eastern

A US military strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel killed two people, pushing the reported death toll from Washington’s campaign against what it calls “narco-terrorists” in Latin America to at least 182. In a post on X, US Southern Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said the military had "conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organisations." It said intelligence had determined the vessel was moving along established drug-smuggling routes in the Eastern…

“Meat grinder” assaults. That was the stark phrase used by Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to characterize Russian tactics on parts of the 1,200km front in mid-March. From Tuesday, 17 March through Friday, 20 March, Russian troops carried out more than 600 assault operations across the entire frontline, General Syrskyi said this week in a post on the Facebook page of Ukraine’s armed forces. He said those attacks left Russia with more than 6,000 casualties in only four days. Ukrainian and Western military…

AU intensifies push for ceasefires in Sudan and eastern DRC, says Commissioner Bankole Adeoye The African Union has sharpened its diplomatic drive to secure ceasefires in Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye outlining a renewed, African-led strategy to stem escalating violence and restore stability. Briefing reporters after the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, Adeoye said AU leaders reaffirmed…

Tallinn’s Slava Ukrainia restaurant was meant as a refuge for people displaced by the war next door. One winter morning, it became a crime scene. CCTV captured two men outside: one filming, the other setting the blaze that would gut the Ukrainian-themed eatery. Within weeks, a cross-border investigation had tracked the suspects — Moldovan nationals — to Italy. By summer, an Estonian court had convicted one of arson in the interests of a foreign intelligence service. Prosecutors said he worked for Russia’s military…

Somalia hosts EASF defense chiefs in Mogadishu, underscoring rising regional security role MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia on Tuesday hosted the 35th regular session of the Committee of Defence and Security Chiefs of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), a high-level gathering that officials said reflects the country’s expanding role in regional security cooperation. The meeting in Mogadishu, opened by State Minister for Defense Omar Ali Abdi, marked the second time this year that Somalia has convened a major EASF forum.…

Somalia’s Quiet Test of Federalism: A New State’s Speaker Knocks on Mogadishu’s Door In the thick summer heat of Mogadishu, a meeting that might have gone unnoticed told a larger story about where Somalia’s fragile federal experiment may be heading. On Tuesday, Abdullahi Ali Hirsi Timacadde, the Second Deputy Speaker of Somalia’s Upper House, hosted Dr. Adan Abdullahi Aw-Hassan, the Speaker of the North Eastern State Parliament, for talks that were part ceremony, part signal, and all politics. The official readout was…

Valencia on edge as new storms revive memory of last year’s deadly floods Valencia’s empty schoolyards and shuttered libraries felt, on a wet dawn this week, like a city holding its breath. After hours of heavy overnight rain, Spain’s national weather agency AEMET issued red alerts across the eastern Mediterranean coast — warning of “a very complicated situation” and “extraordinary danger” in the provinces of Valencia and Castellón, and parts of Tarragona in Catalonia. Towns that still bear the scars of October 2024’s…

Even with a rising tide of awareness regarding children’s rights, the latest findings from UNICEF unveil some serious educational hurdles faced by kids in Eastern and Southern Africa. The figures are eye-opening and provoke serious thought. Research has shown that a staggering 87% of children recognize their rights. Yet, awareness doesn’t equate to adequate support or access. Take Tanzania, for instance, where youngsters are vocal about their need for better digital literacy and vocational training opportunities. They see…

According to statements from Russia’s Defence Ministry, Russian troops have taken control of the villages Serebrianka and Mykolaivka located in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk area. Meanwhile, military blogs have been buzzing with reports of Russian progress near critical frontline towns. While Ukraine’s military has not confirmed the fall of these villages, they did indicate that both locations are currently embroiled in fierce clashes. Both pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian bloggers highlighted a vigorous Russian offensive…

Ukrainian officials have mandated the evacuation of children and their families from the northeastern town of Borova, an area where Russian military forces have been advancing steadily. This urgent call for evacuation, which affects a community that once housed about 5,000 residents before the war, underscores the declining defenses that Ukraine is facing. "In light of the current security conditions, we have approved the compulsory evacuation of children and their families from the village of Borova in the Kharkiv…