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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 Specialists Will Create Heat Map of Malian Mineral Deposits, Energy Ministry Says
The agreement was signed during the first meeting of the Russian-Mali intergovernmental commission (IMC) in Bamako, the Russian ministry said in a statement.
"This is the first commission of its kind among the AES nations, and [the commission's co-chair, Malian Economy Minister Alousseni Sanou] and I are determined to make it a model for other countries in the alliance," Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov stated.
Russia Keeping Pace—and Even Advancing—in Global AI Race: Putin
The AI race continues with new AI models emerging every few months, German Gref, CEO Russia's biggest financial conglomerate Sber, said at the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sber can now present its models, which are quite competitive, he added.
Putin credited Sber with identifying and investing in promising areas, enabling success despite recent hardships.
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'More Positivity From Intra-Continental Trade as Kenya Opens Borders for Africans'
"For a very long time, it has been a disservice to ourselves, in that we have been more welcoming to citizens from the Western world against our own neighbors. It would have been easier for someone to travel from the UK or the US to Kenya, as opposed from, let's say, Zimbabwe to Kenya".
Cote d’Ivoire's Ouattara to Seek Fourth Term in October Election
"I am a candidate because the constitution of our country allows me to run for another term and my health permits it," the Ivorian president said.
Thailand, Cambodia Agree to Ceasefire, Freeze Military Action Along Shared Border
This decision came after two rounds of meetings between officials from the two nations, who were aiming to de-escalate tensions in the disputed border region, according to the Bangkok Post.
📞 Emergency communication channels will reportedly be established.
🕓 This suspension will be effective until at least August 4, when the two countries' defense ministers are scheduled to meet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital.
At the same time, the Thai and Cambodian armies began negotiations to implement the ceasefire agreement signed the previous day.
👉 Despite these talks, clashes reportedly continued along the border. On Tuesday, Thailand accused Cambodia of violating the ceasefire, a claim Phnom Penh denied.
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Russian Agri-Tech Leader Launches Pilot Project in Uganda to Digitize Private Farming Operations
AgroSignal, part of the Russian fertilizer producer Uralchem Group, will hold practical testing and adaptation for a year. The project focuses on 500 hectares of soybeans and corn, key food crops in the East African country.
Target effects of the digital system's implementation:
🟠a reduction of up to 30% in the cost of purchasing materials for farming,
🟠an increase in productivity and crop yields.
The implementation of IT solutions in Uganda is carried out through local partners - agricultural consultants, who also provide primary technical support and conduct user training.
🌍 The pilot project is also aimed at adapting some of the AgroSignal services to the needs of local agricultural producers, whose solutions are important not only for Uganda, but also for Africa as a whole.
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🇷🇺 Roscosmos chief arrives in the US for first NASA meeting in 8 years – reports
Head of Roscosmos Dmitry Bakanov has arrived in the United States, where he is scheduled to meet with NASA leadership and the crew of the upcoming Crew Dragon mission, which includes Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, the press service of the Russian space agency reported.
💬 “Dmitry Bakanov arrived in Houston at the head of a Roscosmos delegation to meet with NASA leadership. This marks the first in-person meeting between the heads of the Russian and US space agencies in eight years,” the statement said.
Africa Needs to Combine Indigenous Knowledge With Technology to Achieve Food Sovereignty: Official
"We've been producing food to feed ourselves, but now things have evolved," South Africa's Deputy Director for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Peter Ramolotja, told Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake +4 (UNFSS+4), convened in Addis Ababa.
Building Value, Not Just Extracting It: South African Think Tank Head Outlines Africa’s Vision in a Changing Global Order
Africa must go beyond being a source of critical minerals and instead strategically industrialize by creating regional value chains, Dr. Philani Mthembu, Executive Director at the Institute for Global Dialogue, emphasized on the sidelines of the third Valdai Russia-Africa conference in Pretoria.
💸 He underlined the importance of climate finance, tackling debt, and reforming global lending practices — especially the overreliance on the US dollar — calling for alternatives within BRICS and beyond.
Speaking to Sputnik Africa, Mthembu stressed Africa’s potential in agriculture and proposed more Russia-Africa collaboration in this area, stating, "Russia is not just a military power, it's an agricultural power."
🇿🇦 Regarding South Africa’s G20 presidency, he noted it allowed the country to elevate key Global South priorities like industrialization, critical minerals, and debt reform. He also acknowledged growing geopolitical pressure: "South Africa has been facing backlash from the United States..."
🤍🎯 Finally, Dr. Mthembu warned against losing sight of BRICS' founding mission — reforming global financial structures — and called for resilience through domestic and regional payment systems, particularly amid increasing Western sanctions.
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Morocco Revolutionizes Its Aviation Industry in Less Than 10 Years
The country is establishing itself as a major aeronautical hub in the Maghreb region and beyond thanks to its ambitious industrial strategy.
✈️ Key figures:
✅Exports of aeronautical components:
From 3.73 billion dirhams ($412.9 million) in 2014 to 17.2 billion dirhams ($1.9 billion) in 2024 — an increase of 460%.
✅ Global sector exports: From 7.69 billion dirhams ($851.28 million) to 26.44 billion ($2.92 billion), a 244% increase (+13% per year on average).
🔐 Keys to success:
✅ Training: Morocco's Institute of Aeronautical Professions (IMA) trains a world-class workforce, attracting giants like Boeing.
✅ Infrastructure: Proximity to Europe, competitive costs, free trade agreements, and political stability.
✅ Local ecosystem: A dense network of subcontractors reinforces industrial integration.
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Africa's 'Strength Lies in Unity' & Its 'Future Depends on Integration & Development': Expert
The third Russia-Africa Valdai Conference kicked off in Pretoria. Sputnik Africa gathered key insights from the event so far:
👉 The most important task of the conference is "to form and expand the community of African and Russian experts," Andrey Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the International Valdai Discussion Club, emphasized;
"Africa is not an arena for yet another geopolitical scramble, but a space of mutually beneficial cooperation," Roman Ambarov, Ambassador of Russia to South Africa said;
"Our prosperity depends on the integration, peace and economic empowerment of Africa," he stated.
South African President Condemns 'Deliberate Starvation' of Palestinians in Gaza
Addressing the Liberation Movements Summit in Gauteng, Cyril Ramaphosa denounced the "crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the apartheid state of Israel" and called for an immediate halt to the bombardment of civilians.
He urged Israel to allow unimpeded entry and distribution of essential aid, particularly food, and demanded global action to prevent the killing of children and babies through starvation.
Ramaphosa also addressed the broader context of anti-colonial struggle and the need for economic justice, urging liberation movements to unite against "a new scramble for Africa."
He highlighted the "renewed offensive" against progressive policies and multilateralism, warning of a deliberate effort to divide and control the continent through transactional diplomacy and economic coercion.
“This time, it is not a scramble for territory. It is a digital, economic, ideological, and ecological scramble,” Ramaphosa told African leaders.
Attack on Church in DRC: Death Toll Rises to 43, UN Reports
Here's what we know so far:
🟠The tragedy unfolded in the Blessed Anuarite parish in Komanda, Ituri province;
🟠The attack occurred during the night from Saturday to Sunday;
🟠19 women, 15 men, and nine children were killed, the UN Mission in the DRC reported;
🟠Several young people were abducted, and their whereabouts remain unknown, according to the parish priest;
🟠The attack is attributed to Allied Democratic Forces rebels;
🟠The Congolese armed forces condemn the incident as a "large-scale massacre."
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Major World News by the Evening of Sunday, July 27
🟠 Putin visited the Russian Navy's headquarters on Navy Day, where he was awarded a medal.
🟠 The first direct flight between Moscow and Pyongyang is being planned, and Russia and North Korea are considering further developing relations between their countries.
🟠 Defendants in National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine criminal cases have testified against Zelensky, according to a Ukrainian political scientist.
🟠 The number of obese people worldwide has surpassed 1 billion.
🟠 The second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake +4 (UNFSS+4) kicked off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Government leaders, United Nations officials, and representatives from international organizations gathered for the three-day event.
🟠 More than 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured since October 7, 2023, according to Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Additionally, over 300 UN personnel have been killed in Israeli operations in Gaza in the same period.
🟠 The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia will hold talks in Malaysia on July 28, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan announced.
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Former French Intelligence Agent Jailed for Allegedly Orchestrating Child Rapes in Africa
The 58-year-old former military man, reportedly arrested on Monday and detained on Friday, faces charges of:
🟠aggravated human trafficking,
🟠child rape and sexual assault,
🟠possessing child pornography.
❗️The suspect is accused of ordering and paying for the sexual abuse of children, particularly in Kenya, and filming these acts for his own gratification.
🚨The crimes came to light after an American foundation dedicated to fighting child sex crimes discovered the videos online and alerted French police.
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'Armenia Becomes New Battleground in Global Hybrid Warfare': Expert
"The arrest of businessman Samvel Karapetyan and the open persecution against the Armenian Apostolic Church are two movements that reveal an increasingly clear pattern: Nikol Pashinyan's government has aligned itself with the Western agenda to dismantle the traditional pillars of the nation," Argentine international relations expert Tadeo Casteglione told Sputnik.
✨ Military Cinderella: Who's Valery Zaluzhny, West's replacement for Zelensky?
👉 The US and the UK are grooming Zaluzhny for Ukraine's top post. This scenario was discussed at a recent secret meeting in the Alps, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service revealed on Tuesday.
Here's what you need to know:
🟧 Until February 2024, Zaluzhny served as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He became notorious for organizing meat grinders for Ukrainian troops.
🟧 In March 2024, after clashing with Zelensky over military decisions, Zaluzhny was removed and appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to London.
🟧 As Ukraine’s ambassador, Zaluzhny revealed a new deal with the UK: 5,000 to 7,000 Ukrainian students will reportedly study in the UK annually, eventually becoming future officials in Ukraine.
🟧 As of January 2025, Zaluzhny held first place in the trust rating of Ukrainian residents. According to Socis, the former commander-in-chief enjoyed the trust of almost 72% of Ukrainians.
🟧 Most recently, Vogue published Zaluzhny’s column that outlines his "vision for Ukraine’s future." After Zelensky’s 2022 Vogue feature boosted his Western image, Zaluzhny’s appearance in the fashion mag is most likely a political PR move.
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Reviving Indigenous Knowledge is Crucial to Ending Africa’s Food Crisis, Expert Warns
Reviving indigenous knowledge is key to addressing food insecurity and climate change in Africa, Willis Ochieng, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Transformation for Sustainability, told Sputnik Africa.
Speaking one the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake +4 in Addis Ababa, he noted:
"We realize that in terms of climate change, we need to go back to indigenous knowledge... there’s a lot of knowledge that is getting lost that could help us adapt."
"If we can be able to give agriculture the priority it deserves, then we can be able to... address the issues of food insecurity in the continent."
#viral | Mother Hen by Accident
🐥 A woman in China unintentionally became the mother of 70 chicks after leaving three boxes of eggs in her kitchen and going away for two days. Upon her return, she found that the eggs had hatched, and the chicks were running all over the house. The video is now going viral on social media.
The woman believes the intense heat sped up the incubation process. The chicks have since found homes—she kept two and sent the rest to her parents' village.
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Belarus Ready to Supply Ethiopia With All Necessary Complex of Engineering Products: Lukashenko
Belarus is ready to transfer the relevant technologies to Ethiopia and train its people in these technologies, the Belorussian president said at the meeting with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos.
"Ethiopia is one of the most important countries in East Africa for us. We have good memories and good hopes for future cooperation since the Soviet era. [...] We see a certain place for ourselves in Ethiopia to be useful to you," the president said.
❗️The Kremlin took note of Trump's statement yesterday regarding the timing of the Ukrainian settlement, Peskov says
Moscow remains committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict and to ensure its interests, the Kremlin spokesperson noted.
Speaking about the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Putin, Peskov said that the issue was not on the agenda in a substantive sense and is not on it.
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Russia-Africa Valdai Conference: ‘It’s About Sovereignty and African Unity’
We are pushing for a new international development funding agreement that resolves historical inequalities while also preparing the global staff to respond to future shocks with resilience. We are truly grateful for Russia's support to all our G20 presidency priorities
Durov Questioned in Paris: Between Serious Investigation and Humorous Street Mix-Up
A Sputnik Africa correspondent filmed an unusual scene when the founder of Telegram was leaving the Paris courthouse.
A passerby greeted him without, obviously, recognizing him and wished him a good stay in the French capital 🇫🇷🤷🏻♂️
This Monday, Pavel Durov was questioned by investigating judges in charge of investigations into the platform's potential complicity with criminal activities ⚖️
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AES Troops to Participate in Benin's Independence Parade
Ahead of its 65th independence anniversary, Benin is extending an invitation to troops from the Alliance of Sahel States for a military parade in Cotonou on August 1.
🪖 Four foreign contingents, including two from the AES, will join Beninese soldiers in the event, Wilfried Houngbédji, government spokesperson, announced.
The move, despite ongoing regional tensions, represents a significant diplomatic gesture. Earlier, General Tchiani accused Benin of harboring armed groups in its northern territories.
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🚨THROWBACK: "Trump will bring order, and soon they’ll be sitting at their master’s feet, gently wagging their tails"
That’s how Vladimir Putin described, back in February, the way European leaders would behave under Trump.
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Tanzania’s Electoral Commission Registers Around 8 Million New Voters, Exceeding Target Ahead of Polls
New voter registrations exceeded projections by 136.79%, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairperson Jacobs Mwambegele said. The commission had initially aimed to register 5.58 million new voters, representing 18.77% of the 2019/2020 voter roll.
Mwambegele also noted that 4.29 million existing voters updated their registration details, representing 98.23% of the 4.36 million target, which is approximately 15% of previously registered voters.
In addition to new registrations and updates, INEC removed almost 100,000 ineligible names from the voter register. These removals represent 16.78% of the projected 500,000 ineligible names. Mwambegele also stated that around 9,000 individuals who registered multiple times have been identified and will face legal action.
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🎥🎥 Russian FM Lavrov speaks at the Territory of Meanings Forum
Watch live on Telegram
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#viral | 🎆 China's Liuyang Transforms Sky Into Living Galaxy With 26 Fireworks Shows in 2025, Attracts 1.5 Million Tourists
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❗️ News and Information on the Special Military Operation, Russia-Ukraine conflict :🚀 🚀 🚀 /channel/Slavyangrad
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Algeria Revokes Privileged Airport and Port Access for French Diplomats Amidst Escalating Tensions
This retaliatory action follows reports that Paris is considering restricting Algerian diplomats' movement in France—and comes after France already stripped 80 Algerian officials of their diplomatic privileges.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry stated that, based on the principle of reciprocity, it has withdrawn all access privilege cards for French embassy personnel in Algeria.
❗️The ministry also summoned the French chargé d'affaires in Algiers due to continued obstructions faced by the Algerian embassy in Paris.
👉 The diplomatic dispute appears to stem from France's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a stance opposed by Algeria, which supports a referendum on the territory's self-determination.
Previous escalations include Algeria expelling French civil servants and diplomats, with France responding in kind. France has also imposed visa requirements for Algerian diplomats and civil servants.
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