🇵🇸🇪🇬 Hamas' political chief travelled to Egypt to discuss situation in Gaza

Hamas' political leader arrived in Cairo on Thursday at the head of a delegation for talks with Egypt's intelligence chief on the current situation in the Gaza Strip as it continues to face intense Israeli attacks.

The delegation led by Ismail Haniyeh "met with General Abbas Kamel, the chief of the General Egyptian Intelligence Service, and discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip," said a statement by the Palestinian group.

Khaled Meshaal, who heads Hamas' diaspora office, and Khalil al-Hayya, a member of its political bureau, are also in the delegation, according to the statement.

The visit marks Ismail Haniyah's first visit to Egypt since the outbreak of the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip on October 7.

#Palestine #Egypt

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🇿🇲💰 Zambia creditors, IMF have 'reservations' on bondholder deal

Zambia's official creditors and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have "expressed reservations" about a debt restructuring deal which the southern African country has reached in principle with a bondholder group, the finance ministry said Friday.

The government and the bondholder committee are continuing discussions, after the official creditor committee and the IMF expressed their doubts during discussions over the "last several days", the ministry said in a regulatory statement.

#Zambia #IMF

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🇿🇦🇰🇪 South Africa opposition's Malema accuses Kenyan leader of failing to deliver

One of South African opposition leaders Julius Malema has criticised Kenya's President William Ruto for failing to fulfil the promises he made to Kenyans when he ran for office last year.

Speaking on Thursday at the launch of the Pan African Institute in Kenya, Malema accused President Ruto of backtracking on his commitment to lead in getting rid of the US dollar as a means of trade in Africa, highlighting a contradiction between the president’s words and actions.

Malema, who is the Economic Freedom Fighters party leader, also condemned President Ruto for warmly welcoming King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their recent visit to Kenya.

He said the King "showed no remorse" for the atrocities committed during the British colonial era in Kenya.

#SouthAfrica #Kenya

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🇸🇴🇦🇪 Somali president undergoes surgery in Abu Dhabi

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has undergone a successful shoulder surgery in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the presidency says.

Mohamud is recovering well from the "minor" medical operation, his office said on Thursday. It did not give further details about what happened to his shoulder.

The president stayed in Abu Dhabi for a few days, where he also met top Emirati officials, state-owned Somali National News Agency reports.

He later travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the Saudi-Africa summit.

#Somalia #UAE

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🇦🇴 Angola to scrap fuel subsidy by end-2025, says finance minister

Angola will push ahead with removing all fuel subsidies by the end of 2025, which should enable state oil company Sonangol to pay taxes and dividends again, the country's finance minister Vera Daves de Sousa said.

In October, Daves de Sousa told that the full removal of fuel subsidies might be slowed down beyond the end-2025 deadline, after their partial removal sparked deadly protests.

"We are taking out the fuel subsidies. End of 2025, we expect to see this process stabilise and closed as much as possible," she said.

"We will be able to see Sonangol normally paying taxes, (improving) profits and paying dividends to the state."

Sonangol imports refined petroleum products to the southern African OPEC member which it sells locally at a lower price with the government meant to reimburse the difference.

#Angola

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An unusual national Congolese invention called "chukudu scooter". Affordable, easy to use, good for transportation of various goods. What else do you need from transport?

#Africa #fun

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🇧🇮 Burundi prosecutors seek life sentence for ex-PM Bunyoni

Prosecutors in Burundi are seeking life imprisonment for former Prime Minister Alain-Guillaume Bunyoni, who is on trial for seven charges, including using witchcraft to threaten the president’s life.

Bunyoni’s trial started in September, a year after he was fired by President Evariste Ndayishimiye over suspicions that Mr Bunyoni was plotting a "coup" against him.

Bunyoni is also accused of undermining national security, subverting government institutions, destabilising the economy and enriching himself through illegal means.

Prosecutor also called for Bunyoni to pay "damages equivalent to twice the value of the 153 houses and plots of land and the 43 vehicles belonging to him", in addition to a fine of 7.1m Burundian francs ($2,400).

The prosecution also requested 30-year sentences for the six co-accused, who include a police colonel and a senior intelligence agent.

#Burundi

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🇪🇬🇵🇸 Evacuations from Gaza to Egypt suspended on Friday

Evacuations from the Gaza Strip into Egypt for foreign passport holders and for Palestinians needing urgent medical treatment were suspended on Friday, Reuters sources told.

The Palestinian official and an Egyptian medical source said the suspension was due to problems bringing medical evacuees to the Rafah border crossing from inside Gaza.

Limited evacuations from Gaza to Egypt began on November 1 and were paused twice in the past week due to bombardments that aid staff said hit or targeted medical convoys.

The Egyptian sources said several dozen foreign passport holders and their dependents as well as a small number of medical evacuees had entered Egypt on Friday before crossings were suspended.

#Egypt #Palestine

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🇪🇬🇵🇸 Egypt's stumbling economy faces new pressures from Gaza crisis

Egypt's struggling economy faces new risks as the war in the neighbouring Gaza Strip threatens to disrupt tourism bookings and natural gas imports.

Egypt had relied heavily on inflows of short-term portfolio investment, tourism revenues and remittances to partially cover a chronic trade deficit, leaving it vulnerable to shocks.

After a borrowing binge quadrupled foreign debt, Egypt needs more than $28 billion to meet repayments in 2024 alone. A foreign currency shortage has led to a $5 billion backlog of imports stuck at ports, and problems for foreign companies repatriating dividends, bankers say.

Government payments for some wheat imports and to foreign oil and gas companies have been deferred.

A $3 billion IMF programme has gone off track over Egypt's reluctance to float its currency and delays in state asset sales.

#Egypt #Palestine

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🇲🇬 Calls to suspend Madagascar poll over political tension

The head of Madagascar's lower house of parliament has called for the suspension of next week's presidential elections, following weeks of opposition protests.

Christine Razanamahasoa, who leads a mediation group to try to resolve the political crisis, said the current climate in the country did not allow for a free and credible vote to be held as scheduled on 16 November.

She said the poll should be delayed to ensure what she called peace and harmony in the country.

Early Thursday, some 60 Madagascan civil society organisations and trade unions have called for the "cancellation" of the first round vote, warning of an "even harder crisis" if the election were to go ahead.

#Madagascar

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🇸🇴 Floods destroy major bridge in south-west Somalia

A major bridge in the south-western Somali town of Bardhere has collapsed following flooding caused by heavy rain that has been pounding the country for days.

The bridge was vital to the movement of people travelling between towns and villages in the Gedo region.

Locals have expressed concerns about being isolated from their neighbourhoods. Authorities have dispatched two boats to rescue those affected.

Gedo is one of the regions in Somalia worst affected by devastating floods.

More than a dozen people have been killed by the floods across the country, while thousands have either been displaced or isolated.

#Somalia

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🇿🇦🇮🇱 South Africa called in Israeli ambassador to discuss conduct over Gaza war

South Africa has called in Israel's ambassador to discuss what it described as his recent "unfortunate conduct" linked to the war in Gaza, the foreign ministry in Pretoria said on Friday.

The ministry said Eliav Belotsercovsky received the order on Thursday, but it did not go into details on his conduct.

"Ambassador Belotsercovsky is called upon to conduct himself in line with the Vienna Conventions, which accord heads of diplomatic missions certain privileges and responsibilities, key amongst which is to recognise the sovereign decisions of the host nation," the South African statement said.

"Ambassador Belotsercovsky was once again called upon to convey South African Government concerns to Tel Aviv," it added.

#SouthAfrica #Israel

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🇬🇦 Gabon welcomes African bank's lifting of sanctions

The Gabonese government says the African Development Bank (AfDB) has lifted financial sanctions imposed on the country following the removal of President Ali Bongo in a coup in August.

The economy ministry said the decision was taken at the beginning of the week after “successful negotiations between the new Gabonese authorities and senior AfDB officials”.

The AfDB's decision to lift the sanctions also followed Gabon’s move to restore confidence by clearing its arrears to the continental financial institution at the end of October, the ministry revealed.

The AfDB becomes the first international institution to lift sanctions on Gabon since the coup just over two months ago.

#Gabon

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🇲🇼 Malawi hikes fuel and electricity prices after currency devaluation

Malawi will hike fuel and electricity prices after the central bank devalued the local currency by about 30%, the country's energy regulatory authority said.

The Reserve Bank of Malawi devalued the kwacha currency's exchange rate to the dollar earlier this week in a bid to prop up dwindling foreign currency reserves.

The price for petrol would increase to 2,530 kwacha ($1.52) per litre from 1,746 kwacha per litre, while the diesel price has been increased to 2,734 kwacha per litre from 1,920 kwacha per litre, the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority said in a statement.

Citing the impact of the devaluation and high inflation, the regulator said it was also applying an over 40% tariff increase on electricity.

The central bank said it was needed due to prevailing supply-demand imbalances in the currency market.

#Malawi

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🇿🇦🇺🇳 South African professor elected to top UN court

University of Pretoria law professor Dire Tladi became the first South African elected as a judge at the UN International Court of Justice.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday hailed Prof Tladi’s election as “an outstanding personal achievement in which the nation shares with great pride”.

He is one of five judges who were elected on Thursday by the UN's General Assembly and the Security Council for nine-year terms, beginning February next year.

ICJ is the UN's main judicial body, providing legal advice to UN agencies and settling legal disputes between countries.

To be elected, candidates must secure an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and Security Council.

#SouthAfrica #UN

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🇸🇩Las RSF denuncian que las SAF han destruido el puente de Shambat que conecta las zonas de Omdurman y Bahri bajo control de las Fuerzas de Apoyo Rápido.

🇬🇧The RSF reports that the SAF has destroyed the Shambat bridge connecting the areas of Omdurman and Bahri under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.

🔗Mapa de WarMapper

▫️@ENTRE_GUERRAS▫️

🇿🇦 Diphtheria outbreak hits SA's Pollsmoor prison

A diphtheria outbreak has been declared at South Africa's Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison following the death of a 19-year-old inmate.

Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the male inmate, who contracted the disease last month, died on Sunday.

Eight more inmates, aged 18 to 23, are in isolation after testing positive for the disease.

Two staff members who displayed symptoms are awaiting their results. Doctor said that a vaccination drive in the affected section of the prison is under way.

Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable but highly contagious bacterial disease that affects the nose and throat and also causes skin ulcers.

Nigeria is currently battling diphtheria outbreak, which has killed more than 600 people and infected over 14,000.

#SouthAfrica

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🇵🇸🇪🇬 Hamas calls on Egypt to provide Gaza with roaming services, Internet connection

Hamas has asked Egypt to provide roaming services to the Gaza Strip, where telephone communication and the Internet have been cut off, the movement's spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.

"The terrorist Zionist occupation has cut telephone services and the Internet in the Gaza Strip. We call on Egypt to open roaming services on Egyptian networks," the spokesman said.

On November 5, Palestinian provider Paltel reported that telephone and Internet services had again been disrupted throughout the Gaza Strip. A similar announcement was made by Jawwal, the second provider of telecommunications services in Gaza.

The complete shutdown of Internet, wireline and cellular services in the Palestinian enclave was first reported on October 27.

#Palestine #Egypt

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🇰🇪 Kenyan president defends his government's tough economic measures

Kenya’s President William Ruto defended his tough economic measures in his first State of the Nation address since coming to power last year, saying they were necessary to get the country back on track.

There has been widespread anger among Kenyans over his government’s decision to remove food and fuel subsidies and implement a host of new taxes.

“The time has come, therefore, to retire the false comforts and illusionary benefits of wasteful expenditure and counterproductive subsidies on consumption by which we dug ourselves deeper into the hole of avoidable debt," he said.

Ruto said that they had to admit that “as a country we have been living large and way beyond our means”.

His speech came a day after the finance minister admitted that the country was in a difficult financial position.

#Kenya

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