Malawi

The Trump administration is canceling humanitarian aid programs it previously identified as lifesaving, according to an internal State Department email obtained by The Atlantic, a move that could sharply reduce assistance to vulnerable populations in parts of Africa. The internal communication, made public by The Atlantic, says the new round of cuts will end all U.S. humanitarian funding in seven African countries. The report did not identify the countries by name in its initial coverage. The email marks a reversal from…

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is canceling humanitarian aid programs it previously identified as lifesaving, according to an internal State Department email obtained by The Atlantic, a move that could sharply reduce U.S. assistance to vulnerable populations abroad. The internal message, made public by The Atlantic on Tuesday, says the new round of cuts will reportedly end all U.S. humanitarian funding in seven African countries. The email characterizes the affected programs as lifesaving before notifying colleagues…

Malawi has struck a landmark mineral marketing agreement with U.S.-based Traxys North America to sell graphite from the Kasiya rutile-graphite project in Lilongwe, officials said Friday, a deal that both countries view as strategically significant amid growing global demand for critical minerals. Malawian authorities hailed the arrangement as a potential boost to the country’s export earnings and industrial profile. The U.S. government classifies both rutile and graphite as essential minerals, and they are widely sought for…

Two opposition Members of Parliament were arrested while performing official committee duties, prompting accusations that the independence and safety of the legislature are under threat and a parliamentary boycott by the main opposition party. Opposition leaders said the arrests — of two MPs who serve on the Budget and Transport committees — took place during formal committee work and were made on allegations of corruption. They accused Speaker Sameer Suleman of failing to protect Parliament and urged him to press the…

The government declared a polio outbreak Friday after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the virus in sewage samples taken in Blantyre, the Health and Sanitation Ministry said, marking what officials described as a second wave of the disease in recent years. Health authorities said the detection followed World Health Organization guidelines and prompted immediate activation of emergency response systems, intensified disease surveillance and planning for nationwide vaccination campaigns. The ministry warned the virus…

Former President Lazarus Chakwera accused his successor, Peter Mutharika, on Thursday of overseeing a campaign of intimidation and “unlawful arrests, and the abuse of due process” aimed at silencing opposition figures, calling the pattern a “dangerous collapse” of the rule of law. In a formal statement, Chakwera said he has notified President Mutharika of what he described as politically motivated actions against leaders of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). “This includes individuals whose only crime is exercising their…

The Malawian government is facing growing pressure to explain its silence over the cost and justification of Vice President Jane Ansah’s private trip to the United Kingdom, a controversy that has intensified as citizens are braced for austerity and deep cuts in public spending. Leaked documents circulating in local media allege that as many as 15 people would accompany Ansah and that the trip could cost “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” The documents have not been independently verified. Ansah’s office confirmed the…

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…

President Peter Mutharika has announced the cancellation of almost all school-related fees in Malawi, saying the move fulfills a key campaign promise and ordering that "no public school should be requesting learners to make contributions towards the School Development Fund and any other fees, except boarding fees." The directive, disclosed in a presidential statement, is intended to reduce the financial barrier to primary and secondary education and to boost enrollment and completion rates. Malawi currently posts a primary…

Lilongwe — A court in Lilongwe has issued a warrant authorizing a search of former President Lazarus Chakwera’s residence over allegations that he is unlawfully holding four State-owned security dogs, according to court records and an affidavit filed with the court. The affidavit says the animals are normally deployed to State House and other presidential security installations and were allegedly moved into Chakwera’s custody without the required approval. The warrant empowers investigators to enter the former president’s…