Malawi Sugar Vendors Compelled to Camp Outside Distribution Centers

Malawi is facing an acute sugar shortage that has pushed traders and consumers to camp outside distribution sites overnight in hopes of securing supplies, heightening public anger and putting pressure on President Peter Mutharika’s administration to act. Traders outside the offices of the principal sugar distributor in the central town of Nkhotakota say long lines and overnight vigils have become routine as supplies run low. Some vendors accused big businesses of hoarding sugar to force an artificial shortfall that drives…

Paramount launches $108.4B takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, challenging Netflix

Paramount Skydance has launched a hostile $108.4 billion bid for Warner Bros Discovery, moving to upend Netflix’s newly struck agreement and escalate one of the decade’s most consequential battles for Hollywood’s crown jewels. The move arrives days after Netflix emerged from a weeks-long bidding war with a $72 billion equity deal for Warner Bros Discovery’s TV, film and streaming assets — an offer valued at $82.7 billion including debt and carrying a $5.8 billion break-up fee from Netflix. The streaming giant’s bid, already…

U.S. Military Launches Unprecedented Wave of Airstrikes in Somalia

You are an elite, award-winning international journalist and a meticulous senior editor. Your job is to transform raw source material into a publish-ready article that meets the highest AP-standard editorial and technical requirements. PHASE 1 — ANALYSIS AND FORMAT DECISION Read the source text thoroughly. Identify the core themes, dominant purpose, crucial facts, data points, and human or structural angles. Based solely on this analysis, select exactly one article format from the list below. Always choose Football…

Djiboutian music legend Fuaad Ahmed ‘Ilkacase’ dies after long illness

Djibouti music icon Fuaad Ahmed ‘Ilkacase’ dies after long illness; funeral draws officials, artists DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti — Fuaad Ahmed Gadhle, the towering Djiboutian singer and actor known on stage as Ilkacase and celebrated for a career that spanned more than four decades, died this week in Djibouti City after a prolonged illness. He was buried Monday night, with senior officials, artists and residents in attendance, according to family and colleagues. Ahmed’s health had been in decline for years and he recently…

Somalia Boosts Diplomatic Ties with Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye at Doha Forum

DOHA, Qatar — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud used the Doha Forum to argue Somalia is moving from crisis response to an assertive phase of state-building, urging partners to align aid and security programs with the country’s plans as Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye signaled fresh commitments. Chairing a roundtable titled “State-Building in Somalia: Coordinated Strategies to Sustain Progress,” Mohamud said Somali institutions are increasingly capable of setting and executing priorities — from national security and…

Benin’s Leader Assures Country’s Stability

Benin Foils Attempted Coup with Regional Support Amid a surge of military takeovers in West Africa, Benin successfully thwarted an attempted coup with assistance from regional allies. The president assured stability despite an early morning crisis. President Patrice Talon confirmed the situation is under control. Nigerian forces provided critical support to counter the coup. A troubling pattern of coups has developed in West Africa. Swift Response to Crisis On Sunday, Benin experienced a coup attempt when…

Lithuania Declares State of Emergency Citing Weather Balloon Threats

Lithuania declares state of emergency over Belarus-linked ‘smuggler balloons’ disrupting airspace VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuania’s government on Monday declared a state of emergency in response to waves of weather balloons drifting in from Belarus and disrupting air traffic near the capital, a move it says is necessary to counter what it calls a hybrid operation by Minsk. The measure, which would grant additional powers to the armed forces to work alongside police and border guards to intercept the devices, has been sent to…

6 Common Foods That Pack More Sodium Than French Fries

Based on the content of the source text, the format that best matches it is Healthy Eating. The article focuses on nutrition, specifically on the sodium content in various everyday foods, providing practical insights about health and wellness trends. It also aligns well with the expected structure and tone for healthy eating content. Here's an outline of how the article could be formatted under the Healthy Eating category: Understanding Sodium: Six Surprising Culprits in Your Diet The increasing awareness around sodium…

Tanzania Urges Residents to Stay Home Ahead of Expected Independence Day Protests

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Tanzania’s prime minister urged citizens to remain at home Tuesday as activists called for Independence Day protests over the deadly suppression of demonstrations that followed October’s elections. Police warned any gathering would be illegal, and security forces mounted a visible show of force in major cities. The United Nations has said hundreds of people were likely killed in the unrest, which was fueled by the exclusion of leading opposition candidates from the ballot. President Samia Suluhu…

2025 likely to tie second-warmest year on record, climate agency reports

Global temperatures are on track to deliver the planet’s second hottest year on record in 2025—tied with 2023—after a historic high in 2024, according to Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The new assessment places the world perilously close to the 1.5C threshold enshrined as a safer limit in the 2015 Paris Agreement and underscores how quickly the climate system is changing. From January through November, average temperatures rose 1.48C above pre-industrial levels, Copernicus said in its latest monthly update,…