rising

In an unexpected turn of events, Finland has announced the early return of two beloved giant pandas to China this November. This decision comes more than eight years ahead of schedule, primarily due to the zoo's financial strain, highlighted by the chair of the zoo's board. The two pandas, Lumi and Pyry, made their journey to Finnish shores in January 2018. Their arrival followed a notable visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Finland, where the two nations entered into an agreement aimed at the conservation of these…

MANDERA, Kenya (AX) — Prominent elders from Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia are making an earnest appeal for unity among Northern Kenya's communities, in the wake of deadly upheavals in Banessa. Authorities caution that the infiltration of illegal arms from neighboring territories exacerbates the region's turmoil. During the assembly, leaders called on Northern Kenya inhabitants to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to tackle the smuggling of small arms — a significant contributor to the area’s escalating insecurity.…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Taye Astke Selassie, has voiced alarming concerns over recent influxes of arms heading to Somalia. He cautioned that these weapons might escalate regional conflicts and potentially be seized by terrorist factions, as reported by Ethiopia's state news agency on Tuesday. A wave of worry emerged after an Egyptian warship docked in Mogadishu, offloading a hefty load of heavy weaponry. This marks the second significant arms shipment to Somalia in just one month. This follows a…

Tanzanian cops nab a bunch of top opposition brass to scuttle an anti-government demo. Meanwhile in Guinea Conakry, authorities have re-captured a central figure linked to the brutal stadium massacre of 2009. Senegal is realigning its political landscape as it gears up for legislative elections set for November 17. Across in South Sudan, some lawyers are contesting the legality of the transitional government extending its term by two years. In Mauritania, demonstrators are urging the UN to enforce human rights…

The Egyptian Foreign Minister met with the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa in Washington. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry) Tensions have flared as Ethiopia has reportedly dispatched a "shipment of ammunition" to the Northeastern State region in northern Somalia, much to the dismay of Mogadishu, which has denounced it as a "serious violation" of its sovereignty. On the flip side, Egypt has urged for the stabilization of Somalia and a strong respect for its territorial borders. Experts caution that Ethiopia’s actions…

On Sunday, Egypt urged its citizens to promptly exit North Western State of Somalia, the self-declared autonomous region of Somalia.The Egyptian Embassy in Somalia stated, "We strongly advise all Egyptian nationals to avoid travel to North Western State of Somalia due to the precarious security situation, which threatens their safety."Emphasizing the urgency, the embassy advised Egyptians currently in North Western State of Somalia to depart through Hargeisa airport, highlighting the region's unstable security, which hampers…

A recent study conducted by the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education sounds the alarm on how climate change is intensifying both the frequency and severity of extreme weather phenomena. This escalation is placing the world’s aging network of dams—more than 70,000 in total—under increased threat, particularly in regions marred by conflict where some structures lie neglected and abandoned. Take, for instance, the catastrophic failure of the Arbaat Dam in Port Sudan last August. The region experienced an unprecedented…

Ethiopia Calls on Egypt to Reconsider Stance on Nile Dam Amid Growing Tensions ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia is pressing Egypt to rethink its "hostile tactics" concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), as tensions escalate over the Nile River's water management. This plea arises from Egypt's recent correspondence with the UN Security Council. In that letter, Egypt accused Ethiopia of violating international norms by filling the dam without a tripartite agreement. The GERD, perched on the Blue Nile in…

Ethiopian Forces Intensify Presence Near Somalia Border Amid Rising Strain MOGADISHU, Somalia - Recent reports reveal that Ethiopia has shifted additional troops to its frontier with Somalia, a development that many fear could exacerbate the already fragile situation in the Horn of Africa, a region grappling with significant instability and international concern. For nearly eight months, the Ethiopian and Somali governments have been at an impasse. Somalia accuses Ethiopia of violating its territorial integrity and…

Ruto Engages with Somalia's President Amid Rising Terrorism by al Shabaab On Thursday, September 5, President William Ruto convened with Somalia's leader, Hassan Mohamud, during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing, China. Their dialogue covered pivotal matters concerning regional security, especially the escalating threats posed by extremist factions like Al-Shabab. Both heads of state reflected on the achievements of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), with Kenya actively…