Surge

Malawi is facing a sharp escalation in violence against its seniors, with the Malawi Network of Older Persons Organizations warning that killings tied to witchcraft allegations are surging. The group reports 11 elderly people were murdered in the first three months of this year—putting the country on pace to surpass the 22 deaths documented across all of 2025. Executive Director Andrew Kavala called the trend “alarming,” noting that more than 300 older persons have been killed over witchcraft accusations since 2015. Urging…

As Easter approaches, countries across Africa are ramping up plans for a weekend defined by faith, family, and heavy travel, with leaders using the moment to press safety and security messages nationwide. In Mozambique, immigration authorities expect close to 400,000 people to cross the nation’s borders during the Easter period—about 17,000 more than last year. To cope with the uptick, officials are tightening procedures and staffing to keep checkpoints moving smoothly. In Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has arrived in…

Thursday April 2, 2026 Oil markets jolted sharply higher on Thursday, with prices surging more than $5 after President Donald Trump said the United States would keep striking Iran, while stopping short of giving any clear deadline for how the war might end. The lack of a firm end point deepened investor concern that disruptions to energy supplies could stretch on. Brent crude futures LCOc1 climbed $6.33, or 6.3 percent, to $107.49 a barrel in early trading, while US West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 rose $5.28, or 5.3…

The Conversation Africa reached out to five academic experts from Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, and Ethiopia to explore the pressing issue: Is the recent surge in oil prices negatively impacting your nation's economy? Across the board, their responses echoed a shared sentiment...

The Zimbabwe Peace Project reported more than 100 human rights violations affecting 3,205 people across Zimbabwe in February 2026. In its latest report, the watchdog said the cases spanned severe abuses — including torture, assault, enforced disappearances and abductions — as well as infringements on civil and political rights. The group said members of the ruling Zanu PF party were responsible for 35.46% of incidents, largely through political intimidation, coercion and interference with fundamental freedoms. It added that…

Oil surges past $90 as war in Middle East chokes Strait of Hormuz, rattling fuel costs worldwide Oil prices spiked and showed no signs of easing a week after the United States and Israel launched major attacks on Iran, tipping the Middle East into war and choking off one of the world’s most vital energy arteries, the Strait of Hormuz. Commercial tankers carrying roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day are stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely pass through the narrow waterway bordered by Iran, as missile and drone…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Fuel prices in Somalia’s capital surged nearly 77% overnight on Sunday, intensifying pressure on households and businesses already strained by rising living costs and supply disruptions across the region. The price of gasoline jumped from about $0.65 to $1.15 per liter late Friday, according to traders and drivers. By rush hour, cars queued at multiple Mogadishu stations as motorists scrambled to fill up, while taxi and three-wheeler (Bajaj) operators warned they may have to raise fares to stay afloat.…

Oil and gas prices jumped Monday as escalating Iranian strikes across the Middle East snarled shipping lanes, hit energy infrastructure and stoked fresh inflation fears in global markets. European natural gas futures spiked as much as 50% intraday before closing 39% higher after QatarEnergy halted liquefied natural gas production following drone attacks on facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City, according to the country’s defense ministry. Brent crude briefly touched $82 a barrel after at least three ships were attacked…

Irish troops in south Lebanon safe, on alert as Israel pushes deeper across border Irish troops serving with the United Nations in south Lebanon are safe, accounted for and prepared for “this period of heightened intensity,” a Defence Forces spokesman said Monday, as Israeli forces advanced into border areas and the United Nations reported at least 30,000 people displaced in Lebanon. Commandant Alex Quigley told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that operations remain ongoing, with force-protection measures in place that can be scaled…

ST. CLOUD, Minnesota — When Abdi Daisane first resettled in the United States in 2009, he called family overseas to describe a freedom that felt radical after years in a Kenyan refugee camp: no one demanded to see his papers. In Minnesota, he didn’t live at a checkpoint. Seventeen years later, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents surged into Minnesota in recent months, that assurance unraveled. Daisane, who owns Blooming Kids Child Center in St. Cloud and is running for an open state House seat, found himself…