External Source, Author at Africa News Matters

Germany split over Selmayr’s return to Brussels

External SourceOctober 23, 2025015 views

Divisive German civil servant Martin Selmayr should return to Brussels for the sake of the EU, a senior minister declared Wednesday — sparking an immediate rebuke from his own government.

Germany’s EU Affairs Minister Gunther Krichbaum told POLITICO he would “very much welcome” Selmayr returning to the fray in a senior role. The veteran political operator is considering taking a job working for Brussels’ top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, despite opposition from powerful factions in the European Commission and in national capitals.

“If we already have civil servants who are playing at Champions League level, we should deploy them in the right place,” said Krichbaum. “That’s also in Germany’s interest, and it would be good for Kaja Kallas if she had him as support.”

However, that is not the feeling elsewhere in Berlin.

A German government official told POLITICO that “this is not a position agreed by the German government. We will not endorse Mr. Selmayr.”

Selmayr was chief of staff to for..

General strike and protests paralyse Tunisia’s Gabes over pollution crisis

External SourceOctober 23, 2025049 views

A general strike and tens of thousands of protesters brought the southern Tunisian city of Gabes to a standstill on October 21, 2025, to back demands for the closure of a state chemical plant blamed for a pollution crisis. Over 200 people have been hospitalised in recent weeks for respiratory distress and gas poisoning, according to authorities and NGOs.

Ivory Coast: In Abidjan’s bustling neighbourhood of Abobo, ‘it’s Alassane or nothing’

External SourceOctober 23, 2025024 views

In President Alassane Ouattara’s stronghold of Abobo, a working-class commune in Abidjan’s north, the incumbent’s supporters are convinced that he will win Saturday’s presidential election in a first-round “knockout blow”. FRANCE 24 spoke to some of the president’s most ardent fans about what three terms of Ouattara have done for the neighbourhood.

Ukraine war briefing: Storm Shadow missiles ‘hit gunpowder plant in Russia’

External SourceOctober 22, 2025022 views

Russians confirm attack on Bryansk region home to explosives factory; Trump-Putin talks shelved, US diplomacy ‘going in circles’. What we know on day 1,337
Storm Shadow missiles struck a Russian chemical plant making gunpowder, explosives and rocket fuel in the Bryansk region, Ukraine’s military said late on Tuesday. The French-British missiles are also known as Scalp. “A massive combined missile and airstrike was carried out, including with air-launched Storm Shadow missiles that penetrated Russia’s air defence system,” said Ukraine’s armed forces general staff. Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk region, said on Tuesday afternoon that Ukraine attacked the region with drones and missiles. The Russian defence ministry also confirmed an attack.
Kyiv was under air attack on Tuesday night, with Russian missile attacks sparking fires and shattering windows in several districts, mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Emergency services were dispatched to several sites where the debris from the..

Albanese backs Rudd to keep role despite Trump criticism, saying ambassador ‘works his guts out’ in DC

External SourceOctober 22, 2025020 views

Donald Trump had told Kevin Rudd he ‘probably never will’ like him, prompting apology from ambassador
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Anthony Albanese has strongly backed Kevin Rudd to remain as US ambassador, saying he “works his guts out”, and downplayed an awkward interaction with Donald Trump during their White House meeting.
It came after a prominent Republican congressman addressed Rudd in a speech in Washington DC, jokingly telling him: “I’m glad you’re still gainfully employed.”
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US shelves plans for Trump-Putin talks in Budapest

External SourceOctober 22, 2025025 views

White House says there are now no plans for summit ‘in the immediate future’ as latest efforts to end Ukraine war falter
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Plans to hold a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest have been put on hold as Ukraine and its European allies rallied in pushing for a ceasefire without territorial concessions from Kyiv.
The White House said there were now “no plans” for the US president to meet his Russian counterpart “in the immediate future” as a round of diplomacy at the end of last week failed to yield any significant progress towards ending the war.
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Europe’s spies are learning to trust each other — thanks to Trump

External SourceOctober 22, 2025021 views

BRUSSELS — Intelligence agencies across Europe are burying decades of distrust and starting to build a shared intelligence operation to counter Russian aggression — a move accelerated by the new American capriciousness in supporting its traditional allies.

In the past year, many national capitals have embedded intelligence officials in their Brussels representation offices. The European Union’s in-house intelligence unit has started briefing top-level officials. And the bloc is toying with the idea to build up stronger, CIA-style powers — long considered unthinkable.

The push for deeper intelligence cooperation accelerated sharply after the Trump administration abruptly halted the sharing of battlefield intelligence with Kyiv last March.

Donald Trump “deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for bringing the services of Europe together,” said one Western intelligence official, who was granted anonymity to disclose details of how they cooperated with American counterparts.

POLITICO spoke with ..

Nigerian police clash with protesters demanding release of Nnamdi Kanu

External SourceOctober 22, 2025022 views

In Lagos, tensions have been boiling over as protesters demand the release of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu. Police used tear gas on demonstrators while there were also reports of gunshots being fired, with dozens arrested. Kanu, who is the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra group, is currently on trial on terrorism charges. His case has caused tension in southeastern Nigeria, where the Igbo ethnic group allege marginalisation by the Nigerian government.

How the Moroccan monarchy is trying to win back its estranged youth

External SourceOctober 22, 2025026 views

Morocco is among a string of countries in the Global South that recently experienced a wave of youth-led protests that brought digital dissent to the streets. After a royal cabinet meeting this Sunday, its government is attempting to appease the protesters – but will Gen Z be convinced?

Drone attack hits Khartoum airport area ahead of reopening

External SourceOctober 22, 2025021 views

In tonight’s edition, Khartoum’s International airport’s vicinity suffers a drone strike just one day before domestic flights were set to resume.

Also, the crisis at the phosphate processing plant in the Tunisian city of Gabes deepens as workers walk off the job.

And hundreds of Ivorians flee to Ghana, fearing potential unrest just days ahead of a critical election.