in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Rwanda hotels prepare to receive asylum seekers from UK

Hotels and guest houses in Rwanda are being prepared to accommodate asylum-seekers illegally arriving into the UK. Click here to read…

Islamic State group ‘trying to control’ Mali-Niger border with series of attacks

The Islamic State (IS) group appears to be stepping up attacks close to the border between Mali and Niger, with sources suggesting that the jihadists are trying to seize control of the border itself. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe President Praises China, Slams West in Column

If there’s a new cold war brewing and both China and the United States are trying to get African countries on their side, it’s clear where Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allegiance lies. Click here to read…

Kenya elections: Ruto and Odinga square up to fight for presidency

Kenya’s upcoming presidential election might mark the seventh time its citizens have expressed their views at the ballot box, but polls in the East African powerhouse still make the international community wince. Click here to read…

Ethiopia arrests 4,000 in Amhara region crackdown, local state media report

Ethiopian authorities have arrested more than 4,000 people in the northern Amhara region. Click here to read…

Algeria lawmakers seek to criminalise normalisation with Israel

Algerian lawmakers, on Tuesday, submitted a Bill criminalising normalisation with Israel, including articles prohibiting travel or any direct or indirect contact with Tel Aviv.Click here to read…

M23 rebels advance on major military base in eastern Congo

Fighters from the M23 rebel group advanced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday and were locked in heavy fighting with the army outside the region’s largest military base. Click here to read…

Armed assailants kill about 50 people in eastern Burkina Faso

Armed assailants have killed about 50 people in a part of eastern Burkina Faso ravaged by Islamist violence. Click here to read…
Rwanda accuses Congo of shelling its territory” target=”_blank”>Click here to read…
Rwanda said on Monday that several civilians were injured in cross-border shelling of its territory by the military of the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, known as Congo. Click here to read…

Mauritius protests: “When people feel lost, they resort to revolt”

In late-April, protests against the soaring cost of living erupted in cities across Mauritius. In Beau Bassin, Rose Hill, and the capital Port Louis, large groups of frustrated residents – particularly from low-income neighbourhoods – took to the streets. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s Jonathan can contest presidential elections next year, court rules

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan can run in next year’s presidential election, a court ruled on Friday, clearing doubts over his eligibility and paving the way for him to return to national politics. Click here to read…

World Bank won’t support Central African Republic’s Sango crypto hub

The World Bank has signaled its concerns over the Central African Republic (CAR) adopting Bitcoin (BTC) as a legal currency and says it won’t support the newly announced “Sango” crypto hub. Click here to read…

Cameroonian Villagers Protest China Iron Ore Mining Deal

Cameroonian authorities say Monday several hundred civilians took to the streets of Lolabe, a small coastal village on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. Click here to read…

Zambian President announces ‘big decision’ to abolish death penalty

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has announced he is making moves to abolish the death penalty in the country. He termed it a “big decision” by the government. Click here to read…

Nigeria, Ethiopia to Hold Bilateral Talks on Trade, Economy, Politics

Nigeria and Ethiopia have concluded plans to hold a Joint Ministerial Commission meeting in Addis Ababa in June 2022 to discuss various areas of bilateral relationship and exchange perspectives on a wide range of international issues of mutual interest. Click here to read…

Italian energy giant Eni signs deal to boost Algerian gas supply

Italian energy giant Eni and Algeria’s state-owned Sonatrach have reached agreement to boost both gas exploration and the development of green hydrogen in the North African nation. Click here to read…

Is Japan Beginning to Overtake China on Infrastructure Financing in Kenya?

Recent media reports on Kenya’s infrastructure financing trends have suggested that Japan has overtaken China in the “loans race.” Click here to read…

In Niger, Scholz vows to support fight against Islamist militants

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised Niger long-term military and financial support to fight Islamist insurgents across West Africa, during a visit on Monday on his inaugural Africa tour. Click here to read…

German chancellor Scholz kicks off Africa trip in Senegal

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country is interested in a major gas exploitation project in Senegal as he began a three-nation visit to Africa. Click here to read…

Israel seeks to double trade with Egypt

The visit to Egypt of the Israeli Firqat Alnoor Orchestra reflects a clear trend in the past year and a half of cultural, environmental and economic ties warming up between the two countries. Click here to read…

In Morocco, Israeli innovation minister hails ‘amazing’ opportunities ahead

Israel and Morocco are signing the first government-to-government agreement to facilitate tech and science collaborations. Click here to read…

Central African Republic’s adoption of bitcoin is mostly about geopolitics

Imagine a landlocked, coup-prone country where armed groups control much of the territory outside the tiny capital and where people get by on a median income of $493 a year. Click here to read…

Has China changed its ‘hands-off’ foreign policy in South Sudan?

China has a reputation for maintaining a diplomatic strategy of non-interference, which is core to its foreign policy principle. Click here to read…

Dar port reaps from rising political heat ahead of Kenya polls

Smarting from the 2007 post-election violence that subjected businesses to heavy losses, Tanzania has become the favourite for most importers, who are avoiding the Northern Corridor ahead of the August polls. Click here to read…

A post-war surfing renaissance is underway in Africa’s oldest republic

Nestled between Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea, Liberia is the oldest republic in Africa. But despite its historic legacy, in the minds of many outsiders the West African nation is still more commonly associated with civil war and convicted war criminal Charles Taylor. Click here to read…

Tanzania’s Samia among Time 100 most influential people

Tanzania’s first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been named among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Click here to read…

Mauritania details ambitious drive to exploit huge gas, solar and wind resources

Mauritania has laid out detailed plans to become a leading exporter of natural gas and green hydrogen, while also using these resources to develop and decarbonise the country. Click here to read…

Ghana secures $1.3 billion for climate adaptation

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) on Thursday pledged to help Ghana secure at least 1.3 billion U.S. dollars to implement its climate adaptation programs. Click here to read…

Davos 2022: Namibia pitches green hydrogen to Europe

It’s difficult to miss the Namibia House on Davos Promenade. The Namibian residence is plastered with posters exhorting potential investors to take a bet on its renewable potential. Click here to read…

Ghana and Uganda ban grain and food exports

Global food protectionism is now in full swing. After India, some major EU food exporting nations like Hungary halted the export of certain cropsClick here to read…

SADA launches national digital academy in Ghana

As a pan-African dynamic learning ecosystem, SADA says it aims to improve digital skills qualifications, employability, and meet the emerging talent needs of African citizens. Click here to read…

Russia Alleges Monkeypox Spread Began From 4 Biological Labs Operated by US In Nigeria

After accusing the US of having military-biological laboratories in Ukraine, Russia has claimed that there are at least 4 US biological laboratories in Nigeria. Click here to read…

Things are looking up again in Africa’s tourism sector

Africa’s tourism industry all but disappeared during the pandemic, but since the start of 2022, travellers are returning to the continent. DW’s Arian Kriesch reports from Cape Town. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

African Heads of Missions in New Delhi celebrate Africa Day

African Heads of Missions in New Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) jointly celebrated Africa Day on Wednesday in New Delhi, the MEA said on Wednesday. Click here to read…

India’s cumulative investments in Africa stand at USD 70 billion: MEA

India’s cumulative investments in Africa stand at USD 70 billion while it has extended Lines of Credit (LoCs) worth USD 12.26 billion to countries in the continent, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Click here to read…

Africa is ‘priority continent’ for India, huge potential to join collaboration in resource exploration: MEA

Terming Africa a priority continent for India, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said the continent has a huge potential of joining collaboration in the exploration of Oil and Gas, especially in Western Africa. Click here to read…

India committed to support Africa in Covid vaccination: Mandaviya

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said India is committed to Africa in taking the journey from vaccine availability to vaccination. Click here to read…

Africa Day: Here’s why the second largest continent is strategically important for India

According to reports in the vision statement of IMS 2050, the main aim is to develop a blue economy, and to foster increased wealth creation from the oceans and seas in Africa. Click here to read…

Noida International University Remembers Africa’s Culture, Heritage, History on Africa Day Celebration

Leading educational institute Noida International University (NIU) recently celebrated Africa Day by paying tribute to the rich African history, heritage and culture. Click here to read…

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to visit Gabon, Senegal, Qatar from May 30: MEA

Ministry of External Affairs on May 27 informed that Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will pay an official to visit Gabon, Senegal and Qatar from May 30. Click here to read…

Main focus of Vice President’s visit to Sengal, Gabon is Francophone countries: MEA

The main focus of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to Senegal and Gabon is the Western African region which is Francophone countries. Click here to read…

Indian troops, others under UN mission fend off militant attack in Congo

The efforts by the Indian peacekeepers were lauded by UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. Noting that the M23 armed group has been active. Click here to read…

SII plans plant in Africa

The Serum Institute of India (SII) is considering setting up its first manufacturing plant in Africa as it looks to expand globally after its success in selling COVID-19 shots, its CEO told Reuters recently. Click here to read…

2 diesel locomotives exported to Mozambique 15 months back stabled due to mechanical failure

Two out of the five Cape Gauge Diesel Locomotives exported to Mozambique from India have been stabled due to Mozambique from India have been stabled due to mechanical failure. Click here to read…

Airtel recalls bonds, sells towers in Tanzania, Malawi and Madagascar

Airtel Africa Plc has recalled $505 million bonds and sold off telecommunication towers in Malawi, Madagascar and Tanzania for a total consideration of $284 million. Click here to read…

‘Make in India’ Gets a Further Boost with Kenyan Interest in Indian Warehousing and Agri Derivatives Sector

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign gets a major boost in the African country. Click here to read…

Kenya keen to replicate Indian agriculture derivative ecosystem

High level committee from the African nation is on a visit in India to understand the process of issuance of electronic warehouse receipts. Click here to read…

Ashok Leyland partners with ETG Group to strengthen presence in Africa

As part of the tie-up, ETG Logistics (ETGL) will operate dealerships for Ashok Leyland in six key southern African countries. Click here to read…

TVS HLX 125 Gold and TVS HLX 150 Gold limited editions launched in Kenya

TVS Motor has announced the launch of limited edition TVS HLX 125 Gold and TVS HLX 150 Gold in Kenya. Click here to read…

ArcelorMittal studies pellet/DRI joint venture with Mauritania’s SNIM

Mauritanian iron ore mining company SNIM – Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière – and ArcelorMittal have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to assess jointly developing iron ore pelletising and direct reduced iron plants in Mauritania. SNIM would supply iron ore feedstock. Click here to read…

Modi carried friendship band to Africa, except it is a 10-point guide for mutual engagement

In ‘The Harambee Factor’, former Indian ambassador to African Union Gurjit Singh talks about how under Modi ministry, Africa has been receiving a lot of economic support. Click here to read…

Nigerian man who duped over 300 Indian women on marriage pretext arrested in Delhi

The accused befriended women through social media and matrimonial websites, where he introduced himself as a non-resident Indian (NRI) settled in Canada and a prospective groom, the officials said. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

It’s Africa’s Century—for Better or Worse

Since the 1990s, the idea that we might be entering an “Asian century” has preoccupied and disorientated the West. However, once we take in view the long sweep of history, the return of China and India to the centre stage of world affairs is less a revolution than a restoration. Click here to read…

Why Is Madrid Pandering to Morocco?

Spain has traded five decades of neutrality on Western Sahara while getting nothing but a spyware scandal in return.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/13/spain-sanchez-morocco-polisario-western-sahara-algeria/” target=”_blank”>Click here to read…

Aapravasi Ghat: Witness to the Great Indian Migration to Mauritius

The largest human migration in history occurred between 1834 and 1923 when the British in its experimental bid to abolish slavery brought mostly Indians as indentured labourers to work in the sugarcane estates of Mauritius. Click here to read…

NEWS

Somalia set to hold overdue presidential election

Somalia is set to hold its long-delayed presidential vote this weekend, ending the convoluted electoral process that raised tensions in the country when the president’s term expired last year without a successor in place. Click here to read…

Somalia police announce 33-hour curfew in capital Mogadishu during Sunday’s Presidential vote

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is facing 37 opponents in the vote, including two former Presidents, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who analysts see as the frontrunnersClick here to read…

Ivory Coast: President Ouattara sets the agenda at COP15 summit in Abidjan

The COP15 against desertification began Monday in Abidjan in the presence of several African heads of state, to try to take concrete action against the rapid degradation of land and respond “to the climate emergency. Click here to read…

vGuinea announces three-year transition period before restoring civilian rule

Guinea’s legislative body on Wednesday announced there would be a three-year transition period before civilian rule is restored, defying regional partners who have called for a swifter timetable following a coup. Click here to read…

Sudanese protests against military rule persist

Sudanese demonstrators are back on the streets to protest against the military in power and ask for the implementation of a civil government. Click here to read…

Mali: Thousands in new demonstration to show support for junta

Several hundred Malians gathered Friday in Bamako to support the junta, the army and the military cooperation with the Russians, denounced by the West. Click here to read…

Can Niger become the main Western ally in the Sahel?

Niamey has consistently presented an image of a friendly and reliable partner to the international community and used Western aid to boost its military strength. Click here to read…

Uganda’s plans for first nuclear power station approved

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has approved Uganda’s plan to build East Africa’s first nuclear power station. Click here to read…

China cuts down investment pledges for Africa amid mounting debt fears

While infrastructure projects are one of the main priority areas in China-Africa cooperation, Beijing has cut down on its investment pledges for the continent for the first time in December 2021, according to reports. Click here to read…

Sierra Leone launches bid for UN Security Council seat

Sierra Leone on Monday launched a bid for a seat in the Non-permanent category of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Click here to read…

Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Is Paramount to Regional Economy, Politics

The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project is of critical importance for inter-Africa development and integration as it would significantly address regional energy security issues. Click here to read…

Guinea Coup: You can be free, but you will have to wait three years

The military junta in Guinea said its transition back to civilian rule would probably take more than three years, a proposal likely to upset West Africa’s political bloc that has called for a swift return to constitutional order. Click here to read…

As Wheat Prices Soar, Africa Pivots to Cheaper Alternatives

Global wheat prices are so high that African consumers are starting to ditch the grain from their diet and Food companies using rice, manioc flour and sorghum in recipes. Click here to read…

AFC Plans $2 Billion Fund to Support Africa Economic Revival

Africa Finance Corp. is setting up a $2 billion fund to help institutions on the continent recover quickly from the pandemic and overcome challenges posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

Museveni woos Turkish investors to Uganda

President Museveni yesterday made a case for Uganda as a favourable and profitable investment destination, rallying investors to set up business across different sectors of the economy. Click here to read…

Africa roundtable unites with European allies

Politicians from African and European countries gathered in Berlin on Thursday for The Africa Roundtable to discuss strategies to cope with common challenges. Click here to read…

Kenyans are protesting plans by tax authority to snoop on their online chats

There is outrage across Kenya after the country’s tax authority announced on May 11 that it plans to start mining data from digital devices in a bid to combat tax and financial fraud. Click here to read…

At least 35 killed in attack on DR Congo gold mine: local sources

Raiders killed at least 35 people in an attack on a gold mine in Ituri, in the strife-torn northeast of Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said Sunday. Click here to read…

Female student killed by mob at Nigeria school over blasphemy claims

A female student in northern Nigeria was killed by a mob who stoned, beat and set fire to her for allegedly posting a blasphemous statement against the Prophet Mohammed, according to police. Click here to read…

Head of Tunisian opposition party claims he is under investigation

The head of a Tunisian opposition party said on Friday he had been summoned for investigation over a radio interview and accused President Kais Saied of attempting to intimidate opponents. Click here to read…

Ethiopia-China cooperation benefits both sides: Ethiopian Ambassador to China

Ethiopia’s newly launched 10-year development plan opens the door to bilateral cooperation that will benefit both China and Ethiopia, said Teshome Toga Chanaka, the Ethiopian ambassador to China Click here to read…

Burkina Faso’s Junta Under Pressure to Deliver on Security Promises

The junta in power in Ouagadougou justified the 24 January coup by citing the inability of former president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré’s government to provide security in Burkina Faso. By making security its primary objective, the regime raised people’s hopes of a rapid return to peace and stability. Click here to read…

Rwanda-Burundi relations to improve further

Rwanda-Burundi relations will improve when 2015 coup plotters, said to be hiding in Kigali, are handed over Gitega to face justice, said Burundian President Evariste NdayishimiyClick here to read…

Spain, Morocco to open land borders next week after 2 years

The Spanish government says the land borders between Morocco and Spain’s North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla will reopen next week. Click here to read…

Sinosteel signs $690 million deal for Cameroon iron ore mine

China’s Sinosteel Corp. has signed a $690 million contract to exploit an iron ore mine in southern Cameroon amid a push to cut Chinese reliance on Australian and Brazilian ore. Click here to read…

South Africa’s COVID-19 spike intensifies

As daily COVID-19 cases in South Africa topped 10,000 cases today, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) African regional office said today. Click here to read…

Algerian President Tebboune to visit Turkey to discuss bilateral cooperation

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to pay an official visit to Turkey on May 16-17 upon the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to a statement by the Algerian Embassy on Friday. Click here to read…

Togo suffers its first deadly jihadist attack

It was probably only a matter of time, as terrorist groups are targeting the countries of the subregion one by one. Click here to read…

Meet election deadline for smooth transition, South Sudan urged

South Sudan’s peace monitoring agency has appealed to the Revitalized Transitional Legislative Assembly to urgently enact legislations aimed at meeting the elections deadlines as stipulated in the 2018 revitalized peace deal. Click here to read…

Europe looking to get a million tonnes of coal annually from Botswana, says President Masisi

Botswana has been inundated with inquiries to supply coal to Europe and estimates that demand from Western countries could top a million tonnes a yearClick here to read…

Ghana’s President Strongly Supports African Development Bank’s Quest for More Resources to Accelerate Continent’s Transformation Agenda

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has backed calls for more resources for the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) to accelerate its transformative role across the continent. Click here to read…

Russia’s Growing Strategic Interest in Eritrea

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reaffirmed Russia’s strategic interest to make coordinated efforts aim at building logistics hub along the coastline of the Republic of Eritrea. Click here to read…

Zimbabwe’s bank lending freeze will worsen economic crisis, business chamber says

Zimbabwe’s decision to suspend bank lending in a desperate bid to arrest the rapid devaluation of its currency will worsen the economic crisis and expose borrowers to predatory loans. Click here to read…

Will bitcoin succeed in the Central African Republic? Probably not

The Central African Republic has become the second country to adopt the cryptocurrency as legal tender, but experiences in El Salvador, the first nation to do so, point to a gloomy outlookClick here to read…

World Bank to Give Mozambique $300 Million To Support Its Budget

By June the World Bank plans to provide $300 million to support the national budget of the Republic of Mozambique, according to the World Bank country director for Mozambique, Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough. Click here to read…

Zambia wants to be a model for resolving Africa’s debt crises

After five unsuccessful attempts and a spell in prison on trumped-up charges of treason, Hakainde Hichilema was elected president of Zambia in August. Click here to read…

Angola’s central province is massively behind the MPLA

The governing People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, in Portuguese) received today the support of tens of thousands of people in the central province of Huambo, in a campaign rally for the next general elections in the country. Click here to read…

Life in Egypt Is Getting Harder, but Don’t Dare Protest About It

A new study predicts that Egypt’s public debt will climb to half a trillion dollars in coming years. But while economists offer pessimistic views, the public is likely to find itself in prison if it dares criticize the high cost of livingClick here to read…

Gabon: 2023 presidential candidate Mike Jocktane asks for “free and transparent elections”

Gabonese bishop and politician Mike Jocktane held a press conference in the capital, Libreville to talk about his candidacy for next year’s presidential electionClick here to read…

Liberia: ANC’s Stalwart Abraham Sesay Gets Huge Support Ahead Of 2023 Elections

Executives and supporters of fallen Brewerville City Mayor George Varney Curtis, who was defeated in the 2017 general and presidential elections, have endorsed the representative bid of top Liberian humanitarian and businessman Abraham Carlison SesayClick here to read…

Namibia launches sovereign wealth fund following oil discoveries

Namibia launched a sovereign wealth fund, months after oil discoveries by oil giants TotalEnergies and Shell off its coast. Click here to read…

Botswana: Former president Khama claims continued harassment by President Masisi

The Botswana government has rubbished claims by former president Ian Khama that his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, was harassing him. Masisi himself refuses to speak on the matter himself. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Mauritius PM inaugurates second phase of Metro Express project spearheaded by India

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, along with PM Jugnauth inaugurated the first phase of the metro via video-conferencing in October 2019Click here to read…

Mozambique-India joint working group on defence back on track to tackle terrorism, drug trade

Mozambique and India intend to revive its joint working group on defence as part of counter-terrorism efforts and at the same time promote their respective blue economies and curtail drug trafficking. Click here to read…

Egypt in talks with India on wheat export ban exemption

Egypt is in talks with Indian officials about getting an exemption from India’s decision to ban wheat export. Click here to read…

Kenya mulls ending India wheat import ban as prices soar

Kenya is set to send a team of inspectors to India with the aim of ending along standing wheat import ban from the Asian nation amid low global supply. Click here to read…

Gravita’s Ghana unit commences waste rubber recycling plant

Gravita India announced that its step-down subsidiary in Ghana, Recyclers Ghana has started commercial production and recycling of waste rubber with an annual capacity of around 6,000 MTPA. Click here to read…

Prasar Bharati inks MoU with Madagascar for broadcasting collaboration

The MoU aims at exchange of programmes, exploring co-production of programmes and training and exchange of personnelClick here to read…

Deployment of ins gharial to Seychelles – mission Sagar ix

As part of ongoing deployment of Indian Naval Ship Gharial in South West Indian Ocean, under Mission SAGAR IX, the Ship called at Port Victoria, Seychelles from 11 to 14 May 22. Click here to read…

Indian Navy’s P-8I begins 5-day mission to La Reunion Island in Southern Indian Ocean

The Indian Navy’s P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft arrived on Monday at the La Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean on a five-day mission to undertake coordinated surveillance with French warships in the region. Click here to read…

INS Kolkata visited Djibouti as part of anti-piracy patrol by Indian Navy

INS Kolkata visited Djibouti from May 4-7, 2022, as part of the anti-piracy patrol being undertaken by the Indian Navy to ensure safe transit of merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden. Click here to read…

India, Madagascar planning direct flights between Mumbai and Antananarivo

“Ambassador Abhay Kumar met M Rolland Ranjatoelina, Hon’ble Minister of Transport and #Meteorology of Madagascar today. They discussed the possibility of starting a direct flight between #Mumbai and #Antananarivo,” Click here to read…

Kenya Welcomes Indian Travellers as Tourism Recovery Takes Shape

The tourism sector has received a major boost from the Indian market with a visit of about 300 tourists for an excursion of the country’s tourism products. Click here to read…

India Keen to Cement Ties with Ethiopia

The Director-General of the Middle East, Asia, and Pacific at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gebeyehu Ganga (Ph.D.) had a meeting on Thursday with the Ambassador of the Republic of India, Shri Robert Shetkintong. Click here to read…

Indian envoy Abhay Kumar talks cooperation with Madagascar in mining sector

India imports many thousand tonnes of nickel every year which is a key ingredient in EV batteries. Madagascar can be a source of nickel and cobalt import for India as well as coal and goldClick here to read…

Indian ‘Military Base’ In Agalega: New Satellite Imagery Shows Hangars Large Enough to House Navy’s Submarine Hunting P-8I Aircraft

India is building military infrastructure on Mauritius’ Agalega Island to increase its presence in the western Indian Ocean. Click here to read…

South Africa court bars some ArcelorMittal workers from strike

South Africa’s labour court has ordered workers at ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd’s steel plants, blast furnaces and coke batteries to be excluded from an ongoing job boycott, after the company argued these are essential services barred from striking by law. Click here to read…

Vedanta challenges Zambia’s appointment of new KCM liquidator

Vedanta Resources has challenged Zambia’s appointment of a new Provisional Liquidator for Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) following the resignation of the previous office holder. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

The Crisis in Ethiopia is not all about Ethiopia

One and half years ago, when Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed decided to punish the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for their alleged role in attacking a federal military base, it was expected to be a swift operation. Click here to read…

Why it has taken Uganda so long to embrace Kiswahili

There is an old east African joke that Kiswahili was born in Zanzibar, grew up in mainland Tanzania, fell sick in Kenya, died in Uganda, and was buried in Democratic Republic of Congo. Click here to read…

NEWS

Hassan Mohamud: The second coming of Somalia’s new president

He will have to tackle insecurity, rising inflation, and severe drought while building trust in a country polarised by in-fighting between the federal and regional governmentsClick here to read…

Divided Libya Looms as Rival Premier Sets Up Outside Tripoli

Libya’s parliament-elected prime minister plans to set up his new government in the central city of Sirte on Wednesday after being forced to flee the capital, threatening to again fracture the country between two rival administrations. Click here to read…

Mali’s Military Junta Pulls Out of Regional G5 Sahel Force

Mali is pulling out of a multi-national military force in West Africa’s Sahel region combatting an Islamist insurgency, the country’s military junta said in a statement on Sunday. Click here to read…

Egypt tells US should use leverage, pressure on Ethiopia to resolve dam issue

A senior Egyptian diplomat said Tuesday that the Biden administration is not putting enough pressure on Ethiopia to help resolve the controversy surrounding Addis Ababa’s construction of a controversial dam on the Nile River. Click here to read…

Guinea Bissau president dissolves parliament in new political row

The disagreements between parliament and the president centre around the immunity of opposition leader and lawmaker Domingos Simoes Pereira who lost to the president in 2019. Click here to read…

Netherlands backs Morocco’s Western Sahara autonomy plan- statement

The Netherlands views Morocco’s plan for autonomy for Western Sahara as serious and credible, it said on Wednesday, moving closer to Rabat’s stance on the disputed territory where the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks an independent state. Click here to read…

Thousands in Tunisia protest against president, demand democratic return

Thousands of Tunisians protested on Sunday against President Kais Saied, demanding a return to the normal democratic order and rejecting his replacement of the independent electoral commission with one he named himself. Click here to read…

Guinea: Doumbouya and political parties harden their tone

The ban on demonstrations announced on 13 May by the “Comité National de Rassemblement pour le Développement” (CNRD) has caused an outcry in Conakry. The parties plan to coordinate their response at a series of meetings taking place in the near future. Click here to read…

Jihadis’ attack in eastern Burkina Faso kills 11 soldiers

Eleven soldiers were killed and nearly two dozen injured by jihadis targeting a military base in eastern Burkina Faso, the government said. Click here to read…

Mali government says it has thwarted countercoup attempt

Malian government headed by a two-time coup leader announced late Monday that security forces had thwarted a countercoup attempt that it said was supported by an unnamed Western government. Click here to read…

IMF extends Somalia funding to August following election

The IMF accepted the Somali government’s request for a three-month extension to examine and endorse planned reforms. Click here to read…

COP15: Ivory Coast hosts desertification talks

The COP15 conference is meeting to address issues of land degradation, advancing deserts and deforestation. Experts and activists hope that this will not be just another high-level conference with no concrete results. Click here to read…

U.N. says Benin will terminate contribution to peacekeeping mission in Mali

Benin has decided to terminate its military and police unit contributions to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in regional neighbour Mali. Click here to read…

Sudanese communist leader arrested as protests rage in Khartoum

A leading Sudanese politician was arrested on Thursday as protests raged in the capital Khartoum for the seventh month against military rule, with tear gas and heavy security force deployment. Click here to read…

Eleven migrants die off coast of Algeria while trying to reach Europe

Eleven migrants have reportedly drowned after their both sank off the Algerian coast of Tipaza on Sunday evening. Click here to read…

Rwanda to get first batch of asylum seekers from UK this May

Rwanda expects the first group of 50 asylum seekers to be transferred from the United Kingdom by the end of May, a government spokesperson has said. Click here to read…

Niger President says Mali’s withdrawal marks ‘death’ of G5 Sahel alliance

Niger’s President has said Mali’s withdrawal from the G5 Sahel, a multinational force created to fight Islamist militants, will mark the end of the alliance. Click here to read…

Uganda says it will pull out troops from DR Congo

The military in Uganda says it will withdraw hundreds of troops it sent last year to help neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo combat an Islamist insurgency. Click here to read…

Mossad Chief Cohen Kicked Out of DRC, on a Mission That Could Jeopardize Israel

Former senior Mossad officials described Yossi Cohen’s conduct as ‘madness’ after three trips to Congo on Israel’s behalf for problematic purposes that are barred from publication. The visits weren’t coordinated with Congo’s government and ended with him being deported. Click here to read…

Violence, Lockdown, Running Battles Paralyze Cameroon National Day in Western Regions

Cameron’s National Day on May 20 has been marked by running battles between government troops and separatists who imposed a lockdown, crippling business in English-speaking western regions. Click here to read…

Ethiopia’s Tigray forces announce release of thousands of POWs

The Tigray rebel forces fighting Ethiopia’s federal army have said they will release 4,000 prisoners of war as part of an amnesty. Click here to read…

Eritrea accuses TPLF of planning fresh attacks against Asmara

War drums are beating again on the restive Ethiopia-Eritrean border after Asmara accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of plotting to launch attacks to reclaim lost territory. Click here to read…

Burundi reforms frustrated by hardliners – Analysts

In Burundi, this has been an open question since President Evariste Ndayishimiye took power two years ago, ending years of isolationism to great fanfare, but failing to improve its dire record on rights abuses. Click here to read…

Namibia launches sovereign wealth fund following oil discoveries

Namibia launched a sovereign wealth fund, months after oil discoveries by oil giants TotalEnergies and Shell off its coastClick here to read…

Spain, Morocco reopens land borders after two years

Morocco and Spain have reopened the land borders between the north African country and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, two years after they were shut due to Covid restrictions and a major diplomatic row. Click here to read…

Ireland, Liberia to Establish Military Relations

Ireland Ambassador accredited to Liberia, but with residence in the Republic of Sierra Leone, Clarie Buckley has assured the Minister of National Defense, Maj/Gen. Daniel D. Ziankahn (Rtd), of her country’s willingness to establish strong military ties with the Armed Forces of Liberia, especially in the area of peacekeeping. Click here to read…

Foreign investors from Mauritius likely to keep taxman at bay

One such attempt by the Income tax (I-T) department to lift the ‘corporate veil’ was struck down this week by a court which ruled that the tricky subject of ‘beneficial ownership’ (BO) of the Mauritian entity cannot be linked to capital gains. Click here to read…

Algeria looks to Türkiye to realise untapped economic potential

Growing regional ties and cooperation are leading rapid economic recovery for Algeria and Türkiye, despite nearly two years of pandemic disruption and market volatility. Click here to read…

Japan steps up its Africa engagement

Laying the foundation for the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi held talks on 28 March 2022 with ministers from 50 African nations. Click here to read…

For the first time in half-a-century, Chad welcomes Israeli envoy

Israeli diplomat Ben Bourgel presented his credentials to the president of Chad this week – the first time in half-a-century the country has welcomed an Israeli ambassador, as the two countries move to strengthen diplomatic ties. Click here to read…

Saudi delegation visits Namibia, Rwanda, Burundi

A Saudi delegation led by Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Kattan, adviser at the Royal Court, visited southwest and East African countries. The delegation met Namibian President Hage Geingob, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye. Click here to read…

Germany backs two Togolese training centers with €6M financing

As part of the African Union’s Skill Initiative for Africa (SIFA) support mechanism, Germany’s development fund, KfW, will provide €6 million to two training institutions in Togo. Click here to read…

Kenya’s debt obligations towards China more than double in one year

Kenya’s debt obligations towards China have shot up by a staggering 135.15 per cent in the last one year on the back of Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in the African country. Click here to read…

World’s longest subsea cable lands in Djibouti, East Africa

Meta’s 2Africa subsea cable has landed in Djibouti City, Djibouti. Djibouti Telecom announced on 13 May that the country’s 9th subsea cable, which is 45,000 km long, had landed in the capita. Click here to read…

Pakistan overtakes Uganda as top market for Kenyan exports

Pakistan overtook Uganda as Kenya’s biggest export destination in the first quarter of the year, boosted by growth in tea exports. Click here to read…

Southeast DR Congo seizes 1.5 tonnes of elephant ivory

Authorities in southeastern DR Congo have seized one and a half tonnes of elephant ivory, legal and environmental officials said, in one of the largest hauls in Africa in years. Click here to read…

Botswana plans to build $2.5bn facility to convert coal into liquid fuels

State oil company Botswana Oil is planning to build a new coal-to-liquids plant, with an investment of $2.5bn, in a bid to reduce its dependence on imported fuel. Click here to read…

Egypt launches National Climate Change Strategy 2050

Egypt has launched its billion-dollar National Climate Change Strategy 2050 to support a stronger, greener Egyptian economy. Click here to read…

Turkey’s TIKA trains South Sudanese beekeepers

Thanks to the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), villagers in South Sudan earn extra income through beekeeping. Click here to read…

Ghana: President Akufo-Addo Expresses Concern Over Russia-Ukraine War Impact on Food Security

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed concerns over the impact the crises in Ukraine is having on food security in the country and on the continent. Click here to read…

Botswana invites bids to build 200 MW solar plant

The scope of the bid covers financing, construction, operation and maintenance as well as decommissioning the plant at the end of its economic life. Click here to read…

EU Calls for Zimbabwe to Implement Electoral Reforms Ahead of 2023 Polls

Elmar Brok, the head of the EU electoral mission, told reporters Friday that as Zimbabwe prepares for next year’s elections, it must amend its electoral laws so that all parties have a fair chance of winning at the polls. Click here to read…

Tanzania ports authority opens offices in landlocked neighbors

The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has opened liaison offices in neighboring landlocked countries to attract more business, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Botswana, with an import ban on 16 vegetables, plans to ban more over the next two years

Botswana’s government says it has no plans to lift its ban on vegetable imports, citing that it plans to expand its list, which comprises 16 vegetables, over the next two years. Click here to read…

Mozambique confirms first wild poliovirus case in 30 years

Mozambique has identified its first case of wild polio in three decades following the genetic sequencing of a similar strain of the childhood disease in Malawi earlier this year. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

India and Africa must respond to uncertain world: Jaishankar

India and Africa must respond to the “volatile and uncertain” world and important lessons can be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and knock-on effects of the Ukraine conflict. Click here to read…

India working with African states to counter threat of terrorism: Jaishankar

The first India-Africa defence ministers’ conclave, held in February 2020, institutionalised defence cooperation between the two sides. Click here to read…

India-Africa relations are truly deep-rooted: Jaishankar

India-Africa relations are truly deep-rooted and go back into the recesses of history, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday as he touched upon the shared bonding of fighting against colonialism. Click here to read…

Africa must be included in reformed UNSC, says EAM Jaishankar

India’s external affairs minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar has backed African representation at the United Nations Security Council, a long-standing policy of the Indian government. Click here to read…

MoS Muraleedharan, Zambian counterpart discuss issues covering gamut of bilateral cooperation

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan engaged in discussions with the Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Minister of Zambia, Stanley Kakubo on Thursday on the sidelines of the high-level Ministerial meeting on “Global Food Security- Call to Action” in New York. Click here to read…

India, France carries out second joint patrol in Southern Indian Ocean

The navies of India and France concluded their second joint patrolling in the South-Western Indian Ocean last week, while an Australian P-8 maritime patrol aircraft is expected in India next month on a reciprocal visit. Click here to read…

India to instal coast guard radar system for Seychelles

India will be helping Seychelles with the installation of a coast guard radar system and other defence matters, Indian High Commissioner General Dalbir Singh Suhag (retd) has saidClick here to read…

U.S. hopes India would reconsider wheat export ban

India, the world’s second-biggest wheat producer, has banned wheat exports in a bid to check high domestic prices amid concerns of wheat output being hit by scorching heat waves. Click here to read…

India ships wheat to Egypt post ban, gets diplomatic requests from 12 nations

India, which banned all private export of wheat on May 13 to manage the country’s food security, has kept a window open for overseas shipments on the specific request of a foreign government to meet their food-security needs. Click here to read…

Nigeria: India Says Open to Exporting Wheat to Poor Nations Despite Ban

The ban is expected to affect the price of the produce globally, including in Africa and Nigeria in particular. The world’s second largest producer of wheat, India, has banned wheat exports, at a time the Russian invasion of Ukraine crippled the supply of the crop across the globe. Click here to read…

Over 500 workers at Indian-owned Mozambique coal mine go on strike

Over 500 workers at a coal mine in Mozambique owned by a subsidiary of an Indian company have been on strike for a week, the company said in a statement. Click here to read…

Arms sales: India zeroes in on African markets

Attempting to tap into the large African arms market, a delegation of the Ministry of Defence, having representatives of top private manufacturers, is visiting Tanzania at the end of this month. Click here to read…

Liberia: President Weah Announces Renegotiations with Arcelor Mittal for an ‘Amendment That Fairly Satisfies’ All Parties

President George Weah has announced the authorization of the Inter-Ministerial Concession Committee (IMCC) to engage Arcelor Mittal for the resubmission of an amendment that will be in the interest of all parties. Telugus in South Africa help with blankets

In an initiative, the Telugu community in Johannesburg, South Africa, distributed blankets to the needy, an act which earned it much appreciation by the Midrand police. When during these times, it gets cold, we show our concern for those who need to be helped. Click here to read…

Kenya’s Indian origin doctor campaigning silently to retain Kesses parliamentary seat

In the August 9 General elections in Kenya, voters will elect the President, members of the National Assembly and Senate, county Governors and members of the 47 county assemblies. The Constitution requires that a presidential election take place at the same time as the general election. Click here to read…

Indian philanthropists and spiritual leaders address ethics summit in S Africa

Several globally-recognised Indian-origin philanthropists and spiritual leaders addressed the Conscious Leadership and Ethics Summit here, delving deep into the relation between businesses, consciousness, leadership and the environment. Click here to read…

Book Review

Talmiz Ahmad’s Encyclopaedic Study of West Asia and North Africa

In ‘West Asia: Repression, Resistance and Great Power Games’, the author begins his narrative with the 19th century scramble among European powers for dominance in the region. Click here to read…

From South Africa, a success story for democracy

In a new book, MIT political scientist Evan Lieberman examines a quarter-century of post-Apartheid government and finds meaningful progress. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

West Africa: Enablers of Political Extremism – a Checklist for West African Countries

The Sahel – the region just south of the Sahara – is home to the world’s fastest growing extremist group, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin or JNIM, and the deadliest group, Islamic State in West Africa, according to the 2022 Global Terrorism IndexClick here to read…

What Elon Musk Does Not Get about Twitter and Democracy in Africa

Last month, Elon Musk gave an insight on the path that Twitter may take following his acquisition of the social media platform. Click here to read…

The sacred Indian hues of Mauritius

Situated just a few hundred kilometres from the fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar, and located off the southeastern coast of Africa, Mauritius is a gem of a destination whose cultural history remains widely unknown. Click here to read…

NEWS

U.N. chief calls for debt relief, investment on West Africa trip
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged debt relief for African countries and more investment to help their economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and weather the impacts of the Ukraine war. Click here to read…

Somalia: Lawmakers to decide president on May 15

Somali lawmakers are expected to pick the country’s new president on May 15, a long-overdue final step in a protracted political crisis. Click here to read…

Kenya election 2022: A record 47 independents vie for the presidency

On Monday 2 May 2022, the registrar submitted the list of names to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the final clearance, in line with election timelines. Click here to read…

Nigeria 2023: Buhari warns US to stay out of elections

Widely believed to have benefitted from tacit US support for his 2015 campaign, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is now the one warning western diplomats to stay out of next year’s elections. Click here to read…

Congo: First round of legislative elections set for July 10

The first round of legislative elections and local elections in Congo-Brazzaville will be held on July 10, according to a government decision announced Friday on state television Télé-Congo. Click here to read…

Muhoozi announces interest in Uganda presidency

After almost a decade of speculations, Lt-Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has publicly expressed his interest in succeeding his father Yoweri Museveni as president of Uganda. Click here to read…

Tunisia union rejects any formal dialogue over political reforms

Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labour union rejected on Friday any formal dialogue over political reforms that marginalise political and social forces in the country and include “ready-made decisions”Click here to read…

Interfaith tensions simmer in Ethiopia

Muslims and Christians in parts of Ethiopia are on edge after an attack in Gondar sparked a swell of unrest. Politics is usually to blame when interfaith tensions turn deadly in the countryClick here to read…

Burkina Faso: Seven soldiers and four auxiliaries killed in ambush

Seven soldiers and four auxiliaries of the Burkina Faso army were killed on Thursday in two ambushes by “terrorists” in the northern and central-northern regions. Click here to read…

Benin: Five soldiers killed in national park attack

Five soldiers were killed in an attack by suspected an armed group possibly linked to ISIL or al-Qaeda in a national park in the north of Benin Republic, two military sources have said. Click here to read…

Burundi says 10 of its peacekeepers killed in Somalia attack

Burundi’s military said on Wednesday 10 of its African Union (AU) peacekeepers were killed in an attack on their base in Somalia, while a security source in the region and a Mogadishu-based source said dozens were dead. Click here to read…

Cameroon takes over as chair of AU’s Peace and Security Council

Cameroon will preside over the Peace and Security Council (PSC), the standing decision-making organ of the African Union (AU) on the prevention and resolution of conflicts for the month of May. Click here to read…

Germany to end EU training mission in Mali

Germany will end its participation in the European Union training mission in Mali but is ready to continue with a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country under certain conditions. Click here to read…

Western Sahara: International Support ‘Refutes’ Algeria’s Outdated Narrative

The growing international support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan reflects a strong rejection of secessionist aspirations and Aleria’s narrative on Western Sahara, according to a Mexican politician. Click here to read…

South Africa to host international conference to tackle child labour

South Africa is going to host the International Labour Organisation (ILO) global conference on the elimination of child labour later this month, announced Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Thursday. Click here to read…

Al-Shabab attack on African Union forces in Somalia: What we know

Islamist militant group al-Shabab says it has carried out what may prove to be one of its most deadly attacks on the African Union mission in Somalia, however the two sides provide very different death tolls. Click here to read…

Turkey to take tangible steps for deeper ties with Africa: FM

Turkey plans to improve its relations with the African continent, and take tangible steps to deepen ties with regional organizations such as the African Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Click here to read…

Algeria to raise oil output by 11,000 barrels a day

Algeria will raise its oil output by 11,000 barrels a day in June, Energy and Mining Minister Mohamed Arkab said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Libya’s Bashagha denies writing Times article condemning Russia

Fathi Bashagha, one of two rival Libyan prime ministers, has denied writing an article published on Tuesday under his name by the Times newspaper in London. In the article, purportedly written by Bashagha, the Libyan politician declares that he wants his country to “stand with Britain against Russian aggression”. Click here to read…

Sudan’s coup leaders hold secret consultations with political leader

Yasir al-Atta, a member of the Sovereign Council, revealed that the coup leaders held a series of meetings with the political forces to create a suitable atmosphere and to ensure the needed basic agreement before starting the process of national dialogue. Click here to read…

Guinea to Prosecute Ousted President Alpha Conde

Guinea’s military government this week announced plans to prosecute ousted President Alpha Conde and 26 of his former officials for murder, rape, kidnapping and other crimes. Click here to read…

Togo agrees to mediate in Mali political crisis

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe has agreed to act as a mediator in Mali’s political crisis as the West African country’s military government faces pressure to re-establish civilian rule, their foreign ministers have said. Click here to read…

Egypt’s President Sissi sells assets to try to boost the country’s economy

The Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the Egyptian economy’s flaws. Faced with the risk of social unrest, the government has introduced a series of emergency measures. Click here to read…

Dollar o’clock: Should Zimbabwe axe its faltering currency again?

In early 2019, Zimbabwe’s central bank announced plans to bring back the Zimbabwe dollar as legal tender after a decade of using the US dollar. Click here to read…

Ethiopia ‘foils’ cyber-attack on Nile dam, financial institutions

Ethiopian Authorities on Tuesday said they had stopped international cyber-attack attempts targeting the massive Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the country’s major financial institutions. Click here to read…

AD Ports signs agreement to develop Egypt’s Safaga Port

Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group is to develop, operate, and manage a multi-purpose terminal at Safaga Port on Egypt’s east coast as a part of a consortium. Click here to read…

Russian-linked forces ‘tortured’ and ‘executed’ civilians in Central African Republic since 2019, HRW says

Forces identified by witnesses as Russian have “summarily executed, tortured, and beaten civilians” in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2019, a report by rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has alleged. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s central bank chief to run for presidency in 2023

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, has bought a nomination form from the governing All Progressive Congress party in a bid to become President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor. Click here to read…

China Should Lead $17 Billion Zambia Debt Talks, Minister Says

China should head the creditors committee being formed to renegotiate Zambia’s $17.3 billion of foreign debt because that will help accelerate the resolution process, the southern African country’s finance minister said. Click here to read…

Mozambique: President Nyusi and President Chakwera Inaugurate Electricity Interconnection

President Filipe Nyusi on 21 April announced that laying the first stone for the regional electricity interconnection between Mozambique and Malawi is a historic landmark. Click here to read…

Ukraine’s Zelensky renews request to address African Union

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again requested to address the African Union (AU), Moussa Faki Mahamat, AU Commission Chairperson said on Friday. Click here to read…

Angola and Spain Sign Protocol in Geosciences Field

According to the figures, Angola was responsible for almost 300,000 bpd of the of the OPEC+ supply shortfall while Nigeria was pumping almost 400,000 bpd below target. Click here to read…

Family of Hotel Rwanda hero launches $400m lawsuit over his alleged abduction

The family of Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina has filed a $400m lawsuit in the US over his alleged abduction and torture. Click here to read…

UN Slavery Investigator Arrives in Mauritania, Rights Group Urges UNHRC to Oust Regime

The independent non-governmental human rights group UN Watch today called on U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to move for the suspension of Mauritania from the 47-nation Human Rights CouncilClick here to read…

Gabon’s Plan to Revive Economy

The Gabonese government has announced the construction of a new special economic zone (SEZ), the Mpassa-Lebombi, in the south-eastern province of Haut-OgoouéClick here to read…

Africa’s tourism operators need local visitors

With international tourism still in a slump, African tour companies need local visitors to stimulate tourism. But many on the continent can’t afford to travel. Click here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

PM Narendra Modi Thanks Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina for recognising India’s leadership in promoting climate and disaster resilience. Click here to read…

India-Nigeria relations: Onyeama calls for stronger ties

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has called for stronger ties between Nigeria and India. This was even as Onyeama said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a “game-changer”. Click here to read…

Madagascar: A firm partner of India

The visit in late April of Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato to India revitalized the India-Madagascar relationship in diverse ways. Click here to read…

Indian Amb Abhay Kumar discusses cooperation with Madagascar in mining sector

Indian Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar held talks with Madagascar’s Mining Minister Rakotomalala Herindrainy Olivier and discussed the prospect of a partnership in the mining sector. Click here to read…

Deputy NSA visits Tanzania to widen defence ties in Indian Ocean Region

Deputy national security adviser Vikram Misri visited Tanzania this week to strengthen defence ties with one of India’s key partners in Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean Region (IOR) through measures including export of defence productsClick here to read…

India, Mauritius pact may include safeguard mechanism related provisions

India-Mauritius trade agreement may include safeguard mechanism related provisions to protect the domestic industry from a sudden or unusual surge in imports of goods. Click here to read…

India and Mozambique to expand fight against terror

These issues, along with efforts to curb illegal narco smuggling, which fuels terrorism, and to expand defence ties, including maritime security, topped the agenda of deputy national security adviser (NSA) Vikram Misri’s visit to Mozambique this week, according to people aware of the matter. Click here to read…

Kenya-India Strengthen Trade-Deal Talks

Kenya and India have continued to build bilateral trade relations with the ceramic business between the two countries increasing by 27 per cent in the past one year. Click here to read…

Coromandel International acquires 45% stake in Senegal-based BMCC for Rs 225 cr

Coromandel International will acquire 45% stake in Baobab Mining and Chemicals Corporation (BMCC) for $19.6 million (Rs 150 crore approx.), besides a loan infusion of of $9.7 million (Rs 75 crore approx.) into BMCC for capital projects and expansion. Click here to read…

ASIA RICE Strong demand from Asia, Africa lift Indian prices

Export prices of rice from India rose this week on increasing demand from Asia and Africa, while dwindling supplies of the staple lifted Vietnamese rates. Click here to read…

Ethiopian Airlines Increases Focus On India

After successfully navigating the COVID pandemic and ending 2021 in a profitable state, Ethiopian Airlines plans to retain its sharp focus on network expansion that is likely to be high in demand. Click here to read…

Nexcharge to use India plant for exports to Africa, Middle East & S America

Nexcharge, a battery pack three-way partnership between Exide Industries and Leclanché, will discover choices to take its tropical market experience to different world markets. Click here to read…

Holcim likely to seek exemption under India-Mauritius tax agreement

Mauritius-based Holderind Investments, which holds a 63 per cent stake in Ambuja Cements, can claim capital gains exemption under the India-Mauritius tax treaty. Click here to read…

Nigeria accuses Indian drug makers, exporters of unethical practices

Accusing Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers and exporters of indulging in unethical and unprofessional practices in connivance with Nigerian importers. Click here to read…

Indian footprints in Africa

A close linkage between LOC and boosting of India’s trade, investment and technology has been well brought outClick here to read…

Over 1,100 Indian peacekeepers receive UN medals for exceptional service in South Sudan

The daunting tasks that include protecting civilians, undertaking a variety of engineering assignments, and offering health services, are some of the capabilities of 1,160 Indian peacekeepers who were recently decorated with UN medals for their exceptional service in South Sudan. Click here to read…

China, India eye Russian oil, move to jettison Nigeria

Nigeria may lose its largest crude oil buyers, China and India, as both countries plan to negotiate Russian oil at discount prices. Click here to read…

Gabon ‘greedy’ For Investments from India: Minister Madiya

Resource-rich Gabon is “greedy” for investments from India and is expected to sign a bilateral trade and investment treaty later this year with India to further improve the bilateral economic ties. Click here to read…

High Commissioner of Tanzania to India Anisa Mbega visited LPU to meet hundreds of Tanzanian Students

Her Excellency Mrs Anisa Kapufi Mbega, the High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to India visited Lovely Professional University, today, to meet and interact with hundreds of Tanzanian students studying at LPU campus. Click here to read…

India, Germany to work together in Africa, Latin America as part of triangular cooperation: FS Kwatra

India and Germany are to undertake development partnership projects in three African countries and one country in Latin America as part of the agreement on triangular cooperation signed between the two countries. Click here to read…

Solar Inds bags orders worth Rs 1563-cr from Singareni Collieries

Solar Industries India said that the company and its subsidiary have received orders worth Rs 1,563 crore from Singareni Collieries Company. Click here to read…

Fresh fruit importer IG International all set to introduce Tanzanian avocados in India

Avo Africa is a part of the Keitt Group of companies. Keitt Exporters Limited prides itself on being the leading grower & exporter of fruits and vegetables to markets in Europe and the Middle East for over two decades now. They are the biggest growers and exporters of avocados from Tanzania and Kenya. Click here to read…

Full text of Xi Jinping’s speech at ceremony marking centenary of Communist Youth League of China: Xinhuanet

May 12, 2022

The following is the full text of a speech delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, at a ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Youth League of China on Tuesday. Click here to read…

China to prioritize employment in fiscal and monetary policies, mobilize existing assets to boost effective investment: Xinhuanet

May 12, 2022

China will adopt fiscal and monetary policies that prioritize job creation, as part of efforts to keep overall economic performance stable, according to a decision made at the State Council’s Executive Meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday. Click here to read…

China urges U.S. to promote regional peace, stability at upcoming U.S.-ASEAN summit: Xinhuanet

May 12, 2022

The United States, as a non-regional country, should play a positive and constructive role in promoting regional peace and development, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday, in response to reports that the upcoming U.S.-ASEAN summit will discuss issues related to China. Click here to read…

Australia urged to stop distorting facts over China-Solomon Islands security cooperation: Xinhuanet

May 12, 2022

The security cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands is aboveboard, legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday, urging Australia to stop distorting facts. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 312 new local COVID-19 cases, 227 in Shanghai: Xinhuanet

May 13, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Thursday reported 312 confirmed local COVID-19 cases, of which 227 were in Shanghai, the National Health Commission said on Friday. Apart from Shanghai, seven other provincial-level regions on the mainland saw new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 42 in Beijing and 15 in Henan. Click here to read…

Shanghai reports 227 confirmed, 1,869 asymptomatic local COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

May 13, 2022

China’s Shanghai reported 227 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 1,869 local asymptomatic cases on Thursday, the municipal health commission said Friday. Click here to read…

China to continue bolstering support for unemployed people: Xinhuanet

May 12, 2022

China will continue to step up support for unemployed people to ensure their basic living needs, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Policies to expand the coverage of unemployment insurance will be extended for one more year, Gui Zhen, an official with the ministry said Thursday. Click here to read…

China cracks down on cross-border gambling, fraud: Xinhuanet

May 12, 2022

China has cracked some 11,000 cases related to illegal cross-border gambling and fraud since the beginning of 2021, the National Immigration Administration said Thursday. A total of 15,000 people involved in illegal outbound cross-border gambling activities have been caught, and 290 gangs organizing such illegal activities have been busted, said the administration. Click here to read…

China speeds up green, low-carbon transformation of data centers: Quishi

May 12, 2022

The rapid proliferation of green data centers in China may be attributed to the rapid development of the country’s digital economy, which is driving a wave of green transformation among traditional data centers and resulting in the continual expansion of newly developed ones. Click here to read…

Smaller companies to further benefit from tax cuts, refunds: Quishi

May 12, 2022

Concerted efforts from multiple authorities in supporting value-added tax (VAT) credit refunds to businesses will play a critical role for the country’s smaller businesses facing strong headwinds, and are expected to tide them through challenging times, officials and experts said. Click here to read…

China strives to improve business environment for higher vitality of market entities: Quishi

May 13, 2022

China’s continuous efforts to deepen its reforms to streamline administration, delegate power, improve regulation and upgrade services for building a world-class business environment have greatly vitalized market entities and made important contributions to promoting high-quality economic and social development. Click here to read…

Beijing calls for new series of testing: China Daily

May 13, 2022

The Beijing municipal government has encouraged all residents to work from home on Friday and to stay at home during the coming weekend in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. In addition, another three rounds of mass nucleic acid testing will be conducted starting on Friday, a senior official said on Thursday afternoon. Click here to read…

Patients deal with COVID-19 symptoms for years: China Daily

May 13, 2022

Fatigue, insomnia and muscle weakness plague survivors, research report shows. Around half of recovered COVID-19 patients report at least one symptom two years after their infection with the disease, a study of nearly 1,200 people led by Chinese researchers has found. Click here to read…

China immigration authorities debunk disinformation over alleged heavy-handed border controls: Global Times

May 13, 2022

China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) and the General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspections in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou on Friday debunked rumors surrounding passenger passports or green cards being confiscated when entering or exiting the country. Authorities said that such disinformation aims to undermine China’s COVID-19 prevention measures and regulations. Click here to read…

Beijing juvenile courts reprimand 137 guardians for problematic family education: Global Times

May 13, 2022

The juvenile courts in Beijing have reprimanded 137 parents and guardians with a total of 116 duty notifications or guidance on family education since China’s Family Education Promotion Law was implemented at the beginning of 2022. Click here to read…

Beijing refutes rumors of lockdown, reassures of adequate food supplies amid hoarding: Global Times

May 12, 2022

Amid claims circulating that Beijing would be locked down, which led to local residents flooding supermarkets to hoard food, Beijing officials on Thursday clarified that these are just rumors, but local residents are suggested to stay at home and take nucleic acid testing in the following three days as a bid to curb transmission in communities as early as possible. Click here to read…

US eyes ‘luring’ ASEAN to ‘decouple from China’ with its Indo-Pacific economic framework: Global Times

May 12, 2022

A week ahead of Joe Biden’s Asia visit, the US President is hosting Southeast Asian leaders for a summit in Washington to show the importance the US places on ASEAN, but Chinese analysts believe the US’ vaunted enhanced ties with the region serve as a part of the Indo-Pacific strategy to secure its global leadership. Click here to read…

First bank in Shanghai resumes in-person business as city ramps up recovery: Global Times

May 12, 2022

A branch of Shanghai Rural and Commercial Bank (SRCB) in the city’s Jinshan district resumed in-person business Thursday, becoming the city’s first bank to resume work, as Shanghai’s financial industry accelerated its recovery from the COVID-19 flare-ups. Click here to read…

China, Africa continue to expand clean energy cooperation: People’s Daily

May 13, 2022

Energy shortage has long hindered the social and economic development of Africa. In particular, power supply is a major bottleneck delaying the continent’s industrialization. According to World Bank statistics, 51.6 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa did not have access to electricity in 2020, and an estimated 660 million people in the world would lack access in 2030, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Click here to read…

China rolls out multiple measures to help MSMEs, self-employed households pull through difficulties: People’s Daily

May 13, 2022

A recent State Council executive meeting specified that China will further implement measures to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and self-employed households, in an effort to stabilize the economy, as well as industrial and supply chains. Meanwhile, relevant government departments will adjust their policies promptly to ease the financial burdens on these businesses. Click here to read…

China denies suspending passports, invalidating foreign residency cards: Reuters

May 13, 2022

China’s immigration authority is still providing services for necessary trips outside the country, it said on Friday, denying rumours that passport issuances were halted and that residency cards for living in foreign countries were being invalidated. Click here to read…

Chinese universities including Renmin move away from international rankings while aiming for world class: South China Morning Post

May 13, 2022

The reported withdrawal of Beijing’s prestigious Renmin University of China (RUC) and other institutions from taking part in international university rankings has met strong support domestically, reflecting a rejection of standards defined by foreign ranking systems as the country aims to develop “world-class universities with Chinese characteristics”.
News of the university’s plans to withdraw from the rankings first spread online in early May, with national broadcaster China National Radio (CNR) citing sources familiar with the matter confirming that the university’s administrators had reached a consensus. Click here to read…

China tightens curbs on overseas travel as part of Covid battle: South China Morning Post

May 13, 2022

China has said it will impose tight restrictions on “non-essential” overseas travel for its citizens to help contain the worst coronavirus outbreak the country has seen in the past two years. The immigration authorities said the curbs were designed to stop infections crossing the border and would include a more rigorous approval process for passports and other travel documents and a crackdown on illegal border crossings. Click here to read…

Chinese vice premier stresses stabilizing foreign trade, investment: Xinhuanet

May 9, 2022

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on Monday urged more efforts to coordinate epidemic control with economic and social development, and strive to stabilize the overall performance of foreign trade and foreign investment. Click here to read…

Xi sums up experience from CYLC successes: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

The Party’s leadership, firm beliefs and convictions, devotion to national rejuvenation, and its deep roots in the country’s young people are key to the past and future successes of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC), Chinese President Xi Jinping said Tuesday. Click here to read…

Xi urges firm beliefs, fighting spirit in youth league members: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on members of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) in the new era to build up firm beliefs, and boost their courage and skills to carry out struggles, among others. Click here to read…

China calls for global cooperation on fighting drought, desertification: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday called for enhanced international cooperation on fighting drought and desertification. Wang, as the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, made the remarks via video link at a leaders’ meeting on drought and sustainable land governance. Click here to read…

China to make better use of structural monetary policy tools: Xinhuanet

May 9, 2022

China’s central bank on Monday said full play should be given to the guiding roles of structural monetary policy tools. Efforts should be made to make good use of relending and rediscount policies to support agriculture as well as micro and small firms, and the amount of such relending should be increased in a timely manner, according to a report released by the People’s Bank of China. Click here to read…

China to have 5.5 million nurses by 2025: Xinhuanet

May 9, 2022

China will have 5.5 million nurses by 2025, according to a new plan released by the National Health Commission. There will be an average of 3.8 registered nurses for every 1,000 people by 2025, the development plan for nursing showed. Click here to read…

China activates Level-IV emergency response for floods: Xinhuanet

May 9, 2022

China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday launched a Level-IV emergency response for flood control as heavy rains are forecast to batter southern parts of the country. Click here to read…

Beijing reports 50 new local COVID-19 infections: Xinhuanet

May 9, 2022

Beijing reported 50 new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections between 3 p.m. Sunday and 3 p.m. Monday, local authorities said. The new cases include a cluster infection in Shunyi District, with 21 people testing positive for the novel coronavirus so far, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center, at a press conference. Click here to read…

Shanghai reports 234 confirmed, 2,780 asymptomatic local COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

China’s Shanghai reported 234 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 2,780 local asymptomatic cases on Monday, the municipal health commission said Tuesday. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 349 new local COVID-19 cases, 234 in Shanghai: Xinhuanet

May 10, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 349 confirmed local COVID-19 cases, of which 234 were in Shanghai, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday. Apart from Shanghai, seven other provincial-level regions on the mainland saw new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 61 in Beijing and 25 in Henan. Click here to read…

China steers nimble monetary policies to enliven economy: Quishi

May 9, 2022

China is making agile use of monetary policy ammo to buoy the economy amid mounting uncertainties, said an official with the central bank, adding that the country is able to cope with the impact of other major economies’ tightening moves. Click here to read…

Manufacturers embrace the digital economy: Quishi

May 10, 2022

A workshop manufacturing home appliances in Shenyang, Liaoning province, is offering clients a chance to customize refrigerators remotely using their mobile phones. They can choose colors, functions and design styles without having to enter a bricks-and-mortar store. Click here to read…

Chinese vice premier reiterates dynamic zero-COVID policy: China Daily

May 10, 2022

Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Monday reiterated the country’s adherence to the dynamic zero-COVID policy and called for efforts to consolidate hard-won achievements in fighting COVID-19. Click here to read…

Govt trying to help students find jobs: China Daily

May 10, 2022

Employment opportunities struggle to keep pace with number of graduates. Faced with employment pressures brought by a record number of college graduates and the epidemic situation, governments and schools are mulling over a series of moves to help students find jobs. Click here to read…

12,000 seed varieties return to Earth after space trip: China Daily

May 10, 2022

About 12,000 seeds carried by the Shenzhou XIII manned spaceship have returned to Earth after being bred in space, and will be cultivated into greater varieties to supplement new germ plasm resources and ensure national food security, experts said. Click here to read…

Sinopharm launches Omicron vaccine trial in Hunan: China Daily

May 9, 2022

Chinese company Sinopharm began delivering its Omicron-specific vaccine candidate to fully vaccinated people in a major clinical trial which launched in Hunan province on Monday. Click here to read…

Xi calls on China, Germany to better harness stabilizing, constructive, steering role of ties: China Military

May 9, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday, saying it is particularly important for the two countries to better harness the stabilizing, constructive and steering role of their relationship. Click here to read…

Central govt officials vow full support for John Lee: China Daily

May 10, 2022

Heads of the central government’s offices in Hong Kong pledged full support on Monday for the new-term government led by chief executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu, saying that Lee, elected on Sunday, was not only the choice of the Election Committee, but also represented the aspiration of Hong Kong’s public. Click here to read…

More clinics reopening in Shanghai: China Daily

May 10, 2022

In light of the improving epidemic situation in Shanghai, more health clinics and delivery services in the city have resumed operation, the city government said on Monday. Zhao Dandan, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Commission, said at a news briefing on Monday that nearly 70 percent of community health centers in the city are now open five days a week, and more than 2,600 pharmacies in the city have also reopened. Click here to read…

Beijing tightens COVID-19 measures: China Daily

May 10, 2022

A medical worker prepares to take a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid test at a testing site in Chaoyang district of Beijing, on May 9, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
Beijing reported a new COVID-19 cluster with 21 infections from a workplace, adding uncertainty to the trends in the city’s latest outbreak, a senior official said on Monday. Click here to read…

Second PLA exercises near Taiwan in month: China Daily

May 9, 2022

The People’s Liberation Army organized interservice combat exercises near Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, according to the PLA Eastern Theater Command. In a brief statement on Monday, the command said that naval, air and missile forces took part in the three-day operation that was intended to verify and improve interservice combat capability. It did not give additional details. Click here to read…

China-bashing tactics ahead of elections ‘hurt Aussie parties’: Global Times

May 9, 2022

At a time when both the Australian ruling party and the opposition have been smearing security cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands ahead of the Australian elections, the Chinese Foreign Ministry again spoke up for the security cooperation by revealing on Monday that senior Chinese diplomats had a virtual meeting with their Australian counterparts on Friday, during which the Chinese diplomats stressed that the country does not seek a “sphere of influence” and will advance cooperation with South Pacific island countries. Click here to read…

US official’s slander of Huawei’s Africa business is ill-willed: Global Times

May 10, 2022

The slandering and smearing remarks made by some US officials against Chinese companies are folly, and they only expose their intention of provoking China-Africa cooperation, a Chinese official said, when asked to comment on US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman’s remarks on Huawei during her recent Africa tour. Click here to read…

Paranoid vetting about ‘China links’ only hurts innovation of the US tech startups: Global Times

May 9, 2022

The US Congress is reportedly considering vetting American tech startups which have been receiving federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR). Citing a study by the Pentagon, it claims that the program has been “exploited” by China. Click here to read…

India urged to give Chinese firms impartial treatment after Xiaomi officials were allegedly ‘coerced’: Global Times

May 9, 2022

China’s Foreign Ministry urged Indian authorities to provide a fair, impartial and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises operating in India on Monday, which came after Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi reportedly claimed its top executives faced threats of coercion during questioning by Indian officials. Click here to read…

Xi asks youth league to be political school leading Chinese young people: People’s Daily

May 10, 2022

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday told the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) to always be a political school leading the ideological progress of young people. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CYLC. Click here to read…

China’s Iranian oil imports ease on poor margins, lure of Russian oil: Reuters

May 9, 2022

China’s Iranian oil imports in April came off peak volumes seen in late 2021 and early 2022
as demand from independent refiners weakened after COVID-19 lockdowns pummelled fuel margins and on growing imports of lower-priced Russian oil. Click here to read…

Taiwan activist says did forced labour in China but not tortured: Reuters

May 10, 2022

A Taiwanese activist jailed in China said on Tuesday that he was subjected to forced labour and endured stale food while serving a five-year sentence, but that he was not tortured. Li Ming-che, a community college lecturer and activist at a human rights non-governmental organisation in Taiwan, disappeared while visiting China in 2017. Click here to read…

Exhibition on Chinese youth movement history opens in Beijing: Xinhuanet

May 6, 2022

An exhibition on the history of the Chinese youth movement has opened in Beijing to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC). The special exhibition, which is being held at the Central School of the Communist Youth League of China, offers a panoramic view of the Chinese youth movement over the past century led by the Communist Party of China, according to the CYLC Central Committee. Click here to read…

Senior legislators meet to deliberate laws: Xinhuanet

May 7, 2022

The Council of Chairpersons of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee held a meeting on Saturday in Beijing. The meeting, presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, heard reports on changes made to a draft revision to the Law on Physical Culture and Sports, a draft black soil conservation law, a draft amendment to the Anti-monopoly Law, and a draft amendment to the procedural rules of the NPC Standing Committee. Click here to read…

China opposes NATO’s provocation of bloc confrontations around globe: Xinhuanet

May 6, 2022

China is firmly opposed to NATO provocating bloc confrontations around the world, a Chinese envoy to the United Nations said Thursday during the Security Council briefing on Ukraine. Click here to read…

Chinese ambassador urges U.S. to stop politicizing business, trade ties with China: Xinhuanet

May 6, 2022

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang has urged the United States to stop politicizing China-U.S. business and trade ties and cancel the additional tariffs on Chinese goods that Washington still hasn’t let go. Click here to read…

Japan slammed for hyping up “China threat”: Xinhuanet

May 6, 2022

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Friday said Japan must not hype up the so-called “China threat” and undermine mutual trust and cooperation among countries in the region. Click here to read…

Over 90 pct of China’s SOE reform three-year action plan completed: Xinhuanet

May 7, 2022

China has completed over 90 percent of the major tasks of a three-year action plan to reform local state-owned enterprises (SOEs), according to a meeting Saturday. Click here to read…

China int’l big-data online expo slated for May 26: Xinhuanet

May 7, 2022

The China International Big Data Industry Expo 2022 is scheduled to take place online on May 26, the event organizers said on Saturday. For the past seven years, the event has been hosted by the city of Guiyang in southwest China’s Guizhou Province. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will take the form of a cloud conference this year, the organizers said. Click here to read…

Shanghai postpones entrance examinations for college, senior high: Xinhuanet

May 7, 2022

The Shanghai Municipal government Saturday said the city’s entrance examinations for colleges and senior high schools will be postponed for a month due to the latest resurgence of COVID-19. Click here to read…

China to promote urbanization through development of county seats: Xinhuanet

May 7, 2022

China has vowed to boost the development of county seats to promote urbanization, according to the country’s top economic planner. The move is expected to help drive the development and modernization of rural areas, and expand domestic consumption and investment, while creating more jobs and improving the lives of residents in county seats, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) told Xinhua, expounding on a Friday guideline on the subject. Click here to read…

State Council appoints, removes officials: Xinhuanet

May 7, 2022

The State Council announced the appointment and removal of several officials on Saturday. Zhao Chenxin was appointed deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. Sheng Qiuping was appointed vice minister of commerce, replacing Wang Bingnan. Click here to read…

Shanghai reports 215 confirmed, 3,760 asymptomatic local COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

May 8, 2022

China’s Shanghai reported 215 confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases and 3,760 local asymptomatic cases on Saturday, the municipal health commission said Sunday. Click here to read…

Beijing reports 39 new local COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

May 8, 2022

Beijing reported 39 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases between 3 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, said local authorities Sunday. The new cases were all from people under quarantine. They have been transferred to designated hospitals for isolation treatment, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center, at a press conference. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 401 new local COVID-19 cases, 322 in Shanghai: Xinhuanet

May 9, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Sunday reported 401 confirmed local COVID-19 cases, of which 322 were in Shanghai, the National Health Commission said on Monday. Apart from Shanghai, six other provincial-level regions on the mainland saw new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 33 in Beijing and 28 in Guangdong. Click here to read…

China releases list of most-wanted fugitives for women, child trafficking: Xinhuanet

May 6, 2022

China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has released a list of the six most-wanted fugitives for their involvement in major crimes of abduction and trafficking of women and children. Click here to read…

Former vice president of China Development Bank indicted for multiple offenses: Xinhuanet

May 6, 2022

He Xingxiang, former vice president of China Development Bank, has been indicted on charges of taking bribes, issuing financial bills and granting loans illegally, and concealing overseas bank deposits. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 356 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases, 245 in Shanghai: Xinhuanet

May 6, 2022

The Chinese mainland on Thursday reported 356 local confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 245 were in Shanghai, according to the National Health Commission’s report Friday. Apart from Shanghai, 12 other provincial-level regions on the mainland saw new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 55 in Beijing and 24 in Henan. Click here to read…

China central gov’t office says Hong Kong takes fresh look with new electoral system: Xinhuanet

May 8, 2022

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China’s State Council on Sunday said Hong Kong has taken a fresh look with a new electoral system and is poised for a brighter future at a new starting point. Click here to read…

John Lee elected as HKSAR’s sixth-term chief executive designate: Xinhuanet

May 8, 2022

The returning officer for the election of the sixth-term chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said on Sunday that John Lee has been elected as the chief executive designate. Click here to read…

China capable of stable energy supply: Quishi

May 9, 2022

Facing the pressure of increasing uncertainties in the global energy market caused by geopolitical conflicts, China has pledged maximum efforts to safeguard its energy supply. Despite the external pressure, China still possesses the capability to guarantee a secure, reliable and stable supply of energy, said Fu Linghui, a spokesperson with the National Bureau of Statistics. Click here to read…

China steers nimble monetary policies to enliven economy: Quishi

May 9, 2022

China is making agile use of monetary policy ammo to buoy the economy amid mounting uncertainties, said an official with the central bank, adding that the country is able to cope with the impact of other major economies’ tightening moves. Click here to read…

Ministry to shore up bottlenecks along transport infrastructure: Quishi

May 7, 2022

China will encourage investment in transport infrastructure construction, ensuring unimpeded logistics and helping solve the problems of enterprises to maintain a stable economy, a senior official from the Ministry of Transport said. Click here to read…

China moves forward in balanced education efforts: Quishi

May 7, 2022

All 2,895 counties across China have passed the national assessment of balanced development in compulsory education by the end of last year, thanks to unrelenting efforts from central and local authorities, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday. Click here to read…

Xi to address grand gathering marking Communist Youth League of China centenary: China Military

May 8, 2022

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will attend a grand gathering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China. Click here to read…

Minors barred from buying gifts for livestreamers: China Daily

May 9, 2022

A new document has banned minors from buying virtual gifts for livestreamers and those under the age of 16 from performing as livestreamers. People aged between 16 and 18 who want to be livestreamers must get their guardians’ consent, said the document, which was jointly issued on Saturday by the Office of the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Radio and Television Administration and the Cyberspace Administration of China. Click here to read…

Online and off, fairs to offer 1.4 million jobs: China Daily

May 9, 2022

The Ministry of Education launched college graduate recruitment week on Monday. The event, which aims to expand employment opportunities and help graduates overcome employment issues caused by the epidemic, began both online and offline in Henan, Beijing, Jilin, Shandong, Chongqing and Yunnan. Click here to read…

Former SPC assistant judge gets 14 years for taking bribes, stealing state secrets: China Daily

May 7, 2022

Wang Linqing, a former assistant judge of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a local court on Saturday for receiving bribes and illegally obtaining state secrets. Click here to read…

Shanghai delays national college entrance examination due to epidemic: China Daily

May 7, 2022

Shanghai has postponed the national college entrance examination to July due to the COVID-19 epidemic, according to a news conference held on Saturday. The examination, or gaokao, which was scheduled to be held in June, is now deferred to July 7 – 9, the city’s vice-mayor Chen Qun said. Click here to read…

Electricity trading resumes with Vietnam: China Daily

May 6, 2022

With the startup of a double-circuit power line between China and Vietnam on April 30, power trade between the two countries has resumed. The line runs between Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province and Vietnam’s Lao Cai province. Click here to read…

John Lee wins chief executive election: China Daily

May 8, 2022

John Lee Ka-chiu won the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s chief executive election on Sunday, becoming the sixth-term chief executive-elect after securing 1,416 votes from Election Committee members. Click here to read…

Beijing to keep conducting mass testing: China Daily

May 9, 2022

Chaoyang residents, workers urged to stay home as epidemic fight continues As Beijing is still fighting intensively against the latest outbreak of COVID-19, the city government has decided to continue carrying out mass nucleic acid testing in districts and key areas and to implement stricter measures to contain the spread of the virus. Click here to read…

Xi to address grand gathering marking Communist Youth League of China centenary: Global Times

May 8, 2022

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will attend a grand gathering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China. Click here to read…

PLA holds joint drills east, southwest to Taiwan island: Global Times

May 09, 2022

PLA Eastern Theater Command organized maritime, aerial and conventional missile forces for realistic combat drills in & above waters east and southwest to Taiwan island Fri to Sun: PLA DailyClick here to read…

US Embassy in China mocked by Chinese netizens after comparing Russia with Nazi Germany: Global Times

May 9, 2022

The US Embassy in China on Sunday issued a post comparing Russia with Nazi Germany during World War II amid the crisis in Ukraine but Chinese netizens slammed such fanning of flames, saying the US was the biggest culprit by inciting war and jeopardizing global peace. Click here to read…

Permanent populations of 10 provincial-level regions in China fall in 2021: Global Times

May 8, 2022

The permanent populations of at least 10 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland fell in 2021, according to data released by statistic authorities from the country’s 30 provinces and regions, which experts said was an expected crisis that needs to be fixed urgently. Click here to read…

Criminal case filed against Beijinger for concealing residence, leading to virus spread and closed-off management of more than 1,300: Global Times

May 8, 2022

A Beijing resident who concealed his living address during a COVID-19 epidemiological investigation has led to the spread of the virus and the subsequent closed-off management of more than 1,300 people, Beijing police announced at a briefing on Saturday. Click here to read…

2022 Hangzhou Asian Games rescheduled, Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games postponed over COVID concerns: Global Times

May 6, 2022

Three major sports events to be held in China in second half of 2022, including the Asian Games, have been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, organizers announced on Friday, casting a shadow to the global sports calendar, as well as some athletes’ career. Click here to read…

Former deputy head of China Development Bank being prosecuted for taking bribes, issuing illegal loans: Global Times

May 6, 2022

Beijing’s procuratorial organs moved to prosecute He Xingxiang, former deputy head of China Development Bank for allegedly taking bribes, issuing loans illegally and concealing offshore deposits, according to a statement published by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. Click here to read…

Online celebrity given jail term for violating martyrs’ reputation: Global Times

May 5, 2022

Luo Changping, an online celebrity and journalist, was sentenced to prison for seven months on Thursday in Sanya, South China’s Hainan Province for satirizing and humiliating martyrs of the Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV). Click here to read…

Some enterprises in Beijing to enjoy free rent for six months during epidemic: Global Times

May 9, 2022

Chaoyang district in Beijing said it will reduce or exempt six months worth of rent for small, medium and micro-sized service enterprises and individual businesses that rent state-owned properties in 2022, a move aimed at relieving the burden on businesses experiencing hardship during the epidemic. Click here to read…

6 hydroelectric plants along the Yangtze River generate over 3 trillion kilowatt-hours of power: Global Times

May 8, 2022

Six cascade hydroelectric plants along the Yangtze River have generated more than 3 trillion kilowatt-hours of power, which is equivalent to saving about 910 million tons of coal and reducing close to 240 million tons of carbon dioxide, the Three Gorges Group announced on Saturday night. Click here to read…

“Mobile hospitals” deliver medical services to doorsteps of rural residents in E China’s Zhejiang: People’s Daily

May 9, 2022

It took about one hour for the medical vehicle, which was dispatched by a hospital in Songyang county, Lishui city, east China’s Zhejiang Province, to get to Xiecun village, a mountainous village located in the same county. Many local villagers had been waiting for the vehicle’s arrival at the entrance of the village. Click here to read…

7th cross-Strait ceremony to worship Emperor Yan to be held in China’s Shanxi: People’s Daily

May 5, 2022

The 7th cross-Strait ceremony to worship Emperor Yan, a legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation, will take place on May 8 in Gaoping, a county-level city in north China’s Shanxi Province, where the mausoleum of Emperor Yan is located, its organizers revealed at a recent press conference. Click here to read…

China’s sea levels touched new high in 2021, govt study shows: Reuters

May 9, 2022

China’s sea levels reached their highest on record last year, swelled by rising water temperatures and the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps, the government said in a report. Click here to read…

Diamond League meets in China moved, cancelled due to COVID-19: Reuters

May 7, 2022

A Diamond League athletics meet to be held this year in China has been moved to Poland and another cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreaks in the country, organisers said, after the high-profile Asian Games in Hangzhou were postponed. Click here to read…

U.S., Chinese regulators in talks for audit deal: Reuters

May 7, 2022

U.S. and Chinese regulatory officials are in talks to settle a long-running dispute over the auditing compliance of U.S.-listed Chinese firms, three people briefed on the matter told Reuters. The standoff, if not resolved, could see Chinese firms kicked off New York bourses. Click here to read…

Chaos at Apple supplier shows strains of Shanghai COVID lockdown: Reuters

May 8, 2022

Quanta Shanghai Manufacturing City would seem like an ideal site to implement China’s “closed-loop” management system to prevent the spread of COVID that requires staff to live and work on-site in a secure bubble. Click here to read…

‘Go home!’ COVID-hit Shanghai, Beijing tell residents to avoid social contacts: Reuters

May 9, 2022

China’s two biggest cities tightened COVID-19 curbs on their residents on Monday, raising new frustration and even questions about the legality of its uncompromising battle with the virus. Click here to read…

Chinese get creative to dodge virus censorship: Taipei Times

May 8, 2022

From quoting the national anthem to referencing Hollywood blockbusters and George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, Chinese Web users are using creative methods to dodge censorship and voice discontent over COVID-19 measures. China maintains a tight grip over the Internet, with legions of censors scrubbing out posts that cast the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) policies in a negative light. Click here to read…

Australian, Solomons ministers discuss China pact: Taipei Times

May 08, 2022

Australia’s foreign minister has met her Solomon Islands counterpart for the first time since the South Pacific island nation signed a security pact with China. Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne yesterday said she met Solomon Islands Development Planning and Aid Coordination Minister Jeremiah Manele in the Australian east coast city of Brisbane as he transited through the airport on Friday night. Click here to read…

China trade: export growth slowed to lowest level in almost 2 years in April, imports flat: South China Morning Post

May 9, 2022

China’s export growth slowed to its lowest rate since June 2020 in April, data released on Monday showed, while imports remained flat. Exports grew by 3.9 per cent last month from a year earlier to US$273.62 billion, compared with growth of 14.7 per cent in March.
The export figure, though, was above the median result of a survey of analysts conducted by Bloomberg, which had predicted 1.9 per cent growth last month compared to a year earlier. Click here to read…

How Chinese loans help fuel African military spending: South China Morning Post

May 9, 2022

Chinese money is helping to bankroll and equip some African countries with military equipment and infrastructure. Most Chinese lending on the continent is used to fund civilian infrastructure, but according to Boston University’s Global Development Centre, it signed 27 loan deals with eight African countries worth US$3.5 billion between 2000 and 2020 for defence spending. Most of the money went into buying military aircraft, equipment and training and for building housing units for the military and police. Click here to read…

Premier Li Keqiang warns of ‘complicated, grim’ outlook, urges action ahead of Communist Party congress: South China Morning Post

May 8, 2022

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has warned of a “grim” outlook for the job market, urging provincial governments to take stronger action to stabilise employment ahead of a landmark political meeting this year. In written remarks to a teleconference of provincial leaders on Saturday, Li said employment conditions were “complicated and grim”, and local authorities should step up their efforts on job stability to “ensure the achievement of the annual employment goal and welcome the victory” of the Communist Party’s national congress. The congress, a five yearly political gathering set to take place in autumn, is expected to mark the start of President Xi Jinping’s third five-year term as the party’s leader. Click here to read…

Welcome to Africa Now, your weekly newsletter for Africa, presenting the most important developments in the continent – news that matters.

COMMENTARY

The Future of Israel-Africa Ties

In February 2022, the annual summit of the African Union (AU) took place in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, also headquarter of the African Union. Click here to read…

Africa Day 2022 comes amid a divided continent

Fifty-nine years have passed on since the proclamation of the need for a United States of Africa and with it hopes and dreams. Click here to read…

NEWS

Israel Offers Support to Morocco Over Western Sahara After Summit

On March 27th, Israel hosted a landmark summit in which foreign ministers from Morocco, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States met to discuss a myriad of international issues. Click here to read…

Algeria threatens to halt gas exports to Spain

The warning from Algeria comes against the background of already-soaring gas prices driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Click here to read…

Libyan parliament lashes out as Algeria recognises GNU

The Libyan House of Representatives has condemned Algeria’s recognition of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and refusal to acknowledge the competing government in Tobruk. Click here to read…

Sudanese people protest against military rule in anniversary

Demonstrators marched across Sudanese cities to mark the deadly sit-in protests during the military takeover of the government where over 60 people were killed in the capital Khartoum in 2019. Click here to read…

Guinea to move to civilian rule in three years

The head of Guinea’s military government has announced the country will return to civilian rule after a 39-month transition period. Click here to read…

UN condemns Mali’s ban on French media

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights criticised Mali’s decision to ban French media outlets and called on its military rulers to reverse their decision. Click here to read…

China deployed Surface-to- Air Missiles (SAM) in Zimbabwe?

China has reportedly deployed and installed new generation of surface-to- air missiles (SAM) in Zimbabwe, Team pachedu has alleged. Click here to read…

Biya Bets on Russia

Cameroon’s president signs a security deal with Putin amid war in Ukraine and conflict at home. Click here to read…

UN chief to make West Africa trip to Senegal Niger Nigeria

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is heading to West Africa on Saturday to join Muslims marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan and to highlight the impact of the Ukraine war on the African continent. Click here to read…

Raila horse trading in Nairobi governor race

Kenya’s presidential contender Raila Odinga has moved to broker a pre-election power-sharing deal in Nairobi among the political parties in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party, defusing tensions that threatened to derail his campaign. Click here to read…

AfDB President garners strong support for robust 16th replenishment of African Development Fund

African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina concluded a three-day official visit to Washington DC on Saturday. Click here to read…

OPEC Fund to finance Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline

The OPEC Fund for International Development will finance 14.3 million U.S. dollars for the second phase of the studies in the submarine Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project. Click here to read…

Chinese Lending to Africa Fell to 16-Year Low When Pandemic Hit

Chinese lending to African governments fell to a 16-year low in 2020 as the impact of the coronavirus deterred countries on the continent from borrowing. Click here to read…

Ethiopia says Tigrayan peacekeepers victims of rebel ‘propaganda’

More than 500 UN peacekeepers from Tigray who were deployed to Abyei, a disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan, have asked Khartoum for asylum, citing fears for their safetyClick here to read…

Central African Republic accepts Bitcoin as legal tender

After El Salvador and a Honduras SEZ, and the city of Lugano, the Central African Republic has also accepted the Bitcoin as the legal tender in the country. Click here to read…

Guinea considers proposals for political transition

Guinea’s military junta announced that it has received “proposals” for a political transition in the country. The proposals range from 18 to 52 months. Click here to read…

Kenya distances itself from US-led pact against internet shutdowns

Kenya has distanced itself from a United States listing of 60 signatories to an agreement that commits countries from arbitrarily shutting down the internet. Click here to read…

Nigeria’s opposition to pick presidential candidate at end of May

Nigeria’s opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday it will choose a presidential candidate at the end of May to contest elections set for February next year as it seeks to return to power after losing office seven years ago. Click here to read…

Few optimistic about DRC peace talks in Kenya

The Congolese presidency said on Thursday that the first round of peace talks to end one of the world’s worst and longest-running humanitarian emergencies had concluded. Click here to read…

Libya is losing $60m a day in oil shutdown: Oil minister

Libya is losing tens of millions of dollars a day from the shutdown of its oil facilities, while global prices are at their highest in years, the country’s oil minister told AFP. Click here to read…

Tunisia president unwilling to compromise as democracy fears grow

As Tunisia’s political crisis rumbles on, President Kais Saied has made several moves that critics say are designed to entrench him in power and appears increasingly unwilling to compromise. Click here to read…

Somalia: Parliament elects new speaker after security standoff

Somali lawmakers have elected a new parliamentary speaker after a tense standoff between African Union peacekeepers and police, underscoring bitter divisions within the country’s security forces exacerbated by delayed elections. Click here to read…

Guinea and Burkina Faso Juntas Risk More Sanctions Over Transition Delays

Guinea’s ruling junta on Monday signalled it might break a deadline to set out its plans to return to civilian rule, opening up the prospect of more sanctions from West Africa’s political and economic bloc. Click here to read…

Joint West African force claims 20 rebels killed in Lake Chad

Troops participating in a West African joint military force claim to have killed an estimated 20 rebel fighters in the Lake Chad basin. Click here to read…

Sudan: West Darfur clashes leave 200 dead

Clashes in West Darfur left at least 200 people dead and over a hundred injured, local authorities said on April 27. The clashes unfolded between members of the non-Arab Massalit community and Arab fighters near West Darfur’s state capital El Geneina. Click here to read…

Togo to join Commonwealth

TOGO COULD become the latest country to join the Commonwealth after MPs passed a vote asking its Government to make a formal bid for membership on Friday. Click here to read…

Benin celebrates return of royal treasures after 130 years
The much-celebrated return of 26 treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey has culminated in a month-long celebration of heritage and art at the Museum of the Marina in Cotonou, Benin, attracting large crowds. Click here to read…

Will AU give support to Ukraine after Zelensky’s second request to address African leaders?

The African Union has said there was need for a “peaceful solution to the conflict with Russia”. Click here to read…

NZ peacekeepers to stay in Africa, Middle East

New Zealand will extend its peacekeeping contributions in South Sudan and the Middle East. An international relations expert said the deployments were a chance for troops to get specialist training and learn from overseas counterparts. Click here to read…

China aids Zambia in debt restructuring process

President Hakainde Hichilema has thanked China for coming on board to commit and join other creditors in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Zambia debt restructuring process. Click here to read…

Malawi looks to cannabis for profits amid declining Tobacco demand

Under a scorching sun at a trading post in Malawi, Chikumbutso Chekeni and his wife head to their tobacco sheds to dry their newly harvested leaf. Click here to read…

Suspected Islamic State terrorists blow up gas pipeline in Egypt’s Sinai

Suspected Islamic State terrorists blew up a natural gas pipeline Saturday in Egypt’s restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, causing a fire but no casualties, security officials saidClick here to read…

Senior Eritrean delegation on working visit to Russia

Senior Eritrean delegation composed of Mr. Osman Saleh, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Presidential Adviser Mr. Yemane Gebreab is on a two-day working visit to Russia on invitation of Mr. Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Click here to read…

Bitcoin not a panacea for Africa’s economic woes: IMF

Bitcoin is not a cure-all for Africa’s economic woes, the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday, after the Central African Republic adopted the cryptocurrency as legal tender. Click here to read…

Pressure mounts for Chad to delay its national dialogue

Pressure is piling on the Chadian government to delay the date of a national dialogue set to start in two weeks as rebel groups and representatives of the country’s transitional council are yet to reach an amnesty agreement seen as a crucial condition for the success of the talks. Click here to read…

Angola’s historic first oil platform to be launched in June

The Angolan oil sector has reason to smile with export figures more than satisfactory at the end of 2021-beginning of 2022. In the same vein, the historic launch of the very first oil platform in the country will take place next June. Click here to read…

South Africa likely in new Covid wave, says health minister

South Africa has likely entered a new wave of Covid-19 earlier than expected as new infections and hospitalisations have risen rapidly over the past two weeks, the country’s health minister said on Friday. Click here to read…

South Africa Offers to Co-Chair Zambia’s Creditor Committee

South Africa has indicated its interest in co-chairing Zambia’s official creditors committee together with France, the nation’s finance ministry said. Click here to read…

More faithful in South African mosques during Ramadan this year

South African Muslims are pleased to see more faithful gathering at mosques during this year’s holy month of Ramadan. Click here to read…

Paul Rusesabagina: Hotel Rwanda hero’s family files $400m US lawsuit

The family of Paul Rusesabagina, the subject of Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda, have filed a $400m (£307m) lawsuit in the United States over his alleged abduction and torture. Click here to read…

Gabon launches new economic zon

The Gabonese government has announced the construction of a new special economic zone (SEZ), the Mpassa-Lebombi, in the south-eastern province of Haut-Ogooué. Click here to read…

Africa-Vietnam fashion trade ties yet to hit full potential: Vietrade

Despite significant growth Vietnam-Africa bilateral ties in recent years, the trade relationship between the two had not achieved its full potential, especially in the fashion industry, according to Le Hoang Tai, deputy director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade). Click here to read…

Mauritania working to promote 28 offshore blocks open for bids

African energy sector investment platform Energy Capital & Power (EPC) has created a coalition with Mauritania’s Energy Ministry and NOC to attract foreign stakeholder interest in the country’s potential renewable projects and 28 offshore blocks that are open for bids, EPC announcedClick here to read…

INDIA IN AFRICA

Madagascar FM calls Indo-Pacific a ‘legitimate vision’; bats for peaceful military ties with India

The visiting Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard Randriamandrato has called the “Indo-Pacific vision a legitimate vision”, an important remark given the country’s key location in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Click here to read…

Why are Indian Army and ‘Made in India’ vehicles in Africa’s oil-rich Abyei?

Realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a self-reliant nation in defence manufacturing, an Indian Army peacekeeping battalion equipped with homemade wheeled armoured personnel carriers has been deployed in Africa’s oil-rich Abyei region, which sits between northern and southern Sudan. Click here to read…

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra urges Indian diaspora to register as Overseas Voters

Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has urged members of the Indian Community to register as Overseas Voters. He also told the NRI community that extension of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility to overseas voters is being contemplated.Click here to read…

Over 1,000 Indian Peacekeepers Get UN Award for Serving In South Sudan

Over 1,100 Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded UN medals, honouring them for their exceptional service in the strife-torn East African country. Click here to read…

Kenya delegation visits DFCCIL freight corridor

A delegation from Kenya visited the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor along with N Srinivas, the Director of Operations & Business Development, DFCCILClick here to read…

Mozambique: EDM Awards Power Line Construction Work to India’s L&T

Mozambique’s publicly owned electricity company, EDM, has awarded the construction of the interconnection power line with neighbouring Malawi to “Lasern & Toubro” (L&T), India’s infrastructure development companyClick here to read…

ICRISAT’S 50th Anniversary Celebration Held in Malawi

Since its founding in March 1972, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has been celebrating 50 years of scientific innovation and impact in the drylands. Click here to read…

India to send first wheat cargo to Egypt

India is scheduled to ship its first wheat cargo to Egypt, following the latter’s phytosanitary approval of India-origin crop earlier in April. Click here to read…

Gov’t urges Ghanaian, Indian pharmaceutical companies to access AfCFTA opportunities

The AfCFTA, whose Secretariat is hosted in Accra, provides duty-free and quota-free trade access for businesses and companies. Click here to read…

Navy Chief hands over navigation charts to Maldives and Seychelles

Continuing with what has been New Delhi’s approach on strengthening bonds with countries in the Indian Ocean Region, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar has visited Seychelles and Maldives. Click here to read…

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to completely fund university studies for students from Africa

India’s top private university Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has announced a new scholarship program to support 350 students from across Africa to travel to India for higher education. The announcement made at the Amrita-Africa Summit in New Delhi was attended by ambassadors from across Africa and hosted by dignitaries from the universityClick here to read…

India, Mauritius trade pact may include safeguard mechanism related provisions

The sources said a chapter on general economic cooperation is also expected to be included in the pact, which is officially termed as Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA). Click here to read…

Ethiopian Airlines to boost India flights, eyes higher traffic from BRICS

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest carrier in Africa, is allowed to operate 35 flights per week to Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. Click here to read…
Guptas used former president Zuma against people of S Africa: Commission of Inquiry

A report said Jacob Zuma “would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them”, including firing competent ministers and senior officials at parastatal institutions. Click here to read…

CM Yogi Adityanath invites Mauritius businessmen for UP Summit

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has invited Mauritian investors to invest in the state as well as participate in the Global Investors Summit proposed to be held in the state soon. Click here to read…

Jaishankar congratulates Tanzania on country’s Union Day

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday congratulated Tanzania Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula and the people of the country on the 58th anniversary of their Union DayClick here to read…

UNESCO funds launch of Seychelles first-ever balloon satellite

In a significant initiative towards boosting scientific temper and enthusiasm for space technology in the young citizens of Seychelles, an Indian organization facilitated the launch of Seychelles’ first-ever balloon satellite. Click here to read…

Karnataka: Ugandan woman dies falling from hostel terrace, students stage protest

Tension prevailed at GITAM University campus on the outskirts of Bengaluru after a 22-year-old student fell to her death from the sixth floor of the hostel building on Wednesday night, the police said. Click here to read…

India’s Gupta’s brothers used South Africa’s Ex-President in capturing Eskom

In one of the latest reports issued by the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, the three Gupta brothers have been held responsible for capturing the parastatal electricity supplier, Eskom and provoking South African natives against their former President Jacob Zuma. Click here to read…

Guptas used former president Zuma against people of S Africa: Commission of Inquiry

A report said Jacob Zuma “would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them”, including firing competent ministers and senior officials at parastatal institutions. Click here to read…

India’s UPL applies to flush toxic pesticides into South African sea

Indian agrochemicals manufacturer UPL Ltd has applied for permission to flush water contaminated by a toxic pesticides spill in South Africa’s city of Durban directly into the sea or the sewerage system, the company said on Saturday. Click here to read…