West Africa

A new citadel of memory rises beside the Great Pyramid Just a short walk from the ancient silhouette of Khufu, a modern glass-and-stone landmark opened its doors to the public this week: the Grand Egyptian Museum, known simply as GEM. With room for some 100,000 objects spanning roughly 7,000 years of history, the complex is being presented not only as the world’s largest archaeological museum but as a statement of national pride and a fresh engine for tourism. The building’s broad terraces and sunlit atrium create a…

Somali Army Says It Killed Key al-Shabaab Finance Chief in Bay Region Sweep What happened Somalia’s army says it has killed a senior al-Shabaab finance operator and his deputy during a string of raids in the country’s southwest, the latest push in a stop-start campaign to loosen the insurgent group’s grip on rural strongholds and revenue streams. The targeted operations took place Thursday across a cluster of villages—Buul Dooro, Kor Ing Roogi, Dhambalka, and Buur Rooring—in Deynuunay district of Bay region, a hard-fought…

Political Shifts in Liberia: A Changing Landscape Under President Boakai In a dramatic turn of events, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has reshaped the government's landscape by dismissing senior officials, sparking a wave of uncertainty among cabinet members and agency heads. This unexpected upheaval has not only alarmed those directly affected but has also raised broader questions about the direction of Boakai’s presidency. As the dust settles, the political implications of these moves could resonate far beyond the…

Shadows of Suppression: Protests and the Fight for Democracy in Cameroon The recent presidential election in Cameroon has ignited a maelstrom of unrest that stretches far beyond the simple question of leadership. With President Paul Biya officially declared the victor for another term, the streets of this central African nation have transformed into battlegrounds, erupting in protests and lamentations echoing the aspirations of a populace yearning for change. The scene is not just one of frustration, but of profound…

A new citadel of memory rises beside the Great Pyramid Just a short walk from the ancient silhouette of Khufu, a modern glass-and-stone landmark opened its doors to the public this week: the Grand Egyptian Museum, known simply as GEM. With room for some 100,000 objects spanning roughly 7,000 years of history, the complex is being presented not only as the world’s largest archaeological museum but as a statement of national pride and a fresh engine for tourism. The building’s broad terraces and sunlit atrium create a…

Somalia and Iraq Find Common Cause in Security—and the Sea On a humid Wednesday in Mogadishu, as the surf pounded the city’s arc of coastline, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre welcomed a delegation from Baghdad with a handshake that felt calibrated for a new kind of partnership. On its face, the agenda was familiar: security, counterterrorism, and trade. But beneath that, the visit points to a quiet reweaving of ties across the Arab world and the Horn of Africa, anchored in shared threats and untapped economic…

Political Shifts in Liberia: A Changing Landscape Under President Boakai In a dramatic turn of events, President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has reshaped the government's landscape by dismissing senior officials, sparking a wave of uncertainty among cabinet members and agency heads. This unexpected upheaval has not only alarmed those directly affected but has also raised broader questions about the direction of Boakai’s presidency. As the dust settles, the political implications of these moves could resonate far beyond the…

Shadows of Suppression: Protests and the Fight for Democracy in Cameroon The recent presidential election in Cameroon has ignited a maelstrom of unrest that stretches far beyond the simple question of leadership. With President Paul Biya officially declared the victor for another term, the streets of this central African nation have transformed into battlegrounds, erupting in protests and lamentations echoing the aspirations of a populace yearning for change. The scene is not just one of frustration, but of profound…

A new citadel of memory rises beside the Great Pyramid Just a short walk from the ancient silhouette of Khufu, a modern glass-and-stone landmark opened its doors to the public this week: the Grand Egyptian Museum, known simply as GEM. With room for some 100,000 objects spanning roughly 7,000 years of history, the complex is being presented not only as the world’s largest archaeological museum but as a statement of national pride and a fresh engine for tourism. The building’s broad terraces and sunlit atrium create a…

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey secures third term after ranked-choice tally, holding off progressive surge MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey won a third term on Wednesday, edging past a spirited challenge from state Sen. Omar Fateh after a second round of ranked-choice counting nudged him just over the 50% mark. The result capped an unusually high-turnout city election and set the stage for another term of divided government at City Hall in one of America’s most closely watched urban laboratories. What the numbers…