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About 300 jobs at Amazon’s Irish operation are under threat as the tech giant confirmed 16,000 corporate layoffs worldwide, completing a plan for roughly 30,000 reductions since October while signaling more cuts could follow. Amazon employs nearly 6,500 people in Ireland and said it would not comment on how many local roles are affected. RTÉ News reported that approximately 300 Ireland-based positions are at risk, following around 150 losses in the country during a global round of redundancies last October. The latest…

Current evidence does not link paracetamol use in pregnancy to autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or intellectual disabilities, according to a wide-ranging review published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health. The findings, from an international team of researchers, support existing guidance that paracetamol — known as Tylenol in the United States — remains safe to use during pregnancy when taken as directed. The review comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said in September there…

EU warns of sabotage risk as Finland seizes ship suspected in Baltic cable damage Europe “remains vigilant” as its critical infrastructure faces a high risk of sabotage, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said, after Finnish authorities seized a cargo vessel suspected of damaging a subsea telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn. Finnish police detained the Fitburg, a 132-meter cargo ship, and its 14 crew members as part of an investigation into damage to a telecoms cable in the Gulf of Finland. Authorities…

SINGAPORE — Scammers convicted in Singapore now face mandatory caning of up to 24 strokes in the most serious cases, as a new law authorizing the punishment came into effect amid record financial losses linked to fraud and online syndicates. The Ministry of Home Affairs framed the move as a hard reset in the city-state’s fight against a wave of cyber-enabled crime that has swept Southeast Asia, saying “fighting scams is a top national priority.” Authorities have cast the penalties as aimed squarely at organized networks and…

U.N. experts warn al-Shabab remains top threat in Somalia and Kenya as Security Council extends AU mission to 2026 Al-Shabab remains the greatest immediate threat to peace and stability in Somalia and the wider region, especially Kenya, U.N. experts said in a report released Wednesday, warning that the group’s operational capacity and influence remain largely undiminished. Despite ongoing operations by Somali and international forces, the al-Qaida-linked group continues to execute complex, asymmetric attacks across Somalia,…

Somalia’s relaunched e-visa website contains a fresh security flaw that could let malicious actors download large numbers of e-visas containing passport numbers, full names and dates of birth, Al Jazeera confirmed this week after receiving a tip from a web developer. The vulnerability, which Al Jazeera was able to replicate, allowed the downloading of e-visas for dozens of applicants in a short period, exposing sensitive data on people from Somalia, Portugal, Sweden, the United States and Switzerland. Al Jazeera alerted…

Editorial Verdict: Somalia at a Crossroads — Demagoguery, Patronage and the Fraying of Federalism Three and a half years into a four‑year term, critics of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud argue that the promise of a renewed Somalia — one that could finally suppress Al‑Shabaab, rebuild institutions and knit together fractious clans — has been replaced by a politics of personalization. What began as hopeful restoration has, they say, slid toward centralisation, clientelism and the politicisation of security and aid. The…

Urgent Humanitarian Crisis Looms Over Cameroon: A Call for Global Attention In the heart of Central Africa, the specter of hunger looms large as the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) raises an alarming red flag: in just a matter of weeks, over half a million refugees and vulnerable Cameroonians may be stripped of their essential humanitarian food assistance. As resources dwindle, the urgency of the situation starkly illustrates the fragility of life in a region already burdened by poverty and conflict. Food…

The recent arrest of five individuals in Lesotho for the illegal trade of pelargonium has revealed significant flaws in the government's capacity to safeguard endangered plant species, as reported by Sechaba Mokhethi for GroundUp. Back in 2004, the government classified Pelargonium sidoides—often called African geranium—as a protected species. This plant has gained global recognition for its medicinal properties, being a key ingredient in various herbal remedies, including some cough syrups. Yet, despite these protective…

Baku, Azerbaijan (AX) — In a landmark move, Somalia's Ambassador Khadija Al-Makhzoumi, who serves as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, entered into an agreement with the Global Center for Climate Mobility on Thursday. This collaboration is aimed at supporting communities in Somalia that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Taking place in the vibrant city of Baku, Azerbaijan, the alliance seeks to bolster Somalia's efforts in climate adaptation. The primary focus is on advancing…