A massive acid spill from a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia, which has caused severe environmental damage along a major river, could also cause severe diplomatic damage between the two countries, according to observers. On February 18, a tailings dam containing acid waste from the Sino-Metals Leach Zambia copper mine – which is majority-owned by…
US State Secretary Marco Rubio has accused South Africa’s ambassador of hating the US and President Trump. South Africa has said the decision of the United States to expel Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool is “regrettable”, but the country “remains committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship” with Washington. South Africa’s presidency urged “all relevant and impacted…
Dalvin Modore walked as if there was broken glass beneath his feet, stepping gingerly, his frail shoulders hunched against the anticipation of pain. His trousers had become so loose that he had to hold them up as he inched around his small farm in western Kenya. Mr. Modore has tuberculosis. He is 40, a tall…
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a speech last week, vowed to take “historic action” to “dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths.” The latest announcement came as the Democratic Republic of Congo approached the United States to strike a Ukraine-like minerals deal. Experts say the U.S .could offer a viable alternative to the…
The United States is cutting almost all its spending on aid. The biggest loser will be Africa. For years, sub-Saharan Africa has received more U.S. aid money than any other region — except for 2022 and 2023, when the United States came to Ukraine’s aid after the Russian invasion. In 2024, $12.7 billion of $41…
Dangerous pathogens left unsecured at labs across Africa. Halted inspections for mpox, Ebola and other infections at airports and other checkpoints. Millions of unscreened animals shipped across borders. The Trump administration’s pause on foreign aid has hobbled programs that prevent and snuff out outbreaks around the world, scientists say, leaving people everywhere more vulnerable to…
This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Foreign Minister Wang Yi faced the press on Friday morning to lay out Beijing’s foreign policy direction. This came as China…
Sudan’s government filed a complaint at the International Court of Justice this week accusing the United Arab Emirates of being complicit in genocide by arming and funding a rebel militia in the country’s brutal civil war. The United Arab Emirates quickly called the complaint a “cynical publicity stunt” aimed at diverting attention from the “widespread…
South Africa is preparing a new trade offer to present to President Trump, hoping to appeal to his transactional approach to foreign policy and ease boiling tensions with Washington, a spokesman for South Africa’s president said this week. The spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, said in an interview that South African officials are anticipating Mr. Trump will…
The U.S. Embassy in Somalia issued a warning to Americans on Tuesday saying there is “credible information related to potential imminent attacks” around the East African nation. Authorities didn’t provide details about the potential attacks, but the embassy in Mogadishu said it is tracking threats against multiple locations, including the capital’s Aden Adde International Airport….