Afreximbank reports robust interim financial results for the first half of the year

Israel is reportedly considering annexing parts of the occupied West Bank in response to several Western countries' plans to recognize a Palestinian state. This move could escalate tensions in the region.

In Africa, the state oil company NNPC awarded two offshore oil blocks to TotalEnergies. Meanwhile, the African Export-Import Bank's total assets and contingencies rose by 22% year-on-year to $42.2 billion in the first half of 2025. The trade between India and Africa also reached a new record of $100 billion in 2024-25.

The UN declared famine in Sudan last year, with more than 25 million people facing extreme hunger. Humanitarian agencies have been prevented by the belligerents from providing aid in Sudan, where both warring parties have been accused of mass human rights abuses, with the death toll likely surpassing 400,000.

In Europe, several governments are considering reviving peat wetlands along their Russian borders as a defense against possible invasion and as a carbon sink. This move is not unique to Europe, as Finland and Poland are also considering peat bog revival.

Nigeria has faced some international scrutiny, with a UN panel stating that four international oil companies breached human rights obligations by selling their assets in Nigeria without following a human rights-based approach and against international law obligations.

The US faced legal setbacks in its efforts to deport undocumented migrants, with a federal judge blocking White House plans to return Guatemalan children to their home country. In a separate incident, a US federal appeals court ruled that sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump were illegal, but did not immediately lift the duties.

Elsewhere, Indonesia was engulfed by widespread protests driven by economic discontent and opposition to police brutality, marking the greatest challenge yet to President Prabowo Subianto's government. Thailand's constitutional court sacked the country's prime minister, throwing the country into renewed political turmoil.

In the world of science, Chinese scientists turned succulents into glow-in-the-dark, rechargeable lights that shine in a variety of colors. Researchers also used artificial intelligence to spot hidden signs of consciousness in comatose patients long before they were noticed by doctors.

At the global stage, China this weekend kicked off a days-long show of diplomatic and military force when it hosted an array of world leaders, most of whom are opposed to Western hegemony. The summit offers a chance for Xi to "further his image as leader of a new global world order."

Lastly, in the field of medicine, a study found that young children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are being prescribed drugs too readily. Contrasting findings were reported in two major studies about the impacts of beta blockers for heart attack patients, with one showing a notable 15% reduction in deaths and major cardiovascular events, while another found no impact. However, both studies found benefit for patients with impaired heart function.

Journalist Alexander Onukwue continues to cover news in Africa, with Jeronimo Gonzalez reporting on a landslide in western Sudan that killed at least 1,000 people. George Elombi, the President of Afreximbank, was appointed and will begin his five-year term this month. London-listed mining company Glencore is planning job cuts at its ferrochrome and vanadium plants in South Africa.

In international politics, the displays of warmth and laughter between the leaders of India, China, and Russia in Tianjin underscored how much US President Donald Trump has shaken up global diplomacy. The US military killed 11 people in a strike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, allegedly carrying illegal narcotics. China on Sunday welcomed more than a dozen world leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and India's Narendra Modi, for a summit aimed at countering a Western-led world order.

Lastly, an airplane carrying the European Commission president was the target of a suspected Russian interference operation, with the disruption believed to be the result of "blatant interference by Russia." The rising cost of food has hit African countries harder than many other regions globally, according to a new UN report. The earthquake that struck near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border resulted in more than 800 deaths, with rural Afghanistan's homes often made from mud and stone easily damaged.

Afreximbank reports robust interim financial results for the first half of the year