Fresh Israeli strikes shook eastern and southern Lebanon, state media said, underscoring the strain on a ceasefire that remains in place only tenuously, while a Hezbollah official dismissed Lebanon’s talks with Israel as a “dead-end”. According to the state-run National News Agency (NNA), two Israeli strikes struck the town of Sohmor in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley, while additional attacks were reported across the south of the country. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since the war began have killed more than…

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An unfolding health emergency aboard a cruise ship off Cape Verde has drawn international concern, with two Irish passengers among 149 people on board after a case of hantavirus was confirmed. Oceanwide Expeditions, the vessel’s operator, said the MV Hondius is carrying 149 people from 23 nationalities and remains in what it described as “a serious medical situation”. The company said strict precautions are being enforced on board, including isolation procedures, hygiene measures and ongoing medical monitoring. A…

A stark warning from the International Monetary Fund says sweeping global aid cutbacks have pushed Malawi onto a financial knife-edge, exposing deep-seated frailties in the country’s economic management. For years, the nation has leaned heavily on donor support to finance vital development programs and routine government operations. The IMF’s latest report on Sub-Saharan Africa notes that assistance to the region fell by 16 to 28 percent in 2025. This funding gap lands as Malawi contends with a debt-to-GDP ratio above 90…

By Ammu Kannampilly and Olivia Le PoidevinWednesday April 29, 2026 An internally displaced Somali woman feeds her malnourished child at the Daynile hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia April 20, 2026. REUTERS/Feisal Omar Purchase Licensing Rights In Somalia, where children are already caught between a worsening hunger crisis and deep cuts in foreign aid, the latest shock from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is hitting the most vulnerable first. For malnourished boys and girls, the fallout is not just higher fuel prices. It is the…

A fresh wave of Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanese state media said, after earlier attacks killed six people despite a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that had only recently been extended. The latest strikes came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to "forcefully attack Hezbollah targets", following accusations by the army that the group had violated the truce. Earlier, Lebanon's health ministry said that "Israeli enemy strikes on a truck and a…

Lufthansa is trimming 20,000 short-haul flights from its schedule through October as the carrier moves to blunt the impact of soaring jet fuel costs. The airline said the reduction amounts to less than 1% of total capacity across the group. According to Lufthansa, the cuts will save roughly 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, whose price has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict. The company said the revised timetable is aimed at reducing the number of loss-making short-haul services across the Lufthansa Group…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Armed al-Shabab fighters ride on pickup trucks Somalia’s army says it has killed 27 al-Shabab fighters in what it described as a “large-scale operation,” according to the Ministry of Defence. In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the assault took place in the autonomous state of Jubbaland and was backed by international partners who conducted air strikes. The statement did not name the international partners involved, but the United States has helped Somalia in its fight against al-Shabab in…

A prolonged US blockade of one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints threatens to send fresh shocks through energy markets and supply chains, raising new risks and costs for economies far beyond the Gulf. By Sanjoy Paul, University of Technology Sydney For weeks, the global economy has been fixated on a single question: when will the Strait of Hormuz fully reopen? Following Iran’s war with Israel and the United States, Tehran has in effect shut the narrow passage, a route that normally carries about one-fifth of…

More than five weeks into a war that has killed thousands, rattled economies and driven up oil prices, fresh aerial strikes were reported in Tehran as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran showed no sign of easing. US President Donald Trump warned Iran he would unleash "hell" if it failed to reach a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has in effect shut the Hormuz waterway — a passage for about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supply — while also striking US military bases and other targets across…