Congolese military intelligence frees Kenya Airways staff it had detained in Kinshasa
Congo’s military intelligence detained two of the airline’s staff on April 19, allegedly because of missing customs documentation on some valuable cargo. The company said it had not taken possession of the cargo because the shipper’s paperwork was incomplete.
Hamas says it accepted Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal Israel rejected and vowed to go on with attacks
President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu and reiterated US concerns about an invasion of Rafah. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said American officials were reviewing the Hamas response “and discussing it with our partners in the region.”
Kenya private sector activity steadies in April as inflation continues to dip – PMI data
Kenya’s inflation rate fell for the third month in a row in April to 5.0 per cent year-on-year from 5.7 per cent in March, data from the statistics office showed.
Judge fines Trump $1,000 for contempt of court, warns he risks jail if breaks gag order again
Justice Juan Merchan said the nine $1,000 fines he had imposed so far did not seem to be deterring the wealthy business mogul from violating the order, which bars him from making public comments about jurors, witnesses and families of the judge and prosecutors if the statements are meant to interfere with the case.
Kenya’s prime cabinet secretary in protocol crosshairs again as he’s perceived to be kowtowing to junior minister
Since his appointment to the strategic position in government nearly two years ago, Mudavadi has had a few run-ins in the executive with his peers who are reportedly determined to whittle down his clout in the presidency. The row after the Monday meeting is the third time prime cabinet secretary is a having a bad run with his colleagues in government.
Israel vows military operation in ‘very near future’ after Hamas rejected latest ceasefire offer in Cairo talks
Israel didn’t send a delegation to the latest talks. Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation went for discussions in Qatar, where the group has a political office, and will return to Cairo for further negotiations on Tuesday.
Trump labels Biden’s government a ‘Gestapo’ administration’ that’s clipping his wings
The Gestapo was the secret police force of the Third Reich that squelched political opposition generally and, specifically, targeted Jewish people for arrest during the Holocaust. Trump’s unfounded comparison to Nazi-era tactics comes as he denies and tries to deflect from the charges against him – most notably his effort to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory, before a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
South Sudan bows to pressure, waives new taxes that led to suspension of UN food airdrops
An estimated nine million people out of 12.5 million people in South Sudan need protection and humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. The country has also seen an increase in the number of people fleeing the war in neighbouring Sudan between the rival military and paramilitary forces, further complicating humanitarian assistance to those affected by the internal conflict.
Power blackouts hit Tanzania as Cyclone Hidaya intensifies towards the country’s coastline
Heavy rainfall and strong winds have been reported in the coastal areas of Mtwara and Lindi, with forecasts saying that Tanzania’s commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, may be affected.
Eight national army soldiers sentenced to death for cowardice by Congolese martial court
The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 200 armed groups fighting in the region, most for land and control of mines with valuable minerals.
