AU - Africanews

1. Egypt and EU agree on urgent need for second phase of Gaza ceasefire

   Egypt's foreign minister Badr Abdelatty met with visiting EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, in Cairo on Thursday.

2. South Africa: Protesters condemn US attack on Venezuela

   Demonstrators took to the streets of the South African capital to denounce the US' recent atack on Venezuela, during which ousted president Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured.

3. Chinese foreign minister begins annual Africa tour with Ethiopia visit

   Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged deeper cooperation on issues including trade, infrastructure, energy and transportation.

4. Benin elections: parties end campaigning days ahead of vote

   Parties competing in Benin's local and parliamentary elections ended their campaigning on Friday, ahead of the vote this weekend. It comes just over a month after the attempted coup that shook Cotonou.

5. Chinese and Iranian warships arrive in South Africa for BRICS naval exercises

   China will lead a joint military drill hosted by South Africa. Russian ships are also expected to join the exercises.