Podcasts about Lesotho

Africa Melane speaks to Peter Fabricius, Consultant at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, about whether African countries can unite against the economic disruption caused by US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs. They discuss the political drivers behind the tariff rates, the challenges of a coordinated African response, the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the shifting global trade landscape. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As new U.S. tariffs take effect, African countries like South Africa and Lesotho are facing growing trade pressures. With the U.S. seen as a less predictable partner, experts are exploring how deeper China-Africa cooperation could help navigate the shifting landscape.

L'entrée en vigueur de la plupart des nouveaux droits de douane imposés par les États-Unis à leurs partenaires commerciaux, c'est aujourd'hui, jeudi 7 août 2025. Quel est l'impact de ces surtaxes pour le continent africain ? Y a-t-il des pays qui risquent d'entrer en récession ? « Oui », répond l'économiste Lionel Zinsou, qui a été Premier ministre du Bénin. Aujourd'hui, avec le grand banquier rwandais Donald Kaberuka, Lionel Zinsou est le patron de « South Bridge », en français, « Le Pont du Sud », une société de conseil financier. Il livre son expertise au micro de Christophe Boisbouvier.     RFI : Est-ce que ces surtaxes américaines risquent de ralentir la croissance du continent africain ?   Lionel Zinsou : Très faiblement, en fait. En revanche, ça va impacter quelques pays et spectaculairement l'Afrique du Sud. Mais ça ne concerne pas tout le continent.   25 pays africains devraient être touchés par ces augmentations de taxes. Quelles sont à vos yeux les pays qui vont être le plus impactés ? L'Afrique du Sud d'abord, c'est ça ?   Oui, L'Afrique du Sud… Certains pays qui avaient vraiment orienté leur commerce extérieur avec une grande confiance vers les États-Unis, comme le petit Lesotho. Au fond, tous ceux qui sont un peu plus industrialisés que les autres et qui avaient à exporter des produits d'une grande valeur, par exemple les exportations automobiles de l'Afrique du Sud, ça, ce sont des exportations à très forte valeur ajoutée, et c'est ça qui va être le plus impacté. Plus vous êtes industrialisé, plus vous allez en souffrir.   On se souvient de la rencontre glaciale à la Maison Blanche entre Donald Trump et Cyril Ramaphosa. Est-ce que les mesures douanières contre l'Afrique du Sud n'ont pas un caractère politique ?   Si, certainement. Derrière la sanction de 30 % de droits de douane, alors que pour les autres pays, c'est ou 10% ou 15%, il y a eu une fixation politique à l'évidence sur l'Afrique du Sud, très probablement liée à des sujets non-africains. Par exemple, le fait que l'Afrique du Sud ait traîné Israël devant la Cour pénale internationale avec un assez grand succès diplomatique. C'est probablement une rétorsion, un petit peu dans la même logique que pour le Brésil. Mais en Afrique du Sud, cela va avoir un impact. C'est un des pays qui ont malheureusement une croissance faible. Donc, ça risque effectivement de les mettre en récession. Cela étant, il y a des remèdes quand même à cette situation, parce que vous avez sans doute vu la réaction de la Chine. La Chine, aujourd'hui, elle importe surtout de l'Afrique, non pas des biens à forte valeur ajoutée et manufacturés, mais vraiment des matières premières. Et les Chinois ont une opportunité de commencer à acquérir des produits à valeur ajoutée venant d'Afrique. L'autre remède, c'est la zone de libre-échange continentale. On est en train de négocier, de faire tomber toutes les barrières douanières à l'intérieur du continent. Et donc les Africains commerçant avec les Africains, ça, ça va être à la fois un facteur de croissance significative et un remplacement pour les pays les plus industrialisés. Donc l'Afrique du Sud, qui est déjà un grand fournisseur du reste de l'Afrique, va l'être encore un peu plus.   Parmi les pays les plus touchés par les mesures de Washington, il y a les producteurs d'acier et d'aluminium. Est-ce que l'Algérie et l'Égypte ne risquent pas d'être très impactées ?   Alors, comme vous l'avez souligné, c'est quand même essentiellement un mouvement politique et vous savez que l'Égypte est un peu exonérée. Donc, avec l'Égypte, pour des raisons géopolitiques, c'est probablement plus confortable qu'avec l'Algérie. Mais si vous prenez un pays comme le mien qui va être taxé à 10 %...  Le Bénin…  Oui. Sur le textile. Alors c'est important parce que, après tout ce qui est produit de matières premières brutes, le textile, en fait, c'est ce qui avait fait le plus de progrès dans les échanges entre l'Afrique et les États-Unis. À raison de l'Éthiopie, mais aussi aujourd'hui de pays comme le Togo, le Bénin, qui ont de plus en plus de valeur ajoutée sur le textile. Mais vous voyez, quand vous achetez un polo de luxe à 100 € ou 100 $, il est sorti d'usine et monté sur un bateau à Cotonou à 10 $. Quand on va mettre 10 %, ça veut dire que ça va augmenter d'un dollar sur votre facture à vous, client, de 100 $. Parce que, en réalité, une très grande partie de la valeur ajoutée est faite dans le pays d'accueil. Et donc c'est aux États-Unis, les frais de marketing, les taxes américaines. Il y a aussi tous les intermédiaires, les transports, etc. Donc, il faut faire un tout petit peu attention. Ça ne va pas complètement désorganiser les marchés. Mais si vous exportez une voiture haut de gamme, japonaise ou allemande, qui vient des usines d'Afrique du Sud, c'est une tout autre affaire. Parce que là, pour le coup, la valeur ajoutée, elle vient d'Afrique. Ce ne sont pas les intermédiaires qui en prennent la plus grande partie. Et là, vous allez avoir un arrêt de la production, du chômage, etc. Mais il y a bien pire, évidemment. Le fait que les Américains, qu'ils aient supprimé l'aide alimentaire et sanitaire, ça, c'est encore plus grave. Parce que la fermeture de l'aide publique de l'USAID, notamment humanitaire, là, il y a mort d'homme. Ce qui est un peu différent des droits de douane. Et donc, politiquement, on voit bien qu'il va y avoir un coût politique pour les États-Unis.  

Die minister van Handel van Lesotho, Mokhethi Shelile, waarsku dat die vermindering van Amerikaanse tariewe van 50-persent na 15-persent moontlik te laat is om die land se sukkelende tekstielbedryf te red. Maande van onsekerheid het fabrieksluitings en werksverliese tot gevolg gehad. Dié sektor, Lesotho se hoofuitvoerder en grootste privaatwerkgewer, het staatgemaak op die voordele van die Wet op Groei en Geleenthede vir Afrika. Shelile het aan Reuters bevestig dat 12 000 werksgeleenthede op die spel is met aankopers wat na lande met laer tariewe, soos Eswatini en Kenia, skuif:

Die Forum for South Africa sê die land verdien 'n mynbedryf wat wettig, veilig en voordelig vir sy burgers is. Minstens 550 vermeende onwettige mynwerkers, waaronder buitelanders en minderjariges, is die afgelope paar dae by die Sheba-goudmyn in Barberton, Mpumalanga, aangekeer. Die meeste verdagtes is van Mosambiek, Swaziland, Lesotho en Zimbabwe. Die forum se leier, Tebogo Mashilompane, sê onwettige mynbedrywighede is nie net ʼn sekerheidsbedreiging nie, maar ook ʼn humanitêre krisis:

Die geskorste bestuurshoof van die Onafhanklike Ontwikkelingstrust is nog dieper in die sop nadat sy glo 'n joernalis probeer omkoop. Die ANC gaan sy RNE-vennote raadpleeg oor die beplande uitbreiding van dié koalisie. Die polisiehoofde van Lesotho en Suid-Afrika onderneem om verdere ondersoek in te stel na beweerde onwettige militêre kampe op Vrystaatse plase.

Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says South Africa intends on expanding its export market to Asia, Euroupe, the Middle East and the African continent. This in response to the 30 percent tariffs which are to kick off from midnight today and where placed by the US administration under President, Donald Trump. The presidency had also indicated earlier today that President Cyril Ramaphosa had reached out to his US counterpart, President Trump in order to bolster South Africa's negotiation efforts on trade agreements with the US. Ntshavheni has been briefing the media on the outcomes of a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a reprieve from a 50 percent U.S. tariff on goods from Lesotho has come too late to prevent damage to the African kingdom's textiles industry, which has been hit hard by months of trade uncertainty. Lesotho's tariff rate was slashed to 15 percent in last week's executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump, down from the level of 50 percent tariff threatened in April. Here is the latest report by the Reuters News Agency... Dr. Stavros Nicolaou from the BRICS Business Council, says the country needs to have the correct data moving forward in order to make informed decisions moving forward...

Tommy and Ben kick off the show by digging into Trump and Netanyahu's incompatible visions for the war in Gaza: a comprehensive peace deal vs. more fighting and annexation. They also discuss the continuing humanitarian disaster in the Strip, horrific violence in the West Bank even as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson visits the occupied territory, and Netanyahu's firing of Israel's attorney general. Then they cover Trump's tariff threats against India and his newly rocky relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, how America has screwed over Lesotho and Switzerland on trade, and Russia's tightening control over citizens' internet access. Also covered: the legal case against former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, and President Nayib Bukele's move to end term limits in El Salvador. Finally, Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry get cozy in Montreal and State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce reinvents what's possible when it comes to word salad. Then, Ben speaks with Elly Schlein, secretary of Italy's Democratic Party, about what it's like being in opposition to Giorgia Meloni and how progressives can position themselves against the far-right.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com

The Texas governor is in a political showdown with Democrats. Lawmakers have fled the state to derail a redistricting vote that would could hand the GOP more seats for the midterms. McKenzie Funk from ProPublica talks about how ICE agents have turned to smashing through car windows to make arrests. The small African nation of Lesotho was hit with a significant tariff threat earlier this year. The Wall Street Journal’s Alexandra Wexler reports on the economic impact on the country. Plus, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu moved to fire the attorney general prosecuting him for corruption, the smokey haze covering parts of the U.S., and a pickpocket ring led by monkeys. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

President Trump fired the top Bureau of Labor Statistics official on Friday, after the agency issued a weak jobs report. The report also revised earlier estimates of job creation in May and June down by 258,000. The president claimed the numbers were being manipulated. Julia Coronado, founder and president of Macropolicy Perspectives and a professor at UT Austin, joins us to discuss. Also on the show: how Trump's tariffs could sink Lesotho's textile industry.

From the BBC World Service: The U.S. has warned India of an "unspecified penalty" for buying Russian oil and weapons, which Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller says could take India's tariff rate to as much as 100%. For years, the economy of the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho has struggled, with claims of corruption and soaring unemployment; it's now been hit with 15% U.S. tariffs — less than the 50% they were facing, but still a huge blow.

From the BBC World Service: The U.S. has warned India of an "unspecified penalty" for buying Russian oil and weapons, which Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller says could take India's tariff rate to as much as 100%. For years, the economy of the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho has struggled, with claims of corruption and soaring unemployment; it's now been hit with 15% U.S. tariffs — less than the 50% they were facing, but still a huge blow.

President Trump fired the top Bureau of Labor Statistics official on Friday, after the agency issued a weak jobs report. The report also revised earlier estimates of job creation in May and June down by 258,000. The president claimed the numbers were being manipulated. Julia Coronado, founder and president of Macropolicy Perspectives and a professor at UT Austin, joins us to discuss. Also on the show: how Trump's tariffs could sink Lesotho's textile industry.

The Basotho Covenant Movement Malatanaha is denying allegations of setting up illegal military training camps in South Africa. Last month, Lesotho's security chiefs claimed the group is recruiting and training Basotho youths for terrorism purposes. Elvis Presslin spoke to Abdulmalik Molapo, the group's spokesperson, to respond to these allegations and shed more light on the group's activities

Tehillah Niselow is in conversation with Dr Jason Musyoka, Development Economist & Associate Researcher at University of PretoriaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Adie presents stories from Gaza and Israel, the US, Lesotho, Taiwan and Peru.This week the British government pledged to recognise a Palestinian state, unless Israel meets certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision rewarded 'Hamas's monstrous terrorism.' Jeremy Bowen reflects on this latest chapter in Britain's long-standing influence in the region.At the UN, Saudi Arabia and France co-hosted a summit to rekindle plans for a two-state solution as a means to find peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Dozens of countries were in attendance - others were notable for their absence. Tom Bateman reports from New York.Donald Trump once claimed Lesotho was a country ‘nobody has heard of' – but it has been feeling the pinch of his trade policy. While the White House rowed back on its threat of imposing 50 per cent tariffs, the uncertainty has already led to many job losses, finds Shingai Nyoka.Taiwan's president William Lai suffered a major setback last weekend, in a recall vote that had been aimed at removing twenty-four opposition lawmakers - yet failed to unseat any of them. James Crabtree reflects on how Taiwan's characteristically flamboyant campaigning style was markedly absent in this latest vote.And finally, many of our staple foods are at risk because of increasingly frequent extreme weather - including the humble potato. But some farmers are tracing the crop's ancient roots in search of solutions to help mitigate the risks, as Beth Timmins has been finding out in the Peruvian Andes.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

After months of intensive negotiations, the US tariff deadline has finally arrived. Unable to reach a deal at the final hour, Switzerland is reeling from 39% tariffs. We look at how this will affect Swiss businesses, and if it's likely to stick. Elsewhere, we get the reaction from two other countries that were able to strike a deal - Taiwan and Lesotho. And the 78th Edinburgh Festival Fringe gets under way, with millions of visitors expected across the festival. We see how local business is booming.

President Donald Trump van Amerika het ʼn uitvoerende bevel onderteken wat tariewe vir meer as 60 lande aanpas terwyl die nuwe tariewe op ingevoerde goedere vandag van krag word. Dit is so hoog as 41-persent vir Sirië en 40-persent vir Laos en Mianmar. Kanada se tarief styg van 25- tot 35-persent. Suid-Afrika se tarief bly onveranderd op 30-persent. Die Withuis se perssekretaris, Karoline Leavitt, sê die hersiene tariewe sluit ʼn daling in op goedere uit Israel, Indië en Lesotho:

durée : 00:05:42 - La Revue de presse internationale - par : Marie Dorcet - Alors que les Etats-Unis s'apprêtent, demain, à appliquer leurs nouveaux droits de douanes dans des dizaines de pays, le Lesotho subit déjà les conséquences de ces nouveaux tarifs, parmi les plus importants du monde.

Clement Manyathela speaks to David Martinon, the Ambassador of France to South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi; Chrispin Phiri, the DIRCO spokesperson; International relations experts; Prof Gilbert Khadiagala and honorary Professor, John Streamlau about the announcements made by Canada, UK and France to formally recognise a Palestinian state. The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Die Afrika-kontinentale Vryhandelsgebied kan help om handel uit te brei en ontluikende ekonomieë teen globale onsekerheid te beskerm. Die streeks-koördinerings- en programdirekteur, Tsotetsi Makong, het op die Handel- en Nywerheidsbeleid-strategieforum verwys na die 3,6-miljard Namibiese dollar se verlies wat Lesotho as gevolg van die Amerikaanse invoertariewe van 50-persent gely het. Hy het Afrika-lande aangemoedig om handel deur die vasteland te bevorder deur plaaslik-vervaardigde produkte te gebruik:

Lesotho, waar Amerikaanse president Donald Trump se gholfhemde gemaak word al het hy gesê niemand het al van die land gehoor nie, steier onder Amerikaanse hulpbesnoeiings en tariewe op uitvoere. Die regering het reeds 'n noodtoestand oor werkloosheid verklaar na duisende tekstiel- en fabriekswerkers ontslaan moes word. Sky News se Afrika-korrespondent, Yousra Elbagir, het meer.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports the deafening roar of hundreds of sewing machines in one corner of Lesotho has gone silent. Spools of thread in every color are covered in dust. The warehouse is dark and empty.

Two days of talks between delegations from Beijing and Washington ended without an extension of the tariff truce set to expire on August 12. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Donald Trump still needs to be briefed on the discussions. Also, the International Monetary Fund has revised its global growth outlook upward, as Trump's tariff policies are scaled back. And, Lesotho's textile industry remains on edge ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline.

"Nobody's heard of it." That's Donald Trump's dismissive claim about Lesotho – a small country in southern Africa where lives are being devastated by the US president's decision. But what are the real-world consequences of Mr Trump's trade war? Trump's cuts to US foreign aid means people can't get access to HIV medication and costly tariffs is causing havoc to the economy – both of which are costing lives.  Sky News' Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir has been to Lesotho to find out how decisions in Washington are hitting a country thousands of miles away.  Click here to hear more from Yousra, including how the deadly drug Kush is wreaking havoc in West Africa... and why it links to the UK: https://news.sky.com/story/kush-the-deadly-drug-wreaking-havoc-in-west-africa-13391966 

As trade talks continue between the world's two largest economies in Stockholm, Rahul Tandon hears from Xiaofei Xu of the South China Morning Post on what's at stake in the US–China negotiations. Plus, the IMF has raised its global growth forecasts for this year and next. And, the BBC's Shingai Nyoka travels to Lesotho, the tiny African kingdom unexpectedly caught in the crossfire of the US tariff war, now facing a potential 50% duty on its exports to America.

Clement Manyathela speaks to Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, the Co-chairperson of NATJOINTS about the allegations that Basotho nationals are undergoing militarily training on South African farms as part of a land reclamation campaign. The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vrystaat Landbou reageer op gerugte dat Lesotho-burgers grond naby die grens wil gryp. Noodvoorraad word ná maande uiteindelik na Gasa deurgelaat. Boland skok die Cheetahs.

Die intelligensie-eenhede van die SAPD en Lesotho-polisie ondersoek bewerings van Lesotho-militêre kampe in Suid-Afrika. Die polisiewoordvoerder Athlenda Mathe sê die nasionale polisiekommissaris, Fannie Masemola, het met provinsiale polisiehoofde, insluitend die Valke se Misdaad Teen die Staat-eenheid, oor die saak vergader. Sy het die publiek verseker dat nasionale veiligheid 'n topprioriteit bly en het gevra mense om kalm te bly terwyl die ondersoeke voortduur:

The southern African nation's garment industry is being gutted by U.S. tariffs. And United Nations peacekeeping and UNICEF are amongst the agencies facing major cuts after a new U.S. funding rollback.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A Lesotho MP is facing charges after accusing the country’s monarch of signing over land to its neighbour, South Africa. Andrew Mueller explains the history and prospects of this decidedly niche territorial dispute. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 1st tariffs on small countries need to be reconsidered - look at Fiji and Lesotho as reasons why. Listen for more on Two Minutes in Trade. 

Sudan: More than 450 civilians have been  killed in recent attacks in North Kordofan . Why is the RSF paramilitary increasingly targeting  the state?The kingdom of Lesotho recently declared a 'State of disaster'-What can youth facing unemployment do ?And how sinkholes in South Africa are affecting people's livesPresenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Richard Kagoe in Nairobi, Blessing Aderogba in Lagos and Sunita Nahar in London. Technical Producer :Gabriel O'Regan Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Brazil's Chief Justice responds to Donald Trump and denies persecution of Jair Bolsonaro, a new Prime Minister of Ukraine is nominated, a Lesotho lawmaker is charged over accusing the King of ceding sovereignty, the U.K. reveals a secret £850M Afghan relocation following a data breach, the Pentagon awards $200M AI contracts to four tech giants, the U.S. Supreme Court allows Trump Education Department layoffs, the Grand Canyon lodge is destroyed in an Arizona wildfire, Meta will invest 'hundreds of billions' to build superintelligence, Nvidia resumes China AI chip sales amid a CEO Beijing visit, and world's oldest marathon runner dies at 114. Sources: www.verity.news

Les journalistes et experts de RFI répondent également à vos questions sur l'impact des douanes américaines au Lesotho, un accord sur l'aide humanitaire à Gaza et une perquisition au siège du Rassemblement national. Sénégal : un chroniqueur arrêté après une critique d'Ousmane Sonko  Au Sénégal, le chroniqueur Badara Gadiaga a été placé en garde à vue après des propos tenus sur un plateau télévisé, perçus comme une allusion critique visant le Premier ministre Ousmane Sonko. Pourquoi a-t-il été arrêté par la division spéciale de la cybersécurité sénégalaise ? Que risque le journaliste si des poursuites judiciaires sont engagées ? Avec Léa-Lisa Westerhoff, correspondante permanente de RFI à Dakar. Lesotho : état de catastrophe nationale décrété après la surtaxe américaine de 50%  Confronté à une crise sans précédent, le Lesotho a décrété l'état de catastrophe nationale après l'imposition par les États-Unis de droits de douane de 50% sur ses exportations textiles. Pourquoi Donald Trump a-t-il autant taxé ce petit pays enclavé ? Quel est aujourd'hui l'impact de ces droits de douane au Lesotho ? Avec Joséphine Kloeckner, correspondante de RFI à Johannesburg.  Gaza : un accord israélo-européen pour étendre l'aide humanitaire  L'Union européenne a annoncé un accord avec Israël pour faciliter et élargir l'acheminement de l'aide humanitaire vers Gaza, confrontée à une situation dramatique après des mois de conflit. Que contient cet accord ? Quelles sont les urgences humanitaires dans l'enclave palestinienne ? Avec Jean Saslawsky, directeur des programmes de CARE France. France : le Rassemblement national dans le viseur de la justice  Le siège du Rassemblement national a été perquisitionné ce mardi 9 juillet, dans le cadre d'une enquête sur des soupçons de financement illégal de campagne. Quels éléments ont été saisis ? Doit-on s'attendre à des poursuites judiciaires ? Avec Victorien Willaume, journaliste au service politique de RFI.

Beti George sydd yn holi'r actores a'r hyfforddwraig yoga Leisa Mererid.Mae'n disgrifio ei phlentyntod fel hogan fferm ym mhentref Betws Gwerfyl Goch fel un 'eidylig' ac roedd yn treulio ei hamser sbâr i gyd allan yn chwarae.Astudiodd Ddrama yn Ysgol Theatr Fetropolitan Manceinion lle enillodd radd mewn actio, cyn hyfforddi ymhellach yn Ysgol Ryngwladol Meim, Theatr a Symudiad Jacques LeCoq ym Mharis.Bu'n byw yn Lesotho am gyfnod yn gwirfoddoli mewn cartref i blant amddifad .Roedd yn aros mewn pentref bach yng nghanol unman yn y mynyddoedd. Dywed fod y profiad yma yn bendant wedi ei siapio hi fel person.Mae Leisa wedi gweithio'n helaeth ym maes Theatr a theledu. Ymddangosodd yn chwe chyfres Amdani. Yn 2002 chwaraeodd rôl Edith yn y ffilm Eldra. Yn 2002 hefyd cychywnodd ei rhan fel Joyce Jones yn y gyfres ddrama Tipyn o Stad. Bu'n gweithio hefyd gyda chwmni theatr Oily Cart, cwmni sydd yn arloesi mewn gweithio yn aml synhwyrol. Ma' nhw yn cyfeirio at eu hunain fel pob math o theatr ar gyfer pob math o bobl. Maen nhw yn gweithio efo babanod, plant, a phobl efo anghenion dwys.Mae Leisa wedi rhyddhau dau lyfr i blant, Y Goeden Yoga yn 2019 a'r Wariar Bach yn 2021.Erbyn hyn, mae Leisa hefyd wedi cychwyn ei busnes ‘Gongoneddus' – sydd yn cynnal sesiynau trochfa gong.Mae hi'n Fam brysur ac yn magu 3 o blant, Martha, Mabon ac Efan.

From our friends at The Indicator from Planet Money: What's the price to save a human life? We examine the monumental legacy of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with journalist Jon Cohen, who traveled to Eswatini and Lesotho to learn how cuts under the Trump administration are hitting people at the clinic door. Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This episode was first published as a bonus episode for our Planet Money+ listeners. Today, we're making it available for everyone! U.S. aid helped Eswatini and Lesotho, two small countries in southern Africa, in their efforts to treat and curb the spread of HIV. Will President Trump's "America First" foreign policy threaten years of progress there against the virus? In this bonus episode, we're featuring an extended conversation between Darian Woods and Jon Cohen, senior correspondent with Science magazine. They talk about Jon's reporting trip to Eswatini and Lesotho in May and the early impacts he saw of the Trump administration's foreign aid cuts. We also hear about the critical role of PEPFAR (the U.S. President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) in the global response to HIV/AIDS and some other things we couldn't fit into the original episode.You can read Jon's recent article in Science magazine here.To hear more bonus episodes like this, and get Planet Money and The Indicator without sponsor messages, support the show by signing up for Planet Money+. This summer, we're also giving Planet Money+ supporters early access to new episodes. Another reason to join! Sign up via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

#622: #622: The headlines said America added 147,000 jobs in June. The reality? Private companies actually cut 33,000 positions. Grad students just lost access to unlimited borrowing. Parent PLUS loans now cap at $65,000. And tariffs are about to jump as high as 70 percent. Everything is changing at once — taxes, tariffs, student loans, and immigration policy. And data from the University of Michigan says that consumers feel more pessimistic than they did six months ago. Welcome to the 4th of July First Friday episode. On America's 249th birthday, we unpack these economic stories. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. (0:00) Introduction (1:19) Historical trivia about the Declaration of Independence (2:28) Three presidents died on July 4th — statistical improbability explained (4:24) Trump signs domestic policy bill extending 2017 tax cuts (6:13) Student loan changes — borrowing caps and repayment plan eliminations (8:53) Tariff pause expires July 9th, new rates announced (12:00) Original tariff rates and Lesotho example breakdown (16:26) June jobs report headlines versus private sector reality (22:54) ADP reports private job losses while government hiring grows (26:46) Consumer confidence drops 18 percent since December (30:59) Inflation expectations versus actual 2.4 percent rate (34:19) Fed takes wait-and-see approach amid policy uncertainty (36:58) Labor market stagnation mirrors Federal Reserve strategy For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode622 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First up on the podcast, U.S. aid helped two African countries rein in HIV. Then came President Donald Trump. Senior News Correspondent Jon Cohen talks with producer Kevin McLean about how in Lesotho and Eswatini, treatment and prevention cutbacks are hitting pregnant people, children, and teens especially hard.   This story is part of a series about the impacts of U.S. funding cuts on global health, supported by the Pulitzer Center.   Next on the show, host Sarah Crespi is joined by Robin Wordsworth, the Gordon McKay Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. They discuss the challenges and potential of microbes to grow plastics, drugs, and food on the surface of Mars or other bodies in the Solar System.   This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy.   About the Science Podcast   Authors: Sarah Crespi; Kevin McLean; Jon Cohen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First up on the podcast, U.S. aid helped two African countries rein in HIV. Then came President Donald Trump. Senior News Correspondent Jon Cohen talks with producer Kevin McLean about how in Lesotho and Eswatini, treatment and prevention cutbacks are hitting pregnant people, children, and teens especially hard.   This story is part of a series about the impacts of U.S. funding cuts on global health, supported by the Pulitzer Center.   Next on the show, host Sarah Crespi is joined by Robin Wordsworth, the Gordon McKay Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. They discuss the challenges and potential of microbes to grow plastics, drugs, and food on the surface of Mars or other bodies in the Solar System.   This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy.   About the Science Podcast   Authors: Sarah Crespi; Kevin McLean; Jon Cohen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 229 - Moshoeshoe and the Red Dust, How War and famine led to British rule in Lesotho - we're speeding up on the trek along history's trail. First, a word about the Boer Basotho War of 1865-1868. The 1850s and 1860s marked a period of profound demographic disruption for the Basotho as the borders of Moshoeshoe the First's kingdom shifted repeatedly under pressure from colonial conflict and Boer expansion, waves of refugees poured both in and out of the territory. By 1865, the population of what is now Lesotho was estimated at 180,000 which was a sharp increase from five years earlier. Then drought and a three year war against the Boers of the Free State had induced famine by 1868, and Moshoeshoe the First was running out of options as some of his people left the region. The war had created an immediate famine condition, exacerbated by the drought, and this had a knock-on effect when it came to politics and human migration. After the territorial competition between the BaSotho and their African neighbours subsided to some extent as the Basotho emerged as a nation, the struggle against the Boers of the Free State gained momentum. Growth in the economies of both the Free State and Basotho had produced an ongoing competition for land and when drought struck, it stimulated violence. It's important to stress how the Free State economy had shifted from herding cattle to sheep — mainly as a result of Great Britain's demand for wool. The Boers regarded the English as an oppressive occupying force, but that didn't stop farmers of the Free State making a buck off the empire when they could. This is reflected in trade data - in 1852 exports from the Orange River Sovereignty to Natal, the Cape and England totalled 256 000 pounds, with wool making up 230 000 pounds of that trade. In a census of 1856, Boers had 1.2 million sheep and goats, and only 137 000 head of cattle. But the golden years of wool exports were over by the mid-1860s. The terrible droughts of 1860 and 1861 were known as the Red Dust when the Caledon River dried up for the only time in anyone's memory. If you want the full background, I covered the outbreak of the Boer Basotho war of 1865 in an earlier episode, along with the causes. The drought, and the scorched earth policy adopted by Free State president Johannes Brand, left Moshoeshoe with little choice. He could either surrender and be known as the Basotho King who gave away his people to the Boers, or he could ask the British to declare Basotholand a British Protectorate. Some have said cynically that the British were entertaining this anyway, hungry for more land and even more so after the discovery of diamonds — but that's tautological when it comes to Basotholand. The diamond discovery took place after Basotholand was folded into the British empire. Still, we need to burrow into how this all worked out, the diplomacy and wheeler-dealing was extraordinary. By the end of 1867 the successes of the Boer commandos in their raids into Basotholand had put an end to the prospect that the Free State burghers would voluntarily submit to the reimposition of British control. Eugene Casalis, the French missionary who had spent so much time in Basotholand, sailed to England from France to urge the British Government to intervene. This was not a lightweight ecclesiastical mission, Casalis had established a mission station at Morija at the foot of Moshoeshoe's royal mountain Thaba Bosiu in 1833. He translated the gospel of Mark into isiSotho, and was revered for his political advice to Moshoeshoe. The Duke of Buckingham who had succeeded Lord Carnarvon as Colonial Secretary in March 1867, was all ears. They say timing matters, and it so happened that CB Adderley who was parliamentary Under-Secretary was in favour of intervention provided it could be managed without expense. IE, without sending an army to fight the Boers. On the 9th December, Buckingham instructed Wodehouse to treat with Moshoeshoe.

What's the price to save a human life? We examine the monumental legacy of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) with journalist Jon Cohen, who traveled to Eswatini and Lesotho to learn how cuts under the Trump Administration are hitting people at the clinic door. Related episodes: The gutting of USAID How USAID cuts hurts farmers For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Trump administration has cut funding to programs that provide direct aid to communities affected by HIV and AIDS. That includes the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides much of the funding to AIDS relief efforts abroad. Science Magazine Senior Correspondent Jon Cohen reported on how two countries in southern Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho, have been impacted by cuts so far, and how community members and health providers are navigating these challenges. San Diego is home to one of the leading HIV vaccine research efforts in the country, the Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, but its funding is now at risk due to the administration's spending cuts. We hear from one researcher about what that could mean for the future of a HIV vaccine. Guests: Jon Cohen, senior correspondent, Science Dennis Burton, co-lead of the Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, Scripps Research

Jon Cohen, senior correspondent with Science, reports on how countries that suffer high rates of HIV/AIDS are coping now that USAID funding has dried up, and how local governments, especially in places like Lesotho, are attempting to figure out solutions. Plus, Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, Columbia University professor of epidemiology and medicine and director of ICAP, a global health center at the school of public health, discusses ICAP's work in implementing PEPFAR (the President's Emergency Plan for AIDs Relief) in sub-Saharan Africa, and discusses the future of PEPFAR under the Trump administration.

Nations that once relied on USAID funding to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS have been impacted by President Trump's cuts to the program. On Today's Show:Jon Cohen, senior correspondent with Science, reports on how countries that suffer high rates of HIV/AIDS are coping now that USAID funding has dried up, and how local governments, especially in places like Lesotho, are attempting to figure out solutions. Plus, Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, director of ICAP at Columbia University, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, executive vice president of Columbia Global, and lead of the New York City Preparedness & Response Institute, discusses ICAP's HIV/AIDS treatment under the Trump administration.

Episode 227 — a turning point not just in our nation's past, but in the arc of 19th-century global history. For soon, the earth will yield its glittering secret — the diamond — and with it, fortunes will rise, empires will stir, and the southern tip of Africa will be irrevocably transformed. But before we reach that seismic revelation, we journey first into the twilight of a king's life — to the basalt crown of Thaba Bosiu, where Moshoeshoe, the great architect of Basotho unity, faced the gravest challenge yet to his people's survival. The year is 1864, and a new figure steps onto the veldt's political stage — Johannes Brand, recently elected President of the Orange Free State. With his arrival came the end of internecine Boer squabbles. Now, unity of purpose would drive their ambitions — and that purpose turned toward Lesotho's land. Brand lost little time invoking Article 2 of the Treaty of Aliwal North — a clause etched into colonial parchment, defining the boundary between Free State territory and Moshoeshoe's realm. He wanted it honoured, and in the Boers' favour. The British High Commissioner, Philip Wodehouse — successor to Sir George Grey — responded, dispatching Aliwal North's Civil Commissioner, John Burnet, to parley with Moshoeshoe. There, among the towering ramparts of Thaba Bosiu, Burnet argued the line was law — the Warden Line, drawn in 1858, marked Moshoeshoe's northern limit. Yet Basotho families still tilled and dwelt across it. Not out of defiance, but memory — for those lands were ancestral, soaked in history and spirit. To demand a retreat across the Caledon River would have meant inciting his own chiefs, rupturing the very fabric of the Basotho world. Brand, determined to halt the Basotho's slow advance toward Harrismith and Winburg, convened the Volksraad. A special session summoned Governor Wodehouse, pleading for intervention to preserve peace — or impose it. By October 1864, Wodehouse had the contested boundary beaconed. But in a private memorandum — shaped by voices like Burnet's — he concluded what Moshoeshoe already knew in his bones: no treaty or beacon could reconcile the irreconcilable. For the Free State clung to the ink of 1858 — a document where Moshoeshoe had affixed his name to the Warden Line. But treaties are made on paper — and people live on land. On the 14th of November, Moshoeshoe called a *pitso* — a major assembly of his chiefs. It was a moment to speak freely, to vent frustration, and to wrestle with the reality of what lay ahead. In the end, they publicly committed to accepting Wodehouse's ruling. Molapo and Mopeli, though reluctant, began evacuating their villages. In the days that followed, a steady stream of men, women, and children made their way south — driving cattle, carrying bundles of corn, and taking with them whatever possessions they could manage. When Moshoeshoe appealed to President Brand for time to let Molapo's people finish harvesting, Brand agreed. They stayed through the summer, gathering the last of their crops, and left again in February 1865. By then, the land was quiet. According to British reports — and Moshoeshoe's own understanding — the disputed territory now stood empty of Basotho. But what neither he nor the British authorities knew was that the Boers were not content to leave it at that. A commando had already been mustered — eager to erase the memory of their defeat in 1858, and ready to strike. South Africa's history is marked by sudden turns — moments of violence, moments of discovery. Buried treasure, both literal and political, lies hidden until, almost by accident, it surfaces. Often, it's not strategy or foresight, but chance — a misstep, a stray decision — that reveals the vast wealth beneath. While the Boers and the Basotho were locked in brutal conflict, fighting for control of fertile valleys and mountain strongholds, something altogether different was unfolding a short distance away. A diamond would be discovered.

The years between 1865 and 1870 would bring a tangle of new challenges for the people of the south. Drought gripped the land with merciless fingers in 1865 and 1866, only to return with cruel insistence between 1868 and 1869. Livelihoods withered, landscapes turned brittle. And yet, amid the dust and desolation, there was a glint of promise on the horizon, a hint of glitter in the forecast. British Kaffraria — that volatile strip of land east of the Kei — had been the stage for repeated wars between the British Empire and the amaXhosa. By 1866, the inevitable had come to pass: the territory was formally annexed to the Cape. This was not a popular move in the Cape Parliament. Most members balked at the idea, not out of principle, but pocket — British Kaffraria was a drain on the Treasury, propped up entirely by funds from London. The Cape, in its self-conscious autonomy, wanted no part in the bill. But Attorney General William Porter reminded his fellow parliamentarians that their indignation was selective. The Cape itself, he said, could not “talk big and look big” when its own house was being kept warm with British money. Independence in name meant little, he warned, if the machinery of government still ticked by the grace of Empire coin. But before the ink was dry on the annexation, another, more immediate matter took precedence — the fate of the amaMfengu, along with the amaNgqika and amaGqunukhwebe. The structures of amaXhosa political authority had already been dismantled within British Kaffraria. Now, as the imperial tide rolled further inland, it was the amaMfengu who found themselves repositioned — this time as subjects to be moved, their loyalty rewarded not with land, but with a fresh dislocation. Soon, the area around Butterworth became an amaMfengu stronghold. Many local amaXhosa were absorbed into their ambit — politically subdued or socially assimilated. For the British, this migration had a twofold effect. It removed thousands of Black residents from British Kaffraria, freeing up land under Crown control. And it advanced a broader goal: clearing the way for the Cape Parliament to annex the territory, albeit reluctantly and under pressure from Westminster. Just to flick the future switch for a moment — Back to the Future, in 2003, a constellation of dignitaries descended on Phokeng for the coronation of Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi of the Bafokeng. That's near Rustenberg just for clarity. Among them were Nelson Mandela, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, First Lady Zanele Mbeki, and the Queen Mother of Lesotho. A drought pressed down on the land in 2003, dry and unforgiving, but the dusty heat did little to mute the occasion's quiet grandeur. For a small nation to command such presence — to draw the gaze of the region's most prominent figures — spoke to something more than mere ceremonial gravity. It hinted at a deeper, long-cultivated influence. This is the story of how the Bafokeng came to be recognised as one of South Africa's most quietly successful peoples — not by avoiding the tides of history, but by learning, early on, how to navigate them. From their dealings with the Boers and Paul Kruger, to their survival under apartheid's grip, the Bafokeng carved a path few expected — and fewer still understood. There's an almost whispered history here, a counterpoint to the dominant narrative of dispossession and defeat. The Bafokeng lived on land of consequence long before that significance was measured in ounces of platinum. It wasn't until the metal was prised from the earth beneath their feet that the rest of the country — and eventually, the world — began to pay attention. But the roots of their agency run deeper, older. They reach back to a time when Paul Kruger was still cobbling together unity among the Voortrekkers, long before his epic confrontations with the British had begun.

Mothers in Lesotho are campaigning against a needle sharing method which exposes drug users to the risks of HIV and other diseases, taking root in the country. What is 'bluetoothing' or 'hotspotting'?Also, the wider impact of the rising Islamist attacks in West Africa And why do people choose Hunger strikes as a form of protest, and are they effective?Presenter: Audrey Brown Producers: Bella Hassan and Yvette Twagiramariya Technical Producer: Nick Randell Senior Journalist: Karnie Sharp Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard

The head of the International Red Cross has told the BBC that what's happening in Gaza has crossed any acceptable legal or moral standard.Mirjana Spoljarić said that the situation "should shock our collective conscience". Her comments come after dozens of Palestinians were killed near new aid distribution centres. A prominent US-Israeli businessman with long experience of humanitarian missions tells us what's gone wrong with the roll-out of aid by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.Also in the programme: Six months after a botched military coup, South Korea has a new president; and we'll hear howpoverty is driving men from Lesotho to the illegal mines of neioghbouring South Africa.(Photo shows people carrying aid supplies which they received from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on 3 June 2025. Credit: Reuters TV)