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Marysol clarified that according to her, the surrogate was expecting a child and that Rob and Nicolas would buy the child and take it away from the mother, which she stated is prohibited in the Netherlands. She wrote that the child would then end up with a radical-left TikTok couple and used the hashtag #WegMetKabinetJetten. #WegMetKabinetJetten #Draagmoederschap #Kinderen #Rechten (translated)

The Italians who are on the streets today are poorer and angrier than yesterday. They must be listened to instead of being criminalized. The chairwoman of the social democratic party PD, Elly Schlein, rejected the accusations and called for the concerns of the peaceful demonstrators to be taken seriously. #Italien #Proteste #Politik (translated)

Emanuel Boeminghaus stated that Volkswagen is considering freezing the salaries of more than 660,000 employees worldwide at the level of 2026 until 2030. This would mean four years without salary increases, he explained. However, the global salary freeze has not yet been decided. Boeminghaus said that this would make people poorer while inflation is currently rising faster. He cited a report from Handelsblatt dated October 19, 2026, as the source. https://t.co/mcUUYbyeRN #Volkswagen #Gehaltsstopp #Autoindustrie (translated)

AFRICA DAILY REPORT — 19 OCTOBER 2026 Most important news from past 24 hours 1. KENYA — EIGHTH EBOLA INFECTION CONFIRMED Importance: 10/10 — Critical Kenya's Director-General for Health, Patrick Amoth, confirmed the country's eighth Ebola infection. The latest patient is a 49-year-old attendant who cleaned utensils and linen and may have been exposed to the country's first patient, who died in Nairobi on 5 October after travelling from DR Congo. The man developed symptoms while under quarantine and tested positive on Sunday. The linked cases underscore the importance of contact tracing and infection prevention in healthcare settings. Source — Reuters, 18 October 2026 https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/kenya-confirms-eighth-ebola-case-regional-outbreak-spreads-2026-10-18/ 2. DR CONGO — AUTHORITIES CONFIRM EBOLA IN AN EIGHTH PROVINCE Importance: 10/10 — Critical DR Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research officially confirmed two Ebola cases, including one death, in North Ubangi province on the border with the Central African Republic. North Ubangi is the eighth Congolese province affected. The country's situation report recorded 9,415 confirmed cases and 4,536 deaths since the outbreak began, including 67 new cases and 26 deaths in the 24 hours to 16 October. The geographical spread increases demands on disease surveillance and treatment capacity. Source — Reuters, 18 October 2026 https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/congo-confirms-ebola-outbreak-spreads-eighth-province-2026-10-18/ 3. MALI — RIGHTS GROUP DOCUMENTS CIVILIAN DEATHS IN DRONE STRIKES Importance: 10/10 — Critical Human Rights Watch accused Mali's armed forces and their Russian Africa Corps partners of indiscriminate strikes and other abuses during a counterinsurgency campaign. ACLED data cited in the report show 47 drone strikes and 94 civilian deaths from April to August, compared with 22 strikes and 44 civilian deaths in the same period of 2025. The report also describes abuses by jihadist and separatist groups. Malian and Russian representatives did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The allegations require accountability and independent scrutiny. Source — Reuters / Human Rights Watch, 19 October 2026 https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/mali-forces-russian-backers-kill-scores-civilians-drone-strikes-report-says-2026-10-19/ 4. NIGERIA — ARMY CHIEF VISITS BORNO TROOPS AFTER DEADLY BASE ASSAULT Importance: 9/10 — Very High Nigeria's army chief visited troops in the northeast after suspected Islamic State West Africa Province fighters overran a base at Mairari, Borno state. Military and local sources told AFP that 15 soldiers and five members of an anti-jihadist militia were killed, and that attackers looted and burned the base. The visit comes amid concern about rising insurgent activity around Lake Chad and the security of communities and transport routes in northeastern Nigeria. Source — Africanews / AFP, 18 October 2026 https://www.africanews.com/2026/10/18/nigerias-army-chief-of-staff-visits-troops-in-borno-after-deaths-of-15-soliders/ 5. SUDAN–EGYPT BORDER — SURVIVORS DESCRIBE DEADLY STRIKE AT GOLD-MINING SITE Importance: 10/10 — Critical Survivors described an airstrike on the Jabal al-Uqaydat mining area near the Sudan–Egypt border that reportedly killed 72 people the previous week. Rights groups blamed Egypt's air force, while Egypt described operations against illegal mining without directly addressing the specific allegation. Sudan's army chief ordered an investigation. The precise responsibility and casualty figures require independent verification. The incident raises humanitarian and diplomatic concerns in a border area where displaced Sudanese rely on informal mining. Source — Africanews / agencies, 18 October 2026 https://www.africanews.com/2026/10/18/sudanese-gold-miners-describe-deadly-airstrike-that-killed-72/ 6. CAMEROON — OPPOSITION MRC ELECTS FIRST FEMALE PARTY LEADER Cameroon's opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement elected Tiriane Balbine Noah to replace Maurice Kamto. Noah, previously interim president, was the only remaining candidate and received more than 96% of delegates' votes. She becomes the party's first female president. Party officials say they are preparing for 2027 local elections; the MRC has raised concerns about restrictions on opposition activity. The longer-term political significance will depend on the party's ability to organise and compete. Source — Africanews, 18 October 2026 https://www.africanews.com/2026/10/18/cameroons-opposition-mrc-elects-its-first-female-president-tiriane-noah/ 7. DR CONGO — GOVERNMENT ALLEGES KABILA IS PREPARING BROADER ARMED CAMPAIGN Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya accused former president Joseph Kabila of preparing a wider attack on the state after Kabila aligned himself with M23-linked forces through the newly announced Front for the Refoundation of the Nation. Kabila has denied earlier government allegations against him and criticised the administration. Fighting continues in eastern Congo despite mediation efforts. The government's claims are allegations, not independently established findings. Source — Africanews / AFP, 18 October 2026 https://www.africanews.com/2026/10/18/drc-accuses-ex-president-kabila-of-planning-general-attack-on-the-country/ 8. EQUATORIAL GUINEA — MALARIA ELIMINATION PROGRAMME EXPANDS BEYOND BIOKO Importance: 9/10 — Very High Equatorial Guinea plans to expand a long-running malaria-control programme from Bioko Island to the mainland and Annobon. Bioko reduced malaria prevalence to approximately 7% through spraying, mosquito nets, monitoring and community outreach. A newly announced $116 million investment will support expansion. Authorities are considering R21 vaccination for children and new surveillance tools. Experts warn that larger territory, poverty and cross-border transmission make elimination much harder on the mainland. Source — Associated Press, 18 October 2026 https://apnews.com/article/malaria-equatorial-guinea-vaccines-r21-bioko-oil-6478c585067f176c2f17e83704a21a30 9. EGYPT — BLUE-CHIP SHARES DROP AMID REGIONAL TENSIONS Importance: 8/10 — High Egypt's EGX30 stock index fell 2.6% on Sunday, its steepest intraday decline since February, as Middle East tensions unsettled regional markets. The Egyptian presidency said Cairo was ready to support Saudi Arabia's security as attacks by Yemen's Houthis intensified. Elevated oil prices and regional instability may affect Egyptian financing conditions, transport costs and investor confidence. The market move alone does not establish a longer-term trend. Source — Reuters, 18 October 2026 https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/oil-lifts-saudi-bourse-egypt-tumbles-regional-tensions-2026-10-18/ 10. DR CONGO — EBOLA OUTBREAK COMPOUNDS MENTAL-HEALTH EMERGENCY Importance: 9/10 — Very High Health workers in eastern DR Congo warned that Ebola-related bereavement, stigma and isolation are deepening psychological distress among patients, survivors and medical personnel. A report from Bunia described families affected by multiple deaths and reluctance among neighbours to interact with survivors. Ongoing conflict and displacement compound these pressures. Aid organisations say psychosocial care needs to be integrated with infection control and clinical treatment. Source — Africanews / Associated Press, 19 October 2026 https://www.africanews.com/2026/10/19/dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-deepens-mental-health-crisis-amid-stigma-and-conflict/ #Africa #AfricaNews #AfricaDaily #TopNewsOfAfrica #Kenya #Ebola #EbolaOutbreak #PublicHealth #HealthSecurity #DRCongo #AfricaCDC #EbolaResponse #Mali #MaliConflict #DroneStrikes #CivilianCasualties #HumanRights #Sahel #RegionalSecurity #Nigeria #Borno #Sudan #SudanConflict #Egypt #EgyptStockExchange #AfricanEconomy #Cameroon #EquatorialGuinea #MalariaPrevention #wrldorg

Manon Aubry criticized Sébastien Lecornu for considering a state of emergency and imposing curfews instead of declaring a social state of emergency, calling this strategy a "weapon of the weak." She stated that the Macron administration was going through a regime crisis and was responding to social distress by restricting individual freedoms. https://t.co/TBFNar7yrp #Libertés #UrgenceSociale #CrisePolitique (translated)

Norway, which holds the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, is considering revising its ethical rules to allow investments in nuclear weapons manufacturers based in allied countries, which would represent a significant shift in its historically strict investment policy. #Norvège #fondsouverain #défense (translated)

The program advocated by Attal on RTL in response to the mobilizations: "the state of emergency," but also "the armed forces" and "blocking social media." In short, the suspension of the constitutional rights of the French. It feels like we are in Italy during the years of lead or in Iran under the mullahs... Terrifying. (translated)

French Carcan stated that, according to information from JDD relayed by journalist Lara Tch, Scorpion submachine guns capable of firing in bursts, as well as Kalashnikovs, would have been found with both minor and major rioters close to the Islamist movement. Quoting sources from the DGSI, he added that some of the individuals involved may not have been apprehended and are still at large. He also mentioned CNEWS - Soir Info. #Sécurité #Émeutes #Islamisme (translated)

The mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, criticizes the proposal to create a unit combining police and military put forward by Theo Francken, arguing that it is more important to adequately fund the police rather than invent a new structure. #Bruxelles #Police #Politique (translated)