U.S. Strikes Kharg Island as Iran Launches Retaliatory Attacks

Kharg Island sits at the fulcrum of Middle East energy and security. Any clash that reaches its shores is not just a military episode; it is a shock to the arteries of global trade. Amid reports of U.S. strikes near Kharg and signals of Iranian retaliation, the stakes are worth laying out clearly: this is where geopolitics meets the lifeblood of the world economy, and miscalculation can travel far beyond the Persian Gulf. Kharg Island, roughly 25 miles off Iran’s coast in the northern Persian Gulf, is the hub through which…

Somalia Partners with West Virginia on Strategic Minerals Agreement

Somalia Signs MoU with West Virginia to Enhance Mineral Resource Cooperation This article explores the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Somalia and West Virginia, focusing on mineral resource cooperation and its potential impact on the Somali economy. Key agreement between Somalia and West Virginia to enhance cooperation. The signing underscores Somalia's commitment to resource management. This partnership aims to integrate Somalia into global supply chains. Details of the Agreement…

Missile Strikes Helipad at U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

Missile hits U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone, officials say BAGHDAD — A missile struck inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on Saturday, igniting smoke visible over the area and damaging parts of the complex, according to Iraqi security officials. An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera the attack destroyed part of the embassy’s air defense system. Separately, two security officials told The Associated Press the projectile hit a helipad within the compound. The officials spoke on condition…

Sudan Drone Strike Claims Seven Lives, Including Three Children

Deadly Drone Attack in Sudan's Dilling A drone strike in Dilling, South Kordofan, has claimed the lives of five individuals, including three children. This incident marks the latest tragedy in Sudan's ongoing civil conflict. At least 13 people were injured and hospitalized in Dilling. The attack involved several drones targeting the town. The region has been a battleground between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Context of the Conflict The civil war in Sudan has caused widespread devastation…

UN Expresses Concern Over Drone Attacks Claiming 200 Civilian Lives

Escalating Drone Warfare in Sudan: A Rising Humanitarian Crisis The use of drone warfare in Sudan's ongoing civil conflict has severely impacted civilians, with recent reports highlighting over 200 fatalities due to drone strikes within just over a week. The U.N. has called for an urgent cessation of these attacks and adherence to international humanitarian laws. Over 200 civilians killed in drone strikes in Sudan within a week. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warns against rising drone use. Calls for…

South Sudan evacuation order jeopardizes aid for 200,000, worsening crisis.

The Humanitarian Crisis in South Sudan: A Call for Action As violence surges in South Sudan, the humanitarian crisis deepens. Evacuated aid staff report that many families are already struggling to survive on foraged food. The situation in Akobo East, which is home to over 188,000 residents plus an additional 82,000 displaced individuals, is increasingly alarming. Over 188,000 residents in Akobo East are facing dire conditions. 82,000 displaced individuals are seeking refuge in the area. Humanitarian needs have…

Israeli strike hits Lebanese clinic, killing 12 medical workers

At least 12 medical personnel were killed in an Israeli strike on a healthcare center in the southern Lebanese town of Borj Qalaouiya, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said, as cross-border hostilities with Hezbollah intensify and the wider region reels from a widening war. The ministry said Israeli strikes have killed 826 people in Lebanon since the fighting began, including 65 women and 106 children, and wounded 2,009 others. Thirty-one paramedics are among the dead, according to the statement. In a separate incident, four people…

U.S. judge temporarily blocks Trump plan to end protections for 1,100 Somalis

Judge halts Trump move to end TPS for Somalis days before deadline BOSTON — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants just days before the program was set to lapse, preserving work authorization and deportation protections for nearly 1,100 people while a lawsuit proceeds. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs issued an administrative stay of the Department of Homeland Security’s March 17 termination date for Somalia’s TPS designation,…

Investigation reportedly reveals Banksy’s true identity after years of secrecy

Reuters says it has identified the elusive British street artist Banksy as Robin Gunningham, a Bristol-born man who later used the name David Jones, following an extensive investigation that links immigration records, eyewitness accounts and past legal documents to murals the artist claimed in Ukraine in 2022. The news agency’s probe centers on a series of stencil works Banksy posted on Instagram in late 2022 as his own, painted on shattered buildings around Kyiv. Witnesses in the village of Horenka told Reuters an ambulance…

Somalia: Fierce Clashes Rock Qansahdhere as Opposition Claims Control

Somalia: Heavy fighting erupts in Qansahdhere as opposition claims control QANSAHDHERE, Somalia — Heavy fighting broke out early Saturday in and around the Bay region district of Qansahdhere, as fighters styling themselves the South West Liberation Front clashed with regional security forces loyal to President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. Residents reported several hours of intense combat, with both heavy and light weapons rattling the town before dawn and through the morning. While casualty figures remain…