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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
❗️The memorandum between Russia and the UN on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers will not be extended, the Russian deputy foreign minister says
Russia is not satisfied with its results - none of the objectives of the memorandum were solved due to the actions of the West, Sergey Vershinin noted.
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❗️Putin and Kim Jong Un are in regular contact, Lavrov says
More key statements made by the Russian FM after a meeting with his North Korean counterpart in Wonsan:
🟠High-level meetings between Russia and North Korea will certainly take place, and their dates will be agreed upon;
🟠Cooperation between Russia and North Korea contributes to stabilizing the situation on the Korean Peninsula;
🟠Russia and North Korea plan to resume maritime traffic;
🟠Moscow understands the reasons why Pyongyang is developing its nuclear program and respects its position;
🟠Moscow warns Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo against any abuse of their alliance ties with North Korea;
🟠Moscow doesn't take seriously the attempts to create a 'multinational force to protect Ukraine'; it's a fantasy;
🟠Russia had no reason to refuse North Korean assistance in the operation in Ukraine; it was a 'sincere' proposal.
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Uganda Reopens Several Border Crossings With DRC, First Since January: Reports
📍These strategic points, near the positions of the M23 rebel group, include Bunagana, Ishasha, and Busanza.
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About 1,000 Russia's Kursk Region Residents Listed as Missing: Russian Human Rights Commissioner
"As a result of the work that we carried out upon returning from Ukraine, more than 100 people returned from Sumy. There were two thousand on the list of missing persons," Tatiana Moskalkova told Sputnik.
"We will continue and hope that we find them alive," she added.
Karapetyan's Arrest: 'West's Traditional Resistance to Russia is Shifting to Values'
"Countries where the West has leverage are being targeted. Unfortunately, Armenia is one of them," Armenian political scientist Hrant Melik-Shakhnazaryan told Sputnik.
PKK Members Burn Weapons in Disarmament Step
Dozens of members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization designated as terrorist by Turkey, have publicly burned their weapons in northern Iraq.
This action marks a significant step in the disarmament process of the group, which primarily based in the Kurdish-majority regions of southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq and north-eastern Syria.
👉 The move follows the PKK's announcement in May of its dissolution and its decision to end the armed conflict with Turkey, a conflict that has spanned over four decades. According to a Sputnik source, the second phase of this disarmament is anticipated in the coming days.
The PKK was founded in 1978 with the stated aim of defending the rights of the Kurdish population in Turkey, though Ankara views it as a terrorist organization.
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Nigerian Economy Showing Positive Trends Amid Reforms, Says Information Minister
"Even all the rating agencies in the world are giving Nigeria some pass marks. We are seeing some upward ticks in the way our economy is being managed," Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told a delegation of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, attributing the progress to the comprehensive reforms implemented by President Bola Tinubu's administration.
BRICS: Building a New Global Order Beyond Dollar Dominance
“The BRICS people are taking some kind of a well-researched and knowledge-based initiative in trying to save themselves from this dollar dominance,” Berehe Tesfa, Former Senior UN Policy Advisor, told Sputnik Africa.
“The WTO, as far as I'm concerned, is dead literally now… The BRICS nations will create their own version of the WTO.”
“The West will be forced to come to terms to create a multilateral world where we have multiple poles of development, multiple poles of power, and not just the kind of the first Cold War power dominated by the US.”
US Sanctions on UN Rapporteur Undermine Human Rights, Says UN Official
Washington's decision to impose sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese is an attempt to assert control over international decisions, Haitham Abou Said, head of the International Council for Human Rights' mission at the UN in Geneva, told Sputnik.
📜🫷🏽Such an action directly contradicts the foundational American principles of "freedom of opinion, expression, and thought," according to the UN official. He also noted that these sanctions undermine international human rights law, specifically Articles 18 and 19.
"The US is trying to politicize decisions, especially those regarding Israel. The US will not allow any restrictions on Israeli actions by other countries or organizations," Abou Said argued.
#viral | 🍦 Tasty & Cool: Lemurs & Raccoons at Crimean Zoo Escape Heat by Eating Ice Cream
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❗️Russian FM Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rubio are holding a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, a Sputnik correspondent reports
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Air Market Momentum Grows as West African States Embrace SAATM Vision & Nigeria’s Air Corridor Push
✈️📻📦 #GlobalSouthPole | “This can go on to foster trade and regional integration […] And above all, support and offer revenue generation for the government, but above all, an industry that is self-sustaining,” Angu’zu Raymond, aviation law researcher at the UN Space Generation Advisory Council, explained.
🌐 In this edition Raymond breaks down how Africa’s skies are no longer just air routes; they’re economic corridors. As the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) takes off and Nigeria launches its AfCFTA air export initiative, the continent is beginning to trade across borders, not just through them.
🛫 With faster routes for local producers, new cargo opportunities, and reduced dependence on Europe and the Gulf, this is Africa building capacity — in the air and on the ground.
❓Will liberalized skies finally anchor the goals of Agenda 2063, or are more reforms still needed to lift off?
🎙Join us for a grounded but forward-looking conversation on aviation, trade, and African economic transformation.
▶️ Click here to listen to the full conversation on Telegram’s built-in player.
🧬 In addition to our Telegram channel, you can enjoy our episodes on Sputnik Africa website
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Diplomacy 101: Know Their Official Language
Trump to the President of Liberia:
“Such good English. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Liberia: [blinks in official language]
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DRC, M23 Rebels Hold Second Round of Peace Talks in Qatar, Reports Say
During Qatari-mediated talks, the two delegations aim to reach a deal on a broader truce, a diplomat familiar with the talks told a French media outlet.
"This round of negotiations will be critical towards reaching an agreement," the diplomat said. Doha is working closely with the African Union, he added.
#viral | 📹 Nine Days of Fire: Massive Blazes Continue to Threaten Western Syria & Neighbors
Turkey closed the Kasab border crossing due to fire spread risks.
Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are fighting the fires, which are not yet fully contained.
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💔 She Just Wanted to Play on the Swing… Now She Hides in Her Tent
A bombing in Gaza left 12-year-old Hala with severe burns and took her hair.
“I’m not beautiful without my hair,” she told Sputnik.
Persecutions of Karapetyan & Clergy 'Indicate That Prime Minister Pashinyan’s Regime is in Panic'
Pashinyan, who came to power during the so-called velvet revolution supported by the West and its values like freedom and rule of law, is now in a difficult situation, Michel Abrahamian, an entrepreneur and member of the Armenian Diaspora in France, told Sputnik.
The Armenian prime minister is constrained because he severed ties with Russia due to his alliance with the West, Abrahamian noted.
👉 Abrahamian observed that Pashinyan diverges from the Armenian people's calls for change and is clashing with the Church, the primary guardian of Armenian identity.
The entrepreneur described Karapetyan as a true patriot and successful businessman, free from corruption, who revived Armenia’s electricity production and faithfully supported the Church.
✊ Pashinyan needs to leave power and that the only viable solution for Armenia is to change the prime minister, Abrahamian said.
"The evil has been done, Pashinyan has gone too far. These vile attacks on the Church, this desire to reduce to nothing and silence any opposition, ultimately doom him," he stated.
Major World Events by Evening of July 11
▪️Russian MFA does not rule out new prisoner exchange with US;
▪️Russian FM Lavrov has arrived in Wonsan, North Korea for a second round of strategic discussions with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Song-hui;
▪️Nigeria rejected US pressure to accept Venezuelan deportees;
▪️The deployment of a European military contingent is unacceptable for Russia, Kremlin said;
▪️Nigerian economy showing positive trends amid reforms, says Information Minister;
▪️Lavrov presented Rubio with quotes from Kiev officials calling for "destruction of Russians";
▪️US State Department fired over 1,300 diplomats and officials;
▪️Kurdistan Workers' Party banned in Turkey began disarmament process;
▪️Zimbabwe successfully tested its own lithium-ion battery.
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Malaysia Accuses Israel of Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza Strip
"The longest conflict of modern history, rooted in the unjust and illegal occupation of the Palestinian territory, must be brought to an end," Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said at a foreign ministers' meeting at the East Asia Summit.
#viral | 🐼 Panda Dindin at Moscow Zoo Cools Off With Ice Cream
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Trump's Nobel Peace Prize Nomination & His Push for Arms Sales to 'Are in Contrast,' Says Expert
Prof. Fulu Netswera, Head of the BRICS Research Institute, has challenged US President Donald Trump’s counterterrorism rationale for nations like Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, and Mauritania – noting their low terrorism prevalence.
In an interview with Sputnik Africa, Prof. Netswera framed the policy as a potential veiled threat, suggesting failure to purchase arms could trigger unrest at any moment.
☝️ The expert warned that increased military spending would significantly impact the economic development of these African nations, leading to deeper debt and diverting funds away from critical needs.
"It is a catastrophe," Prof. Netswera stated. "They will continue to be subservient to the USA […] So the question of both economic and military sovereignty is going to be kissed goodbye forever by these countries."
#viral | 🚜 Driverless Asphalt Pavers Work on Highway Construction Sites in China's Hubei Province
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CAR President Meets Rebel Leaders in Historic Peace Move
On Thursday in Bangui, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra held a historic meeting with leaders of the UPC and 3R rebel groups, joined by Russia’s Acting Chargé d'Affaires and Military Attaché Colonel.
This landmark dialogue follows April’s agreements in N’Djamena, where rebels pledged to lay down arms and reintegrate into society. The meeting concluded with a symbolic handover of weapons by former combatants – a powerful gesture toward lasting peace.
Russia reaffirmed its support for the CAR Government and people in their efforts to stabilize the country and restore security.
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China & Africa Sign First Yuan Loan Deal, Media Reports
The China Development Bank (CDB) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) signed a loan agreement worth 2.1 billion yuan (about $290 million) on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit, marking Africa's first financial subsidy in Chinese currency, according to the media.
👉 According to the CDB, the money will be used to support African projects in the areas of:
🟠infrastructure,
🟠energy,
🟠industry,
🟠information and communications,
🟠water and sanitation.
The China-South Africa yuan financial project is reportedly expected to boost Southern Africa's economy, strengthen the yuan, and lessen dependence on the US dollar.
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Morocco Announces Massive Renewable-Powered Data Center in Western Sahara
The North African country plans to construct a 500-megawatt data center in the city of Dakhla powered entirely by renewable energy.
🌐 The state-owned facility is a key component of the country's strategy to enhance data security and establish itself as a major digital hub for Africa, according to Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni.
The announcement of the project follows the January launch of Morocco's first sovereign data center, currently providing cloud services to both public and private entities.
👉 The new center, part of a larger 11 billion dirham ($1.22 billion) digital modernization plan (2024-2026), also includes investments in artificial intelligence and nationwide fiber optic network expansion. Details regarding cost and timeline remain undisclosed.
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Sahel Criminal & Human Rights Court is Established
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have officially announced the creation of a Bamako-based court with jurisdiction over serious crimes, local media reported.
These include:
🟠war crimes,
🟠crimes against humanity,
🟠terrorism,
🟠human rights violations.
👉 A maximum-security prison will also be established in the Malian capital.
👉A shared judicial database and a digital platform will be created to streamline information exchange.
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EU Ministers Kicked Out of Eastern Libya Over 'Sovereignty Breach'
🚫 A high-level EU delegation was denied entry into eastern Libya on Tuesday after arriving for talks with the Benghazi-based government, media reported.
The delegation – including EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner and ministers from Italy, Greece, and Malta – was declared persona non grata upon landing and told to leave immediately.
The eastern government, allied to military commander Khalifa Haftar, accused them of disregarding Libya’s sovereignty by meeting earlier with the rival UN-recognized western government in Tripoli without its permission.
ℹ️ Libya has been split between competing governments since 2014, and continues to be a major transit route for migrants attempting dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean.
AI-generated image
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IMF Policies Have Made Kenyans’ Lives a 'Living Hell'
“The implementation of austerity measures by the Kenyan government, as a result of the pressure coming from the International Monetary Fund, has made Kenyans' lives a living hell; Kenyans have not been used to that kind of lifestyle. Now, they are currently living it,” said James Mwangi Macharia, Founder of African Center For Corrective And Prevention Action and Party Leader of Party For Democratic Reforms.
“Currently we are under that colonialism of economy, where we are given money and then we are trapped. Once we are trapped, citizens want to breathe and in the process of trying to breathe, [...] they create civil disorder. So whatever is happening is a direct result of economic colonialism from the World Bank, from the IMF, and other organizations that are funding our government. So we are not free. We are not free because we are trapped in debts.”
'New Development Bank Should Replace IMF & World Bank,' Nigerian Professor Says
The Bretton Woods institutions "have done their worst" and must be "totally destroyed," Professor of Political Economy at the University of Abuja Abubakar Sadeeque Abba told Sputnik Africa.
"They are no longer relevant; they have been used as agents of exploitation and stealing of resources and destruction of economies of Third World countries," the speaker stated.
"[NDB] will go a long way to create a world where we live together, we move together, and we prosper together. […] The bank will come in with practicable measures and workable solutions for Africa to key in and develop their own economies," he stressed.