raises

In a decisive move to bolster national security, Burkina Faso's Council of Ministers approved a draft law on April 24 aiming to establish a military reserve comprising 100,000 personnel by 2026. Defense Minister Célestin Simporé emphasized the initiative as a means to engage citizens actively in safeguarding the nation, stating it would "embed Patriotic Defense within a logic of citizen participation." The government has long relied on a significant number of civilian volunteers known as the Volunteers for the Defense of…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somali Member of Parliament Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame has sounded the alarm over Somalia’s oil exploration agreement with Turkey, warning that the deal could leave the country with little control over its own resources as the drilling vessel Çağrı Bey moves into Somali waters. Warsame said the arrangement is "deeply imbalanced" and argued that its structure appears to tilt overwhelmingly in favor of one party. According to his assessment, more than 90 percent of the benefits would go to a single…

The war’s opening blows decapitated much of Iran’s ruling establishment, killing supreme leader Ali Khamenei and sweeping away a senior layer of the Islamic republic’s political and military command in US-Israeli strikes. US President Donald Trump said yesterday the conflict had delivered "regime change" and that "we're dealing with different people than anybody's dealt with before". Yet several prominent officials remain alive, and the Islamic republic has moved quickly to fill vacant posts while continuing its fight…

A war in Iran that is beginning to cloud President Donald Trump’s legacy is also raising the political stakes for two of the most closely watched figures in his orbit: Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Both men, often cast as possible heirs to Donald Trump, have been drawn into the still-evolving push to bring thewar to an end just as Republicans are starting to think more seriously about what the party looks like after him. JD Vance has moved carefully, mirroring his long-running scepticism of…

European Commission presses U.S. to honor EU-U.S. trade deal after Trump lifts global tariffs to 15% The European Commission urged Washington to honor last year’s EU-U.S. trade deal after President Donald Trump temporarily raised the global duty on imports to 15%, a move announced a day after the Supreme Court curtailed much of his tariffs campaign. “A deal is a deal. As the United States’ largest trading partner, the EU expects the US to honour its commitments set out in the Joint Statement — just as the EU stands by its…

Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia is not mere diplomatic theater. Announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the move inserts the Middle East’s most combustible politics into the Horn of Africa and raises the stakes along the Red Sea—one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors. For Somalia, which maintains a One Somalia policy with near-universal international backing, the gambit threatens national unity. For North Western State of Somalia, it offers symbolism without sovereignty at a…

Namibia is taking decisive action to manage its wildlife amid a severe drought by planning to cull a total of 723 wild animals. Among those slated for removal are 83 elephants. This initiative aims to provide much-needed meat to local communities struggling with the effects of the prolonged drought. The cull will unfold in both national parks and communal lands, particularly in regions where wildlife populations are deemed to surpass the available grazing areas and dwindling water resources. As the drought continues to…

Ethiopia's Somali region raises funds for victims of Tigray atrocities JIGJIGA, Ethiopia - Leaders from the Somali region of Ethiopia have launched a fundraiser aimed at raising funds for victims of atrocities in the Tigray region, as part of one of the latest humanitarian efforts to reduce loss of life possible due to hunger. In the past seven months, the Tigray region has been the scene of…

The government has approved the gradual and orderly return of the displaced population after the volcanic eruption on 22 May. But the population returning to Goma risks facing several challenges, especially housing and especially the difficulties in supplying drinking water. The Congolese government is now studying the possibility of moving the city of Goma.…

Following the failure of the election negotiations and the two-year extension of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's mandate, Farmajo says, the opposition is raising the tone. The presidential candidate coalition has called on its supporters to reject what they call a "threat to peace and stability" and to challenge President Farmajo. The 14 presidential candidates have all suspended their election campaigns in retaliation for extension of the Head of State's mandate, which sparked an international outcry this week.…