World's second-largest and second-most populous continent
Formula One has signed a 10-year agreement with Rwanda to host the African Grand Prix on a new, purpose-built FIA Grade 1 circuit in Bugesera, about 40km south of Kigali. The deal, announced in Kigali, has set the first race for the early 2030s and forms part of a wider development to drive tourism, jobs and motorsport training while prompting sportswashing concerns.
Mauritius has lifted an overnight curfew after days of protests over water shortages and rising living costs that escalated when a police officer shot and wounded a 27‑year‑old woman. Authorities have arrested the officer, detained dozens for looting and arson and reopened schools and roads as security deployments continue.
Leaders are reviewing progress on the Kunming-Montreal framework at COP17 in Yerevan. While many parties have set targets and submitted reports, implementation remains insufficient. Governments are being urged to mobilise finance, strengthen capacity, and ensure fair benefit-sharing as they move toward the 2030 milestone.
Human Rights Watch has documented grave violations in Mali by the army, Africa Corps, and allied armed groups, including drone strikes that killed civilians and the torture or execution of detainees. The report urges urgent action by the AU Peace and Security Council to protect civilians amid renewed fighting involving JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front.
The Congo Ebola response has seen $962 million in donor funds disbursed since the outbreak began, but only about $200 million is accounted for on the ground. Authorities say operations have been restricted, with accreditation limited to 25 of nearly 100 organizations, and an investigation into missing funds is underway.
Nvidia’s founder-CEO has been touring Europe to accelerate the company’s global AI ecosystem. He is backing startups in Europe, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, India, Malaysia and Africa, while urging sovereign AI models and infrastructure. Investors are watching whether government-backed demand can sustain chip demand amid funding challenges for neoclouds.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has spread beyond the DRC, with Nigeria reporting a confirmed case in Abuja and Kenya recording a ninth case. Uganda and Kenya are intensifying contact tracing and containment efforts across multiple regions as the outbreak becomes the most geographically widespread in history.
The UN and WMO warn that the current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength, peaking late 2026, with impacts that will be felt long afterward. Sea-surface temperatures may rise to 3.8°C above average between November 2026 and January 2027, triggering far-reaching weather shifts and humanitarian strain across regions.
Sharks tracked by OCEARCH are moving toward warmer waters as autumn cools, with multiple tagged sharks migrating from the Canadian and northeastern U.S. grounds to the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean for the winter. The movement is driven by water temperatures and food availability, with ongoing monitoring into the season.
French authorities have reported the first recognised human infection with Shamonda virus in a severely immunocompromised patient who died in early October. The virus has been detected in livestock across 14 European territories since summer and is spread by biting midges; officials say no health risk to the general population has been identified.
The AFC has endorsed Gianni Infantino for a fourth FIFA term at an extraordinary congress in Tokyo. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has pledged full support, signaling a potential majority in the 211 FIFA member federations. The endorsement follows a period of tension over Infantino’s World Cup funding plan and leadership style. The election is set for March, with candidates due by November 18.
Police say a man was assaulted by a crowd during a Durban march, leaving him dead at the scene. The incident follows months of anti-immigrant protests across South Africa, with thousands of migrants leaving the country amid violence and safety concerns.
A wave of AI-enabled solutions is reshaping logistics and tourism in the Middle East and Europe. Africa’s AI standards initiative opens a regional center to govern and test AI, while a Scots group accelerates AI across supply chains. Saudi Arabia advances agentic AI in cargo and tourism, with new hubs and partnerships aimed at faster, more transparent operations.
Organisers have moved the Dakar Rally from Saudi Arabia for 2027 to a different territory, with a location to be announced in coming days. A return to Saudi Arabia is planned for 2028 to mark the 50th edition, while security concerns and regional tensions weigh on the event.
China has concluded its fifth plenum with a renewed push to institutionalise anti‑corruption and internal self‑discipline across the Communist Party, promoted military anti‑graft chief Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo and revealed an unprecedented number of empty seats as more than a quarter of the 2022 Central Committee cohort remain absent.
Kimi Antonelli has dominated this season and is poised to become the youngest Formula 1 world champion if he finishes ninth or better in Mexico City. Russell and Hamilton trail, with Mercedes scrambling to tune the upgrade package as the championship remains in reach for the Italian driver.
Senegal hosts Africa’s first Youth Olympic Games opening with about 2,700 athletes aged 14-17 across 25 sports in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly. The event features a first refugee team and beach wrestling debut, while economic worries back home frame the backdrop.
Hamilton has reaffirmed his desire to race into his mid‑forties and says an African Grand Prix could keep him competing at the highest level. F1 has struck a 10‑year deal with Rwanda for a first Africa race since 1993, targeting the early 2030s; Hamilton contends he is a special case and remains fully committed.
The Lancet Countdown shows health harms from climate change have grown since the Paris Agreement. Heat-related deaths rose globally, with 2023 linked to 710,000 deaths and drought affecting half the world’s land in 2025. Clean energy investment rose, but fossil fuels still dominate energy supply. Experts call for placing health at the centre of climate decisions ahead of Cop31.
CAF has reversed its December plan to run AFCON on a four-year cycle, reinstating a biennial schedule after an executive decision. Motsepe says the move advances African football and players, while concerns linger about the Africa Nations League timeline and funding. Next editions are set for 2027, 2028, 2031 and 2033 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, with no AFCON in 2030.
The Refugee Olympic Team will compete at Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics, marking the first refugee team at the Youth Games. Led by a former refugee and track star, Biel, the team aims to inspire others while highlighting Africa's hosting milestone. The story follows athletes who fled conflict, trained in Kenya and Uganda, and now compete in judo, showing resilience and hope.
The US Treasury has designated four individuals and 41 companies linked to the Prince Group for facilitating cybercrime and online scams. The sanctions aim to disrupt the network operating in Southeast Asia, Madagascar and other regions, with broader efforts to dismantle leadership, financial facilitators and affiliated entities.
India has freed 20 crew members from the fishing vessel Azini, intercepted off Somalia after a piracy surge in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. The operation involved naval ships, reconnaissance aircraft, and MARCOS commandos, with no casualties. The hijacking raised concerns about attacks on shipping routes and mounting costs amid regional tensions.
The Swift Observatory, a 3,200-pound space telescope, has ceased observations and is now re-entering Earth's atmosphere. NASA and the US Space Force estimate a low risk to people on the ground, with most debris burning up and a few heavier fragments possibly reaching the surface. Predictions place reentry in the early morning hours as the craft descends from low-Earth orbit.
Swift Observatory has reentered Earth’s atmosphere after a 22-year orbit, with most of the 3,200-pound spacecraft burning up. Denser debris could survive and fall into the oceans; NASA says the risk to people on land remains unlikely. The era of Swift as a first responder for other telescopes ends, while NASA weighs options to rescue Hubble by 2032.
Suspects aged 20–26 were arrested at O.R. Tambo International Airport and a Bruma hotel as police intervene in an investigation into alleged foreign mercenary activity. Authorities say the nine were preparing to board flights to Russia and will appear in Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court on charges under South Africa’s foreign military assistance law. The arrests follow reports of foreigners being recruited to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine, with authorities noting ongoing international efforts to curb this activity.