Every May, we observe Africa Month to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963.

Celebrating and affirming our identity as Africans is as integral to our national character as the ideals that anchor our democracy. 
 
We are one people. Despite Africa’s many languages and cultures, we take pride in a common identity, in our shared values, and in a belonging that transcends geographical boundaries. 
 
Even as we celebrate our continent’s vibrancy and dynamism, we are mindful of the legacy of Africa’s colonial past and how it continues to shape our continent’s fortunes.

While most African countries achieved independence many decades ago, the effects of the colonial era are still evident in much of the inequality, economic exclusion, political instability, and conflicts that persist in parts of Africa.
 
The most extreme form of dehumanisation was the transcontinental slave trade perpetrated by European empires and slave-trading networks across the Sahara and North Africa.

For more than a hundred years, millions of African men, women and children were hunted down, captured and traded as if they were not people, but possessions. 
 
The reality is that much of the wealth of former colonial powers today is the result of the deprivation of Africa’s people. Not only were millions of Africans enslaved, but colonial powers grew wealthy from the vast tracts of African land they forcibly occupied and the valuable resources they extracted. 
 
Across Africa, our people were taken, both dead and alive, as human specimens to be displayed and studied in faraway capitals. African historical artefacts were looted and taken to European museums.
 
The colonial powers have largely avoided a deeper reckoning with the consequences of these acts. Some have apologised for specific atrocities, but in the main they have fallen short of full unqualified apologies for colonialism. 
 
Reparations for Africa, which was the site of some of the worst forms of brutality in human history, has been a contested issue for decades. 
 
Opponents of reparations argue that modern states differ from those of the colonial period. It has been argued that too much time has passed, that those directly harmed are no longer alive and that it would be unjust to hold to account individuals or governments for actions committed decades or centuries ago. 
 
This would be to wilfully ignore the intergenerational trauma wrought by slavery that continues to hold back the development of entire societies in Africa.

As the Guyanese political activist and academic Walter Rodney writes in his seminal 1972 work ‘How Europe underdeveloped Africa’, “when one tries to measure the effect of European slave trading on the African continent, it is essential to realise that one is measuring the effect of social violence rather than trade in any normal sense of the word”.  
 
This issue has now been given renewed momentum. In March this year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. 
 
The resolution is anchored in acknowledgement of harm, reparatory justice and restitution. It calls for looted cultural property to be returned and for compensation and other forms of reparation to be considered. 
 
The former colonial powers derived financial benefit from the display of our looted historical and cultural artefacts in their museums and institutions.

Enslaved labour from Africa built farms, industries and infrastructure to enrich colonial powers, as the countries from which the slaves were taken remain underdeveloped even today. 
 
The colonial enterprise was not merely about the deprivation of human rights. It was motivated by profit. As Walter Rodney writes, “it was economics that determined that Europe should invest in Africa and control the continent’s raw materials and labour”.
 
Whatever form reparations ultimately take, they should be aligned with our continent’s developmental objectives and assist African countries to tackle debt challenges, poverty alleviation, inequality and unemployment. 
 
Just as the exploitation of Africa and the enslavement of millions of her people made the former colonial powers wealthy, redress must take the form of sustained, direct, material investment in Africa’s development. 
 
This should include increased foreign direct investment and market access for the African countries affected by slavery. It should include skills and technology transfer. And it should include the return of historical artefacts to their countries of origin. 
 
South Africa supports a unified, collaborative approach to the issue of reparations for Africa. This must include concrete measures to redress the lingering effects of the slave trade and colonialism that are forward-looking. 
 
Just as truth and reconciliation have been an integral part of our own journey towards nationhood, so too must the former colonial powers confront the historical injustice of colonialism with honesty and integrity. Beyond that, they must make a clear commitment to tangible measures of redress that support Africa’s growth and development. 
 
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The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde.

“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,” the WHO told AFP.

“Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.”

Earlier Sunday, South Africa’s health ministry told AFP there had been an outbreak of a “severe acute respiratory illness”, which had killed at least two people, with a third in intensive care in Johannesburg.

The patient treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, South African spokesperson Foster Mohale said.

In its statement, the WHO said: “Hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces).

“While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response.”

Husband and wife

The first person to develop symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger.

He died on board the ship and his body was currently on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic, Mohale the South African spokesman said.

His 69-year-old wife also fell ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital, he said, adding that they were not yet able to confirm the victims’ nationalities.

The third case, a 69-year-old Briton, was also evacuated to Johannesburg, where he was being treated in intensive care.

A source close to the case speaking on condition of anonymity had said a Dutch couple were among the dead. The third fatality was still on board the ship.

Discussions were under way to decide whether two other sick passengers should be placed in isolation in hospital in Cape Verde, after which the ship would continue to Spain’s Canary Islands, the anonymous source said.

The WHO said it was “facilitating coordination” between national authorities and the ship’s operators to organise the medical evacuation of two passengers with symptoms.

The MV Hondius is listed as a polar cruise ship on the websites of several travel agencies. It is operated by a Dutch-based tour company, Oceanwide Expeditions.

One of the cruises offers an itinerary departing from Ushuaia for Cape Verde, with stops in the islands of South Georgia and Saint Helena.

According to several online ship-tracking sites, the MV Hondius was just off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday.

The vessel can accommodate around 170 passengers and has some 70 crew members.

Humans can catch hantaviruses from contact with infected mice or rats or their droppings, or being bitten or inhaling contaminated dust. There are multiple types of hantaviruses in different parts of the world, with different symptoms.

AFP contacted the cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions but has not yet had a reply.

AFP

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In one of its most dominant performances for weeks, Arsenal overpowered Fulham in a 3-0 win on Saturday that transferred the title-race pressure to second-place City.

All of the goals came in the first half, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring twice and setting up the other for Bukayo Saka.

City has two games in hand, the first coming at Everton on Monday. Significantly, Arsenal now has a superior goal difference of 4 compared to City in a title fight that could yet come down to that tiebreaker if both teams win all of their remaining matches.

Arsenal has three left — West Ham away, Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away — in an easier run-in on paper than City’s.

“We never stopped believing,” Gyokeres said. “We’re not going to.”

Arsenal wrests back title momentum

It was only 10 days ago that City ended Arsenal’s 200-day stay at the top of the league to become, for many, the title favorite.

Pep Guardiola’s team hasn’t played in the league since and the momentum might just have swung Arsenal’s way after its wins over Newcastle last weekend and now a Fulham team which arrived at Emirates Stadium with aspirations of qualifying for a European competition.

Saka, making his first start in six weeks after an Achilles injury, set up Gyokeres for a ninth-minute tap-in before the roles were reversed in the 40th. Gyokeres held up the ball and slipped in Saka, who drove home a finish inside the near post.

Gyokeres grabbed his second goal — and 21st of the season in all competitions — by heading home Leandro Trossard’s cross in first-half stoppage time.

West Ham loses and gives Tottenham hope

A blow for West Ham. A boost for Tottenham.

West Ham’s survival bid was damaged by a 3-0 loss at Brentford, for whom Brazil striker Igor Thiago — with a penalty for his 22nd goal of the season — was among the scorers.

It meant West Ham stayed two points above Tottenham, which is in third-to-last place — the final relegation spot.

Spurs, who played in the Champions League this season and have been in the top flight since the late 1970s, visit Aston Villa on Sunday and then there are three more rounds remaining.

Brentford climbed to sixth place, seven points behind fifth-place Aston Villa. The top five qualify automatically for the Champions League.

Newcastle’s losing run ends

Newcastle eased some of the pressure on manager Eddie Howe by beating Brighton 3-1 to end a four-match losing run in the league.

“It’s been hard for my family because they see the intimate side of me behind closed doors,” Howe said. “I haven’t been a bundle of joy the past few weeks.”

William Osula and Dan Burn were Newcastle’s scorers in the first half before Jack Hinshelwood replied for Brighton after the break. Harvey Barnes scored Newcastle’s third in stoppage time.

Brighton dropped to seventh place, a point behind Brentford.

Another red card for hair-pulling

There have been three red cards for hair-pulling in the Premier League this season. Twice, the recipient of the pull has been Tolu Arokodare.

The Wolverhampton striker had his hair tugged by Sunderland defender Dan Ballard, resulting in another sending-off for an infringement that has become an increasingly common sight in soccer over the past year.

Sunderland was leading 1-0 at the time through Nordi Mukiele’s header at a corner. Santiago Bueno equalized for already-relegated Wolverhampton, the league’s last-place club, and it finished 1-1.

AP

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The following year, his son Jay Y. Lee was jailed after being convicted of bribing South Korea’s former President Park Geun-hye to win support for his succession.

At the time, some observers speculated that the sheer scale of one of the world’s largest death levies could threaten the family’s control over the conglomerate.

Instead, more than five years later, an AI-driven upswing in semiconductor valuations has helped the family cement its grip and grow richer than ever. The Lees’ combined wealth climbed to about $45.5 billion as of March, from roughly $20.1 billion a year earlier, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

They are now Asia’s third-richest family, up from 10th last year. The heirs are set to complete the final installment of their 12 trillion won ($8.1 billion) inheritance tax due this month, wrapping up about five years of payments. A spokesperson for the National Tax Service declined to comment. Samsung is the biggest of South Korea’s family-run conglomerates known as chaebol, alongside SK Group and Hyundai Motor Group.

Jay Y Lee, who once shunned the limelight as his sentencing drama roiled South Korea, is back.

Last week, he appeared in a selfie with the nation’s President Lee Jae Myung and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to New Delhi.

Over the past year, he joined presidential trips to India, Vietnam, China, the United Arab Emirates and the US.

In October, photos of him having beer and fried chicken with another of the world’s richest tech barons, Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang, went viral.

The family’s financial comeback highlights a broader disconnect in South Korea’s market rally. President Lee has made narrowing the “Korea Discount” and improving transparency among chaebol part of his election campaign. Expectations of reform to help minority investors have helped Seoul’s stock market become the world’s best performing over the past year. Still, critics say deeper changes are needed close the gap to global peers.

Samsung is seen as “behind the curve” versus other large local large groups when it comes to bringing value-up plans to investors, Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a March 17 report.

“At least for the near future, I don’t believe the controlling family, the Lee family, has any incentive,” to do more about improving corporate governance, said Sangin Park, a professor at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Public Administration.

“The stock price went up so much and the shareholders are so happy,” Park said. In the long run, that means Korea may lose a good opportunity for substantial changes in corporate governance, according to the academic.

Samsung Electronics is unable to comment on matters related to personal wealth of family members, a company spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to questions. The company is committed to enhancing shareholder value based on mid-to-long-term return policies, the spokesperson added. Samsung also plans to invest over 110 trillion won in facilities, research and development this year to build on its position in the AI semiconductor era, according to the e-mail.

Corporate reach

Samsung’s economic influence has continued to grow alongside the powerful market rally. The combined revenue of seven key Samsung affiliates — including Samsung Electronics — was equivalent to 19.3% of South Korea’s gross domestic product in 2025, up from 15.1% a decade earlier, according to Bloomberg calculations.

Samsung Electronics — which accounts for roughly a quarter of the nation’s benchmark Kospi Index — surged 126% last year, its best annual performance in more than two decades.

Investment in AI infrastructure is driving an unprecedented semiconductor supercycle and demand for AI memory chips is expected to keep rising in 2026, Samsung Electronics co-Chief Executive Officer Jun Young-hyun said at last month’s annual general meeting.

The company will report earnings for the March quarter on Thursday, after pointing to record preliminary operating profit as customers led by cloud service providers ramp up orders for high-bandwidth memory and other chips used in data centers.

Construction site at the Samsung Electronics Co. P3 semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in January. Image: Bloomberg

All of this has helped the Lee family to avoid selling even more shares to pay back inheritance taxes. Jay Y.’s personal wealth has risen sharply to $26.9 billion over the past year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He eclipsed finance tycoon Cho Jung-ho to become South Korea’s richest person, a title he lost last year. In 2022, the Samsung heir secured a presidential pardon from the graft charges, allowing him to formally take the helm of the conglomerate that his grandfather created in 1938.

The disconnect

At the heart of President Lee’s reform is a fundamental shift from controlling family interests to shareholder-centric governance. The parliament approved the final changes to the Commercial Act in February, which require companies to cancel treasury shares that have long been used by chaebol to entrench control.

Many chaebol are yet to deliver change, said Lee Chang Hwan, chief executive officer of activist investor Align Partners Capital Management in Seoul.

“What really needs to happen is that management and the board of these companies proactively work towards improving or optimizing for shareholder value,” he added.

To be sure, Samsung units have been taking steps in that direction. In 2018, the company decided to separate the roles of the chairman of the board and CEO, and in 2020 it appointed an independent board director as chairman for the first time, according to a spokesperson for the company. And, the board now consists of a majority of independent directors.

In response to demands for greater transparency and to curb over-expansion, Samsung Group has streamlined its corporate structure, reducing its total number of affiliates to 63, less than some rivals, according to Korea’s Fair Trade Commission.

The chips-to-smartphones maker handed a 1.3 trillion won special payout to shareholders last year on top of regular dividends. The firm also cancelled shares worth more than 14 trillion won in April, according to a spokesperson.

Family control

Within the Lee family, approaches have varied to paying back the death levy. Jay’s sister Lee Boo-jin and Lee Seo-hyun, along with their mother Hong Ra-hee, have sold shares through block sales over recent years. Jay Y. Lee, by contrast, relied on loans secured by shares and other assets.

Many controlling shareholders in Asia prefer to keep voting power over short-term liquidity, said Jung In Yun, chief executive officer at Fibonacci Asset Management Global.

“A key long-term question is whether the next generation will be able to maintain control of Samsung under Korea’s high inheritance tax regime,” Yun said.

BLOOMBERG

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Yemeni coffeehouses are opening at a rapid pace across the U.S. The number of cafes run by six major chains that serve Yemeni-style drinks grew 50% last year to 136, according to Technomic, a restaurant industry consulting company. The count doesn’t include the many smaller chains and independent cafes serving coffees and teas imported from Yemen.

Yemeni coffeehouses are meeting the moment for several reasons. They stay open late — sometimes past 3 a.m., especially during Ramadan — and provide a place to socialize for the growing number of Americans who don’t drink alcohol. Last year, a Gallup poll found that just 54% U.S. adults reported drinking alcohol, the lowest percentage in 90 years.

“Generally in the Middle East. our nightlife is coffee, right? People hang out at coffee shops, they play cards, they talk. We wanted to bring that here,” said Ahmad Badr, who owns an Arwa Yemeni Coffee franchise in Sunnyvale, California.

Another reason for the cafes’ popularity is the growing number of Americans of Arab descent. Between 2010 and 2024, the Arab American population in the U.S. rose by 43%, compared to around 10% growth for the U.S. population as a whole, according to the Arab American Institute.

While most Yemeni coffee shops are in places with high concentrations of Arab Americans, including Michigan, California and Texas, they’re also opening in locations as diverse as Alpharetta, Georgia; Overland Park, Kansas; and Portland, Maine.

A taste of home

Faris Almatrahi is the co-founder and owner of Texas-based Arwa Yemeni Coffee, a chain with 11 cafes across the U.S. and 30 more in development. He said an ongoing civil war in Yemen that began in 2014 has prevented Yemeni Americans like himself from visiting their homeland, so he has tried to evoke Yemen in his cafes.

Arwa locations are painted in natural desert tones, with archways that mimic mosques and lampshades shaped like the hats worn by Yemen’s coffee farmers.

“One of the ways to actually visit without traveling there was to bring that experience to the U.S., and that was a huge passion for us when we opened our first location,” Almatrahi said. “It was extremely emotional for all of us due to the fact that it really transported us to Yemen.”

But Almatrahi noted that most of his customers aren’t of Arab descent. In fact, Americans of all backgrounds are seeking out new global flavors and authentic experiences, according to market research company Datassential. Food trends are also spreading quickly through social media.

Menus vary, but Yemeni cafes generally serve specialties like Adeni tea, a spiced tea similar to chai, and qishr, a traditional drink made from the dried husks of coffee cherries. Familiar drinks like lattes might contain special spices or honey; at Arwa, lattes features the outline of a camel stenciled in spices.

Bakery cases might contain khaliat nahal, or Yemeni honeycomb bread, a cheese-filled pastry drizzled with honey, or basboosa, a cake soaked in sugar syrup and often flavored with lemon or rose water. Many Yemeni menus also mix in more typical U.S. coffeeshop fare, like matcha lattes or berry refreshers.

Choices for coffee lovers

Peter Giuliano, a researcher with the Specialty Coffee Association, a California-based nonprofit, said culturally specific cafes have been a key growth driver in the U.S. coffee industry for the last few years. In addition to Yemeni cafes, he cited the Latin-style chain Tierra Mia in California and Nguyen Coffee Supply, a New York-based company that roasts Vietnamese beans.

A customer who visited Badr’s shop in Sunnyvale for the first time said an internet search brought her there on a recent weekday. Cindy Donovan said she’s always on the hunt for good coffee and was excited by Yemeni coffees she tried.

“I think they’re much more refined and mellow, and much more full of flavor than a regular cup of dark roast, for instance,” Donovan said. “The cardamom in the drinks is fantastic. Very, very flavorful, rich but not heavy.”

Most Yemeni coffee is sun-dried, which enhances its flavor and brings out undertones of chocolate and fruit, Almatrahi said. Yemeni cafes often mix coffee with special spice mixes – or hawaij – that may contain cardamon, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, coriander or nutmeg.

“Our coffee and teas are not just made through a fully automatic machine,” said Mohamed Nasser, the director of operations for Haraz Coffee House, a Dearborn, Michigan-based chain with 50 U.S. outlets and another 50 in development. “We have to manually blend and mix our coffee and tea, boil it with water and evaporated milk, make sure that it comes out (with the) perfect taste, perfect color.”

Yemen’s flavorful history

Coffee has a long history in Yemen. While the plant was likely discovered in Ethiopia, by the 1400s it was being cultivated in Yemen, where monks brewed it to stay awake during prayers, according to the National Coffee Association, a U.S. trade group. Yemen monopolized the coffee trade for around 200 years until Dutch merchants smuggled coffee seeds to Indonesia and began growing plants there.

Almatrahi said a revitalization of the Yemeni coffee industry over the last two decades, led by coffee companies, foundations and young entrepreneurs, helped make the current U.S. boom possible. Coffee is one of the most promising sectors for economic development in Yemen, where more than 80% of the population lives in poverty, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

“We are ambassadors for our culture and our people. So when we open these shops, we want to perform the outreach, to show the hospitality, to show what we have to offer,” Almatrahi said.

AP

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The performance followed similar shows by Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga last year, which also were attended by huge crowds that danced on the sprawling sands. For Shakira, it was part of her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” or “Women No Longer Cry,” world tour named after her 2024 album.

Shakira’s set kicked off around 11 p.m., more than an hour after the scheduled slot, to her fans screaming with excitement and frantic applause as skywriting drones flew overhead, spelling out in the sky, “I love you Brazil” in Portuguese.

The megastar spoke fondly about the first time she came to Brazil, some three decades ago.

“I arrived here when I was 18 years old, dreaming about singing for you,” Shakira told the crowd shortly after coming on stage. “And now look at this. Life is magical.”

The much-loved pop star sang fan favorites such as “Hips Don’t Lie,” “La Tortura” and “La Bicicleta.” She ended with “BZRP Music Sessions #53/66,” which followed her separation from Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué.

She also took the time to celebrate women’s resilience during the show. “Us women, every time we fall we get up a little wiser,” she said.

One of the first places where Shakira became successful

Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said on X that 2 million people attended the performance. “The She-Wolf made history in Rio,” he posted, referring to Shakira’s 2009 hit.

When Shakira first performed in Brazil in the 1990s, she established an amazing connection with the Brazilian public, according to Felipe Maia, an ethnomusicologist pursuing a doctoral degree in popular music and digital technologies at Paris Nanterre University.

That success in Brazil “has a lot to do with the fact that she comes from Colombia, a country whose culture has many similarities with Brazil,” Maia said, adding that Saturday’s performance “crowns the relationship she has had with Brazil for a very long time.”

Erica Monteiro, a 38-year-old accountant, said she has listened to Shakira since childhood.

“For me she represents the strength of our Latino community,” Monteiro said ahead of the concert. “We’re treated as if we were inferior but in fact we have much more strength.”

Heading home after Saturday’s show, Hellem Souza da Silva said Shakira’s performance, like Bad Bunny’s concerts in Sao Paulo in February, helped consolidate Brazil’s Latino identity.

These artists “are making it clear that Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia and other countries are part of Latin America. And that America is not the United States,” she said.

Crowds started piling onto the beach Saturday morning to nab a good spot for the show. Street vendors sold sweet corn and other Brazilian snacks, bottled water and caipirinhas, the popular Brazilian cocktail, but also toilet paper, deodorant and even bags of sand for concertgoers to stand on to get a better view of the stage set up opposite Copacabana Palace, a historic luxury hotel.

Street vendor Simone Paula da Cunha arrived on the beach on Friday evening, hoping to sell all the beer and water bottles she had bought ahead of the show and make about $100 in all.

Despite being tired, da Cunha was excited at the prospect of seeing Shakira live. “I remember her from when she still had black hair,” she said. “I’m a huge fan of hers.”

An effort to boost the city’s post-Carnival economy

The free concerts are part of City Hall’s attempt to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Year’s Eve festivities and before the monthlong Saint John’s Day celebrations in June.

“For us, parties are serious business. Because parties generate jobs, income, development, and identity for the city,” Cavaliere, the mayor, said on Wednesday as he presented the city’s operational plan for the event. “Our investment in this show will give us a financial return 40 times greater,” he said.

Shakira’s performance could generate around 777 million reais (around $155 million), according to a study by City Hall and Riotur, the municipality’s tourism company, thanks to the influx of tourists and cash spent in restaurants, hotels and shops.

More tourists headed to Rio in the month of May in the years with shows — 2024 and 2025 — compared to 2023, according to City Hall data. In 2024, the growth was 34.2% on May 1, just ahead of the concerts, compared to the previous year. In 2025, the increase was 90.5% compared to 2023.

Ahead of Shakira’s performance, Airbnb said in an April 22 statement that it was seeing an increase in guests expected to travel from different parts of Brazil, Latin America and even European capitals such as Paris and London.

Wanderson Andrade, a 30-year-old architect, said he flew in especially for the show from the city of Goiana in central Brazil on Saturday and planned to fly back the following day.

“I tried to get tickets to see her in Brazil last year but I didn’t succeed,” said Andrade, whose first tattoo is a wolf in honor of Shakira. “Today is a dream come true.”

AP

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The U.S., Morocco and other countries participating in the African Lion exercise have launched a search and rescue operation, AFRICOM said.

“The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing,” it said in a statement.

The incident happened on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area near Tan Tan, close to the Atlantic Ocean. The terrain is mountainous, a mix of desert and semidesert plains.

The war games exercise started in April and runs across four countries, including Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. It is scheduled to end in early May.

The exercise began in Tunisia with active-duty members of different branches of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force, and the Marine Corps.

In all, over 7,000 personnel from more than 30 nations are participating across the four host countries.

African Lion, which has been running since 2004, is the largest U.S. annual joint military exercise on the continent and usually features high-ranking military officials from the U.S. and its top African allies.

U.S. military officials have said the annual multinational engagement serves as a venue for strengthening regional security cooperation and refining the readiness of participating forces for global crises.

In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured during a helicopter crash in Morocco’s southern city of Agadir while taking part in African Lion.

Morocco is a major ally of the United States in a troubled region.

Since 2020, military officers disillusioned with their governments’ records of stemming violence have overthrown democratically elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and began distancing themselves from Western powers.

AP

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President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but also expressed doubt it would lead to a deal.

Iran’s 14-point proposal calls for an end to the war, rather than just an extension of the truce.

The proposal, a rebuttal to the U.S. nine-point plan, also calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions on Iran, ending the naval blockade, withdrawing forces from the region, and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semi-official Nour News agency, which has close ties to the country’s security organizations.

Iran sent its reply via a Pakistani intermediary, the news agency reported. 

Pakistan has hosted previous negotiations between Iran and the United States.

Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal this week. However, conversations have continued, and the fragile three-week ceasefire appears to be holding.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al Busaidi, who oversaw previous rounds of talks between the U.S. and Iran before the latest round of fighting.

The U.S. president also offered a new plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where about a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas typically passes.

Iran stands firm on Strait of Hormuz issues

Iran’s deputy parliament speaker said on Sunday that Iran “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions.” Ali Nikzad, who has no decision-making power in parliament, made the comments while on a visit to port facilities on Iran’s strategic Larak Island, located close to the narrowest part of the strait.

“The Strait of Hormuz belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said, adding that the country was working to compensate businesses and property damaged during the war, and that Trump’s blockade plan was certain to fail.

Nikzad reiterated Iran’s position that any ships not associated with the U.S. or Israel will be able to pass after paying a toll. The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran in any form, including digital assets, to pass safely.

Iran effectively closed the strait by attacking and threatening ships after the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. Tehran later offered some ships safe passage via routes closer to its shore, charging fees at times.

The U.S. has responded with a naval blockade of Iranian ports since April 13, depriving Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.

In Tehran, rial continues to tumble

On Sunday, the second day of Iran’s working week, the rial weakened further against the U.S. dollar. In Tehran’s Ferdowsi Street, the capital’s main currency exchange hub, the dollar was trading at 1,840,000 rials. Analysts say there is a strong possibility the currency will slip further in the coming days.

The rial was trading at 1.3 million to the dollar in December, which at the time was a record low, and triggered widespread protests over the worsening economy. Markets in Tehran remain unstable, with prices of some goods rising daily.

According to reports published in Iranian media, several factories have not renewed contracts for workers after the Iranian new year holidays, and significant numbers have lost their jobs.

Yousef Pezeshkian, the son and adviser of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote on Telegram that both the United States and the Islamic Republic see themselves as the winner of the war and are unwilling to back down.

Nobel committee calls for medical treatment for imprisoned Iranian laureate

The Norwegian Nobel Committee urged Iran to immediately transfer jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi for medical treatment in Tehran after her health sharply deteriorated.

The committee said it was in touch with Mohammadi’s family and lawyer, and that the 2023 prize winner’s life remains at risk without treatment by her dedicated medical team in Tehran.

Mohammadi fainted twice in prison on Friday in the northwestern city of Zanjan, her foundation said, and was admitted to a local hospital. Her lawyers have said she is believed to have suffered a heart attack in late March.

“Narges Mohammadi is imprisoned solely for her peaceful human rights work. Her life is now in the hands of the Iranian authorities,” Nobel committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes said.

Mohammadi, 53, a rights lawyer who won the prize while in prison, was arrested in December during a visit to the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad and sentenced to seven more years in prison.

AP

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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said on Sunday that suspects linked to the kidnapping of spaza shop owner Mazwi Kubheka include South African and foreign nationals, but authorities have not confirmed whether the crime is tied to spaza shop syndicates.

Kubheka, who had been missing since April 2, reappeared on Saturday after a month-long disappearance. His family had suspected he was abducted by rival traders.

“We can confirm that a South African and foreign nationals are involved, including individuals of Ethiopian origin,” Lesufi told reporters.

“Whether it is related to spaza shop activity or simply criminality remains a grey area under police investigation.”

Lesufi said Kubheka was held in a hijacked building and guarded by two Malawian nationals.

He added that the alleged mastermind, known to the victim, is a South African.

Lesufi was speaking at the Vosloorus police station, east of Johannesburg, where Kubheka presented himself after his release.

Kubheka’s disappearance triggered protests in Vosloorus in late April, with residents, political leaders and civic groups demanding his safe return.

Some protesters warned that foreign-owned spaza shops would be forced to close if he was not found.

Community members alleged the abduction was linked to so-called “spaza shop mafias”, accusing foreign nationals of targeting local business owners.

In a statement, Kubheka’s family said he was released by his captors on May 2 in an open veld in Ekurhuleni.

He was assisted by a taxi driver and later approached a police roadblock, where officers helped him after he identified himself.

He was subsequently taken to Vosloorus police station to give a statement before being transported to hospital.

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude to have him back home,” the family said.

“While he is safe, Mazwi is currently in a fragile condition and is receiving medical care and emotional support.”

Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni said investigators have not established a link between the kidnapping and organised spaza shop crime.

“As part of the investigation, we have not yet confirmed the involvement of spaza shop criminal syndicates,” Mthombeni said.

“There are related cases we are following, but at this stage we cannot confirm a connection.”

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An internal ANC report on regional task teams (RTTs) in KwaZulu-Natal paints a bleak picture of divisions, weak performance and alleged infiltration by the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP).

The leaked report alleges that some leaders in the Moses Mabhida region, based in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, were working for the MKP, a breakaway party led by former president Jacob Zuma.

It says unnamed RTT leaders, while holding senior ANC positions, appointed branch task team (BTT) coordinators and conveners as “sleeper agents” for the MKP within ANC branches.

“The RTT is divided and struggling to be impactful on the ground. Some members are alleged to be working with MKP, currently appointing BTT (branch task teams) Coordinators and Conveners who are sleepers,” reads the report.

The Moses Mabhida region, anchored in Pietermaritzburg, was among areas where the MKP performed strongly in the 2024 national and provincial elections.

The party is expected to target municipalities including Msunduzi, Richmond and Mpendle in future contests.

In eThekwini, once the ANC’s largest and most influential region, the report said the RTT “dismally failed” to execute its mandate, with little or no work carried out.

The structure was subsequently disbanded and reconstituted, with Thabani Nyawose appointed convener and Thanduxolo Sabelo as regional coordinator.

“The RTT need to be reconfigured and be strengthened in order to carry out the elections program. The region needs energetic comrades. No work has been happening in the region since the appointment of the RTT,” the report noted.

The report also flagged divisions in the Josiah Gumede region, where members were said to be split over programme implementation ahead of a regional conference.

“The RTT meets as required but is divided towards programme implementation because of the forthcoming regional conference. Despite financial challenges, they implement programmes,” it said.

Similar concerns were raised in the Inkosi Bhambatha (Umzinyathi) region, where some RTT members were described as prioritising conference preparations over rebuilding structures.

“The RTT meets as required and there is very little that is happening towards programme implementation, with some members focused on the forthcoming regional conference more than reviving and rebuilding the organisation,” the report said.

In the Mzala Nxumalo (Zululand) region, where the ANC has struggled to gain ground against the IFP, the report found minimal activity and weak leadership capacity.

“The RTT meets as required and there is very little that is happening towards programme implementation. The RTT is weak and the coordinator is struggling due to lack of organisational experience,” it said.

In the Harry Gwala region, the RTT was described as functional but affected by internal disputes over branch leadership appointments.

“The appointment of BTTs and the election of the RWC were the main sources of conflict,” the report noted.

Challenges were also identified in the General Gizenga Mpanza (Ilembe) region, where leaders were said to be focused on an upcoming regional conference.

Provincial task team (PTT) spokesperson Sifiso Sonjica said RTTs had been appointed and inducted.

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