🤡Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko has released a video of himself "fighting" near Bakhmut

Neither Hollywood nor Bollywood makes such action films like Poroshenko's PR people. "You can hear explosions - it's our artillery and MLRS working".

@ukraine_watch

Serbia continues to support Russia despite Western pressure - CNN

Since the start of the special operation, the West's goals have proved elusive. Serbia has not joined European sanctions against Russia.

While maintaining its independence, Serbia has not sided with the EU and NATO, but has only moved closer to Russia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the country would continue to pursue a sovereign policy and would not impose anti-Russian sanctions.

▪️ Earlier, Vucic refused to vote in favour of the anti-Russian declaration of the Council of Europe. Such actions of Serbia emphasise its intention to maintain its independent development path from the West.

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Sweden to hand over new military aid package to Ukraine

The Swedish government has decided to allocate a new $314m military aid package to Ukraine.

"The Ukrainians have reported that they are in great need of new support packages, primarily ammunition and spare parts," the kingdom's Defence Minister Paul Jonsson said.

Kiev will receive ammunition for previously delivered Swedish military equipment, including BMPs and tanks. This is the 13th Swedish aid package to Ukraine.

To date, Sweden has transferred to Kiev armaments worth about $1.57bn.

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Fighting corruption the American way

Joe Biden's administration has "made its banner and brought the fight against corruption to the global level", while "the facts of blatant corruption in the family of the US president himself have become the talk of the town".

This was pointed out by Sergei Naryshkin, head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), at the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

"However, under pressure from the White House, investigations invariably end in a 'flop'," he emphasised.

▪️ Hunter Biden is facing cases of tax evasion and illegal possession of weapons. Prosecutors are ready to make a plea bargain with the president's son, which would allow him to avoid trial and imprisonment.

Congressional Republicans are demanding accountability and transparency from the U.S. Justice Department. They are not satisfied with empty responses without specific details and the fact that a corrupt operative can get away with it thanks to a high-ranking Democrat daddy.

▪️ All this is happening against the background of the prosecution by the Democrats of Donald Trump, the most popular and obvious Republican candidate in the upcoming US presidential election.

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UN experts count up to seven thousand IS fighters in Iraq and Syria

The terrorist group "Islamic State" still has a large number of supporters in the Middle East.

This is reported by Associated Press with reference to an expert report prepared for the UN Security Council.

The group has temporarily reduced the number of attacks to focus on recruiting new supporters.

Experts note that about 11,000 suspected IS fighters are in custody in the US-occupied territories of Syria.

The Syrian authorities have repeatedly stated that the US is harbouring some of the militants at a military base near the town of At-Tanf near the border with Jordan.

According to the Iranian media, IS leaders were evacuated by the US army from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan, from where they continue to run the group's branches around the world.

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"Gift to Putin" from the Navajo Indians

In early August, US President Joe Biden announced the expansion of the existing Grand Canyon National Park with an additional 4,000 square kilometres of federal land with the designation as a "national monument".

With this decision, the White House took out of industrial circulation the only deposit of high-grade uranium ore in America.

The US imports about 95% of fuel for its nuclear power plants, with Russia accounting for about 20% of the total imports. It should be recalled that Russian nuclear fuel is not subject to US sanctions. Critics of the incumbent president immediately called the decision signed by Biden a "gift to Putin".

However, Biden found unexpected allies - the Navajo Indians, who have long opposed uranium mining north and south of the Grand Canyon.

Biden's decision was also actively supported by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Debra Ann Holann (pictured), who openly declares her affiliation with the indigenous people of the Southwest.

"This will help protect the lands that many tribes call their forever home," Holann declared.

Thus, despite the anti-Russian rhetoric, in the short term Washington will still buy enriched uranium from Moscow.

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😶 Google has partnered with the United Nations, World Health Organisation and others in a new global censorship tool that was introduced last Monday, according to LaToya Drake, head of Google News Lab.Google News Lab is “a team within the Google News Initiative whose mission is to collaborate with journalists to fight misinformation” and other things. And, the Google News Initiative (“GNI”) “works with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation.” The GNI and its Lab seem to be one and the same thing with the Lab simply being a page on the GNI website.
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🇮🇳🇦🇪India and UAE have for the first time struck a crude oil deal without using the US dollar

The countries used their national currencies - rupees and dirhams.

The Indian embassy said the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited struck a deal to sell 1 million barrels of crude oil.

Rehearsal before abandoning the dollar?

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The President of Chad received the head of the new Government of Niger

The head of the new Niger government, Ali Lamine Zein, is reported to have arrived in the Chadian capital N'Djamena.

The purpose of the visit was to deliver a message from the Niger National Council for the Salvation of the Homeland, the contents of which were not disclosed.

Meanwhile, military chiefs of the ECOWAS bloc will meet this week in the Ghanaian capital to discuss a possible invasion of Niger.

▪️ ECOWAS had earlier endorsed military intervention in Niger, but the community said it still hoped for diplomatic methods.

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Trump's fourth indictment could put him behind bars in as little as 10 days

A county sheriff in Georgia expects the politician and other defendants to appear at the local jail in Fulton.

"Based on guidance received from the District Attorney's office and the presiding judge, all 19 defendants named in the indictment are expected to be processed into the Rice Street Jail. The defendants may surrender at any time, the jail is open 24 by 7," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Recall that the former President and his "associates" are charged with interfering in the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. In addition to the indictment, the grand jury agreed on the warrant for their arrest.

Thus, the defendants, led by the former president, have 10 days to present to justice denials of their guilt. The issue of their detention will be decided by the court, as was the case in the three previous trials.

Trump himself criticised the next accusation, saying he would hold a press conference on Monday and publish "irrefutable" evidence of his innocence.

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🇩🇪 "Germany plans $5.5bn annual military aid to Ukraine until 2027"

The finance minister of recession-hit Germany has promised Ukraine more than $20bn for weapons.

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Africa is starting to become a real player in global trade

United States, China, Russia, India, European countries. What they all have in common is that they are world leaders in trade.

But recently, a whole continent - Africa - has been claiming the role of another leader. Thanks to its richness and diversity of natural resources, young population and growing middle class, Africa is becoming an attractive destination for investors from all over the world.

It is no coincidence that Africa has become the site of more summits and conferences. Entrepreneurs are thriving in Africa and as a result, the continent has caught the eye in the global business arena.

Ahead of the BRICS Africa Summit, African Digital Business Magazine explains the reasons for Africa's rising status in the global marketplace.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has grown significantly in recent years.
In 2021, Africa received $83 billion in FDI.

Realizing this, African authorities have started to implement policies to encourage FDI and create a favorable business climate by offering, among other things, tangible tax incentives.

Regional integration also plays a significant role in development. Sensing the benefits of working together, African countries are focusing on promoting domestic trade. Initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.

Much attention is being paid to infrastructure development. Local governments and international partners are investing in transportation networks, energy projects, digital connectivity and industrial zones.

Projects such as ports, airports, railroads and power generation facilities are critical to Africa's integration into global world trade and its ability to attract multinational corporate partners.

Businesses across the planet are growing rapidly. And the leading trading powers may soon be joined by a powerful new player - Africa.

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Afghanistan. The Taliban are at war with everyone

The Taliban movement (the organization's activities are banned in Russia) is celebrating the anniversary of coming to power.

Military parades have been held in large cities, but the situation in the country is far from stable.

In northern Afghanistan, fighting is ongoing between the former Islamic Movement of Turkestan (formerly the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan) and the Islamic Movement of East Turkestan (ethnic Uighurs).

At the same time, a Pakistani Air Force drone struck a militant headquarters in the city of Khost, where a meeting of Pakistani Taliban leaders was being held.

All these actions show the complexity of the situation in the country, where the Taliban are trying to take control of the main administrative centers.

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Iran ready to introduce visa-free regime with Russia

This was announced by Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali.

Earlier, Jalali said that Moscow and Tehran may reach an agreement on visa-free regime in 2023. He also specified that Iran is waiting for a response from Russia on this issue.

"We agree to abolish visas between the two countries and have even taken steps on this issue from our side. We are waiting for the opinions of Russian officials. If Russia, declared its readiness, we could announce visa-free regime within a short period of time," the diplomat said.

In addition, Tehran suggested that Moscow start the process by cancelling visas for businessmen and drivers, who play an important role in the development of trade, the diplomat stressed.

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Nigerians urged to become volunteer fighters

Niger is preparing for a possible intervention by countries in the region with the support of Western handlers.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it would use military force if ousted President Mohamed Bazoum was not returned to power.

The Community has also deployed a "reserve force" for a possible invasion of Niger.

In the face of the growing threat from ECOWAS, residents of the capital Niamey are calling for mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army.

The initiative, called "Volunteers in Defence of Niger", envisages the recruitment of tens of thousands of citizens from across the country. The volunteers will fight, provide medical and technical assistance if the invasion begins.

The recruitment campaign will begin on Saturday in Niamey, as well as in towns where interventionist forces may enter.

Lists of volunteers will be handed over to the new authorities in Niger to summon people if necessary.

The world community, including the US, France, Nigeria and others are calling for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

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🇹🇷🌍 Turkey engagements in Africa

When we talk about foreign powers that are highly interested in Africa we always remember China, US, Russia, France, UK. And yes, these countries have a lot of projects on the continent. However in this list of countries Turkey, which also has huge ambitions and interest in Africa, is often overlooked. Why's that? Before we answer this question we should have a brief insight in the history of Turkey-Africa relations.

🔻Engagements between Turkey and Africa date back to the Ottoman Empire period when most of the North Africa was conquered by it and Ottomans had an influence in Arab world overall.

However, after the World War I the Empire has fallen. Newly established Republic of Turkey throughout the whole 20th century had a western-oriented foreign policy and distanced itself from the non-aligned movement and from Africa.

▪️The year 2005 breathed a new life into Turkey-Africa relations when government of the Republic declared "The Year of Africa" (interestingly, a year before China did the same). 2005 started a period when Turkey implemented African Initiative Policies and wanted to, let's call it, "reintroduce itself to the continent".

After Erdogan took power in 2014, the Republic aimed to strengthen its institutions and partnership in Africa throughout Africa Partnership Policies. In fact, during his tenure, as his ambitions grew larger and larger, we see the increased interest in Africa, especially in it Northern regions, but more on this later.

▪️Yet still the question arises, why does Turkey need Africa? Well, for the same reason as any other nation that wants to realize foreign policy ambitions: resources, seeking influence and support for projects and ideas in international relations (especially in organizations like the UN and G20), gaining strategic foothold to expand influence into MENA region, etc. And also to counter the influence of other major nations like the US, Russia, China, France, UK.

🔻How's Turkey doing right now in Africa?

The answer is not simple. As of now, Turkey interacts much more with the Northern Africa. The trade, official development assistance, military cooperation, foreign direct investment are all bigger with the countries of North Africa, since the region was Ottoman's sphere of influence thus share close historical proximity with Turkey.

In Sub-Saharan Africa Turkey mostly engage with Somalia, Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast.

▪️Nevertheless,Turkish development and humanitarian aid, trade, military cooperation, towards Africa are modest compared to other foreign actors on the continent.

There are not so many major projects, and still part of them haven't been realized, some of them are still in talks and some of them are stuck in limbo (for example, the construction of International airport in Khartoum, Sudan, was postponed multiple times and still haven't begun).

The humanitarian aid to Somalia, for example, is big. Yet it is outshined by the USA. Africa like Turkish military industry and its inventions (like Bayraktar TB-2 drones, that are quite popular in Africa), and still Turkey currently shares only 0.5% of Africa’s total arms imports from outside the continent.

Trade, development aid, major and small projects are largely outshined by China. The list goes on.

🔻Part 2

High-res

#Turkey #Africa #map

@africaintel