MP says Israeli occupation of south Lebanon is very dire

Southern Lebanon is facing a grave humanitarian emergency under Israeli military occupation, Lebanese MP Najat Saliba has said, warning that thousands of civilians remain trapped in their homes as violence intensifies. In an interview with RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Saliba said about 10,000 people were cut off in the country’s south. "Israel is invading, and when they come to a village, they actually destroy all houses, and they burn the land. "At the same time, we have almost 10,000 people, or probably a little more, who are…

Somalia, AU forces capture senior al-Shabaab commander

Saturday April 4, 2026 A senior al-Shabaab commander has been captured in southern Somalia in a joint operation carried out by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and the Somali National Armed Forces. In a statement, the AU mission said the suspect, identified as Salaad Cusmaan Macalin, also known as Sahm, was detained on Thursday on the northwestern outskirts of Mubarak. "Initial interrogation findings indicate that one of his associates, identified as Ismaaciil, a Kenyan national, had…

5 Unhealthiest Fast-Food Milkshakes You Can Order Right Now

5 Unhealthiest Fast-Food Milkshakes You Can Order Several fast-food vanilla shakes rank high for calories, saturated fat and sugar, according to nutrition figures cited by Eat This. By Ali MusaWellness Desk – Health & Nutrition Monitoring. Fast-food milkshakes can pack substantial sugar and fat in a single serving. Below are five vanilla shake options, with nutrition figures cited by Eat This. Fatburger Vanilla Shake Fatburger’s Vanilla Shake is cited as about 890 calories, with 44g of fat, 30g of saturated fat and…

AU welcomes China-Pakistan initiative to restore Middle East stability

AU welcomes China-Pakistan initiative to restore stability in Middle East The African Union (AU) on Friday voiced support for the China-Pakistan five-point initiative aimed at easing the current peace and security crisis in the Gulf and Middle East. In a statement, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf described the proposal as “a timely and constructive contribution” to wider international efforts to reduce…

Somalia agriculture minister urges local production to end aid dependence

By Nuri AdenSaturday April 4, 2026 Somalia's Agriculture minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir on a farm tour. / Others Somalia’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Mohamed Abdi Hayir, widely known as Mareeye, has delivered a blunt message about the country’s direction, urging Somalis, investors and decision-makers to place agriculture, livestock and fisheries at the center of national recovery and long-term growth. Speaking at length in Mogadishu, the minister laid out both the strain and the promise facing the country, saying…

A second Turkish-owned ship crosses the Strait of Hormuz

A second Turkish-flagged ship has crossed the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, Turkey’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Saturday. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key global waterway, since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran started on February 28 set off the Middle East conflict and sent global oil and gas prices soaring. Uraloglu said that on February 28 there were 15 ships belonging to Turkish shipowners waiting to go through the strategic strait. “Two of these 15 made the crossing,” he told the private…

Soaring fuel prices push Somalia’s three-wheeler drivers to the brink

Saturday April 4, 2026 Fuel shortages and soaring prices have turned a familiar Mogadishu street scene into a snapshot of economic strain: three-wheelers sitting idle by the roadside, drivers stranded, and livelihoods slipping out of reach. On April 2, 2026, a staff member refueled a three-wheeler at a petrol station in Somalia’s capital as the ripple effects of war in the Middle East continued to push fuel costs sharply higher across the country.(Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua) Abdulkadir Sharif eased his tuk-tuk to the side…

Puntland State orders newly appointed ministers to declare assets

Saturday April 4, 2026 Garowe (AX) — Puntland State’s top auditing office has moved to tighten scrutiny on public officials, ordering all newly appointed ministers, deputy ministers and state ministers to declare their private assets within 30 days of taking office, in line with Article 77 of the Puntland State Constitution. In a directive released Thursday, Auditor General Osman Mahmoud Ali told the Council of Ministers and other senior officials to comply with the constitutional requirement, which is intended to boost…

US warplane downed over Iran; one crew member missing

A US fighter jet has been brought down over Iran, thrusting Washington into a dangerous new phase of the nearly five-week-old war, with search teams recovering one of the two crew members who ejected, a US official told Reuters. It is the first known incident of its kind since the conflict began. Requests for comment to the Pentagon and US Central Command went unanswered. The possibility that a US aviator is still alive and evading capture inside Iran sharply raises the pressure on the White House in a war that opinion polls…