Rorisang Modiba delivers daily updates from around the world.
Rwanda – Despite being Africa’s wealthiest man, Nigerian-born Aliko Dangote faces major travel problems around the continent. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, he talked about his frustration about needing 35 different visas for his travels. His comments highlighted a bigger issue of travel in Africa, especially since European passports offer more visa-free access in Africa. Dangote pointed out that Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of Total Energies, can travel more freely in Africa with a French passport. While Rwanda, Benin, The Gambia, and Seychelles have eliminated visas for African nationals, many African countries still require visas from other Africans.
Egypt – Egyptian intelligence secretly changed the terms of a ceasefire proposal that Israel had agreed to, ending a potential deal that could have freed Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and temporarily end fighting in Gaza. On 6 May Hamas announced a ceasefire agreement, but it was not the one Qataris or Americans thought was submitted for Hamas’s final review, sources said.
New York – Donald Trump made a bold move by holding a rally in New York City’s South Bronx, one of the poorest, most diverse, and Democratic Party areas in the country. In a neighbourhood where 95% of the population is black or Hispanic and 35% live below the poverty line, Trump declared his rally a “lovefest” despite the potentially angry environment. The rally took place near the district of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a district critical of Trump. Despite the location, Trump confidently said it was his return to the city where he grew up.
Kenya – Experienced Kenyan mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui died on Wednesday while attempting to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. His body was found 20 metres from the top, according to Nepal’s Department of Tourism. Kirui, a 40-year-old banker from Nairobi, and his 44-year-old Nepali guide Nawang Sherpa, went missing earlier that day after losing radio contact. While Kirui’s body was discovered at an altitude of about 28,970 feet, rescuers are still searching for Sherpa. KCB Bank, Kirui’s employer, praised him as “a passionate athlete and mountaineer” and said he was the second Kenyan to climb Everest.
Pictured above: Aliko Dangote.
Image source: Instagram
