📌 Major World Events by Evening of April 21

▪️Russia will analyze proposals for a moratorium on strikes against civilian infrastructure and will respond, Putin stated;

▪️The leaders of Western countries planning to visit Russia on May 9 have much more courage than those threatening them, noted Putin;

▪️World leaders and politicians are expressing condolences over the death of Pope Francis. The Russian president remarked that the pontiff contributed to strengthening ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church;

▪️The conclave to elect a new Pope may convene within 15 to 30 days, Catholic Bishop Dubinin told Sputnik;

▪️Increased import tariffs in the US could lead to a shortage of affordable generic drugs and problems in the American healthcare system, reported the Financial Times;

▪️Putin signed a law ratifying the strategic partnership agreement with Iran;

▪️Elon Musk is prepared to leave the US administration as he is tired of attacks from leftist politicians, according to the Washington Post;

▪️Over the 12 years of Telegram's existence, not a single byte of private correspondence has been disclosed, said Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging app.

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No Sight, All Vision: South African Visually Impaired Coach Empowers Women Through Football

⚽️ Driven by the pressing issues of teenage pregnancy, crime, drug abuse, and gender violence, Dumisani Ntombela felt compelled to create a women's football team in the heart of Vosloorus township.

🎤 In an interview with Sputnik Africa, he shared that he saw not just a lack of opportunities but a deep need for purpose and belonging. Through soccer, he gives these women more than a sport—he gives them hope.

Born sighted but blinded by cancer as an infant, Dumisani faced discrimination and isolation. Financial challenges have threatened to shut down his dream, but Dumisani holds on.

He dreams of his club, Silver Spears Ladies, reaching the national league, building an academy, and producing international stars.

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Russia to Help Senegal Develop Agriculture: Adviser to Senegalese Prime Minister

Senegalese agriculture advisor Modou Gueye Seck outlined Russia's support for Senegal's agricultural sector:

🟠 Supplying seed batches
🟠 Assisting with organic fertilizer implementation
🟠 Training specialized personnel

Key cooperation areas include:

🟠 Creating a Senegalese seed bank (led by the Senegalese Institute for Agricultural Research)
🟠 Assisting with wheat cultivation
🟠 Producing organic fertilizers
🟠 Training specialists

Russia views Senegal as a strategic partner in Africa, Alexander Biryukov, Vice President of the International Organization of Eurasian Cooperation (MOES), told Russian media.

The MOES is focusing on:

🟠 Seed fund creation;
🟠 Organic fertilizer production;
🟠 Training Senegalese specialists in Russia.

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AES Gains Momentum: Security, Cooperation & Cultural Identity

Following Niger's entry into the AES, the rating agency S&P noted improvements in the country's economy. Here are the key areas of development the confederation is focusing its efforts on:

Security:

👉 AES Air Force Chiefs of Staff met in Bamako on April 13-17.

🗣Member states are pooling military resources for increased effectiveness, Agali Welé, Vice President of the Mali Recovery and Development Bloc, told Sputnik.

Fight against terrorism:

👉 Meetings on the matter took place in Burkina Faso and Mali on April 15.

The discussions were about:
🟠Military operations reviews;
🟠Future operations planning;
🟠Nigerien army reported successful actions against terrorism in the Diffa region.

International cooperation:

👉AES foreign ministers and their Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov held talks in Moscow on April 3;

🇷🇺 Lavrov assured Russia's support in defense, security, economic and diplomatic matters.

Promotion of national cultures:

🟠Renaming streets: Replacing colonial-era figures with national heroes.
🟠National languages promoted: Hausa is now Niger's national language, replacing French as the working language.

AES values:

🟠Burkina Faso is launching a national competition to compose the anthem of the Confederation;
🟠The AES flag was displayed internationally for the first time in Moscow on April 3.

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Top 10 African Countries by Coal Reserves in 2025

Coal remains a crucial driver of Africa’s energy and industrial future. According to Global Firepower, these are the leading African nations in coal reserves this year:

1️⃣South Africa: 9.893 billion m³ (14th globally) – Africa’s coal giant
2️⃣Nigeria: 2.144 billion m³ (32nd globally)
3️⃣Mozambique: 1.792 billion m³ (33rd)
4️⃣Botswana: 1.660 billion m³ (34th)
5️⃣Tanzania: 1.410 billion m³ (37th)
6️⃣DR Congo: 988 million m³ (44th)
7️⃣Zambia: 945 million m³ (45th)
8️⃣Uganda: 800 million m³ (48th)
9️⃣Zimbabwe: 502 million m³ (53rd)
🔟 Namibia: 350 million m³ (56th)

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Gold to the Rescue: How African Nations Are Banking on Bullion

As global financial uncertainty persists, several African countries have been turning to gold as a strategic tool—to stabilize currencies, build reserves, and shield their economies from volatility. With prices now surpassing $3,400 per troy ounce, their gold-focused policies are gaining even more relevance:

🟡Zimbabwe launched a gold-backed currency (ZiG) in April 2024 to fight hyperinflation and bring financial stability;

🟡Uganda plans to buy domestic gold from artisanal miners to boost its foreign exchange reserves and reduce reliance on volatile global markets;

🟡South Sudan aims to diversify reserves by adding gold, according to Central Bank Governor James Alic Garang;

🟡Madagascar’s central bank is investing in gold to offset falling vanilla exports and support the national currency;

🟡Tanzania began requiring miners and traders to sell 20% of their gold to the central bank, strengthening reserves;

🟡Nigeria is considering legislation to have 30% of reserves in gold, with the Central Bank becoming the main buyer.

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