Russian strikes leave thousands without power as Ukraine ceasefire ends
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity as a local ceasefire in the southern Kherson region came to an end.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said strikes overnight on Saturday hit energy facilities in four regions, triggering emergency power cuts across the country. Although electricity was restored to many households, more than 60,000 people in Dnipropetrovsk remained without power by Sunday evening.
The ceasefire had allowed civilians to evacuate the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, but fighting continued elsewhere. A separate Russian strike in the Vinnytsia region killed two people, including a 13-year-old girl, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.
Zelensky described the intensity of Russian attacks over the past week as extremely high and renewed calls for Patriot air defence missiles from the United States and European partners. Ukraine also said it had struck a major missile fuel producer in Russia’s Rostov region, damaging four production facilities.
Israeli strikes kill eight in Gaza despite ceasefire
At least eight Palestinians, including a four-year-old child, have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, according to hospital officials, despite a ceasefire that came into effect in October last year.
Three people died in a missile strike near Cairo School in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighbourhood, while five others were killed in a drone attack targeting police officers in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, the Hamas-run health and interior ministries said.
The Israeli military confirmed carrying out two attacks on what it described as military operatives but did not provide further details. The strikes add to continued violence since the ceasefire, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting 1,580 deaths during that period.
The ceasefire had secured the release of thousands of Palestinians held by Israel in exchange for the remaining 48 hostages in Gaza and an agreement to end the war. However, a US-brokered peace plan has stalled, while attacks have continued across the territory.
Florida jet crash kills nine aboard aircraft
Nine people have been killed after a business jet crashed in a residential neighbourhood in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday, according to US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy.
The Learjet 60 crashed near Cresthaven, about 14 kilometres from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, at around 12:50 local time. Images from the scene showed a large crater in a residential road, with burning debris scattered across the area.
The aircraft had departed from Austin, Texas, and was travelling to the Bahamas, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The circumstances surrounding the crash have not been established.
Duffy described the incident as a horrific tragedy and said the FAA would send a team to support an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The crash is expected to be examined for possible mechanical, operational and other contributing factors.
US judge dismisses Trump’s $10bn lawsuit against Wall Street Journal
A US federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and its parent company, Dow Jones, over a report linking him to a birthday letter for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump’s legal team had failed to show that the newspaper published the report with actual malice, a requirement in defamation cases involving public figures. He described the lawsuit as “grasping at straws” and dismissed it with prejudice, preventing it from being filed again.
The dispute centred on a report about a letter allegedly bearing Trump’s signature in a birthday book prepared for Epstein in 2003. The letter contained suggestive language and a drawing of a woman’s body. Trump has denied writing or signing it and accused the newspaper of defamation.
The ruling is a setback for Trump’s effort to pursue damages from the publication, which he had accused of deliberately damaging his reputation. Gayles said the newspaper had conducted a detailed investigation and that Trump had not established that its reporting was knowingly false or published with reckless disregard for the truth.
Trump says US and Canada have framework for trade deal
Donald Trump, US President, has said Washington and Ottawa have developed the concept of a new trade deal, following recent discussions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Speaking to reporters in Iowa on Sunday, Trump said the proposed agreement would benefit American farmers and the wider US economy, but declined to provide details about its terms or timeline.
Trump said he had spoken with Carney about trade in recent days, including on Saturday. The comments suggest renewed engagement between the two governments as they seek to address trade tensions.
Neither government has released details of the proposed arrangement or confirmed whether formal negotiations have begun. Any agreement would have implications for businesses and industries that rely on cross border trade between the two countries.
Ethiopia puts cabinet ministers through military training
Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister has subjected cabinet ministers and senior government officials to military training, saying lessons from the armed forces could strengthen leadership, discipline and national development.
Photographs shared by Abiy showed him participating in exercises alongside ministers, deputy ministers and heads of government institutions at the Hurso military training centre. Those involved included Finance Minister Fitsum Assefa, Health Minister Mekdes Daba and Speaker of the House of Federation Muferiat Kamil.
Abiy said military institutions could teach public officials patriotism, teamwork, accountability and a stronger sense of responsibility. He argued that combining military and civilian disciplines would help develop leaders capable of achieving the country’s development ambitions.
The exercise comes as Ethiopia faces several security challenges, including conflict in Tigray, Amhara and Oromia, alongside rising tensions with neighbouring Eritrea. The government has not disclosed when the training began or how long it will last.
Ebola death toll exceeds 5,000 in DR Congo outbreak
More than 5,000 people have died in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it the deadliest recorded in the country, according to government data.
The health ministry reported more than 10,300 confirmed cases across eight of the country’s 26 provinces, with the outbreak recording a fatality rate of 48.6 percent. The epidemic began in May, with Ituri province in the conflict affected northeast remaining its epicentre.
The outbreak has been difficult to contain because insecurity limits access to affected communities. Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, raising concerns about further regional spread.
The World Health Organisation has called for expanded testing, treatment, community outreach and access to affected areas. The current outbreak has surpassed Congo’s previous deadliest, which killed 2,299 people between 2018 and 2020, although the West African epidemic of 2014 to 2016 remains the world’s deadliest, with more than 11,325 deaths.
UN peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara enters final phase
The United Nations is ending its 35 year peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara after the Security Council failed to renew its mandate, UN Secretary General António Guterres said.
The mission, known as MINURSO, was established in 1991 following a ceasefire between Morocco and the Algeria backed Polisario Front. The front has campaigned for an independent state since Spain ended its colonial rule over the territory in 1976.
Guterres said the mission would enter its liquidation phase on November 1, with equipment and other assets returned to countries that contributed personnel.
Morocco welcomed the decision, while the Polisario Front expressed concern over the development.
The move follows a Security Council resolution adopted a year earlier that described Morocco’s proposal for autonomy under its sovereignty as the most feasible solution to the dispute. The end of the mission leaves the long running territorial conflict without the peacekeeping presence that has monitored the ceasefire for more than three decades.
Ghana secures Russian backing for proposed 2,000MW nuclear plant
Ghana has secured an agreement with Russia to cooperate on developing a proposed 2,000 megawatt nuclear power plant as the West African country seeks to strengthen electricity supply and support industrial growth.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the agreement following talks at the Russia Africa Summit. Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, had earlier said it was discussing large scale nuclear projects with four African countries, including Ghana.
The two countries also agreed to deepen defence cooperation through a new pact covering military assets. Ablakwa said Russian President Vladimir Putin had ruled out the participation of Ghanaians in the war in Ukraine, including through irregular recruitment or voluntary enlistment.
Other commitments include support for Ghana’s agricultural sector and increased scholarships for Ghanaian students in Russia.
The proposed nuclear project forms part of wider efforts by African governments to secure reliable electricity supplies for industrialisation, although financing, construction timelines and regulatory requirements remain important considerations.
Africa Energy Bank formally established with $5bn capital
The African Export-Import Bank and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation have formally established the Africa Energy Bank, a $5 billion institution designed to finance oil and gas projects across the continent.
The bank was established at its inaugural general meeting in Abuja, where Helmy Ghazi was appointed its first president and an initial board of directors was constituted. It will provide financing across the energy value chain, including exploration, production, refining and distribution.
Afreximbank said the institution was created to address a funding gap as traditional international lenders reduce financing for fossil fuel projects, despite the continued importance of oil and gas to African economies. The continent’s energy investment needs are estimated at $200 billion.
The bank is expected to support projects that struggle to secure funding from conventional lenders, with an earlier Reuters report indicating plans to build an asset base of $120 billion. South Africa had also expressed interest in joining the institution despite not being a member of APPO.
Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
