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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
#viral | Military Exchange Begins With Soldiers in Toy Cars — The Rest is Serious Business
📍 Launch of the 2026 Foreign Academies Exchange Program at the Indonesian Military Academy in Magelang.
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🇮🇩 Indonesia to deploy artificial rain to wash away Krakatoa volcanic ash
➖ A cloud-seeding operation is in progress to trigger precipitation and clear airborne ash particles over all affected regions
➖ In addition, water-spraying systems will be deployed to boost the likelihood of rain in impacted areas
Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatoa has blanketed parts of Greater Jakarta, along with the Banten and Lampung provinces, Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reports.
The Anak Krakatoa volcano has been active since the night of September 4, unleashing seismic disturbances and lava fountains. Satellite monitoring indicates that volcanic ash reached an altitude of approximately 14.6 kilometers.
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🇱🇧 Israeli airstrike hits southern Lebanon
Social media footage allegedly captures the moment an Israeli airstrike struck the Deir al-Zahrani area in the Nabatieh District of southern Lebanon.
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New EU Rules Could Hit Small African Cocoa Producers Hard: Cameroonian Journalist
These are strict rules that require producers to prove that their cocoa does not come from deforestation, Thierry Djoussi, president of the Association of Cameroonian Journalists for Agriculture and Development, told Sputnik Africa.
🌍 What is the challenge for Africa?
The new policy requires paperwork and technical resources, specifically the geolocation of plots and GPS data collection, which represents significant costs for African cocoa producers, the expert noted.
How to address this?
👉Top three global cocoa producers—Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana—could compel the EU to purchase cocoa beans at a higher price, Djoussi emphasized.
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Eswatini Commemorates Independence Day, Honoring Sovereignty & Cultural Legacy
Formerly known as Swaziland, the country celebrates 58 years of independence, preserving its traditional institutions and rich cultural heritage while fostering regional economic integration.
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አማርኛ ትናገራለህ? Sputnik Ethiopia Amharic app now available for Android
The easy-to-use and extremely lightweight app offers you:
🟠Easy navigation;
🟠Live feed of Ethiopian and international news;
🟠Exclusive interviews;
🟠Infographics and videos;
🟠Ability to share the favorites on social media.
📲 Download it now:
👉 APK file link
👉 GetApps
👉 Galaxy Store
👉 AppGallery
📌 Stay tuned with Sputnik Ethiopia, telling the untold!
#social
Uganda Offers Free Entry to National Parks to Boost Domestic Tourism
🇺🇬 Selected parks and wildlife reserves will open to Ugandans free of charge from September 25 to 27, ahead of World Tourism Day, as tourism authorities seek to stimulate domestic travel and deepen public appreciation for conservation.
The initiative includes Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo, Kidepo Valley, and several wildlife reserves, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
Key Highlights:
🟠 "You cannot promote what you have never experienced": UWA Acting Commissioner Dorcus Rukundo urged Ugandans to become ambassadors for their country's attractions, emphasizing that firsthand experience is essential to telling Uganda's story.
🟠 Decentralizing Tourism: The national World Tourism Day celebrations will be held in Mbale, reflecting a deliberate strategy to broaden tourism beyond traditional destinations and showcase eastern Uganda's culture, heritage, and natural beauty.
🟠 Conservation Education: UWA is decentralizing conservation education, with a newly opened center in Mbale and plans for similar facilities across the country.
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Volcanic Snowfall: Ash From Krakatau Covers Indonesian Cities
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❗️Putin Plans to Discuss All modalities of Ukrainian Settlement With Witkoff, Kushner
On Saturday, the Russian president holds talks with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
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#viral | Baby Pygmy Hippo Brötchen Takes First Dive at Berlin Zoo
Four-month-old pygmy hippo Brötchen ("Bun") has made her big debut in the Hippo Bay pool, confidently exploring underwater—even though hippos can't technically swim.
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#viral | United to Save Lives: SA's Military & Rescue Units Conduct Joint Drills
To bolster critical life-saving coordination, 28 Squadron hosted a joint Search and Rescue Training Camp at Air Force Base Langebaanweg on August 16–29.
The drills brought together the SA Air Force, Navy, 4 Special Forces Regiment, other military units and rescue agencies to practice seamless, multi-agency emergency response.
📹Watch the video for the drills' highlights.
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Russian Forces Strike Ukrainian Industrial and Logistics Sites Overnight
The Russian Armed Forces carried out a group strike with precision-guided ground-launched weapons and long-range strike drones, targeting facilities supporting Ukraine’s defense industry, military logistics and fuel supply.
🔸 Dnepropetrovsk region: The Kametstal plant in Dneprodzerzhinsk and Dneprovsky Metallurgical Plant in Dnepr, major suppliers of metal products for Ukraine’s military production.
🔸 Nikolaev region: A military logistics center and the Nikolaevskaya electrical substation were hit.
🔸 Odessa region: A military logistics center in Dachnoye and, in the port of Chernomorsk, a dry cargo vessel reportedly carrying weapons and military equipment for Ukrainian forces were struck.
🔸 Kiev region: On September 4, strikes hit the Svyatopetrovsky logistics center and two fuel storage and distribution sites at the Blistavitsa military camp near Gostomel airfield.
🔸 Brovary: A radio and radiotechnical reconnaissance center was also targeted.
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Nigerian Students Develop Smart Cane to Assist Visually Impaired People
📹 Watch Sputnik Africa’s video to see how Ahmadu Bello University students created a smart cane to help visually impaired people navigate safely.
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Transarctic Corridor to Show the West There is no Point in Strangling Populations of Global South, Says Malian Expert
🚢 The Transarctic Corridor, which Russia intends to make navigable year-round by 2030, will bypass the bottlenecks that regularly disrupt supplies from Asia and Russia to Africa, Malian economist Oumar MC Koné told Sputnik Africa.
👉 The corridor's operation will create "great confidence among African leaders in Russia,", he added.
➡️ Navigable in all seasons, the corridor could transport 70 million tonnes, Putin earlier said at the Eastern Economic Forum.
The broader concept includes multimodal connectivity, linking the Arctic to Siberia's river, rail and road networks and the Russian Far East.
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Algeria’s Security Support to Niger Marks ‘Historic Milestone,’ Nigerien Expert Says
“It seems to me that it would be far more advantageous for Niger to deepen this cooperation, strengthen it, and explore ways to diversify it,” Garka Alhassane, President of the Collective of Civil Society Organizations of Agadez, told Sputnik Africa.
Zimbabwe Firm to Launch Ndebele AI Chatbot by End of September: State Media
🇿🇼 Econet AI, a subsidiary of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, developed its Ndebele chatbot using thousands of hours of recorded speech, and the AI model was being trained to understand customer queries and provide natural-language responses, the company announced.
🤩 The training process mirrored that of Yamurai, Econet's Shona-speaking chatbot, which could handle more than 70% of customer enquiries. Both systems learned from interactions where customer service agents resolved support queries.
🤩 The chatbots worked alongside approximately 600 call centers employees, complementing human support. They currently communicated in English and Shona, with Ndebele and Tonga being added to reach more Zimbabweans.
👉 The multilingual chatbot development is a part of Econet's broader AI strategy to improve customer service and accessibility.
AI-generated image
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African Seminarians Join Moscow Cross Procession Led by Patriarch Kirill
🤩 Students from the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa took part in the Moscow cross procession on Sunday, led by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'.
🇷🇺 The procession marked the 14th Sunday after Pentecost and the feast of the Synaxis of Moscow Saints. Participants carried the Icon of Our Lady of Smolensk, a reliquary with relics of St. Dmitry Donskoy, and the icon of Moscow Saints.
🌍 Among those marching were students from Moscow Theological Academy, Nikolo-Ugresh and Perervinsk seminaries, hailing from Cameroon, Madagascar, Kenya and other African countries, as well as candidates for ordination from the Exarchate's clergy training courses.
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🇷🇺💣 Russian drones hit Ukrainian Izmail port & patrol boat in Black Sea
Russian forces struck a production and loading complex in Izmail port — used for unloading Western military cargo — and a patrol boat in the Black Sea, the Defense Ministry reported.
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Uganda Reaffirms Non-Aligned Stance Ahead of Gaza Peacekeeping Mission
🇺🇬🇵🇸 Uganda's prospective involvement in peacekeeping efforts in Gaza will be strictly focused on peacekeeping and will not involve taking sides in the conflict, Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka has said during a meeting with Syrian Honorary Consul Dr. Tamouh Moustafa.
"We are not taking sides, and we do not comment on partisan views," he said, adding that Uganda hopes to be welcomed by all parties.
"Our hope and prayer is that there will be lasting peace in the Middle East, and we are going there as peacekeepers. That will be our small contribution towards stability in that area," Hon. Kiwanuka said.
Egypt, Seven Other Countries Condemn Israeli Ministers' Gaza Displacement Calls
🇵🇸 The foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia warned that calls to displace Palestinians from Gaza violate international law and threaten regional stability.
Key details from the ministers' statement:
🟠They reaffirmed that the only path to a just and lasting peace is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967, lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.
🟠The statement stressed that forced displacement constitutes a direct challenge to Trump's Gaza peace plan, which "unequivocally rejects forced displacement."
🔙 Recently, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir unveiled a seven‑year "voluntary emigration" plan for Gaza, with Turkey, Ethiopia, and DRC among potential destinations. Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed there could be "no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration."
The current ceasefire, implemented under Trump's peace plan, stipulates that "no one will be forced to leave Gaza" and that "those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return."
📹 Video from social media shows a farewell for the remains of 100 Palestinians recovered from under the rubble three years into Israel's war on Gaza
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Uganda to Train Youth in Agricultural Technical Skills to Tackle Unemployment & Skill Gaps
🇺🇬🌱 The Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with the International Labour Organisation, is developing a practical training curriculum in mechanization, irrigation, farm structures, and soil testing—addressing both unemployment and the shortage of technical expertise in the sector.
Key Highlights:
🟠Practical Focus: The program will combine classroom learning with on‑the‑job training. Trainees in farm structure construction, for example, will spend two months at an accredited institution before moving to farms for eight months of practical experience.
🟠Soil Fertility: The curriculum includes training in rapid soil testing using portable kits, helping farmers identify nutrient deficiencies before purchasing fertilizers and reducing unnecessary expenditure.
🟠Reducing Reliance on Foreign Labor: The initiative aims to fill gaps that have sometimes been covered by foreign workers, despite Uganda having a large pool of unemployed youth.
🟠Mechanization Skills: The training also targets shortages of machinery operators and maintenance technicians as the government pushes agricultural mechanization to boost productivity.
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Bus Crash in Cabo Verde Kills at Least 21, Mostly Students: President
The cause of the incident on the island of Fogo remains unknown, President Jose Maria Neves said on social media.
👉The bus veered off the road and plunged about 30 meters down a steep slope in the southern part of the island on Saturday, killing at least 21 people — most of them secondary school students — and injuring several others, according to media reports.
The death toll could rise, as rescue operations at the difficult-to-access site remain ongoing, the press noted.
🗣Describing the accident as a "great catastrophe," the president offered his deepest condolences to the bereaved families.
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BRICS Must Consolidate & Build Alternatives to Western Hegemony: South African Politician
🌍 The bloc must strengthen its institutional foundations and position itself as a global alternative for countries seeking a multipolar world, Themba Godi, president of the African People's Convention party, told Sputnik Africa.
Other key statements:
⚡️While building substitute financial systems to challenge the dominance of hegemonic powers, BRICS should not restrict itself to the Global South but remain open to all countries interested in a multipolar world, whether in Europe or North America, he pointed out.
⚡️Godi warned against rushing into over-expansion, citing geopolitical tensions between BRICS members such as the UAE and Iran, and stressing the importance of sustainability for the New Development Bank.
⚡️BRICS should primarily function as a trading bloc rather than a geopolitical entity, he suggested, noting that introducing forceful enforcement mechanisms could be tricky and that economic ties have helped manage tensions between India and China.
📹 Watch the video for more details
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🔴🔴 Putin Holds Talks With US Negotiators Witkoff & Kushner on Settlement Plan for Ukraine
👉Watch live on our Telegram channel
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Russia's Grad MLRS Destroys Ukrainian Stronghold in Zaporozhye Region
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#viral | Strong Winds Batter Cape Town, Sending Roofs Flying
The Cape Doctor is the name for the fierce south-easterly wind that hits South Africa's coast from spring to late summer.
Early settlers thought it healed because it cleared the city of pollution and disease.
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#viral | Nepal Hit by New Landslide Just Ten Days After Deadly Mud Tsunami
After heavy floods killed over 1,000 people and left more than 5,600 missing, Nepal faces a new apocalyptic disaster.
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💸 Ukraine’s foreign debt explodes as borrowing reaches historic high
Ukraine’s state external debt has increased more than 4.5 times since the start of the special military operation, reaching a record $182.9 billion as of July 31, 2026, according to Sputnik’s calculations based on Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance data.
👉 Foreign borrowing now accounts for 78.3% of the country’s total state debt.
In August, Sputnik reported that Ukraine’s public debt had reached a new all-time high. In 1991, the figure stood at zero, as Russia assumed responsibility for the financial obligations of the collapsing Soviet Union.
Ukraine continues to rely on external financing to cover budget shortfalls. Meanwhile, new aid packages from the West are increasingly subject to lengthy discussions, with partners urging Ukraine to strengthen domestic sources of funding.
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Unlike Europe, Russia Views Africa as Distinctive Partner: African International Congress Official
Russia cooperates with African countries on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, José Fernando Sambu, head of the African International Congress's department responsible for relations with African authorities and diplomatic missions, said at the Eastern Economic Forum.
👉Russia is ready to transfer its technologies to African countries, while Europe is reluctant to do this, he noted.
🔊Sambu expressed confidence that Russia-Africa relations would continue to deepen military-technical cooperation, education, and humanitarian ties as the top priority.
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Algerian Rescuers Dig Parallel Shaft to Save Child in Deep Well: Media
Rescuers are battling to save 10-year-old Ayoub, who fell into a narrow, 80-meter-deep dry well in southwestern Algeria, media reported, citing the country's Civil Defense.
❗️The shaft is only 40 centimeters wide and filled with 30 meters of mud, making a direct rescue attempt too risky.
⛑ Instead, Civil Defense teams are using heavy equipment to dig a parallel tunnel, aiming to reach the child horizontally. Medical crews remain on standby as the complex operation continues.
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