Iranians Voice Fears and Hopes as War Approaches One-Week Mark

‘The streets are empty, the windows are gone’: Iranians describe life under bombardment as war enters second week As U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran approach the end of their first week, residents in Tehran describe a capital of shattered glass, shuttered storefronts and competing emotions — fear, exhaustion and, for some, a fragile hope that the Islamic Republic’s grip may finally loosen after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a series of interviews with Axadle Times, Iranians living inside the country spoke on…

EU warns U.S. missile stockpiles insufficient for the Gulf and Ukraine

EU says US missiles insufficient to cover Gulf and Ukraine as Middle East war enters seventh day The European Union said there are not enough U.S. missiles to meet simultaneous needs in the Gulf and Ukraine, a stark assessment delivered as war in the Middle East entered its seventh day and pressure mounted on Western stockpiles across multiple fronts. The brief statement underscored growing concerns about the capacity of transatlantic partners to sustain parallel security commitments. It also highlighted a difficult…

Public Outrage Over Zimbabwe’s $25M Soccer Spending Amid Health Crisis

The Zimbabwean government’s decision to allocate US$25 million to a new football tournament has ignited a debate about priorities and transparency, underscoring tensions between high-profile state-sponsored projects and urgent public-sector needs. President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the Munhumutapa ZIFA Cup in Harare, a five-year competition that will include men's, women's, developmental and futsal categories. Organisers say the men's champions will receive US$1 million and a berth in the CAF Confederation Cup, details…

Somalia’s Constitution Finalization Must Unite the Nation, Not Divide or Extend Terms

Opinion: Somalia’s rushed constitutional push risks deepening division. An agreed election must come first. Somalia’s 2012 Provisional Constitution was conceived as a bridge from state collapse to national healing. The latest attempt to declare it “completed” has instead opened old wounds. Driven through amid allegations of political pressure, opaque deal-making and procedural shortcuts, the process has intensified mistrust at a moment when the federal institutions near the end of their mandates. The priority now is not to…

Rights Organizations Raise Concerns Over Angola’s Crackdown on NGOs

Angola's New NGO Law Raises Alarms Over Civil Liberties President João Lourenço has signed into law new legislation regulating the operation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups in Angola, stirring significant concern among civil society. Organizations like Human Rights Watch have raised alarms about the severe implications this law could have on civic freedoms within the country. The new legislation grants authorities expansive powers to authorize, monitor, suspend, and financially restrict NGOs under…

Washington, D.C. Locals Share Opinions on the War in Iran

U.S., Israel launch ‘Operation Epic Fury’ on Iran as conflict widens across Middle East; Europe warns of dangerous moment The United States and Israel this week launched Operation Epic Fury on Iran, a move that pushed tensions to a new pitch and rippled across a Middle East already on edge. European officials warned it is a dangerous moment for the continent, underscoring fears that the fallout could spill over borders and disrupt security, travel and markets far beyond the region. Details about the scope and aims of…

Farmaajo Warns Mohamud Against Unilateral Moves on Somalia’s Constitution

Farmaajo warns Somalia risks instability over unilateral constitutional changes as term nears end MOGADISHU — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo warned that unilateral constitutional changes and disputed election plans could push Somalia toward political instability as the current presidential term nears its end, urging President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to pull back from what he called one-sided decisions. Farmaajo says rushing constitutional amendments without consensus could destabilize Somalia…

Trump says Zelensky must seal a deal with Russia, insists Putin is ready

Trump says Zelensky is obstacle to Russia deal, calls Putin ‘cooperative’ in Politico interview President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is the obstacle to a settlement with Russia and described Russian President Vladimir Putin as cooperative, sharpening his pressure on Kyiv as the war grinds on. “Zelensky, he has to get on the ball, and he has to get a deal done,” Trump said in an interview with Politico. Returning to language he used during a tense White House meeting a year ago — when he and Vice…

Iran’s death toll tops 1,000 amid ongoing Israel-US strikes

TEHRAN, Iran — Israel launched fresh air strikes across Iran on Thursday, the fifth day of a U.S.-Israeli offensive that has killed more than 1,000 people, damaged security installations and residential buildings, and forced the postponement of funeral rites for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli strikes hit targets in Tehran, the holy city of Qom, western Iran and multiple sites in central Isfahan province, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported. Israel said it targeted buildings used by the Basij, a volunteer…

Israel and Iran exchange strikes as war enters its seventh day

Iran war enters seventh day as Israel expands strikes to Beirut and Tehran The regional war involving Iran, Israel and the United States entered its seventh day after Israel announced a “next phase” of operations and bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs, while blasts were heard in Tehran following what Israel said were strikes on “regime infrastructure” in the Iranian capital. Residents in Beirut’s southern districts fled after the Israeli military issued an unprecedented warning to evacuate “immediately.” In Tehran, AFP…