PRESIDENT BIDEN PLEGES MILLIONS FOR AMBITIOUS RAILROAD TO ZAMBIA, CONGO.

President Joe Biden on his visit to sub-Saharan Africa pledged another $600 million for a cross-continent rail corridor project, telling regional leaders that “Africa has been left behind for much too long.

Biden used the third and final day of his visit to Angola to showcase the Lobito Corridor railway, where the U.S. and allies are investing heavily to refurbish 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) of train lines in Zambia, Congo and Angola.

The project aims to advance the U.S. presence in a region rich in cobalt, copper and other critical minerals used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies. By the end of the decade, the rail line could even go a long way toward linking southern Africa’s west and east coasts.

Altogether, Biden said the U.S. has invested $4 billion along the Lobito Corridor.

He was joined by the presidents of Angola, Congo and Zambia. Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi said the project could create tens of millions of jobs in his country, saying it will “change the trajectory of our region for good.”

Angola’s President João Lourenço said it will be “a lynchpin for…economic development” in the region.

Biden said the Lobito Corridor constituted the largest U.S. investment in a train project outside the country.

MOZAMBIQUE OPPOSITION CALLS FOR NEW PROTESTS AS POST VOTE TENSIONS ESCALATE.

More than fifty days after Mozambique’s election, the fight over the vote’s coutcome has not subsided.

On Monday, the opposition presidential candidate and runnerup in the October 8 election called for new protests.

In a video published on Facebook, Venancio Mondlane urged his supporters to block traffic. There have been near daily rallies across the southern African country since electoral authorities declared the ruling party’s Daniel Chapo as the vote winner.

The opposition is contesting what they say is a fraudulent victory by Frelimo, the party that has governed Mozambique since 1975.

Civil society organizations say an ensuing crackdown by security forces has left at least 76 dead and injured 210 others.

Official results by the National Election Commission (CNE) gave Chapo 71 percent of the vote and Mondlane, an independent candidate backed by the Podemos party, 20 percent.

The vast majority of the violent protests have taken place in Maputo.

MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED TRUCKS OF FOOD EXPECTED IN SUDAN.

More than 700 trucks carrying food aid are expected to reach communities in Sudan where many people are struggling with hunger.

The war in Sudan has created vast hunger, including famine. It has pushed people off their farms.

Food in the markets is sparse, prices have spiked and aid groups say they’re struggling to reach the most vulnerable as warring parties limit access.

There is a lot of suffering in this camp,” said Nour Abdallah, a woman living in Zamzam camp.

Global experts confirmed famine in the Zamzam displacement camp in July.

They warn that some 25 million people — more than half of Sudan’s population — are expected to face acute hunger this year.

People have to eat ombaz. Ombaz is the waste left over after pressing the oil from peanut shells, Abdallah said.

WFP is expecting to deliver more than 17,000 tons of food aid to help 1.5 million people for a month, the organisation said.

The aid will help communities across Sudan including 14 areas classified as “hotspots” because of “the severity of food insecurity and famine risk.

SOUTH KOREA’S YOON REPLACE DEFENCE MINISTER AS IMPEACHMENT VOTE LOOMS.

South Korean opposition lawmakers said on Thursday they would vote this weekend to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched attempt to impose martial law, while the defence minister blamed for advising the move resigned.

Yoon’s declaration of martial law sought to consolidate power, ban political activity and censor the media in Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. ally. It sparked outrage in the streets and concern among South Korea’s international allies.

Lawmakers from the opposition Democratic Party planned to seek a vote in parliament to impeach Yoon at around 7 p.m. (1000 GMT) on Saturday, a party spokesperson told reporters.

“The Yoon Suk Yeol regime’s declaration of emergency martial law caused great confusion and fear among our people,” Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won earlier told the National Assembly.Yoon’s ruling People Power Party is divided over the crisis but said it would oppose impeachment with the party in turmoil and two years left in Yoon’s five-year term.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM SAYS BUSSINESS LEADERS FEAR RECESSION, LABOUR SHORTAGES.

Business leaders globally are worried about the risk of recession, labour shortages and rising inflation, despite some signs of improvement in economic conditions, a World Economic Forum survey said on Thursday.

Extreme weather events are an increasing concern, following a year of record temperatures, severe flooding and wildfires, including in major economies such as Brazil, Germany, Indonesia and the United States, according to the survey of more than 11,000 business leaders from G20 countries.

The WEF Executive Opinion Survey shows “a significant level of anxiety among business leaders in G20 countries”, said Carolina Klint, chief commercial officer, Europe at Marsh McLennan, opens new tab, a WEF partner, along with Zurich Insurance (ZURN.S), opens new tab.