Somali Prime Minister launches curriculum development center to advance education reform

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Tuesday inaugurated the start of a new Curriculum Development Center in Mogadishu, a project aimed at raising education standards and helping modernize Somalia’s school system. At the ceremony, Barre подчеркнул that education sits at the heart of Somalia’s long-term recovery, describing it as a major force behind economic growth and national stability. He said the government is pressing ahead with reforms designed to strengthen learning…

Tinubu Reshuffles Cabinet, Appoints New Key Ministers

In a strategic shift within the Federal Executive Council, President Bola Tinubu has announced a minor Cabinet reshuffle that will impact key economic and housing roles. As part of this reorganization, Tinubu has removed Wale Edun from his position as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, alongside Ahmed Dangiwa, who has stepped down as Minister of Housing and Urban Development. Edun will transition his responsibilities to Taiwo Oyedele, who previously held the role of Minister of State in the…

Sacked UK official says Downing Street pressured inquiry to clear Mandelson

Pressure from Downing Street to install Peter Mandelson in Washington was relentless, with security concerns seemingly treated as an obstacle to be pushed aside, a dismissed senior official told MPs today. Olly Robbins, until last week the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, said Keir Starmer's team showed a "dismissive attitude" toward the security vetting process for the government's choice of ambassador to the United States. He appeared before a parliamentary watchdog committee as the prime minister continued…

Stocks Slip as Oil Prices Rise on Uncertainty Over US-Iran Ceasefire Talks

By  STAN CHOEWednesday April 22, 2026 Wall Street and oil markets lurched back and forth Tuesday as investors tried to gauge what comes next after the ceasefire in the war with Iran, which was due to expire Wednesday. The S&P 500 surrendered an early gain and finished 0.6% lower after U.S. Vice President JD Vance canceled a planned trip to Pakistan, where he had been expected to lead American negotiators in talks with Iran aimed at extending the truce. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 293 points, or 0.6%, after at…

El Salvador holds mass trial for 486 MS-13 gang members

El Salvador has opened one of the largest mass prosecutions of President Nayib Bukele’s anti-gang campaign, putting 486 alleged gang members on collective trial as his government continues to wield contentious emergency powers in its fight against violence. According to prosecutors, the case against the alleged Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, members covers more than 47,000 crimes carried out between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that became the country’s deadliest since the end of its civil war. Those allegations include…

Baidoa police ban heavy weapons after political transition to tighten security

Wednesday April 22, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — In a move aimed at reinforcing security after recent political shifts in Southwest state, authorities in Baidoa have prohibited the carrying of heavy weapons inside the city. Bay Regional Police Commander Sadiiq Doodishe announced the restriction on Tuesday, saying machine guns and other heavy weapons would no longer be allowed within Baidoa’s limits. He said the order covers everyone, including government officials. “No one is allowed to carry or use heavy weapons in Baidoa,” Doodishe…

Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Extension as Peace Talks Remain in Doubt

In a surprise move that underscored the volatility of the conflict, US President Donald Trump said he would extend the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to make room for more peace talks, though it remained unclear whether Iran or Israel, Washington’s ally in the two-month war, would accept the arrangement. In a social media statement, Mr Trump said the US had accepted a request from Pakistani mediators “to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified…

Kneecap joins 1,100 artists and cultural workers urging Eurovision boycott

Pressure is mounting on Eurovision 2026 after more than 1,100 musicians and cultural figures, including Kneecap, Paloma Faith, Massive Attack and Paul Weller, backed a call to boycott the contest over Israel’s inclusion. The appeal, organised by campaign group No Music For Genocide (NMFG), has also drawn support from artists such as David Holmes, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and Macklemore. Paul Weller In the letter, signatories urge countries to take the same course sought from the national broadcasters of Ireland, Iceland,…

Amnesty warns predator leaders are seeking to impose a new world order

Amnesty International has accused the leaders of the United States, Israel and Russia of driving a new "predatory" world order, warning that too few governments are willing to challenge them. Presenting the rights group's annual report in London, Secretary General Dr Agnès Callamard singled out US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, branding them "predators". According to the report, such leaders have turned away from the multilateral framework built after…

UN says 7,900 migrants died or disappeared on migration routes in 2025

Nearly 7,900 people died or vanished along migration routes in 2025, pushing the total number of migrants reported dead or missing since 2014 past 80,000, according to the United Nations' migration agency. The UN's International Organization for Migration said the toll reflects the dangers people face when safe routes are unavailable, forcing them into perilous and irregular journeys. The agency urged governments to muster the political resolve needed to prevent more deaths along migration corridors. "The deaths or…