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In a significant move aimed at boosting infrastructure, President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Senate's approval to secure a $516.3 million loan from Deutsche Bank AG. This lending initiative is backed by insurance from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit, part of the Islamic Development Bank. Tinubu emphasized that the funding would be directed towards the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, a centerpiece project within his Renewed Hope Agenda. The ambitious…

BRUSSELS — The European Union and its member states have signed off on a €75 million contribution to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, cementing the bloc’s position as the mission’s biggest financial supporter. The latest package lifts total EU assistance to a string of African Union-led operations in Somalia over the past 20 years to nearly €2.8 billion, highlighting the bloc’s enduring investment in security efforts across the Horn of Africa. Bankole Adeoye, the AU commissioner for political…

Ireland is stepping up its support for Ukraine with an additional €40 million in aid as Russia’s war grinds on, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has announced. The new package comes on top of the €25m already committed by Ireland in February. Minister McEntee unveiled the latest funding during a visit to Kyiv. Of the €40m announced today, more than €26m will go toward humanitarian assistance, while almost €14m is earmarked for long-term development and peacebuilding measures. Another €2m from the overall package…

A jury in New Mexico has ruled that Meta Platforms broke state law, concluding the tech giant misled users about safety on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and enabled child sexual exploitation on its services, according to the state attorney general’s lawsuit. After less than a day of deliberations, jurors determined Meta violated New Mexico’s consumer protection statute and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties. The verdict is the first jury decision on these types of claims against Meta, which is…

Djibouti Bets Big: President Guelleh Launches $480 Million "Salaam City" DJIBOUTI CITY — In a bold push to tackle soaring housing needs amid brisk economic expansion, H.E. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti, on Monday unveiled a $480 million residential venture known as “Salaam City.” Driven by developer Salaam Real Estate, the project will convert a vast tract on the edge of Djibouti City into a contemporary urban center, which officials describe as among the nation’s most ambitious housing efforts…

UN estimates 4.9 million under-5 deaths in 2024 An estimated 4.9 million children died before age five in 2024, United Nations agencies said, underscoring a global slowdown in mortality reduction even before recent aid cuts. The estimate was produced by UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and the UN Population Division. The agencies said most of the deaths were preventable with better access to healthcare and low-cost interventions for complications from pre-term birth and diseases such as malaria.…

Cuba grid collapse leaves millions without power; 14 detained after unrest Cuba’s national grid collapsed, the country’s grid operator said, leaving about 10 million people without electricity as officials reported arrests after protesters stormed a Communist Party office. The grid operator said the national electric system had collapsed, plunging much of the island into blackout. The scale of the outage was not immediately detailed beyond an estimate of around 10 million people without power. The island of 9.6 million…

Gulf crisis deepens as UN warns of mass displacement in Iran and tankers burn off Iraq The United Nations’ refugee agency warned that as many as 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced since the war began almost two weeks ago, as fresh maritime attacks sent oil prices surging back above $100 a barrel and widened fears of a prolonged global energy shock. “This figure is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said,…

China donates $2 million in cash and food to Somalia’s drought response as hunger crisis deepens MOGADISHU — China on Sunday donated $2 million in cash and food assistance to drought-affected communities in Somalia, an infusion of humanitarian aid arriving as the country confronts worsening hunger projections and prolonged dry conditions. At a handover ceremony in Mogadishu, Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu presented the package to Mahmoud Moalim Abdulle, commissioner of the Somali National Disaster Management Authority (SoDMA).…

Mogadishu (AX) — The European Union on Thursday announced €63 million in new humanitarian funding for Somalia as 6.5 million people face severe hunger driven by drought, conflict and shrinking global aid, according to new food security projections. The EU said the money will be directed to the most vulnerable communities affected by ongoing insecurity, displacement, worsening drought and soaring food prices. Assistance will be channeled through EU humanitarian partners to speed delivery and ensure aid reaches areas with…