DR Congo and Rwanda Forge Peace Agreement and Economic Partnership

In a historic move towards peace, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi signed a pivotal peace accord at the White House on Thursday. The ceremony, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, signals a significant step in addressing the long-standing conflict between the two neighboring countries. The peace accord underscores a commitment to ending hostilities and building a foundation for stability in the region. Both leaders, flanked by their foreign ministers, expressed optimism about the…

Trump Pardons Democratic Congressman Convicted in Bribery Scandal

President Donald Trump on Monday granted a full and unconditional pardon to Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who had been facing federal charges in a bribery and conspiracy case, saying on his Truth Social platform that the justice system had been "weaponised" by his predecessor. "I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar ... I don't know you, but you can sleep well tonight - Your nightmare is finally over!" Trump wrote. The move ends a high-profile prosecution in which…

Outrage sweeps North Western State of Somalia after President Muse Bihi’s public embarrassment

Outrage in North Western State of Somalia after ex-president Muse Bihi barred at Hargeisa airport; protests erupt, rebel group announced HARGEISA, Somalia — Outrage swept through North Western State of Somalia after former leader Muse Bihi Abdi was blocked from accessing Hargeisa’s main airport in an incident supporters and analysts described as a deliberate humiliation under the administration of President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Irro. Bihi, who was scheduled to fly to the United Arab Emirates, was prevented…

Somali, Yemeni defense ministers meet in Cairo, agree to boost maritime security cooperation

Somalia, Yemen hold high-level defense talks in Cairo to bolster Red Sea, Gulf of Aden security Mogadishu (AX) — Somali Minister of Defence Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met his Yemeni counterpart, Lieutenant General Mohsen Mohammed Ahmed Al-Daari, in Cairo on Thursday for high-level talks aimed at strengthening defense cooperation and tightening maritime security across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors. The talks, attended by the Commander of the Somali National Armed Forces, Major General…

Fresh Attacks in Northern Mozambique Force Tens of Thousands to Flee

Violence in northern Mozambique Spills into Previously Safe Districts, UNHCR Says Attacks in northern Mozambique have spread into districts once considered safe, displacing nearly 100,000 people in the past two weeks alone, the U.N. refugee agency said Thursday. "These simultaneous attacks in several districts are generating a huge challenge for humanitarian actors who have to multiply emergency response in different zones of the country," Xavier Creach, UNHCR's representative in Mozambique, said in a statement. He added…

France Confirms Two MERS Cases Linked to Visiting Tourist Group

PARIS — French health authorities have isolated two people infected with the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) after they returned from a joint tour of the Arabian Peninsula, the health ministry said late Tuesday. Both patients are in a “stable” condition in a French hospital, the ministry said in a statement, and all measures have been put in place to limit the risk of transmission to their entourage and to health-care staff. The ministry said those measures include contact tracing, “barrier…

‘Japa’ Exodus: Why Millions of Nigerians Leave Every Year

“Japa” is Yoruba slang for “to leave” — a word that has become shorthand across Nigeria for a mass movement of people seeking lives abroad. The exodus is not only a migration trend; it is a cultural phenomenon, a catchall for frustration and hope in a nation where a booming headline economy sits uneasily beside entrenched poverty and insecurity. Nigeria is young and vast: more than 230 million people, a median age of about 18, and roughly two‑thirds under 30. Economists predict growth this year and next, yet everyday…

Ireland weighs a ban on children’s social media use, department says

Ireland is weighing whether to bar children and young people from social media — a so-called "digital age of majority" — as governments worldwide watch Australia’s landmark under-16 ban for lessons on enforcement, rights and technical feasibility. Officials in Dublin told reporters the country prefers a coordinated European Union approach, noting the issue should be considered “by the EU and EU member states together” and that any move must respect the rights of children and young people. The European Commission has…

Macron urges Xi Jinping: France and China must bridge their differences

BEIJING — President Emmanuel Macron told President Xi Jinping on Tuesday that France and China must overcome their "differences" as he pressed Beijing on both Ukraine and trade during a three-day state visit to China. "Sometimes there are differences, but it is our responsibility to overcome them for the greater good," Macron said at the start of talks in the Great Hall of the People, as he sought to put the Macron China visit on a cooperative footing. Xi echoed the sentiment, calling for "more stable" ties and saying…

Lawmakers Alert on Potential Funding Shortfalls for Liberia’s Major Budget

Lawmakers Warn of Risks to Draft 2026 National Budget Targets Lawmakers are raising alarms about the ambitious US$1.2 billion target of the Draft 2026 National Budget, insisting that without key reforms, these goals remain at risk of being unmet. This budget, the largest proposed under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai's administration, signifies a bold expansion in government spending. It emphasizes funding for social projects, civil service restructuring, infrastructure investment, and governance reforms. However, lawmakers…