Johannesburg (AFP) - The youth wing of the ruling African National Congress issued a call to arms Saturday in defence of South African President Jacob Zuma as his finance minister fought back in a fraud case involving an Indian business family linked to the scandal-tainted leader. Zuma has been under pressure over persistent allegations the powe ...

Pretoria (AFP) - Free State Cheetahs and Blue Bulls took contrasting routes Saturday to first appearances in the South African Currie Cup final for seven years. Cheetahs, who topped the regular season standings by winning all eight games, thrashed title-holders Golden Lions 56-17 in Bloemfontein with Sergeal Petersen scoring a hat-trick. Subs ...

Niamey (AFP) - Niger has launched an army operation to hunt down a kidnapped American aid worker, the west African country's interior minister said Saturday. The aid worker -- the first US national to be kidnapped in Niger -- was abducted Friday night in the town of Abalak, in the restive central Tahoua region. A search is underway. Our forc ...

Pretoria (AFP) - Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa moved closer to a fairy-tale CAF Champions League title with a 3-0 home victory over Zamalek of Egypt Saturday in the first leg of the final. Liberian Anthony Laffor and Tebogo Langerman scored in the first half of a lively match watched by a capacity 30,000 crowd at Lucas 'Masterpieces' Stadium ...

Mogadishu (AFP) - A week of violent clashes between rival forces in northern Somalia has killed 11 people and forced more than 50,000 to flee, the UN humanitarian agency said on Saturday. Tensions between the rival regions of Puntland and Galmudug soared last month after Galmudug said 13 of its soldiers were killed in a misdirected US airstrike ...

Remarks at the Plenary of the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol: Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State Plenary Hall, Convention Center Kigali, Rwanda October 14, 2016 SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good afternoon everybody. I want to begin by thanking the president of this Meeting of the Parties, Minister Biru ...

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, welcomes the release of 21 Chibok schoolgirls who were captured by Boko Haram. UNFPA commends the Nigerian Government rsquo;s commitment to the liberation of more girls and other survivors, and has prepositioned counsellors to provide urgent psychosocial support to the girls and reproductive health car ...

Keeping handwashing with soap as a habit, even well after the Ebola epidemic, is a key theme of today rsquo;s Global Handwashing Day, as celebrated in Sierra Leone by the Ministry of Water Resources and partners. Handwashing with soap is dangerously low in many countries, including Sierra Leone, UNICEF reports, despite its proven benefits to chi ...

Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, had a phone call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. They discussed the situation in Ethiopia, following the recent declaration of a state of emergency in the country. The HRVP expressed her concern abou ...

Kigali (AFP) - In a major step toward curbing global warming, world envoys reached an agreement Saturday to phase out potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners. Under the amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol on protecting the ozone layer, rich countries are to take action sooner than developing nations. The agreeme ...

Kigali (AFP) - Representatives from almost 200 countries reached an agreement Saturday on the phase-out of potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners, a major step in curbing global warming, a Rwandan minister hosting the talks announced. The amendment and decisions are adopted, said Rwanda's Minister of Natural Resourc ...

Niamey (AFP) - An American NGO worker was kidnapped Friday night in the Niger town of Abalak, northeast of the capital Niamey, before being taken by his abductors to Mali, a security source told AFP. An American NGO worker was kidnapped Friday around 9:00 pm local time (2000 GMT) in Abalak. It is too early to determine the identity of the kidna ...