Africa: All of Africa Today - August 5, 2026

[allAfrica]

A new species of Ice Age toad discovered at La Brea Tar Pits: The spadefoot toad Spea labreae

For the first time, researchers have discovered a new species of extinct amphibian from Ice Age Los Angeles at La Brea Tar Pits: a spadefoot toad they have named Spea labreae. Only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian from North America has ever been found (a tree frog from

SpaceX is coming for T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon

SpaceX is preparing to build a terrestrial mobile network to "acquire quite a few" of the customers now subscribed to T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The message to compete head-to-head with the US carriers was delivered by SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell and CEO Elon Musk during

India monsoon floods, landslides kill more than 100 since July

Afghan boxer accused of killing British woman in Athens to appear in court

ATHENS, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A 26-year old professional boxer from Afghanistan accused of killing a Scottish woman whose body was found in a suitcase in central Athens last month will appear in court on Wednesday, two police officials said. Police have identified the victim as

Fuego volcano spews more ash and mud as Guatemala shelters 1,700 who fled nearby villages

Guatemala remained on alert Tuesday after evacuating villages during an eruption of the Fuego volcano, one of Central America's most active.

Eight South Korean students held over US military base break-in attempt

Students gathered outside the main hub of the US Air Force in South Korea, arguing the US military's presence in Gwangju could complicate Seoul's major chipmaking project planned there.

EU deployed its biggest wildfire response. Is it what Europe needs?

As wildfires rage across southern Europe, the EU has deployed its largest shared firefighting force. But the crisis exposes a growing gap between emergency response and wildfire prevention. Watch the video.

App offers chance to explore - and keep fit

A retired telecoms worker from Belgium is among those behind an innovative smartphone app that aims to keep you fit and discover “hidden gems” all over the world. Philippe Pleckspaen helped launch “Jooks”, an application that helps you navigate your way around a locality,

Trump: Hormuz Strait 'gonna be open very soon, or Iran is gonna get hit'

Trump told Fox News that Iran doesn't want to 'admit' that they're having 'good discussions' with the United States. Meanwhile, reports have emerged that the U.S. Army has used 'virtually all' of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles

Michigan Senate Democratic primary too close to call: 5 takeaways

The marquee race for the Democratic Senate nod in Michigan was too close to call early Wednesday morning, stretching out a primary race that’s spotlit Democrats’ fight for the future of the party. Abdul El-Sayed was leading Rep. Haley Stevens (D) by roughly 2 points as of 2 am

Africa: Screenshots Expose Deleted MBC Story On Mutharika's Hush-Hush South Africa Trip

[Nyasa Times] Malawi's state broadcaster was forced into an embarrassing climbdown on Tuesday after reporting that President Peter Mutharika was jetting off to South Africa on yet another mysterious "private visit" -- only to yank the story just hours later, sparking

Europe is blowing up riverbeds as an extreme drought wreaks havoc on its economy

Severe drought is disrupting energy and freight across Europe as low Rhine and Danube levels raise risks for supply chains and economic growth.

Africa: CNN Highlights GERD Landmark Engineering Achievement Transforming Ethiopia's Remote Valley Into Africa's Largest Project

[ENA] Addis Ababa -- The U.S.-based Cable News Network (CNN) has spotlighted Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as one of Africa's most remarkable engineering achievements.

Africa: Angola and AU Prepare Summit On Conflict Prevention and Resolution

[ANGOP] Luanda -- Angola and the African Union's delegations met on Tuesday in Luanda to prepare for the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the continental organization on Strengthening Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention and Resolution.

‘The Blacklist Was a Plague’ — Locarno Retrospective Curator Ehsan Khoshbakht Talks About What We Can Learn From the Intolerance of the Past

One of the most shameful episodes in Hollywood’s history is being examined in a new retrospective to screen at the Locarno Film Festival: Red & Black: Hollywood Left and the Blacklist. Speaking to Variety, the retrospective’s curator, Ehsan Khoshbakht, speaks about the

With Tanzania, France can revive its leading position in Africa

France has one of the most energetic diplomatic agendas of any European power, but its long-established position in Africa has suffered heavily in recent years. Traditionally Paris concentrated on the French-speaking world, cultivating trade in West Africa and security

The state of Africa: Pan-Africanism in an age of recolonisation

From the battlefields of Sudan and the DRC to protests in Kenya and xenophobic tensions in South Africa, the EFF argues that Africa’s crises are connected by a common thread. The party says the continent risks a new era of colonial domination unless it embraces Pan-African unity.

Maria Bäck on ‘Brave New Love,’ Her Provocative Take on Motherhood, Desire and Modern Romance

The Swedish-Danish writer-director talks shame, Greek mythology and building a love triangle that refuses easy answers, ahead of the film's Locarno premiere.

Locarno Open Doors 2026: Next Gen African Tales of Miraculous Snowfalls, Lost Dreams, an African Keyboard Prodigy and New Heroes

Magic realist love story “Chapa 100,” absurdist political allegory “A Vineyard for a Lobster” and cross-continental queer drama “Hibiscus by the River” look like some of the potential standouts at Locarno’s talent-deep, wide-ranging 2026 Africa-focused Open Doors, unspooling

Flamenco legend Pepe Habichuela dies

Born in Granada in 1944 as José Antonio Carmona Carmona, he was part of the legendary Habichuela dynasty, one of flamenco's most influential families.

Africa: Africa Must Lead HIV Cure Research or Repeat Past Delays, Experts Warn

[Nile Post] Africa must take charge of HIV cure research or risk repeating past delays in accessing lifesaving medical innovations, the head of the Africa HIV Cure Consortium, Albert Machinda, has warned.

US and Iran having 'very good discussions', Trump says

By Tala Ramadan and Kanishka Singh DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration had "very good discussions" with Iran during all-day negotiations on Tuesday, fuelling expectations of an imminent end to the five-month conflict. Oil

Trump says US held 'all-day negotiation' with Iran on Tuesday

By Kanishka Singh and Bo Erickson WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterizing the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal with Tehran was not reached.

Russian strikes in Kyiv region kill 14, damage warehouses, responders say

Aug 5 (Reuters) - Russian strikes around Ukraine's capital of Kyiv killed fourteen people, injured 27 and damaged warehouses overnight, emergency service officials said on the Telegram messaging app. Air raid alerts lasted for more than an hour across the capital of 3 million,

New clothing saved from waste by sewing charity

Unwanted clothes are reworked and donated by Dressability in Swindon instead of going to landfill.

6.3-magnitude earthquake hits off southern Philippines

The quake did not trigger a tsunami warning.

Central Africa: Air Peace Expands Central Africa Network, Launches Lagos-Douala-Libreville Route

[This Day] Nigeria's leading carrier, Air Peace Limited, has expanded its regional footprint with the commencement of inaugural flight operations on the Lagos-Douala-Libreville route.

Africa: Sudan, AU Commission Chair Discuss Situation in Sudan and Planned Peace and Security Council Visit to Khartoum

[SNA] Khartoum, 4 August 2026 (SUNA) - Sudan's Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Al-Zain Ibrahim Hussein, met on Tuesday with AU Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and delivered an

Hospitality doesn't have a VAT problem. It has a profitability problem

Every few years, the hospitality industry returns to the same debate: reduce VAT, cut tax and save restaurants, writes Dev Biswal (pictured). A lower rate of VAT would undoubtedly help many businesses, but after operating restaurants every day I believe we are asking the wrong

How Genesis Is Using Korean Hospitality and the Power of Sports to Build a New Kind of Luxury Brand

A few months ago, crowds lined the 18th green at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, as 26-year-old American golfer Jacob Bridgeman secured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2026 Genesis Invitational. But the tournament wasn’t just drawing golf fans.

Africa: The Winter Circus - a Memoir

[African Arguments] The Winter Circus: A Memoir (2026) by Leo Zeilig is published by the Uganda-based Editor House Facility (EHF). A genre-defying work blending memoir, fiction, and political reflection, it explores what it means to live through personal and global crisis.

Your viruses fly with you, and scientists could use them to spot the next pandemic

Testing aeroplane wastewater can detect circulating pathogens weeks earlier than traditional global pathogen surveillance allows, offering a potential early-warning tool for global outbreak preparedness, a US–UK pilot study found.

Taiwan investigates 17 Chinese firms for suspected poaching of high-tech talent

Taiwan ministries raided Chinese firms suspected of illegally recruiting workers and operating unlicensed offices.

6.3-magnitude earthquake hits off southern Philippines: USGS

Russian overnight barrage on Ukraine kills at least 15 in Kyiv and surrounding region

Kyiv has in recent months urged allies to supply more US-made Patriot interceptors as Russia steps up its use of ballistic missiles more than four years into its full-scale invasion.

South Korea to revive stalled rail project that could connect to North Korea

SEOUL, Aug 5 - South Korea will restart work on a railway section that could eventually link to North Korea's eastern city of Wonsan, the Unification Ministry said on Wednesday, reviving a project halted for a decade despite frozen relations with Pyongyang.

China is claiming the right to punish its critics anywhere on Earth

On July 1, China brought into force its Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, converting a decade of Xi Jinping’s doctrine of “forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation” into binding law. Most attention has gone to its domestic machinery: entrenching

‘An underused tool’: How regenerative farmers are shielding Spanish land from wildfires

Europe’s regenerative farmers are providing vital wildfire protection – but they need more support.

Latest news bulletin | August 5th, 2026 – Morning

Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this August 5th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.

Brussels vs Beijing: The new trade battle begins in Morocco and Turkey

Beijing's investment drive in Morocco and Turkey is opening new routes into the EU market, forcing Brussels to prepare its response. But its trade defence toolbox is increasingly struggling to keep pace.

How astronaut Luca Parmitano gears up for the Artemis III Moon mission

NASA has presented Artemis III, its next step toward a Moon landing, as one of the most complex missions undertaken by the space agency. Luca Parmitano explains why and how he is preparing for it.

Which cities in Japan are candidates to become the 'second capital'?

Japan’s search for a potential secondary capital is putting a spotlight on destinations beyond Tokyo. Here’s why these contenders are worth adding to your travel bucket list.

Murderous heat, an endangered food supply, decimated landscapes: embrace the Mediterranean life | George Monbiot

As climate disaster stares us in the face, the radical right says ‘Embrace the Mediterranean life’. Embrace death, more like it Can’t you leftists understand? Mass death is good for you. Reject the woke love of life! Welcome civilisational collapse! Watch it all burn, then

Invertebrate of Year Q&A: discuss our countdown with Patrick Barkham

This week, we launched our third annual vote to honour nature’s unsung heroes. The Guardian’s natural history writer – and woodlouse fanboy – Patrick Barkham will be here from 4pm BST (11am EDT) to discuss this year’s poll and why we must celebrate the spineless Ask a question:

Calls to ban ‘toxic’ pet flea treatments that harm UK wildlife and environment

Over-the-counter treatments for cats and dogs contain chemicals that are banned in pesticides and pollute waterways Over-the-counter flea treatment for cats and dogs should be banned as millions of hazardous chemicals are unnecessarily applied to UK pets each year, a

Why commemorating the Roma Holocaust alone 'is not enough'

Some 82 years after the mass murder of Roma and Sinti at Auschwitz-Birkenau, anti-Roma hate persists. Today’s Roma Holocaust Memorial Day (2 August) is a warning that Europe is still failing to turn the lessons of history into political reality, writes Anna Mirga-Kruszelnicka