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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 diesel opens new prospects for US-Russia cooperation - analyst
Donald Trump understands that the US should find common ground with Russia but initially couldn’t impose such an agenda on the EU during his second term, international analyst Christian Lamesa tells Sputnik at the II Global Digital Forum.
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#viral | China Launches Long March-12 Rocket With New Constellation of Internet Satellites
The rocket was launched from a commercial spacecraft launch site on the Hainan Island and successfully placed its payload into orbit, deploying the 27th low-earth orbit internet satellite constellation.
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#viral | Thirsty Armadillo Finds Relief in the Hands of Brazilian Firefighters
After extinguishing a rural wildfire in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, two firefighters paused to help a thirsty armadillo, according to local media.
The rescuers carefully gave water to the exhausted animal. Once refreshed, the armadillo safely walked away from the danger zone on its own.
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Tanzania's Avocado Exports Surpass 2030 Target: Agriculture Ministry
🥑 Production above 200,000 tonnes and exports past 52,000 tonnes have turned the fruit into the country's "green gold," a source of farmer income, jobs, and foreign exchange, Minister for Agriculture Daniel Chongolo said at the Third National Avocado Stakeholders Meeting in Dodoma.
🇹🇿 The government would keep creating an enabling environment for farmers and the private sector to make the industry more productive, competitive and valuable, he said, adding that Tanzania must compete on more than volume.
"We will not compete in the world on the quantity of avocados alone. We are competing on quality too," Chongolo was quoted as saying.
#viral | Hurricane Isaias Slams Florida in US and Leaves 600,000 Without Power
🇺🇸 Mandatory evacuations were issued in coastal areas of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama, and states of emergency were declared in parts of Florida, Alabama and Georgia, local media reported.
🛬 Two airports suspended operations, and offshore oil and gas production was largely halted.
👉 The extent of the damage and the number of victims are still being determined.
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Libya's Subul al-Salam Brigade Seizes 1.3 Million Narcotic Pills After Firefight in Kufra: Media
🇩🇪 Photos distributed with the military statement depicted soldiers encircling dozens of see-through plastic bags stuffed with white, round pills stamped with the figure one and the words "made in Germany" in black lettering.
🇱🇾 The brigade is a part of the Land Forces General Staff and answers to military commander Khalifa Haftar of the eastern-based Libyan National Army.
💊 According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s January report, Libya has become a major regional transit hub for synthetic drugs and other narcotics bound for domestic users and markets across the continent.
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Rwanda's Economy Surges 9.7% in First Half of 2026: Central Bank
📈Driven by expansion in industry—including construction and manufacturing—as well as services and agriculture, the country recorded strong economic growth despite challenges, central bank governor Soraya Hakuziyaremye said on Thursday.
📊Economic Growth by Sector:
• 15.5% — Industry
• 7.4% — Services
• 5.9% — Agriculture
The bank projects 7.8% GDP growth for 2026, but warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict could disrupt international trade, raise transport and production costs, and weaken external demand.
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What Lies Beneath Africa’s Soil Could Be More Vital Than We Imagine
📻🍄 An invisible world beneath Africa’s feet helps feed crops, sustain forests, and keep ecosystems alive. Yet scientists have barely begun to uncover its secrets. Could protecting Africa’s overlooked fungi be key to a more resilient future? In this episode of #AfricanCurrents 🎙, Kenyan mycologist and Pwani University academic Dr. Joyce Mnyazi Jefwa reveals why fungi are the “nerve of life” and why African scientists must take the lead in studying and protecting them. She explores how unlocking this hidden biodiversity could strengthen ecosystems and advance Africa’s scientific sovereignty.
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❗️A conversation between Putin and Trump will take place soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
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African Youth Must Move From 'Digital Consumers to Developers', Says Zimbabwean Software Engineer
🌍 Collaboration on digitalization and child safety in the digital space is the goal for Hazel Chamboko at the 2nd Global Digital Forum in Moscow, where she is advocating for greater African participation in shaping the digital future, she told Sputnik Africa.
🗣Chamboko, a junior software developer and AI ecosystem builder representing e-Solutions and Deep Learning IndabaX, said she is excited to partner with like-minded people to make a better digital world. She is particularly interested in sessions on child safety online.
🇷🇺🇿🇼 On potential Russia-Zimbabwe cooperation, Chamboko pointed to projects on economic development, digital alliances, and the future of students and young entrepreneurs.
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How Ghana's Move Toward BRICS Could Impact Its Economy
Seeking to expand its global ties, Ghana is set to formally apply for BRICS membership following a recent President John Dramani Mahama’s Cabinet approval.
📹Watch the video to discover exactly how joining the bloc could transform Ghana's key industries and economic landscape.
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📈 Russia is an example of technological progress - Digital Solutions Forum participant
🔊"This exhibition has showed us that we still need to do more in our country to get where Russia is right now. And the technologies here are amazing," a participant from Lesotho Thootse Khalala tells Sputnik.
Nigerien Woman Gives Birth to Quintuplets in Four Minutes: Media
👧🏾The first baby girl was born at 10:43, and the fifth at 10:47, the media reported.
The mother, who had long wanted a child, underwent ovarian stimulation. She and her babies—born at eight months—are doing well. The children are currently in the neonatal care unit and have not required oxygen.
👨🏾⚕️She had known for several months that she was expecting quintuplets, Dr. Pascaline Cakpo Tchi Tchi, a general practitioner, noted.
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'Disproportionate Burden': Africa Pays Price at UN Security Council Without Permanent Voice, Expert Says
🌍 The lack of an African permanent voice or veto on the UN Security Council "undermines the credibility" of this global body, peace and conflict expert Dr. Dan Odaba told Sputnik Africa as Kenya's President William Ruto renewed calls for reform at the UNGA81.
The issue is not just about a seat—African issues frequently dominate the Council's agenda, and African countries provide large numbers of peacekeepers, yet have no permanent say in shaping decisions, he explained.
📹 Watch the full report by Sputnik Africa's Ridah Chebet for more insights
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Shaping Technological Future: Moscow Hosts Second Global Digital Forum With Participants From Over 100 Countries
📅 When: Thursday to Friday
👥 Participation: 760 participants from over 100 countries from Africa, Asia, the Persian Gulf, Latin America, and Europe
Key Topics:
🟠Digital transformation trends;
🟠Infrastructure technology solutions;
🟠Opportunities for cooperation and product integration within national digital ecosystems.
💡The program features over 60 sessions, educational tracks, and interactive activities.
📑More than 100 agreements are expected to be signed.
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🇺🇸🇷🇺 Trump turns to Putin for diesel as Zelensky resorts to 'kinetic blackmail' — ex-Pentagon analyst
Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian fuel reveals how serious the US diesel crunch is, retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, a former Pentagon analyst, tells Sputnik.
The US had sought to keep energy prices high to boost Western Hemisphere reserves and “shore up the US dollar” – yet miscalculated.
Trump’s move acknowledges Russia’s capacity and willingness to supply, as well as his recognition of that reality, says the expert.
However, the agreed volumes may be “a drop in the bucket of what the US needs” – likely benefiting traders.
Kwiatkowski highlights that:
🟠 Zelensky and his NATO enablers continue striking Russian refineries post-deal
🟠 Trump may condemn the attacks and move on, since “Zelensky is still useful to the West and its fundamental mission of turning all of Europe into an impoverished US chattel state”
🟠 Ukraine is heading towards ending up a “small landlocked rump state under control and subsidy of Poland, Lithuania and the broader EU”
Aware of this, Zelensky is betting on “last-resort kinetic blackmail” to “grift a little while longer,” says the pundit.
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❗️Ukraine Needs New Leader; Zelensky Wants to Cause Problems for the Whole World, Trump Says
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Russia Reaches Out to US Over Humanitarian Crisis in Kherson Region's Aleshki: Human Rights Commissioner
Russia's Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said she is in contact with the American side, including the team of US First Lady Melania Trump, who has expressed willingness to assist the city of Aleshki in the Kherson region.
⚫️Russian forces are doing everything possible to deliver food and medicine to the city, but Ukraine is blocking these supplies, according to the Kremlin.
Ukrainian forces are remotely mining access roads, attacking transport convoys with drones, and striking energy and communications infrastructure to create a humanitarian crisis in the city, the Kherson region governor said.
📍Aleshki is located on the left bank of the Dnieper River, opposite the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson.
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Controversial US Vaccine Trial Approved in Guinea-Bissau, Four Ethics Committee Members Resign: Media
💉 Danish researchers plan to enrol 14,000 infants in Guinea-Bissau, giving the hepatitis B vaccine to half at birth and withholding it from the other half for the first six weeks of life, according to reports.
🇺🇸 The trial is a central part of the vaccine vision of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary and a longtime vaccine opponent, who praised the Danish researchers at an anti-vaccine conference last month, calling them "the deities of vaccine research."
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau greenlit the project after Health Minister Quinhin Nantote had initially said it was suspended amid international uproar earlier this year.
👉 Stig Børsen Hansen, a founding member of the committee and Three other committee members also resigned in protest on Friday, citing major ethical issues.
“You are now enrolling newborns in a lottery to test a hypothesis,” Hansen was quoted as saying.
Burkinabe Researchers Develop Bio-Insecticide Against Malaria and Dengue Fever
🇧🇫 Joseph Ki-Zerbo University has developed a product based on the leaves of Calotropis procera that targets the larvae of Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the respective vectors of malaria and dengue fever.
The project's results were presented on October 8.
▪️ Trials showed a larval elimination rate of 80 to 90%.
▪️The product comes in the form of matrix tablets designed to prolong its action.
▪️ The project required approximately three and a half years of research.
▪️ The goal is to provide a local solution and reduce reliance on chemical insecticides.
🔬 The researchers wish to continue the trials and work on the production of the bio-insecticide at a lower cost.
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Can Tanzanian Student's Invention Outsmart Phone Thieves?
Alarmed by a rise in device theft on campus, University of Dodoma student Emmanuel Mpyambala has developed VexGuard, a security system designed to protect smartphones and laptops.
📹 How does this invention detect unauthorized access and help track down stolen devices? Watch the video to discover
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‘Good and Reliable Infrastructure Attracts Investors’ – But They ‘Must Bring Viable Plans and Honor Their Commitments’: Ramaphosa on MAP-SEZ Launch
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South Africa Deepens Partnership With Russia in Water Security Personnel Training
📹 Watch the report by Sputnik Africa correspondent Christine Tsotetsi to learn more
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Madagascar-Russia: Minister Talks 'Most Promising' Areas of Cooperation
"It's primarily in areas where Russia is already advanced," Mahefa Andriamampiadana explained in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
'Cooperation Beyond the Battlefield': IGAD Urges Stronger Military Ties Across Africa
“Africa’s evolving security challenges demand not only strong, well-equipped armies, but also greater cooperation beyond the battlefield,” IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said at the Uganda-hosted African Conference of Chiefs of Defense Forces on Military Operations Other Than War🎓.
🇺🇬Uganda's Message
Without a strong economy, Uganda could not sustain a strong and safe defence force, President Kaguta Museveni warned, pressing for wealth generation through commercial agriculture, industry, services and ICT, and for expanded markets through the AfCFTA and regional integration.
'Digital Sovereignty Does Not Mean Self-Sufficiency, Nor Does It Mean Isolation': Malagasy Minister
🇲🇬 Mahefa Andriamampiadana, Madagascar's Minister of Digital Development, outlined his country's priorities ahead of the 2nd Global Digital Forum in Moscow in an interview with Sputnik.
According to the minister, Madagascar's key priorities include:
🟠Expanding digital access, especially in rural areas;
🟠Developing secure national digital infrastructure;
🟠Digitizing public services and strengthening interoperability;
🟠Building skills, innovation, and cybersecurity;
🟠Preparing for the responsible use of artificial intelligence.
AI remains at an early stage in the country, but it is already used by Malagasy customs for risk analysis and detecting anomalies and fraud, the minister noted.
🔏 Openness to international technologies and expertise must go hand in hand with the country's ability to control its infrastructure and data, he said. Madagascar seeks partnerships based on skills transfer and joint creation of solutions, rather than a simple aid logic.
📍On October 8, Andriamampiadana took part in a roundtable in Moscow dedicated to national strategies for digital sovereignty.
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Russia-Africa Summit is 'Operational Engine' of Multipolarity: Ethiopian Expert
The event is turning multipolar territory into "tangible institutional platforms," Biruk Melaku, an analyst on regional and global issues, told Sputnik Africa, commenting on President Putin's remarks at the Valdai Discussion Club.
✖️End of a Single-Power World
"The global world order is shifting," Melaku said, noting that Putin asserted "the monopoly of a single control center is ending," adding that "the West-dominated world order is coming to an end, because BRICS nations are striving to bring a multipolar world order."
"As such, operationalizing multipolarity is mandatory," he stressed.
BRICS+ Reshapes Economic Map
"BRICS+ expansion, with countries like Ethiopia and Egypt, [means] African states are directly altering global energy markets, trade corridors, and financial clearing standards," Melaku added.
Nigerian Inventor Creates Experimental Road and Air Transport
Engineer Abubakar Abba Dalori built a unique prototype that can drive on roads and potentially take to the skies.
📹Watch the video to learn how this innovator put his unconventional ideas into life.
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Mozambique's Gas Revenues Have Potential to Increase, Must Be Invested in Development, Says Official
🇲🇿 The country earned approximately $252.8 million from Rovuma Basin gas exploration between 2022 and 2025—still small compared to its potential, according to Estrela Charles, a member of the Supervisory Committee of Mozambique's Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Revenue Alone isn't Development
Speaking at a conference at Maputo Pedagogical University, Charles warned that more revenue doesn't automatically mean progress. Gas money, she said, must be turned into:
🔘Human capital
🔘Infrastructure
🔘Production
🔘Stronger institutions
🔊She called for economic diversification to avoid over-dependence on gas, advocating for investment in agriculture, manufacturing, the digital economy, and tourism.
"We don't eat gas. We need rice, corn, oil" she was quoted as saying, noting impact should be measured by access to education, health, employment, and opportunity.
Africa's First Credit Agency is Step Towards Continent's Financial Sovereignty: AU Commission Chief
🌍 During the launching ceremony of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) in Port Louis, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said that the agency will provide independent, Africa-focused credit assessments to complement existing international rating agencies.
The initiative aims to address biased risk perceptions that have long inflated borrowing costs across the continent, thereby hindering financing social and economic development, he noted.
Why Mauritius?
🇲🇺Mauritius was chosen to host the Africa Credit Rating Agency for its robust financial infrastructure and global connectivity, Youssouf emphasized.
🗣For her part, Jyoti Jeetun, Mauritius' Minister of Financial Services and Economic Planning, described the AfCRA’s launch as a landmark moment for Africa’s financial architecture, stressing the agency's role in connecting capital to African development opportunities.