As Ebola tears through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the head of the World Health Organization is urging the world not to look away. Arriving in the outbreak’s epicentre, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appealed for stronger international backing as authorities race to contain a virus spreading through one of the country’s most fragile regions. Speaking to reporters in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, the WHO director general said the international community was already assisting the DRC government in its response to…

Somalia: Rift Deepens Between President and Intelligence Chief Over Galmudug Election MOGADISHU, Somalia — A widening clash between Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Director Mahad Salad has raised alarm over the risk of unrest in central Galmudug, according to people familiar with the talks. What began as a round of political consultations in Mogadishu has now soured into a breakdown in negotiations over who should lead Galmudug ahead of the regional presidential…

Israel says it has killed Hamas's newly installed armed wing commander in Gaza, only days after killing his predecessor, as it ramps up military pressure in the enclave and broadens its campaign in Lebanon. The Israeli military said Mohammad Odeh was killed in an operation in Gaza tomorrow. Hamas has not issued an official statement, though a message from Odeh's family said he was killed alongside his wife and son. Gaza health officials said six people were killed in the same Israeli strike, including at least one woman, and…

Alarm is spreading beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo as the Ebola outbreak gathers pace, with the head of the World Health Organization warning that neighbouring states face grave danger unless they move swiftly to contain the virus. "Countries bordering DRC are at especially high risk and should take immediate action," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said he would travel to the DRC tomorrow, heading to the vast central African nation at the heart of the current outbreak. "The outbreak is…

Saturday May 23, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — In a meeting that underscored mounting attention to rights protections in Somalia, Somali Police Force chief Brig. Gen. Asad Osman Abdullahi held talks with leaders of the Independent National Human Rights Commission on cooperation in safeguarding human rights, improving accountability and strengthening oversight of detention facilities. The commission was represented by Chairperson Dr. Maryam Qaasim, Deputy Chairperson Mohamed Harun, Director General Mustafa Ahmed and other…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has embraced President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to send 5,000 US troops to Poland, a move that reverses an earlier plan shelved as Washington pressed Europe to shoulder more of its own defence. "Of course, I welcome the announcement," Rutte told reporters before a meeting of alliance foreign ministers in Sweden, saying NATO's "military commanders are working through all the details". Trump caught allies off guard by unveiling the deployment only hours before Secretary of State Marco…

Thursday May 21, 2026 Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, on Wednesday issued a sharp condemnation of any plan by North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared authorities in Somalia’s northwestern region, to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem. In a statement, Aboul-Gheit said such a step would have no legal standing and would amount to a blatant provocation to the Arab and Islamic worlds. "Such rapprochement seeks to solicit illegitimate recognition of Israel from entities and regions…

Alarm over the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo intensified as the head of the World Health Organization warned that the epidemic’s reach and momentum are cause for serious concern. "Early on Sunday, I declared a public health emergency of international concern over an epidemic of Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the World Health Assembly in Geneva. "I did not do this lightly... I'm deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic," he said. His remarks…

One of Hamas's highest-ranking figures is reported dead after Israel said it struck him in an air attack, marking what would be the most senior killing of a Hamas official since the October US-backed ceasefire deal intended to stop the war in Gaza. In Gaza City, witnesses said mosques had announced the death of Izz al-Din al-Haddad. If confirmed, he would be the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since the ceasefire agreement reached in October with US backing, which was supposed to bring the fighting in Gaza to a…

Europe’s bid to reclaim the top job at the United Nations food agency has hit an early obstacle, with the Cyprus presidency of the EU conceding there is still no agreement on a single European contender. Ireland has put forward former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan for the role, but his candidacy is facing determined challenges from both Italy and Spain. The stakes are significant. Europe has not occupied the leading post at the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for five decades, and EU agriculture ministers,…