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The proposal for the European Union's new online child protection directive should be accepted as soon as possible and must become law at the earliest opportunity, urged the European Parliament on Tuesday by Henna Virkkunen. #BalkanNews #Explosives #HungarianElections (translated)

AFRICA DAILY REPORT — 26 SEPTEMBER 2026 Major developments reported during the previous 24 hours. 1. DR CONGO — Ebola outbreak expands to two additional health zones Importance: 10/10 (Critical) WHO reported that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has expanded to Bulu in Sud Ubangi and Dungu in Haut-Uélé, bringing the total to 63 affected health zones across seven provinces. As of 23 September, DRC had reported 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths; the geographic expansion increases cross-border transmission risk. Source: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON618 2. ETHIOPIA — Heavy fighting continues in the north Fighting involving federal and Tigrayan forces has intensified, disrupting communications and raising concerns that the renewed conflict could spread beyond Tigray. Ethiopia's president has also accused unspecified external actors of interference as the 2022 peace framework comes under severe strain. Source: https://www.africanews.com/2026/09/25/ethiopian-president-warns-of-interference-amid-renewed-tigray-fighting/ 3. SUDAN–CHAD — Sudanese refugee arrivals accelerate sharply Importance: 9/10 (Very High) UNHCR says more than 55,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to eastern Chad this year, with arrivals through Adré and Tiné recently rising to more than 400 people per day — around 20 times the rate seen during previous months. Funding remains far below requirements, increasing pressure on shelter, water and protection services. Source: https://www.unhcr.ca/news/unhcr-in-its-fourth-year-sudan-conflict-drives-new-displacement-into-chad-as-funding-falls-short/ 4. DR CONGO — At least 41 killed in Lake Tanganyika boat disaster Importance: 8.5/10 (Very High) At least 41 people died after a vessel carrying roughly 100 passengers and cargo capsized on Lake Tanganyika while travelling from Kigoma, Tanzania, toward Kalemie in DRC. Forty-nine people were reported rescued while search operations continued. Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/25/at-least-41-die-as-boat-capsizes-in-drcs-lake-tanganyika 5. ZIMBABWE–UNITED STATES — U.S. health funding set to end after talks collapse Importance: 8.5/10 (Very High) The United States is set to end health-programme funding for Zimbabwe at the end of September after negotiations over a new agreement failed, including disagreement over provisions concerning health data and biological samples. The change could affect HIV, tuberculosis and malaria programmes. Source: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-09-25/data-sharing-clause-derailed-u-s-zimbabwe-health-talks-now-all-funding-ends-this-month 6. SOUTH SUDAN — Kiir opens political dialogue ahead of December elections President Salva Kiir opened an inter-party dialogue in Juba after dissolving the transitional unity government. Elections are scheduled for 22 December and would be South Sudan's first national vote since independence, while opposition groups have raised concerns over the process, security and political conditions. Source: https://www.africanews.com/2026/09/25/south-sudan-kiir-opens-political-dialogue-ahead-of-december-elections/ 7. SENEGAL — First criminal charges filed over 2021–2024 political unrest Four people have become the first defendants charged in connection with violence during Senegal's political unrest between 2021 and 2024. The proceedings concern alleged unlawful confinement, abduction, torture and violence; the accused contest the allegations. Source: https://www.africanews.com/2026/09/25/senegal-lays-first-criminal-charges-over-political-unrest-between-2021-and-2024/ 8. ETHIOPIA–DJIBOUTI — $660 million petroleum pipeline announced Importance: 7.5/10 (High) Ethiopia, Djibouti and Dangote interests are backing a planned $660 million refined-petroleum pipeline. The 120-kilometre link between Damerjog port and Dewele is intended to lower logistics costs and strengthen fuel supply for landlocked Ethiopia. Source: https://www.africanews.com/2026/09/25/ethiopia-djibouti-and-dangote-to-build-660m-petroleum-pipeline/ 9. UGANDA–SOUTH SUDAN — New 400 kV cross-border electricity connection Importance: 7.5/10 (High) A planned Uganda–South Sudan power interconnection will establish roughly 299 kilometres of 400-kV double-circuit transmission infrastructure. The project is intended to connect South Sudan to the Eastern Africa Power Pool and create an export market for Uganda's surplus electricity. Source: https://www.ugandaradionetwork.net/story/new-400kv-cross-border-electricity-connection-to-serve-uganda-and-south-sudan 10. MOZAMBIQUE — Drug use rises as trafficking routes increasingly feed domestic consumption Importance: 7/10 (High) Mozambican officials say the country is increasingly becoming a consumer market as well as a transit route for illicit drugs. Government figures show drug-related hospital admissions rose 38% last year to more than 32,280, while authorities report growing concern about methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl flows. Source: https://www.africanews.com/2026/09/25/mozambique-faces-rising-drug-use-as-trafficking-routes-fuel-local-addiction/ #Africa #AfricaNews #TopNewsOfAfrica #DRCongo #Ebola #EbolaOutbreak #BundibugyoEbola #PublicHealth #HealthEmergency #WHO #CentralAfrica #Ethiopia #Djibouti #EthiopiaDjibouti #PetroleumPipeline #EnergyInfrastructure #FuelSecurity #Logistics #RegionalTrade #AfricanEconomy #Dangote #Tigray #NorthernEthiopia #EthiopiaConflict #ArmedConflict #SecurityCrisis #HornOfAfrica #RegionalSecurity #AfricanSecurity #Geopolitics #CrossBorderTrade #EnergySecurity #AfricaToday #wrldorg

AFRICA DAILY REPORT — 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 Key developments reported during the previous 24 hours 1. ETHIOPIA — Seven armed opposition groups form a new anti-government alliance — 10/10 (Critical) Seven Ethiopian armed groups, including factions from Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz, announced the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival. The coalition brings together groups that previously fought on opposing sides, including the TPLF and Amhara Fano elements. Its stated aim is to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government. The development is particularly significant amid renewed clashes and tensions around the 2022 Pretoria peace framework. Sources: Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/seven-ethiopian-armed-groups-announce-anti-government-alliance-2026-09-21/ AP: https://apnews.com/article/d348643aa604ebc074d8aade25c97efe 2. MALI — Sources say more than 100 soldiers were killed in JNIM's Dioura attack — 10/10 (Critical) Reuters reports that the September 10 assault by al-Qaeda-linked JNIM on the Dioura military camp killed more than 100 Malian soldiers, substantially above earlier reported figures. Sources cited estimates of roughly 120–130 soldiers killed and more than 100 captured. JNIM has also maintained pressure around Sévaré and Konna, underscoring the deteriorating security position of Mali's military government and its Russian Africa Corps partners. Source: Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/al-qaeda-linked-militants-kill-more-than-100-malian-soldiers-attack-this-month-2026-09-21/ 3. DR CONGO — Amnesty accuses M23 of abuses and mineral trafficking at rebel-controlled mines — 9.5/10 (Very High) Amnesty International says M23 fighters committed abuses including torture, forced labour and killings at artisanal mining sites in eastern DRC and trafficked gold and coltan through Rwanda. The allegations are strategically important because control of mineral production and trade is central to the economics of the eastern Congo conflict. M23 and Rwanda had not responded to the allegations in the reports reviewed. Sources: AP: https://apnews.com/article/5b3ab989adbac990144fed20ca0a5c5e Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/09/drc-m23-fighters-abused-miners-and-trafficked-gold-and-coltan-to-rwanda/ 4. NIGERIA — Survivors describe circumstances surrounding deaths of 37 detainees in Minna — 9/10 (Very High) Reuters interviewed survivors of the detention incident in Niger State in which 37 detainees, many reportedly teenage artisanal gold miners, died after being held in an overcrowded cell. Survivors alleged that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside before detainees developed breathing difficulties and began collapsing. Authorities have not established the cause of death. President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation and officials have been suspended. Source: Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/one-after-another-they-started-dying-survivors-recount-deaths-detention-nigeria-2026-09-22/ 5. DR CONGO — Ebola crisis remains a major health emergency as vaccination research expands — 9/10 (Very High) Health authorities are expanding vaccination efforts while research continues into protection against the Bundibugyo strain driving the current outbreak. WHO has reported some progress in the response, but the epidemic remains far from over. CARE warned on September 21 that the Ebola emergency is intersecting with humanitarian pressures and the threat of El Niño-related disruption. Sources: WHO: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON617 CARE: https://www.care.org/media-and-press/as-ebola-spreads-and-el-nino-looms-urgent-investment-is-needed-in-the-drc/ 6. SUDAN — US diplomatic push for a permanent settlement intensifies at UN meetings — 8.5/10 (Very High) Senior US presidential adviser Massad Boulos held talks in New York with Sudanese and Egyptian foreign ministers as diplomatic efforts continue to seek a permanent settlement to Sudan's war. The discussions come amid the UN General Assembly and renewed international attention to Sudan's territorial integrity, humanitarian emergency and the need for a negotiated settlement. Source: Sudan Tribune: https://sudantribune.com/article/319088 7. SUDAN — Another deadly gold-mine collapse highlights wartime mining risks — 8/10 (High) At least 11 miners were reported killed and around 30 injured after a mine shaft collapsed in northeastern Sudan. It was the second major informal-mine disaster reported within a week. Sudan's largely informal gold sector suffers from weak safety regulation, while gold production and smuggling also intersect with the financing of armed actors in the country's civil war. Source: AP: https://apnews.com/article/cc669999ff89b8eb6aca66540100ec97 8. AFRICAN UNION / UNITED NATIONS — Africa pushes institutional reform and greater representation at UNGA — 8/10 (High) African leaders enter UN General Assembly high-level week with institutional reform high on the agenda, including demands for greater African representation in global governance. AU and UN leaders also discussed debt sustainability, critical-mineral value chains, peace and security mechanisms, and conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Libya, the Sahel and DRC. Sources: Africanews: https://www.africanews.com/2026/09/22/african-union-to-push-for-bigger-voice-on-world-stage-at-un-meeting/ AllAfrica: https://allafrica.com/stories/202609210255.html 9. SOUTH AFRICA — Three suspects arrested as investigation into killings of women continues — 7.5/10 (High) South African police arrested three suspects in connection with one of a series of killings of women around Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. Investigators are examining whether multiple cases are connected. The investigation has intensified public concern over femicide and violent crime in South Africa. Source: ABC News / AP: https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/3-suspects-arrested-relation-series-killings-women-south-136613059 10. EGYPT / SOMALIA — Cairo and CIA leadership reaffirm support for Somalia's territorial integrity — 7/10 (Significant) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Cairo, with discussions covering Somalia, Sudan, maritime security and wider regional crises. Egypt reiterated support for Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, reflecting Cairo's growing security role in the Horn of Africa. Source: Radio Dalsan via AllAfrica: https://allafrica.com/stories/202609210230.html #Africa #AfricaNews #TopNewsOfAfrica #Ethiopia #EthiopianPolitics #ArmedOpposition #PoliticalAlliance #TPLF #Amhara #Oromia #Tigray #AbiyAhmed #PretoriaPeaceAgreement #HornOfAfrica #Mali #Sahel #Dioura #JNIM #AlQaeda #JihadistViolence #Terrorism #Counterterrorism #MalianArmy #SahelSecurity #DRCongo #M23 #AmnestyInternational #HumanRights #HumanRightsAbuses #MineralTrafficking #ConflictMinerals #Gold #Coltan #CriticalMinerals #Rwanda #EasternCongo #AfricanSecurity #RegionalStability #Geopolitics #AfricaToday #wrldorg

Storm-1516 – Russia’s information war arrives early in France’s 2027 election France will not elect its next president until April 2027, but the information operations surrounding the campaign have already begun. In late July and August 2026, fabricated stories targeted several prominent figures associated with the presidential race, including Raphaël Glucksmann, Gabriel Attal and former prime minister Édouard Philippe. The methods included fake news websites copying established French media, impersonated journalists, AI-generated voices and manipulated video. French authorities identified the Russian operation known as Storm-1516 behind several of these campaigns. Other attacks were linked to Matryoshka, another Russia-aligned influence network. The timing is significant. Storm-1516 began targeting the French presidential environment roughly nine months before the first round, scheduled for 18 April 2027. Rather than a single disinformation campaign, the activity demonstrates how Russian influence networks can establish narratives and infrastructure long before an election reaches its decisive phase. A fake scandal targeting Raphaël Glucksmann One of the clearest examples appeared at the end of July. A website impersonating the French independent outlet Blast published a fabricated investigation claiming that journalist Léa Salamé had attempted to bribe media organisations in exchange for favourable coverage of her partner, Raphaël Glucksmann. The operation went beyond copying the appearance of a legitimate news site. The identities of real journalists were appropriated and a manipulated video used an AI-generated imitation of the voice of Edwy Plenel, founder of Mediapart, supposedly confirming the allegations. The accusation was false. On 4 August, Glucksmann said France's General Secretariat for Defence and National Security, the SGDSN, had informed him that he had been targeted by Storm-1516. Two days later, the Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation into suspected Russian interference. The importance of the operation was not the quality of one particular deepfake but the construction of several mutually reinforcing elements: a fake media organisation, impersonated journalists, synthetic audio and social-media accounts distributing the material. Together they created the impression that the allegation had been independently corroborated. Different candidates, overlapping Russian networks Édouard Philippe was also targeted by fabricated stories claiming that he suffered from dementia and was medically incapable of running for president. VIGINUM attributed the operation to Storm-1516. Gabriel Attal faced another wave of false content, including fabricated stories mimicking the identities of French outlets such as RFI, BFM TV, France 24, AFP, Le Parisien, Libération and Le Monde. Some claimed that Attal had symptoms of Parkinson's disease or links to drug trafficking. Attribution here is more complicated. French reporting connected at least part of the campaign against Attal to Matryoshka, rather than Storm-1516. A later digitally manipulated video, apparently associated with Storm-1516, used genuine LCI footage from an August debate but added a white earpiece to Attal, suggesting that someone had secretly been feeding him answers. NewsGuard compared the circulating clip with authentic LCI footage and found no earpiece in the original. The distinction is important. France is not facing a single Russian propaganda operation but several overlapping networks using similar techniques and narratives. Treating every manipulation as Storm-1516 would obscure how this ecosystem actually functions. The real weapon is media impersonation The most interesting feature of Storm-1516 is not artificial intelligence itself. It is the systematic appropriation of the credibility of established journalism. Instead of relying only on anonymous Telegram channels or social-media profiles, operators create material that looks as though it originated from organisations audiences already recognise. A fabricated investigation can resemble Blast, a manipulated television report can borrow LCI's visual identity, while fake journalists and social-media accounts provide additional layers of apparent confirmation. VIGINUM has documented this architecture extensively. Its 2025 investigation analysed 77 Storm-1516 information operations and described a mature Russian system using fabricated media, websites and distribution networks to promote anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western narratives. The European External Action Service found that the infrastructure continued to expand. According to its 2026 FIMI Threat Report, Storm-1516 almost doubled its output during 2025. Five networks created that year to target French, German, American, Moldovan and international audiences comprised 453 websites, including fictional news organisations and sites impersonating genuine media or political platforms. A typical operation therefore follows a recognisable pattern: a fabricated allegation is supported by synthetic or manipulated evidence, published through an apparently legitimate source and then distributed by networks of accounts that create the appearance of wider discussion. AI makes this process faster and cheaper, but the fundamental objective remains the same – to manufacture credibility. Why begin nine months before an election? VIGINUM concluded that Storm-1516 is capable both of reacting rapidly to current events and of conducting longer campaigns aimed at discrediting Western institutions and public figures, particularly around elections and other major political events. This provides important context for France. Storm-1516 activity around the presidential race became visible in July 2026, approximately nine months before voting begins. There is no public evidence of a predetermined Russian “nine-month plan”, and the timing should not be presented as such. Early activity nevertheless provides operational advantages: narratives can be tested, websites and accounts established, audience reactions measured and the responses of journalists, authorities and fact-checkers observed. The first operations may therefore also provide information about which themes and techniques are most effective before the campaign enters its decisive months. This remains an analytical interpretation rather than a demonstrated statement of the operators' intentions. Russian operation, but what about the GRU? Attribution requires similar precision. VIGINUM explicitly describes Storm-1516 as a Russian information operation, and French authorities have attributed individual campaigns to it with high confidence. Connections with Russian military intelligence have also been reported. Glucksmann said the SGDSN informed him that the network targeting him was controlled by Russia's GRU, while French media have repeatedly described Storm-1516 as linked to Russian military intelligence. However, VIGINUM's publicly available technical documentation describes Storm-1516 primarily as a Russian information modus operandi, rather than identifying it as a formally established GRU unit. It is therefore well supported to describe Storm-1516 as a Russian influence operation with reported links to military intelligence. Saying simply that Storm-1516 is a GRU unit would go beyond what France's published technical evidence currently establishes. An early warning for the French election There is also no evidence that the operations have so far had a significant effect on French voters. Some of the fabricated material generated only limited engagement, and measuring the real impact of foreign information operations remains extremely difficult. Even a video attracting hundreds of thousands of views does not establish how many viewers believed it or whether it changed political attitudes. The significance of Storm-1516 lies instead in the infrastructure already being deployed. Months before the election, Russian influence networks have been able to test fake newsrooms, synthetic voices, manipulated television footage, candidate-specific narratives and systems for distributing them. The French case illustrates a broader evolution in election interference. The objective is no longer simply to place false claims on social media. Modern operations can manufacture an entire chain of apparent evidence in which a fake journalist cites a fake investigation, synthetic audio appears to confirm it and networks of accounts give the impression that an authentic controversy is unfolding. France still has months to go before its presidential election. The information environment surrounding it is already being contested. Sources: VIGINUM / SGDSN — Storm-1516 analysis https://www.sgdsn.gouv.fr/publications/analyse-du-mode-operatoire-informationnel-russe-storm-1516 VIGINUM / SGDSN — Full Storm-1516 technical report https://www.sgdsn.gouv.fr/files/files/Publications/20250507_TLP-CLEAR_NP_SGDSN_VIGINUM_Technical%20report_Storm-1516.pdf VIGINUM / SGDSN — Storm-1516 operation targeting Emmanuel Macron https://www.sgdsn.gouv.fr/publications/storm-1516-detection-dune-operation-dingerence-numerique-etrangere-ciblant-emmanuel EEAS — 4th Report on FIMI Threats https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2026/documents/EEAS%204th%20Threat%20Report_web.pdf Le Monde — Russian interference targeting Philippe, Glucksmann and Attal https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2026/08/07/presidentielle-2027-glucksmann-attal-philippe-les-ingerences-russes-s-invitent-dans-la-campagne_6740451_823448.html Le Monde — Storm-1516 and Matryoshka analysis https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2026/08/06/ingerences-russes-pourquoi-il-ne-faut-pas-nourrir-le-troll_6739956_4408996.html NewsGuard Risk Briefing — Russian activity targeting the French election https://newsguardriskbriefing.substack.com/p/russia-targets-french-elections-iran Euronews — Operation targeting Raphaël Glucksmann https://fr.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/04/presidentielle-de-2027-raphael-glucksmann-vise-par-une-operation-de-destabilisation-russe Télérama / AFP — Glucksmann deepfake investigation https://www.telerama.fr/debats-reportages/presidentielle-2027-raphael-glucksmann-vise-par-un-deepfake-d-origine-russe-7032318.php Le Parisien — Operation targeting Gabriel Attal https://www.leparisien.fr/elections/presidentielle/presidentielle-2027-gabriel-attal-a-son-tour-vise-par-une-ingerence-en-provenance-de-russie-05-08-2026-I3Z67Z7ZUBDUVBXUNDARI5KGPA.php Euronews — Paris prosecutor investigations into suspected Russian interference https://fr.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/18/soupcons-dingerence-russe-visant-attal-et-philippe-le-parquet-de-paris-ouvre-dune-enquete Keywords: #DISINFORMED #Episode6 #Storm1516 #France #FrenchElection2027 #Disinformation #InformationWarfare #InfluenceOperations #ForeignInterference #FIMI #RussianInfluence #RussianDisinformation #Propaganda #Deepfakes #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #SyntheticMedia #FakeNews #MediaImpersonation #FakeMedia #DigitalManipulation #ElectionInterference #PoliticalDisinformation #Matryoshka #VIGINUM #OSINT #CyberInfluence #DigitalInfluence #MediaManipulation #EuropeanSecurity #Democracy #WRLD

HUMAN TRAFFICKING ALERT AT THE COST OF THE IRISH PUBLIC. 🚨 STILL ONGOING / BEING RAMPED UP FURTHER ‼️ WE SAY NO! 🇮🇪 #HumanTrafficking #Ireland #StopTrafficking #IE

Constructive exchange with 🇲🇦 Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita on the unacceptable situation in Ceuta. Illegal migration, migrant smuggling and trafficking can only be addressed together. I appreciate Morocco’s swift action, its close cooperation in support of 🇪🇸 and the prompt #Ceuta #IllegalMigration #Morocco #MA #ES

Had a phone call with 🇪🇸 @jmalbares to express EU solidarity and support to Spain. The situation in Ceuta is unacceptable. Fighting migrant smuggling and trafficking requires close cooperation with our partners. I welcome the swift operational response and cooperation between #EUsolidarity #Spain #MigrantSmuggling #ES

I am following closely the unacceptable situation in Ceuta. Strong 🇪🇺-🇲🇦 cooperation is essential to fight migrant smuggling and trafficking networks. I am engaging with our close partner Morocco to control the situation and deliver concrete results. #Ceuta #Migration #EUCooperation #ES #MA

Human trafficking in all its forms is a gross violation of human rights. By working together we can end the exploitation, once and for all. #EndHumanTrafficking #HumanRights #EndHumanTrafficking #StopExploitation #Therearenospecificcountriesmentionedinthetweet.Therefore #theresponseis:

The Trump administration’s deadly military strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats — at least 221 people have been killed in less than a year — have not reduced the amount of cocaine entering the United States, Pentagon and DEA officials say https://t.co/hvVXfArZvS #Trump #DrugWar #Cocaine #US

Indigenous Asháninka leaders on the Brazil-Peru border say their communities are being “taken hostage” by organized crime groups who are increasingly capturing territories across the region, destroying Amazon Forest, building roads and trafficking drugs https://t.co/0Pg92uXKqi #IndigenousRights #AmazonDeforestation #OrganizedCrime #BR #PE