KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Congo’s people to forgive those who committed “inhuman violence” against them, celebrating a Mass for 1 million people and then hearing first hand of the atrocities some of them have endured: a teen- age girl “raped like an animal” for months; a young man who watched … Read more
Pope Francis arrived in Kinshasa on Tuesday for a six-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, two fragile African nations where protracted conflicts have displaced millions of civilians, sowing death, hunger and despair. The trip – his fifth to Africa – takes the 86-year-old pope to countries blighted by conflict … Read more
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Pope Francis began a six-day visit to Congo and South Sudan on Tuesday, aiming to bring a message of peace to two countries riven by poverty, conflict and what Francis has called a lingering “colonialist mentality” that still considers Africa ripe for exploitation. Francis landed at Kinshasa’s airport and was greeted … Read more
The focus of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to South Africa, eSwatini, and Angola this week has been the portrayal of Russia as a partner for the continent’s development and security, especially in the energy sector. The tour also had an overtly propagandistic element aimed at bolstering Russia’s tattered global image as it seeks … Read more
The United States has criticized South Africa’s decision to hold military exercises next month with Russia and China as the war in Ukraine rages on. The exercises – called Mosi, which means “Smoke” in Tswana, one of South Africa’s 11 official languages - will see 350 of South Africa’s soldiers train alongside their Russian and … Read more
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed Algeria as Rome’s “most stable, strategic and long-standing” partner in North Africa as she wrapped up a two-day visit on Monday aimed at securing Italy’s energy supplies and promoting her plan for a “non-predatory ” approach to investment on the continent. Meloni, who leads Italy’s most right-wing government since … Read more
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. CNN – When a teenage boy died 2,300 years ago in Egypt, he was mummified and adorned with 49 protective amulets and a golden mask to guide him in the afterlife. Researchers discovered the amulets … Read more
The United States has designated Russia’s Wagner mercenary group as a “transnational criminal organization”, piling pressure on the private army that has recruited tens of thousands of Russian prisoners to fight in Ukraine. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that Wagner, controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman close to Russian President … Read more
As Vicky Liu prepared to return home to China to celebrate the Lunar New Year with her family for the first time in more than three years, she wondered how much would have changed. “The answer is a lot,” Liu, a 25-year-old postgraduate student in the United States who is from China’s northeastern city of … Read more
London CNN – South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced this week to cancel a trip to Davos by an escalating energy crisis that is inflicting rolling blackouts on the continent’s most developed economy. Ramaphosa swapped his trip to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland for emergency meetings on the “ongoing energy crisis,” his spokesperson … Read more