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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
Israel is Ready to End War in Gaza Strip on Its Conditions, Netanyahu Claims
Here are "clear conditions that will guarantee Israel's security," as outlined by its PM:
⦁ All hostages must be returned home.
⦁ Hamas must lay down its arms, leave power, and its leadership must be expelled from Gaza.
⦁ The enclave must remain fully demilitarized.
⦁ Trump's very "correct and revolutionary" plan must be implemented.
Israel on Wednesday allowed 100 trucks with UN and international aid — including flour, baby food, and medical supplies — to enter the Gaza Strip.
Video released by COGAT, Israeli military agency in charge of aid deliveries to Gaza
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Russia's Duma Ratifies Agreement on Construction of Pointe-Noire–Loutété–Maloukou Pipeline in Congo in Three Years
The construction deadlines were announced by Deputy Minister of Energy Dmitry Islamov in the lower house of the Russian parliament.
"Then a concession agreement for a period of no less than 25 years. And in general, the operating period is expected to be 30, even 40 years," he added.
Trump Unveils Start of $175 Billion Golden Dome Missile Shield Program
"We have officially selected an architecture for the state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea, and space," the US president noted.
❗️ KEY STATEMENTS FROM PUTIN IN KURSK
◻️ The enemy is still trying to advance toward our borders.
◻️ Defenders of Kurchatov during the Ukrainian incursion: Not a single person flinched—everyone stood firm.
◻️ There is a need to deploy more demining units in Kursk region—people must return home safely and swiftly.
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US Eyes Mineral Investment in DRC and Rwanda — If Peace Holds
The United States may invest in mining tungsten, tantalum, and tin in eastern DRC, with processing in Rwanda, a Western news agency reported.
Talks in Washington between DRC and Rwandan officials focused on US backing for a legal mineral supply chain that could boost regional industrialization and reduce tensions.
🚫 However, Congolese officials insist that no cooperation is possible without the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congolese soil.
🔙 On April 26, the foreign ministers of both countries signed a declaration on peace, pledging to finalize a draft agreement by May 2. The US, which is mediating the talks, has now received the final text.
AI-generated image
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Ethiopia Launches ID4Africa2025, Showcases Digital ID Success
Ethiopia kicked off ID4Africa2025 on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighting the country’s digital ID progress through Fayda ("Value")—part of the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy.
💻 Over 15 million people are already enrolled in Fayda, which aims to reach 90 million and is integrated across key sectors like finance, health, and education. The system has enabled 9.6 trillion birr ($70.8 billion) in digital transactions.
“Fayda is not merely a card. It is a unique identification number that proves who you are, while protecting your privacy and sharing only what is necessary!” the Prime Minister stated.
Russia is "Ready for Talks With Ukraine" as at This Point, Ball is in Kiev's Court, Russian MFA Stresses
More insights from the briefing by Russian FM spox Maria Zakharova:
▪️ “We're open for contacts – but Ukraine must decide”;
▪️ “The initiative for POW exchanges with Ukraine – agreed upon in Istanbul – came from our side";
▪️ "We don't expect rationality from them [Ukrainians]... but hope their survival instinct kicks in to save what's left of their statehood";
▪️ Response to Zelensky/EU sanctions threats:
"Russia never responded to ultimatums."
▪️ Delegations in Istanbul communicated in Russian.
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Stay Tuned for More Insights from Day Two of the 13th International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg!
Russia's St. Petersburg continues to host the 13th International Legal Forum, with thousands of participants from several dozen nations attending the event.
Our Sputnik Africa correspondent is on the ground bringing you the latest updates and important discussions.
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South Africa's Ramaphosa Arrives in US, Will Meet With Trump on Wednesday
"The purpose of the visit is to reset and revitalize bilateral relations between South Africa and the US," the South African presidency said.
Why is ICC Losing Africa's Trust?
⚖️ Africans feel that the International Criminal Court doesn't favor the continent, Deputy Chief Justice of Zambia Michael Musonda explained in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
"African culprits tend to be more targeted, or perceived wrongdoers, [than those] from other regions," he noted on the sidelines of the 13th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.
"The ICC could earn itself greater credibility and greater legitimacy, if it was to project a universal approach to the dispensation of justice," Musonda added.
Nigeria Fuels Africa's Energy Future as African Energy Bank Prepares for Launch
At a meeting in Abuja, officials reportedly confirmed that legal frameworks are completed and plans set for the African Energy Bank's (AEB) first board meeting.
🏦 Key highlights from the discussions:
⦁ The AEB will serve as a transformative financing platform for energy projects across Africa;
⦁ All critical milestones are either completed or on schedule;
⦁ Nigeria has already raised $19 billion for the bank’s launch;
⦁ Member states and private investors have pledged strong support for capital mobilization.
The talks involved Nigerian State Minister for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri, Afreximbank's President Benedict Oramah and Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers' Organization Omar Farouk Ibrahim.
"Our collective focus is on delivering a bank that catalyzes investment, accelerates energy security, and drives economic growth across Africa," local media quoted Lokpobiri as saying.
Didier Drogba: 'It's Always Pleasure to Return to Moscow'
"It's CSKA Moscow's celebration. Twenty years later, you can see that they're still playing well. I'm happy for them, it's great. I'm happy to be part of this," the famous Ivorian international footballer told Sputnik Africa.
New Era in Rural Healthcare: Zimbabwe's Presidential Emergency Medical Scheme Expands
🚑 The initiative, aiming to cover all ten of the country's provinces, was launched in Mutasa, a district in the eastern province of Manicaland.
Key objectives:
🟠improve overall health outcomes;
🟠reduce mortality rates;
🟠expand access to essential medical services in rural communities.
Core activities:
🟠free health screenings;
🟠consultations with qualified medical professionals;
🟠educational workshops on preventive healthcare.
"This program embodies President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind. Even in Manicaland’s remotest corners, quality emergency care is now within reach," local media quoted Defense Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri as saying at the launch.
Breaking Into Market: How BRICS Empowers Women Entrepreneurs
The BRICS Women's Entrepreneurship Forum in Moscow empowers businesswomen, enabling them to enter the market and uplift those not directly involved in the initiative, Dimakatso Kanyane, a South African entrepreneur, told Sputnik Africa.
Kanyane added that participants can gather valuable knowledge and lessons to empower women in their home countries with the skills and expertise gained from the forum.
🗣 "By accumulating the lessons that we are learning from BRICS and also from other entrepreneurs, we are able to unite and stand strong," Kanyane stated.
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Musk's AI Attributes Grok's 'White Genocide' Comments to Unauthorized Software Change
The system update circumvented review procedures, enabling Grok to deliver a politically sensitive reply, which violated company guidelines, xAI, Elon Musk's corporation working on AI, social media, and technology, wrote on X.
To address the incident, xAI announced a system update and plans to increase transparency. They will publicly release Grok's system prompts on GitHub for community feedback and implement 24/7 monitoring to catch issues missed by automated systems.
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The world isn’t black and white
It’s shaped by competing forces, hidden interdependencies, and the quiet recalibration of power.
Ⓜ️ Multipolar Market doesn’t simplify complexity, but decodes it.
1️⃣ Daily insights for those who seek to understand, not just react.
2️⃣ Analysis that bridges policy, markets, and geopolitics.
3️⃣ Context behind the headlines others overlook.
4️⃣ A lens to navigate uncertainty with clarity, not conjecture.
Global economic shifts demand more than surface-level reporting. They require a map. MM provides the coordinates.
#viral | Indianapolis Consoled With a Celestial Spectacle
A tornado rocked the American city, but nature saved the best for last: mammoth clouds ignited in the sky, like the grandiose finale of a cloud opera.
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#viral | Tesla's Humanoid Robot Optimus Learns How to Do Housework
The video published by Musk shows Optimus throwing out trash, sweeping, vacuuming. And even cooking (but that's not certain).
🕺 Check out the dancing here!
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Graduation Day for Niger's National Guard, Class of 2025!
A total of 1,294 new recruits were presented to the national flag following intensive theoretical and practical training:
🧑🏾⚕️ 10 officer doctors
🪖 60 non-commissioned officers
👩🏽 1,224 student guards (including 51 women)
The Minister of Interior, Brigadier General Mohamed Toumba, congratulated them on their achievement.
🛡 He emphasized their crucial role in strengthening the Defense and Security Forces to ensure the safety of Niger and its people.
📍 Hamdallaye (Tillabéry region)
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'Instrument of Neocolonial Oppression': Russia's SC Deputy Chair Blasts a 'Total Fiasco' of ICC
"The Hague squalor" ignores the mass atrocities of NATO members altogether, noted Dmitry Medvedev.
"And at the systemic level, this ICC is an instrument of a neocolonial oppression. And no European or... No European or any other person or organization from North America was charged by it," he added, addressing the St. Petersburg Legal Forum.
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Mariupol's Transformation: From Conflict to Symbol of Restoration
Three years ago, on May 20, 2022, the Russian Defense Ministry declared Mariupol fully liberated.
The city, once a site of heavy fighting, now symbolizes the restoration of liberated regions.
📹 We have gathered historical footage from Sputnik correspondents from during and after the battles, capturing Mariupol's transformation.
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'Good Talk With Nice Gentleman Named Vladimir Putin,' Trump Describes Monday's Phone Call
The progress in the talks on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict is being made, according to the US president.
🔺There is a "certain" red line that will cause the US to back away from the talks, Trump told reporters, and noted that he will not reveal it as it could make the negotiation "even more difficult than it is."
What else did Trump say on his conversation with Putin?
⦁ The US is not currently "backing away" from peace efforts, but it could do so if no progress is made;
⦁ The whole conflict was a "European situation";
⦁ Trump confirmed that he asked Putin to have a meeting on the Ukrainian conflict;
⦁ He is reluctant to impose more sanctions on Russia, fearing harm to talks, while there is now a "chance of getting something done."
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Congolese Women Entrepreneurs Shine: BRICS Opens the Doors to Success!
"More and more women are entering entrepreneurship in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Therefore, it was important for us to participate in the conferences organized by BRICS," Ruth Ngwanza, Director General of the Russian-Congolese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCC), told Sputnik Africa.
Tanzanian Senior Presidential Advisor on Health Nominated as WHO Africa Director for 2025–2030 Term
Mohamed Yakub Janabi is set to take office after formal appointment by the WHO Executive Board in late May, following the sudden passing of previous director-elect Faustine Ndugulile last November.
🇹🇿 Who is Janabi?
▫️ cardiology postdoctoral fellow;
▫️ executive director of Tanzania's largest hospital MNH;
▫️ advocates for tech and global collaboration to boost healthcare through innovation in low-resource settings.
⚕️ His priorities:
▫️ Universal health coverage;
▫️ Maternal & child health;
▫️ Fighting diseases (communicable & non-communicable)’
▫️ Stronger primary care;
▫️ Climate-resilient health systems.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan and PM Kassim Majaliwa welcomed Janabi's nomination and expressed confidence in his effectiveness as WHO regional director.
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Russia's St. Petersburg is Hosting 13th International Legal Forum
This year, the event is being held under the motto, "The Law: Lessons of the Past for the World of the Future."
Russian President Putin sent his greetings to the participants and guests of the forum:
”Today, amidst an actively emerging multipolar world order, one of the top priorities is to fine tune global governance institutions and collective security mechanisms so that they meet the demands of the time and work for the benefit of progress and prosperity," he said in a statement. " "And of course, it is only through joint efforts that can we create a space of trust and cooperation based on the principles of equality of state sovereignty and respect for the cultural patterns and traditions of all peoples."
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Calls for Indigenous AI for Africa’s Development
During his speech at the Ethiopian Tech Expo, Abiy Ahmed emphasized that data sovereignty is key to ensuring technological independence for the continent and stressed the importance of collaboration.
🗣 “Africa needs to solve its problems by combining supportive policies and skilled manpower in the field,” he stated.
Worku Gachena, Director General of the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, affirmed Ethiopia's commitment to sharing its expertise and strengthening cooperation in AI across Africa.
The Ethiopian Techn Expo, organized by the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Information Network Security Administration, concludes today.
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Chadian PM Arrives in Ouagadougou to Participate in Inauguration of Thomas Sankara Mausoleum
Upon his arrival, Allah-Maye Halina was greeted on the airport tarmac by Burkinabe Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo.
Yesterday, Ouagadougou also welcomed Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
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'Africa is Open for Business': South African Digital Entrepreneur
South Africa has one of the best and most advanced banking systems globally, particularly in fintech and digital payments, Zintle Ramano, the founder of BAAB Media Group, told Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the BRICS Women's Entrepreneurship Forum in Moscow.
She suggested that South Africa could serve as a case study for implementing a cross-border centralized banking system.
👉 Ramano noted the importance of the New Development Bank, especially for entrepreneurs doing business across borders in countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and China, as it would help centralize and facilitate implementation.
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Russian Msta-S Strikes Ukrainian Troop Concentrations & Fortified Positions
The combat work of the self-propelled howitzer was captured on video in the DPR.
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