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Democratic Republic of Congo confirms 26 candidates for December election

(Reuters) – The Democratic Republic of Congo has officially registered 26 presidential candidates for a Dec. 20 election, a final list from the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) shows. Old rivals, first-time contenders, and previously sidelined presidential hopefuls are among those running against President Felix Tshisekedi, creating a crowded field which some believe could split …

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U.S.-Africa trade programme must be more than ‘symbolic’ -U.S. trade chief

By Joe Bavier JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -The United States is looking for a “more useful and effective” trade programme with Africa, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Saturday, as talks are underway to update a two decade-old duty free initiative. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants exports from qualifying countries duty-free access …

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Blinken to hear call for Gaza ceasefire from regional ministers in Jordan on Saturday

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hear demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza when he meets Middle East foreign ministers in Jordan on Saturday, Jordan’s foreign ministry said. Saudi, Qatari, Emirati, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers as well as Palestinian representatives will stress the “Arab stance calling for …

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Cricket-Struggling Bavuma backs himself to flourish for South Africa at World Cup

(Reuters) – South Africa’s Temba Bavuma has not been among the runs at the World Cup but the skipper was confident he would be back in form for the high-flying Proteas as they prepare to take on hosts and table toppers India on Sunday. While fellow opener Quinton de Kock tops the batting charts with …

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Migrants say ‘Spain or death’ as Senegalese navy tackles sea crossings

By Ngouda Dione THE WALO, Senegalese waters (Reuters) – After a fruitless 10-hour search in stomach-churning waves, the Senegalese navy patrol boat Walo had started its long journey back to port on Thursday evening when its radar picked up a neon blip – another vessel was moving fast through the dark seas. Its high nighttime …

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Fitch downgrades Egypt one notch deeper into junk territory

(Reuters) -Ratings agency Fitch downgraded Egypt’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating (IDR) to ‘B-‘ from ‘B’, citing increased financial risks and higher government debt. The downgrade reflects increased risks to Egypt’s external financing, macroeconomic stability and the trajectory of already-high government debt, the rating agency said. Recovery in Egypt’s key tourism industry, which had been …

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Stocks jump, dollar and yields drop after US jobs market softens

By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) – Global stock indexes rose sharply, the U.S. dollar dropped to a six-week low and benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields fell to five-week lows on Friday after data showed U.S. job growth slowed more than expected in October. The job growth slowdown underscored views that the Federal Reserve may …

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Oil settles down, posts weekly loss as geopolitical risk premium ebbs

By Laura Sanicola (Reuters) – Oil prices settled more than 2% lower on Friday as supply concerns driven by Middle East tensions eased, while jobs data raised expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve could be done hiking interest rates in the biggest oil consuming economy. Brent crude futures were down $1.92, or 2.3%, to $84.89 a …

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US dollar tumbles to six-week low after soft jobs data

By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK (Reuters) – The dollar fell to a six-week low on Friday after data showed the world’s largest economy created fewer jobs than expected last month, reinforcing expectations the Federal Reserve is likely to hold interest rates steady again at its December meeting. The dollar index, a gauge of the greenback’s …

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Biden wants to improve U.S.-Africa trade programme, not just renew it – Blinken

By Joe Bavier, Nellie Peyton and Bhargav Acharya JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -President Joe Biden’s administration wants to work with Congress to improve the United States’ flagship trade programme with Africa, not just renew it without changes, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. First launched in 2000, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) …

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