Vote counting continues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after episodes of irregularity reported in the general elections held on Dec. 20. As the country awaits the announcement of the first preliminary results later the day amid visible tensions, Moise Katumbi, one of the main opposition candidates in the presidential race, has said on Saturday that the elections on Dec. 20 should be “annulled” because of “massive fraud”. EPISODES OF IRREGULARITY Some 44 million voters in the DRC…

At least 16 people were killed in an attack by suspected gunmen in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, local officials have said. Oya James, spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, a military-led multi-security taskforce in Plateau, told reporters in Jos, the state capital, on Sunday that the attack occurred in Mushu, a village in the Bokkos local government area, late Saturday. The villagers were asleep when the gunmen entered the neighborhood, shooting indiscriminately and destroying property, James said. He said the motive…

At least 70 Palestinians were killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, reported the state-run Palestine TV. Ashraf Al-Qedra, spokesman for the Gaza-based Health Ministry, said in a statement that the death toll is likely to rise as the airstrike hit a crowded residential area. He added that Israeli forces are bombing the central region’s main roads between camps, which obstructs ambulances and civil vehicles from reaching targeted locations. Local…

“MY LIFE SPED UP” Mu Zhen, Wawan’s driving practice mentor, is the Chinese train driver for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, which links Indonesia’s capital with its fourth-largest city.In an operation simulator, Mu told Wawan to ease as the Indonesian driver’s right hand tightly gripped the speed control handle. “Tension may lead to misoperation as the handle has high sensitivity,” Mu detailed the reason and guided Wawan to try again. “I am excited to mentor Indonesian train drivers and happy to…

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) — China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has boosted infrastructure connectivity and integration across Africa, a senior African Union (AU)official has said. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Initiative. “In those ten years, when we look at the landscape of Africa, we find very concrete evidence of the BRI,” said Albert Muchanga, AU commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals. “You have got transportation networks, communication networks,…

JERUSALEM, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian group ruling the Gaza Strip, launched a massive surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, which included firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating militants into southern Israel. In response, the Israeli military conducted tens of airstrikes targeting Hamas sites and headquarters in the coastal enclave. The new round of conflict has led to hundreds of people killed on both sides, with thousands injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the country “at…

GAZA/JERUSALEM, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) —  Israel’s cabinet declared a “state of war” on Sunday after a massive surprise attack launched by Hamas has so far killed at least 700 in Israel while retaliatory Israeli airstrikes killed at least 413 in Gaza. The Israeli army continued its extensive airstrikes on targets in Gaza on Sunday as Hamas militants are fighting with Israeli soldiers on Israeli territories. Hamas militants remained in control of several communities in southern Israel on Sunday evening, as the Israel…

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — This week’s unprecedented ouster of the U.S. House Speaker has pushed U.S. party infighting to a climax, the fallout of which will undoubtedly complicate the trajectory of the U.S. House and potentially shape the country’s wider political landscape, already mired in partisan wrestling. Experts have said that the ouster could also disrupt the 2024 presidential elections, besides disrupting the legislative process. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was booted out of his position by lawmakers on Tuesday,…

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — The East African Community (EAC), in partnership with the European Union (EU), has launched a 40-million-euro regional program aimed at unlocking the full potential of agribusinesses within the regional bloc, the EAC said in a statement. The statement, issued Wednesday by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha, said that the EAC and the EU formally launched the second phase of the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Program (MARKUP II) Tuesday. Implemented…

MOGADISHU, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) — The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) has endorsed a request by Somalia for a three-month pause in the withdrawal of 3,000 troops stationed in the country, the AU mission said on Thursday. The PSC, which is the standing decision-making organ of the AU for the prevention, management, and resolution of conflicts, also welcomed the commitment by troop-contributing countries (TCCs) of Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi, Djibouti, and Uganda to work with Somalia…