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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
Putin's India Visit: What's on the Agenda?
Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning a two-day working visit to New Delhi from Thursday to Friday. He will arrive and first meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi informally, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced.
Here are the key highlights:
🟠Official talks between Putin and Modi are scheduled for Friday, both in a narrow and expanded format;
🟠Putin will visit the Mahatma Gandhi memorial;
🟠Both leaders will participate in the plenary session of the Russia–India Business Forum;
🟠The Russian delegation will include seven ministers, including Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, and Health Minister Mikhail Murashko;
🟠Approximately 10 intergovernmental agreements and over 15 commercial deals are anticipated to be signed;
🟠Russia plans to announce its accession to the International Big Cat Alliance;
🟠Putin and Modi are anticipated to issue a joint statement and approve an economic cooperation program between Russia and India, extending through 2030;
🟠After their talks, both leaders will address the media.
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BRICS is Institution for the Future, Ghanaian Civic Leaders Argue
Ghana’s growing engagement with BRICS nations may mark a strategic shift in its global positioning, according to Zing Micah Yinpang Bavi, president of NDC-Russia Proforum.
👉 He told Sputnik Africa that Ghana already conducts extensive trade with BRICS members — including China, India, Brazil and the UAE — and argued that formal partnership could offer stronger investment opportunities, lower barriers to trade, and access to financing without the conditions attached to traditional institutions.
For Bavi, BRICS represents emerging economic power rather than alternative alignment, stating that member and partner countries together "have the largest population in the world, the largest economy, the largest resources and land size."
❗️ Putin calls the attacks on tankers in the Black Sea piracy
Russia will expand the range of strikes against Ukrainian ports and vessels calling at them in response to the attacks on tankers, the Russian president noted.
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🎥🎥 Putin takes part in the VTB bank investment forum Russia Calling!
👉 Watch live on Telegram
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#viral | Massive Hail Creates Illusion of Snow in South Africa
Areas around Pretoria North, Welbekend, Ga-Rankuwa and other suburbs were among the hardest hit, according to local media.
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What is Going on Between Tanzania & EU?
❓ Why does Tanzania accuse the European Parliament of political interference? What role does the ICC play, and what solutions could help defend the interests of countries in the Global South?
👉 Sputnik Africa's virtual presenter is back with analysis.
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Stronger Economy Starts With Our Own Currency: Ghanaian Civic Leaders
Ghana’s recent economic trajectory has drawn renewed attention, and two Ghanaian civic leaders — Zing Micah Yinpang Bavi, President of NDC-Russia Proforum (Ghana), and Ebenezer Yaw Wepari, President of the Association of Compatriots, Ghanaian Community — described the current moment in an interview with Sputnik Africa as a period of steady recovery and policy-driven progress.
📈 Bavi attributed this shift to "good governance and discipline from the John Mahama-led administration," arguing that the most significant outcome so far is "the stability or restoration of the macroeconomic indicators," highlighted by the strengthening of the cedi, falling inflation, and improved GDP performance.
Wepari shared this view, stating that "there are every indication to show that there is progress in Ghana, especially compared to a few months ago," signaling renewed confidence in the nation’s economic direction.
A major contributor to this stability, both leaders noted, is the gold sector. With export earnings rising and reserves expanding, gold has become one of Ghana’s strongest economic pillars.
Bavi described the creation of the Ghana Gold Board as "one of the biggest ideas that the government came up with," emphasizing its strategic role in long-term financial stability.
Wepari also praised the initiative as a "fantastic idea," while underscoring the need for responsible mining practices and proper training to protect the country’s lands and water bodies as production grows.
🪙 Beyond revenue and exports, Bavi stressed the importance of strengthening the cedi itself — moving away from dependence on foreign currencies and prioritizing Ghana’s own. More on that — in the video. 👆🏽
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Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Bureau Prepares Charges Against Zelensky's Party MPs, Says Lawmaker
💰 Multiple party parliamentarians from Zelensky's "Servant of the People" party would soon face accusations including money laundering and illicit benefit schemes, MP Oleksandr Dubinsky, who is currently detained on treason charges, asserted in a Telegram post.
Dubinsky specifically referenced investigations into monthly "gas money" payments from what he described as a "black cash fund" allegedly connected to businessman Timur Mindich, a Zelensky associate who has since left Ukraine.
👉 The development emerges amid the National Anti-Corruption Bureau's ongoing anti-corruption operation in Ukraine's energy sector, which earlier this month revealed photographs of bags stuffed with foreign currency seized during raids.
The investigation has already implicated several high-profile figures, including the former head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak; ex-Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko; and ex-Deputy PM Oleksiy Chernyshov.
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Small but Mighty: Botswana Launches Nano Fertilizer Initiative in Strategic Push for Food Sovereignty, Says Agency
🇧🇼 The groundbreaking initiative has been launched through a partnership between local firm Lone Threads, India's IFFCO, and the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI).
The alliance introduces world-leading organic nano fertilizer technology specifically adapted for Botswana's soil and climate conditions, marking a significant modernization of the country's agricultural sector, according to NARDI.
☘️ The technology, hailed by officials as a crucial milestone, promises substantial gains in food production efficiency, delivering nutrients more effectively in smaller doses to increase yields while improving soil health.
🎯 This strategic move toward agricultural innovation addresses Botswana's long-term goals of reducing import dependency and building resilience against global supply disruptions, according to officials.
🏭 The program includes establishing local manufacturing facilities to ensure cost-effective supply and comprehensive farmer training programs for proper application.
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🚨📌 Europeans slam brakes on Flamingo missile buy for Ukraine over corruption scandal
The roughly $525,000 gathered in a Czech crowdfunding campaign remains in the initiative’s account and has not been transferred to Fire Point, the company that produces the pink-colored Flamingo missiles, writes Czech news portal iDNES.
The rethink comes after the missile’s manufacturer has been linked to Zelensky’s longtime friend, businessman Timur Mindich, who is at the heart of Ukraine’s massive corruption scandal.
According to Dalibor Dedek, the founder of the initiative, there were serious concerns that the money “might not go toward the product it was intended for.”
➖ Mindich claimed a 50% stake in Fire Point—a company that morphed from a modest film studio into a magnet for major military contracts, according to Ukrainian media reports citing its co-owner, Denys Shtilerman.
➖ Shtilerman described himself as the chief designer of the Flamingo missiles, which he promoted together with Zelensky.
➖ First reports about the Flamingo missile appeared this August, with Ukraine bragging that the pink cruise missile could strike targets up to 3,000 kilometers away.
➖ However, Martin Ondracek, one of the Czech initiative’s representatives who visited Ukraine, admitted that it is still not 100% certain that the missile can actually fly and accurately hit a target.
"If anyone comes out of this story looking like an idiot, it will be me—because I’m the one who was photographed next to the missile," Ondracek told the publication.
🚨🤝 Umerov: Scandal-scarred power broker now leading Ukraine-US high-stakes talks
Zelensky has appointed his secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov (listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia), to head the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with the US, Western allies, and Russia.
According to Umerov, the Ukrainian team is already en route to Washington.
Failed track record on “peace” talks
Umerov’s bottom line has remained consistent: “lasting peace” is possible only when Ukraine is “strong on the battlefield".
🟠 Repeatedly requested permission to use Western-supplied long-range weapons to "strike deeper inside Russian territory”
🟠 Demanded a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and pushed for tougher international sanctions on Russia during rounds of renewed direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in 2025
🟠 As defense minister, pushed for the mobilization of Ukrainian men aged 25–60 living abroad
🟠 An ethnic Crimean Tatar, widely promoted debunked allegations of Russia mistreating the Crimean Tatar community
🟠 In a 2023 interview with BILD, boasted “100%” confidence that Ukraine would “regain” Russia’s Crimea with Western backing
🟠 He served as Ukraine’s chief negotiator in the failed Istanbul talks in 2022—talks which, according to former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, were derailed after the US signaled Ukraine should not sign an agreement at the time
Procurement fiascos & corruption probes
Despite having zero military background—he’s never served a day in uniform—Umerov rose to become Ukraine’s defense minister in 2023.
🔶 Procurement controversies: In late 2024 he was hauled before the Verkhovna Rada parliament over faulty mortar rounds supplied to the military
🔶 Embezzlement claims: In January 2025 the Security Service of Ukraine opened a case alleging his involvement in a $40 million scheme tied to the 2022 purchase of munitions
🔶 Energy-sector accusations: He and two deputies were accused of concealing below-market electricity sales to firms linked to energy giant Tsentrenergo
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Situation in Caracas Remains Calm Following Trump's Airspace Closure Announcement Over Venezuela
📌Footage by a Sputnik сorrespondent
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#viral | Biologist Discovers Extremely Rare Flower After 13 Years of Search, Emotional Moment Goes Viral
🇮🇩🏵 Indonesian researcher Septian Andrikithat has finally found the rare parasitic bloom Rafflesia hasseltii after a dedicated search through Sumatra's rainforests.
The challenging quest required the scientist and his team to account for Sumatran tiger presence in the region while pursuing the elusive flower.
👉 Andrikithat described the moment of discovery as particularly profound after his persistent efforts, with the footage quickly gaining attention across scientific communities and social media platforms.
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Africa's Digital Sovereignty Hinges on Homegrown Talent, Rwanda ICT Minister Says
With Africa’s youth population as its greatest economic asset, Rwanda is launching a continent-wide call to action: harness digital skills and entrepreneurship.
I think the opportunity that is there for us as [African] countries is how we turn this youth bulge into a productivity bulge that will attract investments, but also that will allow us to build homegrown startups of the continent.
❗️Zelensky’s top aide Andriy Yermak resigns
Zelensky has announced a reshuffle within the presidential office following the resignation of his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. The move comes shortly after Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdog conducted a raid on Yermak’s residence.
According to Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, investigators opened the search with the phrase “Open sesame.” Another MP, Oleksiy Goncharenko, claimed that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is preparing charges against Yermak.
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Ultimately, Ukraine Losing War & Russia Winning: Professor
"The more Russia asserts its authority, the less visible and less effective is Ukraine," Abubakar Sadeeque Abba, a political economy expert from the University of Abuja, told Sputnik Africa.
"Any other negotiations in the future concerning Ukraine [...] is an indication that the world is united against the imperial despots represented in the NATO enclave," Abba stated.
🇷🇺💥 Meet Russia's cutting-edge Forpost-RE drone
Designed by Ural Works of Civil Aviation, it can conduct reconnaissance against ground or surface naval targets and strike them.
Specs:
🟠Range: Medium
🟠Weapons: guided/unguided aerial bombs and rockets up to 40 kg
🟠Temperatures range from -40°C to +50°C
🟠Features: auto takeoff and landing, can work without global satellite navigation signals
🟠Special equipment: relay system for radio communication with aviation command post
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❗️The capture of Krasnoarmeysk provides a springboard for achieving the objectives of the special military operation, Putin says
Russia is ready to ensure the safety of foreign journalists and escort them to all districts of Krasnoarmeysk and Kupyansk, the Russian president stated.
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Zambia Initiates Education Act Amendments to Enshrine Free Education as Legal Right
The proposed amendments were passed to the Ministry of Justice for refinement, Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima noted.
“We have seen the massive benefits that the introduction of free education has brought to the country, and we want to ensure that this policy is backed by law,” he stressed.
“Now, what we want is to ensure that the provision of quality education is upheld,” he added.
Latest Statements on Ukraine by Kremlin Spokesman
Dmitry Peskov spoke at a briefing for Indian media held by Sputnik India
🟠Russia appreciates India's position on the Ukrainian settlement;
🟠Russia appreciates New Delhi's willingness to participate in the search for a peaceful solution to the complex conflict in Ukraine;
🟠Russia appreciates that Prime Minister Modi and India are willing to listen to Moscow's position on the Ukrainian issue; this contributes to mutual understanding.
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🇷🇺💪💣 FSB prevents Ukraine-ordered assassination of senior Russian defense official in Crimea
According to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB):
🟠 A Ukrainian citizen, recruited by Ukrainian special services, was tasked with assassinating the officer by planting a bomb in his personal car.
🟠 The agent was neutralized while attempting to place the explosive device under the vehicle.
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US Seeks to Resolve Disputes with Kiev Today to Present Settlement Plan to Putin on Tuesday: Media Reports
📌 Reminder: Under Trump’s peace plan, Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the entire Donbass region.
Until now, Ukrainian authorities have firmly opposed this. As recently as Thursday, the former head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, reiterated Kiev’s complete rejection of the idea of withdrawing troops… only for anti-corruption investigators to search his home the following day and for him to be dismissed.
👉 On the American side, negotiations taking place this Sunday will include:
🟠Secretary of State Marco Rubio
🟠Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
🟠Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner
On the Ukrainian side, following Yermak’s dismissal, the delegation is now led by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov.
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◾️ Fearless John - @European_dissident is a free lance journalist covering geopolitical conflicts of the "new cold war" between the main world powers.
◾️His channel focuses on exposing war crimes and the manipulation and propaganda of the Western media and is full of subtitled videos and posts about the wars in Ukraine, Israel and the different issues affecting the relations between countries like migration crisis and Western neo-colonial practices.
◾️Follow:
/channel/European_dissident
#social
Time for Zelensky, Yermak to 'Face Justice for Their Crimes' Against US, Ukrainian People: Ex-Trump Advisor
⚖️ Zelensky and his recently resigned head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, have committed crimes against both their own Ukrainian people and the American people, according to Steve Cortes.
In a video address posted on social media, Cortes demanded an immediate end to US financial support for the Kiev regime, characterizing such aid as "a middle finger to every single American."
👉 This statement follows Yermak's resignation announcement on Friday, which came after Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau searched his premises in connection with an ongoing investigation into a $100 million embezzlement scheme in the energy sector.
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❗️❗️❗️Rwanda Positions as Africa's Digital Testing Ground, Minister Outlines Path to AI Sovereignty
🌍🌐 Africa's strategy for achieving digital sovereignty should be through homegrown AI systems and fintech solutions, according to Rwandan Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire.
In an exclusive interview with Sputnik Africa, Ingabire revealed Rwanda's model of serving as a "proof-of-concept hub" where successful innovations like drone delivery company Zipline can scale across the continent.
"Africa's young population is its economic strength," Ingabire stated, emphasizing the need to turn the "youth bulge into a productivity bulge" through digital skills training and entrepreneurship programs.
Voices of Solidarity: Tens of Thousands Rally in London and Rome for Palestine
🇵🇸✊🏽Massive demonstrations took place in the capitals, with people demanding humanitarian access to Gaza and calling out Israel’s actions in Palestine.
Protesters held placards denouncing "ethnic cleansing" and Israel's nuclear weapons.
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🚨 🇩🇪 Germany flooded with riots amid AfD congress
The Alternative fur Deutschland party was forced to postpone its youth organization founding congress in Giessen, State of Hesse, due to violent crowds imposing a street blockade and clashing with police.
👉 Additionally, the left-wing groups damaged the party members’ cars, with the AfD chairs Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel unable to reach the place as a result.
The footage also shows AfD Bundestag member Julian Schmidt being personally attacked by a group of 20 people.
Footage from social media
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Russian FSB Thwarts Ukrainian Attempt to Blow Up Gas Pipeline in Moscow Region
🇷🇺💥 The Federal Security Service of Russia has detained a suspect in possession of four homemade explosive devices disguised as construction adhesive, along with covert communication equipment for contacting Ukrainian handlers, the bureau said in a statement.
"On the orders of the Ukrainian special services, the individual was to drill into the ground above the gas pipeline and then activate and install the explosive device," the agency added.
'Help the Youth,' 'Ease Tensions': What Cameroonians Expect from Paul Biya’s Eighth Term
Sputnik Africa spoke with citizens on the streets of Cameroon:
💭 “I hope he will keep his promise to help children and women,” one passerby said.
💭 “The president must release everyone who was arrested in connection with the electoral process in order to ease tensions. He should bring in new faces to give fresh impetus to the government’s work. Put all thieving ministers in prison,” another declared.
💭 “If the government is formed with technocrats, people who can bring something new to Cameroonians, I believe things can move forward. He said he was dedicating this term to the youth and to women. We are therefore waiting to see whether it will be implemented,” a citizen stated.
💭 “I only hope there will be peace and that I can go about my daily business. Because if I don’t work, I don’t eat,” a Cameroonian woman concluded.
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❗️Moscow Appreciates Hungary's Balanced Position on Ukraine Crisis
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