The Cape Town-based insurer said headline earnings per share advanced 48 percent as the life insurance portfolio grew 19 percent, general insurance jumped 21 percent and a 14 percent jump in investment management earnings after the acquisition of ABSA Group’s asset management unit. “This set of results reflects our focus over the past three years on improving the performance of existing operations, while investing in the group’s long‑term growth path,’’ CEO Paul Hanratty said in a statement. “We remain optimistic about future growth and performance, with the group being well positioned to serve our customers across all our operations.”

After destroying the initial five-state Maghreb Union, Algeria has brought together cash-strapped Tunisia and war-torn Libya in a bid to create a new regional union. After decades of backing separatist militias in Morocco, Algeria has lost credibility in backing Libya’s western faction against the Haftar-led east. It has backed authoritarianism in once-democratic Tunisia and then withdrew its staff from the Rabat-based Arab Maghreb Union. Last year, secretary general of the Maghreb Union urged Algeria to pay its due contribution and return its staff who have been receiving their pay without working. In seeking to isolate Morocco at all costs, Algeria has been taking self-harming decisions that ended up isolating itself.

With a 20% increase from 2022, 2023 saw 8,565 migrant deaths, making it the deadliest year since 2014. The United Nations said last year was the deadliest for migrants since 2014, with at least 8,565 recorded deaths on migration routes worldwide. The most dangerous path for migrants, according to the IOM, remained the Mediterranean Sea, with at least 3,129 deaths in 2023 as migrants attempted to reach Europe. Data collection on recorded migrant deaths varies widely by region. Drowning accounted for slightly over half of the total migrant deaths in 2023, said the report.

Women and children fleeing deadly violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported surviving gruesome sexual attacks and genital mutilation by armed men using tree branches, guns, and knives, Save the Children said. Psychologists working with Save the Children’s local partners in displacement camps in North Kivu have documented mass events of sexual violence against children as young as nine. Save the Children documented more than 800 cases of sexual and gender-based violence across the three conflict-affected provinces Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. In many conflicts, sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon of war to terrorise women and children. Save the Children calls for an immediate end to the impunity of sexual violence against children by strengthening laws and enforcing them, while holding perpetrators to account.

Former Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria are threatening they may pick up arms again and join the insurgency out of frustration that they have been neglected by the government since they surrendered in the last two years. The Nigerian authorities promised Boko Haram fighters who surrendered that they would receive training and skills as an alternative to violence and militancy. Some even told the media that they were better off fighting for the Boko Haram group than living in the camps. Security experts and analysts have warned the Nigerian government against ignoring the agitations and threats from the former fighters. These warnings come amid reports that at least 47 women have been kidnapped in a remote area in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have operated.

To bring this first-of-its-kind project to life, Billboard Arabia analyzed maps and used topographic techniques to extract data from five different regions in the Middle East and North Africa. These sample sounds offer the music community an opportunity to unlock their creativity and passion, Billboard Arabia said in a press release. Billboard Arabia invited artists and music producers to join this journey by creating their version of one-minute tracks inspired by Sounds of the Land. Each song will have its moment as all ten will be released separately throughout the year, according to Billboard Arabia. Billboard Arabia has become a go-to destination for Arab artists and Arabic music enthusiasts.

Two deals with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Arab Emirates – combined with the devaluation of the local currency – are expected to give Egypt a much-needed lifeline, but it will need to implement more structural reform for lasting economic stability, say analysts. Understand Africa's tomorrow... today Get full access to The Africa Report Subscribe Now Already registered?

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso will form a joint force to meet the countries' defence and security goals. The announcement was made Wednesday (Wed. 06) following the first official meeting of the three nation's military chiefs of staff in Niamey. The Niger press agency reported the officials to took stock of the deteriorating security situation within AES countries. General Barmou however said, the jihadist threat was being with the new impulse observed in the conduct of ongoing operations. The Sahel region accounted for more deaths from terrorism in 2022 than South Asia and the (MENA) Middle East and North Africa regions combined, the 2023 Global terrorism Index reported.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The United Nations’ refugee chief raised a new alert Thursday over 780,000 displaced people in Mozambique, the vast majority of them because of a seven-year insurgency by a jihadi group that has thrown the north of the country into turmoil. Around 600,000 have returned home, many to shattered communities where houses, markets, churches, schools and health facilities have been destroyed. Grandi’s visit came amid an upsurge in new attacks by the Islamic State Mozambique group in Cabo Delgado since January following a period of relative calm in 2023. Share this article ShareAround 700,000 people are displaced in Mozambique because of the violence in Cabo Delgado. “We are not starting from zero ... but clearly more resources are needed,” said Piper, who accompanied Grandi on the visit to Cabo Delgado.

‘Time is of the essence’: Greenpeace director warns that urgent strategy is needed to protect the Red Sea from catastrophic environmental damage. What pollutants is the Rubymar releasing into the Red Sea? “We have no information on whether the fertiliser cargo is leaking into the sea,” Jreissati said. Is climate change also affecting the Red Sea? While global warming has caused the temperatures of the oceans to rise, damaging coral reefs worldwide, the reefs in the Red Sea are generally continuing to thrive.

In a recent statement, the World Bank unveiled a groundbreaking initiative aimed at addressing the energy access crisis in Africa, particularly spotlighting Nigeria’s pivotal role in driving the continent’s electrification agenda. Nigeria, despite its abundant energy resources and economic prominence, stands as a stark example of energy poverty. The World Bank’s initiative, titled Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES), is set to revolutionize energy access across Nigeria and the wider African region. The World Bank’s endeavor highlights the critical role of bold policy reforms, innovative technologies, and substantial investments in clean energy to realize a sustainable and inclusive future for all. With renewable energy costs plummeting and transformative opportunities on the horizon, closing the energy access gap is within reach, signalling a pivotal step towards a greener and more prosperous Africa.

Meme coins surge, led by Dogwifhat and newcomer Smog, as Bitcoin and altcoins rally. The market capitalisation of meme coins has soared by 15% in the last 24 hours alone, reaching $46bn. Leading the rally is Dogwifhat, with a 46% increase in the past 24 hours, reflecting sustained interest in Solana meme coins and signalling potential momentum for Smog. PepeSol, another newcomer, has seen an extraordinary surge of 1,075%, indicating the growing popularity of Solana-based meme coins. The surge in meme coins is part of a broader altcoin season, where the market follows Bitcoin’s lead, aiming to catch up with its rapid ascent.

Gori Olusina Daniel, Managing Partner at AP3 Advisory, spoke to ESI Africa at Africa’s Green Economy Summit about the ongoing projects and conversations taking place to drive funding commitments for green projects in Africa. He talks about how the professional services firm is approaching implementation finance in Africa. Find out more about AP3 Advisory.

March 07, 2024 08:03 am | Updated 08:03 am IST - ParisIranian authorities are subjecting women to widespread surveillance to enforce the obligatory headscarf, even inside cars, and then imposing punishments including the confiscation of vehicles, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Amnesty said in a report, based on testimony from over 40 women inside Iran published ahead of the March 8 International Women’s Day, that women were being targeted with “widespread surveillance” in public spaces and “mass police checks” targeting women drivers. “In a sinister attempt to wear down resistance to compulsory veiling... Iran’s authorities are terrorising women and girls by subjecting them to constant surveillance and policing,” said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty’s deputy director for the West Asia and North Africa, denouncing “draconian tactics”. Access to transport, airports and banking services is regularly denied and made conditional upon women wearing a headscarf, Amnesty said. Those defying the rule face prosecution and in January 2024 a flogging sentence of 74 lashes was implemented against a young woman, Roya Heshmati, for appearing unveiled in public.

Canon Europe (www.Canon-Europe.com) today announces, ‘World Unseen’, with a photography exhibition that invites visitors – blind, partially sighted and sighted – to experience photography in a new, accessible and immersive way. The exhibition will be held at Somerset House, London between 5-7 April, in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). Designed with the experience of blind and partially sighted people in mind, the exhibition will feature a series of photographs taken by world-renowned photographers. Sighted people too will gain a better appreciation of the partially sighted experience. This exhibition was created with blind and partially sighted people in mind to share imagery and the stories behind them in an entirely new way.