Saharan dust storms are increasingly intense, depositing microorganisms over Europe. A study in Portugal found bacteria in dust that could act as natural fertilizers, potentially benefiting crop growth, especially in vineyards.
Europe is set to experience a significant heatwave this week as hot air from the Sahara spreads across the continent, with temperatures reaching the mid-30s Celsius in several countries. Meanwhile, parts of Australia are also seeing above-average temperatures.
DNA from two 7,000-year-old individuals found in Libya's Takarkori rock shelter reveals a previously unidentified human lineage. This population split from other African groups around 50,000 years ago and remained isolated for millennia, challenging assumptions about population mixing during the Green Sahara period.
A meteorite found in the Sahara, NWA 12774, suggests the early solar system may have contained a lost planetary embryo. Analysis of clinopyroxene crystals indicates formation under extreme pressure, implying a parent body much larger than a typical asteroid, possibly approaching lunar size.
Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, South Africa, and DR Congo aim to make an impact at World Cup 2026, challenging North Africa's historical dominance in African football.
A UN report reveals the significant environmental impact of AI, including massive energy and water consumption, land use, and e-waste generation. Data centers alone consumed 448 TWh of electricity last year, ranking them 11th globally. By 2030, AI infrastructure could produce 2.5 million tonnes of e-waste annually.
Morocco is promoting tourism in Western Sahara, marketing it as its own territory. This practice raises concerns among rights groups and legal experts regarding international law and the indigenous Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, as the UN classifies Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory.
Mauro Prosperi, an Italian policeman and marathon runner, survived nine days lost in the Sahara Desert after a sandstorm during the 1994 Marathon Des Sables. He resorted to eating bats and snakes, and even attempted suicide before being found and recovering.
REPORTAGE - Au cœur du Sahara, à la frontière d’un Mali en proie à l’avancée des islamistes sur la capitale Bamako, la Mauritanie a ressuscité une compagnie de méharistes. Ces soldats de la Garde nationale chevauchent des dromadaires pendant des semaines pour récolter du renseignement, creuser des puits et aider les populations les plus excentrées afin qu’elles ne tombent pas entre les mains des terroristes.
At a time when teenage prodigies are grabbing headlines with their cricketing skills, a quieter story is taking shape in the narrow lanes of Saharanpur, far from the glare of stadium lights.
GRAND REPORTAGE - Moins chantée que les rivages atlantiques, moins exotique que Marrakech ou le Sahara, la côte méditerranéenne déploie un ruban de 500 kilomètres, de Tanger à l’extrême est du pays. Un Nord farouche et minéral posté en embuscade entre ports de pêche, tours de guet et criques aux eaux turquoise. Seule façon de découvrir cette riviera, emprunter la nationale 16, l’une des plus belles routes du monde. En voiture !
UNDP Head Alexander De Croo warned at a G7 development meeting in Paris that the conflict over Iran could push 32 million people into poverty across 160 countries. The study, conducted after six weeks of war, estimates at least $6 billion in subsidies for energy and food are needed to prevent worsening conditions, with sub-Saharan Africa, Bangladesh, and Cambodia particularly affected.
According to the portal, once production quotas are lifted, the United Arab Emirates could increase output by more than 40%, which will intensify competition in markets supplied by higher-cost producers, including countries in sub-Saharan Africa
Washington a reconnu en 2020 la souveraineté marocaine sur ce vaste territoire désertique. Un conflit y oppose Rabat aux indépendantistes du Front Polisario, soutenus par l’Algérie.
Scientists at Max Planck Institute and University of Cambridge have found evidence that malaria may have been a powerful force shaping early human settlement patterns across sub-Saharan Africa. Using climate models spanning 74,000 years, researchers discovered humans avoided malaria hotspots for tens of thousands of years. Around 15,000 years ago, a key genetic mutation (sickle cell) arose in West Africa, providing protection and allowing human expansion into previously avoided regions.
New research published in Science Advances shows that mosquito-borne malaria may have been a powerful force shaping early human settlement patterns across sub-Saharan Africa. The study found that human populations avoided malaria hotspots for at least 74,000 years, with this pattern only breaking down around 15,000 years ago when a key genetic mutation—sickle cell anemia—arose in West Africa, providing protection against the disease and allowing expansion into previously avoided areas.
