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♦️ Breaking & exclusive stories, analysis, opinions 👉 About Africa in other languages: Amharic: @sputnik_ethiopia French: @sputnik_afrique 💬 Contact us https://t.me/Africa_Sputnik_bot
🚨🇷🇺 Russian MFA fires back at Zelensky's air defense concerns
💬 "Nothing will help him. He is like a tick that has latched onto the body of the Ukrainian people and cannot get its fill of blood," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Nigeria's Stock Rally is Sector-Driven, Not Broad-Based, Says Analyst
🇳🇬 The country's stock market may have overtaken South Korea as the world's best-performing equity market this year, but the rally is concentrated in a few sectors rather than reflecting broad economic strength, Nigerian development economist Prof. Ken Ife told Sputnik Africa.
Key points from the analyst:
🟠Sector performance: The oil and gas sector rose 90% in the first half, the banking sector 68.3% (driven by successful recapitalization), and insurance 54.8%. Telecoms underperformed at 19.4%.
🟠Why sectors differ: Banking and insurance were buoyed by recapitalization, while telecoms face infrastructure challenges. Industrial stocks underperformed due to infrastructure deficiencies, insecurity, and high energy costs.
🟠Technology and services growth: Block‑chain, AI, and the creative economy are driving growth, but need more investment.
🟠The 'diversification' debate: Ife warned against the narrative of moving away from oil, calling it "a scam." Nigeria's real growth will come from downstream oil and gas investment, pointing to billions flowing into refineries and petrochemicals, he argued.
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⚔️🇮🇷 Only those prepared for war can negotiate with the US — Ghalibaf
Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator has issued a stark warning to US, stating that Iran is ready for "total defense" if the White House betrays the ceasefire memorandum.
"I informed the US Vice President that we have no trust in you. In my opinion, only those who are prepared for war can negotiate with the United States," Ghalibaf said during a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart.
Russia's Africa Corps Helped Mali During April Coup Attempt Orchestrated by France, Official Says
Malian authorities believe a plan to "decapitate the government" was orchestrated by Paris in April 2026, Fousseynou Ouattara, Vice President of the Defense Commission of the Transition Council, told a Russian media outlet.
"We are convinced that we will no longer be caught off guard by the diabolical plans being hatched at the Elysee Palace in France to harm the Malian authorities," the official noted.
Russia Supplies Rapid Ebola Tests to Guinea to Contain Outbreak: Russian Sanitary Service
Rospotrebnadzor has delivered domestically produced test systems to Guinea to rapidly detect the Bundibugyo Ebola strain. The kits were handed over to the joint Russian-Guinean research center to help contain the virus, according to the agency's statement.
🔬 Russia developed these PCR tests in just four days and has already supplied them to Burundi, Congo, and Uganda. This delivery is part of a broader anti-infection assistance program for Africa, launched by President Putin at the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit.
🤝 Russia and Guinea have been cooperating on epidemic response since 2014.
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Cocoa Prices Surge Nearly 40% in One Month to Six-Month High as Heavy Rains Hit West Africa
🍫September cocoa futures on Intercontinental Exchange New York peaked at $6,226 per tonne on Friday.
↗️The market is signaling that prices probably won't return to normal anytime soon. Earlier this year, prices had dropped because demand slowed and West African shipments picked up. But now, early signs for the upcoming main harvest have traders rushing to buy.
The culprit?
Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana—the world's top cocoa producers—have been hit by relentless downpours. Floods have waterlogged plantations, disrupted transport, and even triggered a fungal disease called black pod, which damages the beans.
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Kenya Upgrades Afraha Stadium for AFCON 2027
📹 Watch the video to see how the co-host country prepares for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
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❗️Russia Grateful to Burundi for Understanding Root Causes of Ukrainian Crisis, FM Lavrov Says
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Russian FM Lavrov Received by Burundian President Ndayishimiye
📍 Bujumbura
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Kenya's Dairy Boom: Government Must Now Strengthen Value Chain, Not Just Celebrate, Expert Says
🇰🇪🐄 The East African country has recently overtaken Egypt to become Africa's leading milk producer, with annual production rising from 4.6 billion to 5.4 billion liters, according to Kenya's State Department for Livestock Development.
🟠This milestone is attributed to improved breeding, animal health services, and feeding practices, Farmers Field School Coordinator Jonathan Lagat told Sputnik Africa.
🟠However, he cautioned that increased production alone will not guarantee higher farmer incomes.
🟠He called for investment in milk cooling centers, storage, transport infrastructure, stronger cooperatives, and value addition through products like cheese, yogurt, butter, and milk powder.
📹 Watch the full report by Sputnik Africa's Ridah Chebet for more insights
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❗️Conflict Around Iran Must Be Resolved With Agreements Reflecting Interests of All: Lavrov
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Rosatom Begins Second Power Unit Installation at Egypt’s El Dabaa NPP: Correspondent
The event is attended by Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouly, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, and IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
ℹ️About the project:
Financing: The plant is financed through a $25 billion Russian loan.
Reactors: It will feature four VVER-1200 third-generation reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW.
Rosatom's responsibilities:
🔘 Construction of the plant
🔘Supply of nuclear fuel
🔘Training of local personnel
🔘Operation and maintenance for the first 10 years after the plant becomes operational
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'This Meeting is Perfect Expression of Our Will to Work Toward New World Order': Niger's FM
"Long live the cooperation between the Confederation of Sahel States and the Russian Federation," Bakary Yaou Sangaré said.
Watch: Russia's Lavrov Welcomed in Niamey Airport
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'Board of Peace is Deeply Hypocritical Endeavor,' SA Activist Says
"There were many Israelis on the board," and not a single Palestinian, Ayesha Essop told Sputnik Africa.
WATCH | How Reactor Vessel Was Successfully Installed at Unit Two of Egypt's El Dabaa NPP
The 340-tonne reactor vessel houses the active fission zone and withstands extreme pressure and temperature to guarantee the power block's safety and reliability, according to Russia's Rosatom.
👌 Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev noted that this major milestone paves the way for the team to begin welding the main circulation pipeline.
The footage of the installation was released by Rosatom on Saturday, while the process took place on Thursday.
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South African Researchers See BRICS as a Platform for Africa’s Circular Economy Transition
"So there is a lot indeed that we can already learn from each other. If you look at the BRICS declarations from 2025. One of them was that BRICS indeed reaffirms the importance of inclusive supply chains aligned with economic growth and sustainability. So we are saying that as we grow our cities, let's make sure that sustainability is at the forefront of the growth."
Kenyan Innovator Uses Bamboo to Build Affordable Wheelchairs for Children With Disabilities
🇰🇪 Joseph Kompe is using locally sourced bamboo to create affordable wheelchairs for children, helping those who cannot afford expensive imports gain mobility, access education, and participate in everyday activities.
📹 Watch the video for the full story.
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Bank of Central African States Joins New Pan-African Payment & Settlement System
💵 As a result, Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) now connects 28 African countries, more than 190 banks and financial organizations, opening access to 250 additional institutions.
👉The move is expected to accelerate transactions without the need for foreign currencies.
💰 Joining PAPSS will enable faster, more affordable and more efficient cross-border payments across CEMAC and the rest of Africa, Yvon Sana Bangui, the governor of the bank, emphasized.
Benefits of joining PAPSS include:
▪️ Faster transactions;
▪️ Reduced costs;
▪️ Better access to regional markets.
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Russian FM in Burundi: Ebola Vaccine, Peaceful Nuclear Energy, Kiev's Destabilizing Role in Africa
Key statements by the Russian Foreign Minister during a press conference with his Burundian counterpart Edouard Bizimana:
🟠Ukraine is acting against African countries that are friends of Russia;
🟠Kiev is seeking to get involved in too many conflicts in Africa;
🟠Ukraine is supporting rebels in the DRC;
🟠Moscow is grateful to Burundi for its position on Ukraine at the UN;
🟠Russia is ready to share its experience in civil nuclear energy with Burundi;
🟠Russia has developed and is ready to mass-produce a vaccine against the Ebola strain currently spreading in Africa;
🟠The head of Russian diplomacy invited his Burundian counterpart to visit Moscow.
➡️ Edouard Bizimana announced that the Burundian leader, Evariste Ndayishimiye, will travel to Moscow to participate in the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late October.
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AES Sees Russia as Concrete Partner That Respects Sovereignty, Says Nigerien Expert
🇷🇺 Moscow "is not trying to interfere in the internal politics of our states" and advocates for a multipolar world order, Mourtala Guimba, a Nigerien diplomacy and conflict management specialist, told Sputnik Africa.
🇳🇪 Following Russia-AES consultations in Niamey this week, Guimba stressed that Moscow "is positioning itself as the AES's main ally in our region."
▫️ According to the expert, amid the bloc's break with ECOWAS and the withdrawal of French and US forces, Russia is offering practical support, including:
▪️ provision of military equipment;
▪️ deployment of instructors;
▪️ intelligence sharing.
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Nigerian Muslims Honor Iran’s Supreme Leader With Symbolic Funeral Processions: Media
Symbolic funeral ceremonies were held across Nigeria to pay tribute to Ayatollah Khamenei, according to media reports.
📍In Kaduna State, mourners organized a solemn procession, carrying a ceremonial coffin through the Soba area, media reported.
📍Meanwhile, in Kano State, located in the northwest, mourners reportedly held a solidarity march to express their condolences, mirroring the official farewell ceremony in Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei and members of his family were buried in Iran's Mashhad on Thursday.
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Launch of the Russian Glagol Literary Contest for Russian-Speaking Writers Worldwide
Writers, poets, playwrights, and translators from around the world are invited to participate in the prestigious contest, regardless of nationality, provided they write in Russian.
✒️ The contest is named "Russian Glagol" (Русский ГлаголЪ), spelled in the old style. The word "glagol" evokes both a letter from the Old Slavic alphabet and the very act of speaking out.
🟠The contest is divided into seven categories: prose, poetry, children's literature, theater, literary criticism, and translation. Each category is split into two age groups, with a special nomination for works dedicated to World War II.
🟠The contest serves as a springboard for winners, offering publication in the press and major publishing houses, along with broad media exposure.
Supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, the contest accepts applications from July 10 to September 10 at rusglagol.org.
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‘Second Homeland’: Russia’s Lavrov Warmly Welcomed on Record Fourth Visit to Mozambique
Maputo feels like a second homeland for Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, his Mozambican counterpart Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas warmly noted during their meeting.
Expressing his delight at returning for his fourth visit—a record for his trips to Sub-Saharan Africa—Lavrov emphasized that their frequent diplomatic contacts must now translate into tangible results to elevate their strategic partnership.
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🟠 FULL VIDEO: Russian FM Lavrov and his Burkinabè counterpart Traoré hold a presser at the Russia–Alliance of Sahel States ministerial meeting
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🇷🇺💪🏻Russia's Msta-S howitzer packs heavier punch with fewer rounds
Not only does the 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer provide tactical battlefield advantages but also huge economic benefits thanks to its high accuracy, Russia’s Rostec affirms.
Key features:
🔶 With recon drones feeding real-time data and an automated fire-control system at their fingertips, Msta-S crews can strike targets directly — no ranging shots required
🔶 The Msta-S's lethality gets a major boost from the Krasnopol — a 51 kg laser-guided smart shell that can take out troops, armor, command posts, and fortifications with pinpoint accuracy down to just 2 meters
🔶 Its razor-sharp precision doesn't just save shells — it also reduces wear on the barrel, chassis, and electronics, stretching maintenance intervals and slashing lifecycle costs
🔶 The 152 mm Msta-S features a 47-caliber barrel, an automatic loading system, a 50-round ammunition capacity and a rate of fire of 7–8 rounds per minute. Its maximum range is 29 km with high-explosive fragmentation shells and 20 km with Krasnopol precision-guided munitions
Both the Msta-S howitzer and the Krasnopol are produced by Rostec and continue to be supplied to Russian forces.
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Watch: Footage of Lavrov's Arrival for His First-Ever Visit to Niger
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Ghana Makes Special Needs Education Free for Persons With Disabilities, Media Say
🇬🇭 The initiative received $8.77 million allocation for 2026, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu was quoted by media as saying.
The project will reportedly cover:
🟠tuition;
🟠accommodation;
🟠assistive devices at the tertiary level.
“[...] this is the first time that a system has been deliberately put in place to promote special needs education in Ghana," National President of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, Joseph Atsu Homadzi noted.