As we wrap up the week, and the mpox continues to spread in parts of Africa, here are the top stories from the continent.
Chidinma Adetsina has been crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, marking a new chapter in her journey. In China, President Tinubu met with Xi Jinping, fostering international ties.
Meanwhile, tragedy struck Uganda as an athlete was hospitalized after being set on fire by her boyfriend. Both Ghana and Nigeria endured painful defeats as they kicked off their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaigns. Lastly, the DRC is expecting its first delivery of Mpox vaccine doses this week.
CHIDINMA ADETSINA WINS MISS UNIVERSE NIGERIA
A former Miss South Africa contestant, Chidinma Adetshina, has been crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2024.
The 23-year-old model and beauty queen emerged as the winner over 24 other contestants at the Miss Universe Nigeria finale, which took place at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Saturday, August 31, 2024.
On Saturday, November 16, she will represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe competition in Mexico.
Born to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother, Chidinma recently pulled out of the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant after facing criticism over her nationality.
TINUBU IN CHINA MEETS XI JINPING
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu shared details of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, highlighting plans for enhanced collaboration focused on mutual growth and regional stability.
The two met this week at the Great Hall in Central Beijing. Tinubu signed five memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Jinping on September 3 to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
They also oversaw the signing of agreements on peaceful nuclear energy cooperation and collaboration in human resource development under the Global Development Initiative.
Additional agreements include a memorandum on media exchange and collaboration, along with another between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
During his visit to China, Tinubu will also attend the 2024 China-Africa Cooperation Forum from September 4 to 6.
Tinubu stated that Nigeria-China ties have been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, emphasizing his administration’s economic reforms.
He also described himself as “a reformer with verifiable antecedents” and highlighted that Nigeria “holds great potential as the country with the largest population in Africa.”
”This is an important visit for Nigeria and the rest of Africa, as I arrive in my capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS. I thank you for the high-level of honour accorded to us,” Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, quoted Tinubu as saying.
BILL GATES ON WHY NIGERIA RECEIVES MORE FUNDS FROM HIS FOUNDATION
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, revealed that Nigeria receives the foundation’s largest funding allocation in Africa.
He shared this in an interview with journalists during the 2024 NutriVision Dialogue in Abuja on Tuesday.
Gates further explained this by highlighting the foundation’s significant investments in Africa, stating, “We spend a lot in Asia, but we spend even more in Africa. The country where we spend the most in Africa is Nigeria.
“That makes sense because of the population and the incredible needs that are here. That means that I’ve literally spent billions in Nigeria.
“I’m glad that things like the child mortality rate have come down, but we could do a lot better.”
Gates stressed that addressing global health disparities and eliminating diseases like measles, malaria, and polio are key goals for the foundation. He added that the foundation intends to boost its future investments, particularly in enhancing primary healthcare systems.
In addition to healthcare, he mentioned that the foundation heavily invests in agriculture, emphasizing that increasing agricultural output is vital for Nigeria’s economic growth.
“Our work is almost entirely focused on primary healthcare because the impact per dollar is dramatically greater than anywhere else,” he said.
SPORTYBET BECOMES “OFFICIAL BETTING PARTNER” OF LALIGA IN AFRICA
SportyBet and LALIGA have recently announced a groundbreaking multi-year partnership, making SportyBet the new “Official Betting Partner” of LALIGA across Africa.
The partnership will begin with a memorable launch event in Africa, featuring a globally recognized LALIGA football legend, marking the start of a collaboration set to transform the betting scene for millions of fans across the continent.
Some of LALIGA’s most notable ambassadors include football legends such as Frédéric Kanouté, David Villa, Luis Figo, Samuel Eto’o, Carles Puyol, and Iker Casillas, among others.
SportyBet will elevate the LALIGA betting experience with groundbreaking features and exclusive engagement options, while gaining significant brand visibility during match broadcasts. Additionally, SportyBet will offer fans exclusive access to LALIGA content, creating a more immersive and interactive experience through its platform and social media channels.
Moreover, SportyBet users will have the chance to enjoy exclusive experiences like VIP stadium tours, sideline access to player warm-ups, photos with football stars, and even post-match penalty kicks.
UGANDAN ATHLETE IN HOSPITAL AFTER BEING SET ON FIRE BY HER BOYFRIEND
Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei is in critical condition at a Kenyan hospital after allegedly being soaked in petrol and set on fire by her former boyfriend.
Cheptegei was attacked at her home in Western Kenya, where she had been training.
Her boyfriend was also injured in the incident, which police described as a domestic dispute.
Authorities are currently investigating.
GHANA AND NIGERIA BEGAN THEIR FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP MATCHES WITH PAINFUL DEFEATS
Ghana’s Black Princesses faced a 2-1 loss to Austria in their opening match of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Bogota, Colombia, on Monday night.
Despite a brilliant late goal from Stella Nyamekye, Ghana couldn’t overcome Austria, who took an early lead through Hannah Fankhauser in the 12th minute and later doubled their advantage with a 71st-minute penalty by Nicole Ojukwu.
Ghana will play Asian powerhouse Japan and CONCACAF champions Canada, now at a disadvantage in Group E, with both matches critical to their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, Nigeria faced Germany on Thursday, suffering a 3-1 defeat in their opening match.
129 KILLED IN ATTEMPTED PRISON BREAK
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo reported that at least 129 people were killed during an attempted escape from Makala prison in Kinshasa early Monday, but confirmed the situation is now under control.
Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo reported on Twitter (now X) that a fire broke out in the prison’s administrative building, food depots, and hospital, leaving 59 people injured.
Per the statement:
“On Monday, September 2, 2024, an escape attempt at Makala Central Prison caused loss of life and significant material damage.
On the instructions of the High Hierarchy, I have called a crisis meeting with the heads of the defense and security services.
The provisional toll is 129 dead, including 24 by gunfire, after warning, the other victims having died by jostling or suffocation. There are also 59 injured people taken into care by the Government, as well as some cases of women raped”.
A prison official confirmed that no inmates escaped, as those who attempted were killed, while the overcrowded facility, designed for 1,500, now holds over 12,000 people, according to Amnesty International.
MOZAMBIQUE GENERAL ELECTIONS SET FOR OCT. 9
Mozambique will hold general elections on October 9 to choose its new President, Parliament, and regional governments.
A total of 37 political parties and movements are competing for seats, but only four candidates are running for the presidency.
Over 17 million voters are registered for the October 9 general election, including more than 300,000 registered abroad.
The ruling Frelimo party, led by Daniel Chapo, is facing competition from Renamo, headed by Ossufo Momade, along with MDM and independent candidate Venancio Mondlane.
Officials have urged for a calm and peaceful campaign.
DRC EXPECTS FIRST DELIVERY OF MPOX VACCINE DOSES THIS WEEK
The head of Congo’s mpox outbreak response announced on Wednesday that the country will receive its first batch of mpox vaccines on Thursday, followed by another on Saturday.
Congo has been hit hard by the Mpox outbreak, becoming the epicenter of the virus, and has since struggled to control its spread due to a lack of vaccines, despite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a global health emergency last month.
Response chief Cris Kacita told Reuters that the first batch of vaccines will arrive on Sept 5, followed by a second on Sept 7.
“We’ll receive the first batch on Sept 5 and a second one on Sept 7.”
BOTSWANA GENERAL ELECTIONS TO TAKE PLACE ON OCTOBER 30
The Independent Electoral Commission of Botswana (IEC) recently announced that over a million voters are eligible for the upcoming October 2024 general elections.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi, running for a second five-year term, announced on television that October 30 and 31 will be public holidays to encourage voter turnout.
Parliament is set to be dissolved on September 5, with candidate names for both presidential and parliamentary elections due by the end of September and early October.
“A total of 1,037,684 eligible voters had registered to vote, which was 80 percent of the 1.3 million target set against the county’s 1.7 million voting population,” said Siamisang.
He reported that 2,520 registrations were denied due to issues like age eligibility and national identity card problems.
Botswana, a multi-party democracy, holds general elections every five years, with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in power since the country’s independence from Britain in 1966.
UGANDAN OPPOSITION LEADER BOBI WINE RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AFTER SUSTAINING INJURIES IN POLICE CLASH
Bobi Wine, Uganda’s opposition leader and critic of President Yoweri Museveni, was reportedly shot in the leg by police on Tuesday, but authorities insist he hurt himself while getting into his vehicle.
A post on Bobi Wine’s official Twitter (now X) account reported that the incident occurred in Bulindo, located in central Uganda.
“This evening as our President returned from Bulindo… where he had gone to check on one of our lawyers, Musisi George, the police and military… surrounded our vehicles and started firing live bullets, teargas canisters and other projectiles,” it said.
The statement mentioned that Wine is receiving care from a team of medical doctors and claimed the incident was another attempt on his life by the Museveni regime.
“In the process, our President #BobiWine who was clearly targeted was shot in the leg. He is currently being attended to by a team of medical doctors”.
“This is yet another attempt on the life of our President by the Museveni regime!” it concluded.
Police stated that officers tried to prevent Wine and his team from marching down a road, leading to an altercation in which Wine was injured. They added that an investigation would be conducted to determine the facts.
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