Africa

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s former foreign affairs and regional integration minister, has taken up the position of Commonwealth Secretary General, pledging to advance the values of the Charter amid growing global tensions and shifting alliances

Six additional seawater desalination plants will be constructed to meet 72% of Algeria’s drinking water needs; President Tebboune added that integration of groundwater, surface water, dams and other sources is now essential given the scarcity of rainfall

Judicial investigations are now compulsory for commercial cases brought to court after a law was adopted in this framework earlier this year; The procedure, which used to only concern criminal cases, was extended to commercial disputes

Chad helped over 20.000 Sudanese refugees in the Treguine and Breidjing camps along in the Ouaddai region in the eastern part of the country; the United Arab Emirates sent 5.000 food parcels

An attack on peacekeepers serving with the MINUSCA mission in the Central African Republic resulted in the death of a Kenyan 'blue helmet'; the UN Secretary-General strongly condemned the act

The recent initiative to define the modalities for issuing new-generation national identity cards to its citizens, displaced persons and refugees living in Cameroon has received the approval of the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR

President Ibrahim Traore refused a pay rise: choosing to continue receiving the same salary he received as a soldier, he reaffirmed his commitment to serve the citizens of Burkina Faso

The Republic of Benin, together with Togo, owe Nigeria $8.84 million for electricity consumption in the fourth quarter of 2024 according to data disclosed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission

18 new Innovation Hubs in all tertiary institutions will be established in 2025 to strengthen Nigeria's research and innovation; plans have been announced by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund

The Somali government received a major shipment of military equipment from the African Union to improve the country's security infrastructure and support ongoing efforts to stabilise the region

The fishing community, which includes around 1900 artisanal fishermen, expressed their concerns to the Prime Minister, who reiterated the government's commitment to address their needs and improve their livelihoods