Author: Amnewsworld

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who tried to reawaken Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday. He was 95. Benedict stunned the world on Feb. 11, 2013, when he announced, in his typical, soft-spoken Latin, that he no longer had the strength to run the 1.2 billion-strong Catholic Church that he had steered for eight years through scandal and indifference. His dramatic decision paved the way for the conclave that elected Pope Francis as his successor. The two popes then…

2022 was an eventful year for culture in Africa. From cinema to architecture and music, let’s shine the light on some of the most significant pieces of news in the world of art and culture of the past year. The ribbon was cut and “The Amazon” was unveiled in Cotonou. Covered in bronze with an overall height of 30-meter the eponymous statue was inaugurated in the Beninese capital. The monument pays tribute to the women fighters known as Agoodjié. Until the end of the 19th century, they belonged to the elite corps of the royal army of Dahomey, a kingdom…

After an impeccable World Cup performance, Moroccan players Sofiane Boufal and Azzedine Ounahi are still reluctant to return to their respective football clubs Sofiane Boufal’s side, Angers FC sit at the bottom of League one table and are in need of the winger despite his absence. Boufal has not yet mention his return date and is considered still in vacation amid rumours he might seek a deal out of his club. Meanwhile, Ounahi who also impressed many clubs is still undecided about his future. His impeccable performance especially in the midfield has attracted the interests of many clubs like Napoli.…

Tunisia’s finance minister unveiled a budget Monday aiming to use new tax revenues to claw the deficit back to near five percent of GDP, as the cash-strapped country awaits an international bailout. The 2023 budget comes as the North African country grapples with eye-watering public debt, shortages of goods from sugar to petrol and inflation at nearly 10 percent. The latest plans aim to cut the budget deficit from 7.7 percent of gross domestic product to 5.2 percent, Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri told journalists. The state, saddled with a crippling public wage bill and politically sensitive subsidies, is set to…

Fighting between the rebel M23 group and the army in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, continued on Monday, according to residents contacted by telephone by AFP from Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. According to the United Nations and the United States, the mostly ethnic M23 group is backed by neighboring Rwanda, which is mostly governed by ethnic Tutsis. The clashes began on Sunday in two clusters of villages called Bishusha and Tongo. “There was fighting between us and the M23 in Bishusha. Today, in Marangara, fighting continued between armed patriot groups and the M23, because our forces are…

Gambia’s security services have arrested two army officers who are suspected of being involved in a coup attempt against President Adama Barrow last week. The two, who have not been named, were arrested on Monday. On December 21st the government said it had arrested a group of soldiers in connection with the coup attempt. West Africa’s main regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), condemned the coup attempt in a tweet. AMN | Reporters | Agencies.

A passenger bus slammed into a parked truck on a highway in the Sudanese city of Omdurman early on Tuesday, killing at least 16 people, police said. The bus swerved off the road and hit a parked truck in Omdurman, the twin city of the capital, Khartoum, according to a police statement. At least 19 people were injured in the accident, police said. The bus was heading to Khartoum from Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, police said. Ambulances rushed to the scene to transfer the injured to the Omdurman hospital, while the dead were taken to the…

South Africa must prepare for a prolonged electricity crisis, Eskom warned on Friday, as it struggles to power the continent’s top industrial powerhouse. The state-owned company promised a Christmas Day reprieve from the unprecedented and prolonged blackouts the country has been suffering for months, attributed to sabotage but mostly to outdated coal-fired power stations, as well as problems of incompetence and outright corruption. But the first three months of 2023 are going to be “difficult”, said Jan Oberholzer, chief operating officer, at a press briefing. “This period is going to be really complicated”. Electricity comes mainly from coal but also…

Health authorities in Malawi announced on Thursday that the death toll from the cholera outbreak has passed 400. Since the first cases were reported in March the number of infections has been increasing nearing almost 14 thousand. Malawi’s health minister Khumbize Chiponda urged people in worst-hit areas to get vaccinated. According to official numbers, 13 out of 15 districts earmarked for the cholera vaccine have managed to get 83.6% coverage. Malawi’s largest lakeshore tourist hub, Mangochi, and the country’s second largest city, Blantyre, have recorded high numbers of infections. In November, Malawi received 2.9 million doses of the cholera vaccine…

Tunisia’s powerful trade union, UGTT, has warned the country’s president saying that chaos could follow if the second round of parliamentary elections is not postponed. The union statement released on Thursday said that the new parliament has no legitimacy following a record low turnout estimated at 11,2%. The first round of parliamentary elections took place last Saturday marking the end of a process that started when President Saied suspended an opposition-dominated parliament in July 2021. Since then, Saied changed the constitution in order to weaken parliament making it subservient to the president. The opposition, who boycotted the elections, labelled Saied’s…