ALBI

  I greet all of you, my dear brothers and sisters, with the greeting words of “peace.” We say it in Hebrew, “Shalom,” in Arabic, “As-Salaam Alaikum,” in English, “Peace be unto you. --- Doctors must be involved in the divine art of healing Dear brothers and sisters, it’s a great honor to talk to those of you whom I believe God has called to the healing science and the healing art. To be a doctor, to be a healer, is one of the greatest professions of this world. I said, “called by God,” because every person involved in healing, to me, is involved in that which is of divine.  As doctors, you are students of the greatest house, divine house, that God created: the human body. And as students of His magnificent creation, the human body, there are certain norms that you know must be present in order for the body to be considered healthy. There are certain standards and there are certain criteria that all agree are the measurement of health. And so, when you take blood pressure, you...

President Donald Trump meets South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, May 21, in Washington. Photo: APK Photo/ALBI   South African Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe has rejected a proposal by top business leaders to offer the U.S. favorable access to Africa’s critical minerals, accusing them of pushing private interests, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 6. According to the outlet, the proposal—bearing the phrase “make minerals great again”—was drafted by a group including Sibanye Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman and board member Rick Menell ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with US President Donald Trump in May. Mantashe said neither the Mines Ministry nor the Minerals Council South Africa, which represents most of the country’s mining firms, was consulted during the plan’s development. “They didn’t talk to us,” he told Bloomberg, adding that “there can be nothing about mining without” input from the ministry and broader indu...

  Sudan fighting intensifies as civilian death toll rises. Photo: MGN Online With the conflict between warring factions in Sudan showing no sign of abating, which is impacting different regions of the country, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with massive displacement of people and the collapse of essential services. In a recent briefing, the African Union explained that Sudan “remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis,” with over 30 million people, in a country of 48 million, in dire need of assistance. “At least 150,000 people have been killed. More than 14 million have been displaced, with over 3 million fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Once a vibrant capital city, Khartoum is now a ‘burn-out shell,’” reported The Conversation, a nonprofit online news platform, in a June 2025 article, “Sudan: foreign interests are deepening a devastating war—only regional diplomacy can stop them.” --- While t...

  Algeria has withdrawn all privileged access cards granted to staff of the French Embassy at the North African country’s ports and airports, in a reciprocal move over what Algiers says are restrictions imposed on its diplomats in France. In a statement on July 26, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said the country’s embassy in Paris is facing “persistent obstacles” in the delivery and recovery of diplomatic bags. The ministry said it had summoned the French charge d’affaires to protest the French government’s “blatant violation of international obligations.” Algiers said the measure, “initially limited to the Algerian Embassy in France,” has been extended to consular posts as well, despite prior assurances from the French Foreign Ministry that it would review the measure. The latest dispute adds to mounting tensions between Algeria and France, whose relations have been beset by a series of diplomatic flare-ups in recent months. --- The two countries have often...

  Liberation movements from six African countries have gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, to strengthen unity against Western interference, warning that external forces are attempting to divide African countries and recapture the continent economically. Several heads of African states whose liberation movements now serve as governing parties in their respective countries gathered in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, over the weekend. They reflected on their roles in the struggle for freedom and recommitted to unity while defending democratic gains against neo-colonialism. The delegates also reflected on their role in improving and uplifting the standard of living on the continent. Apart from internal political issues gripping the organizations, the leaders of the political parties also criticized the interference of Western countries in African affairs, blaming external forces from the West for fueling divisions on the continent. --- In a united front, the parties, which were mostly...