restore

Amid the wreckage of Gaza, Palestinians are turning the debris of war into the groundwork for recovery, crushing shattered concrete and twisted metal to repave streets destroyed during Israel's ⁠two-year assault in what they hope will be the first visible step toward restoring their battered cities. The effort, led by the United Nations Development Programme, comes as momentum fades behind US President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, which was intended to build on an October Israel-Hamas ceasefire by ramping up aid and launching a…

AU welcomes China-Pakistan initiative to restore stability in Middle East The African Union (AU) on Friday voiced support for the China-Pakistan five-point initiative aimed at easing the current peace and security crisis in the Gulf and Middle East. In a statement, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf described the proposal as “a timely and constructive contribution” to wider international efforts to reduce…

Friday April 3, 2026 The African Union (AU) on Friday praised the China-Pakistan five-point initiative aimed at easing the current peace and stability crisis in the Gulf and Middle East. In a statement, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said the plan “constitutes a timely and constructive contribution to ongoing international efforts to de-escalate tensions and advance a political and diplomatic pathway.” He said the initiative’s “emphasis on an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians,…

Authorities in Cuba scrambled to restore electricity across the island on Monday after the country suffered a second nationwide blackout in under a week, a failure officials blame on aging infrastructure and a US oil blockade that has tightened fuel supplies. While sections of Havana reported the return of power, other neighborhoods remained without electricity a day after the energy ministry said the nation’s electrical system experienced a "total disconnection" in the country of nearly 10 million residents. Energy and…

Cuba works to restore power after nationwide blackout Cuba began restoring electricity after a nationwide blackout, with officials saying about two-thirds of the island had power by morning as authorities investigated the cause and reported no immediate damage from a separate offshore quake. Cuba was working to bring electricity back online following a countrywide outage, the government said, without specifying the cause. As of this morning, about two-thirds of the country had power again, according to the government. There…

Kyiv’s water and heating systems are back on after a brief shutdown Friday as engineers scrambled to stabilize a power grid battered by weeks of Russian strikes and a plunging cold snap. The city administration said around noon local time that state grid operator Ukrenergo had ordered a full shutdown of Kyiv’s power system, forcing water and district heating to stop and halting electrified public transport. Less than an hour later, Ukrenergo said crews had remedied the immediate issue, caused by damage from earlier attacks,…

Somali forces repel al-Shabab assault in Middle Shabelle, kill senior commander MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces, backed by organized local community fighters, repelled an al-Shabab attack on the Wargaadhi area of Middle Shabelle on Friday, killing a senior militant commander and forcing the remaining fighters to flee, the Defense Ministry said. The Somali National Army said the assault was thwarted in a coordinated defensive operation that returned and maintained full control of the area, which officials…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Residents of Somalia’s capital voted Thursday in municipal elections billed as a key step toward restoring direct democracy nationwide for the first time in more than half a century. The Mogadishu vote, held in a city of roughly 3 million where security has improved despite persistent attacks by al-Qaida-aligned al-Shabab, is widely seen as a test run for national-level direct elections. Somalia last held direct polls in 1969, months before military ruler Mohamed Siad Barre seized power in a coup. With…

BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Traditional leaders in North Western State of Somalia’s Awdal region said Tuesday they have handed security responsibilities in Borama back to the police, moving to restore order after days of unrest that left at least 20 people dead and more wounded. The elders announced the decision after a closed-door meeting in the regional capital, reversing an earlier directive that had ordered all security forces — including police and army units — to withdraw from the city amid escalating…

Somali businesses step in to turn displacement into livelihoods MOGADISHU — On a sun-baked morning in a sprawling camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu, the signs of lives interrupted are unmistakable: corrugated iron shelters clustered along dusty tracks, makeshift stalls selling tea and charcoal, children weaving between tents. For many inside, the question is no longer just where to sleep tonight but how to rebuild a future when formal jobs are scarce and public services thin. Into that breach this week stepped an alliance…