tensions

Clashes erupted in Brussels on Thursday as thousands of farmers protested the European Union’s planned trade deal with the Mercosur bloc, lighting fires and hurling potatoes at riot police who answered with teargas and water cannons outside EU institutions. At least 7,000 farmers converged on the Belgian capital with about 1,000 tractors to pressure EU leaders meeting nearby, where the fate of the EU-Mercosur agreement hung in the balance. A largely peaceful march through the European quarter gave way to tense scenes at the…

Israel carried out a series of strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting what it called Hezbollah infrastructure less than a day before an international committee overseeing a fragile ceasefire is due to convene. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported multiple strikes in the south and east. The Israeli military said it hit “terror infrastructure sites in multiple areas across Lebanon,” including “a military compound used by Hezbollah to conduct training and courses” for members of the…

Cambodia accuses Thailand of bombing border casino town as pressure mounts to halt clashes Cambodia has accused Thailand’s military of bombing the casino town of Poipet, a major crossing between the two countries, as regional and global powers pressed both sides to halt reignited border clashes. Thai forces “dropped two bombs in the area of Poipet Municipality, Banteay Meanchey Province” at about 11 a.m. local time, the Cambodian defense ministry said in a statement. Thailand has not confirmed any strike on Poipet, a…

Cambodia accuses Thailand of bombing Poipet as ASEAN, China press for ceasefire Cambodia accused Thailand’s military of bombing the border city of Poipet, a major crossing and casino hub, as international pressure mounted on both governments to halt renewed clashes along their frontier. Thai forces “dropped two bombs in the area of Poipet Municipality, Banteay Meanchey Province” at around 11 a.m. local time, Cambodia’s defense ministry said in a statement. Thailand has not confirmed any strike on Poipet. The fighting, which…

FILE - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki hold up a symbolic key during a joint ceremony marking the restoration of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea in Asmara, Eritrea. The 2018 peace initiative formally ended two decades of hostility following a border war and paved the way for the reopening of embassies, flights and cross-border ties. MOGADISHU — Eritrea has withdrawn from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development for the second time, accusing the Horn of Africa…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A major opposition meeting opened Tuesday night in the capital as political tensions over Somalia’s electoral process intensified, with participants warning that the country is not ready to hold one-person, one-vote polls within the current government’s term. Leaders of the Madasha Samatabixinta Soomaaliyeed, an opposition coalition, convened the forum at the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu to air grievances about the federal government’s handling of the electoral framework and to gather public input ahead of…

BANGKOK — Thailand launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia after both countries accused the other of breaching a cease-fire agreement brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Thai military said, marking the sharpest escalation in months along one of Southeast Asia’s most volatile frontiers. The Thai military said at least one Thai soldier was killed and four were wounded in fresh clashes around two areas of Ubon Ratchathani province after its troops came under Cambodian fire. “The Thai side has now…

Egypt’s decision to drop “Nile” from state broadcaster sparks symbolic backlash amid GERD row CAIRO — A seemingly technical decision to rename Egypt’s state channel Nile TV International as Egypt News Network (ENN) has provoked an unexpectedly heated response — and not only because the new initials match those of an Ethiopian outlet. Announced by Ahmed El‑Meslemany, head of Egypt’s National Media Authority, the rebrand has reopened raw sensitivities tied to a long‑running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam…

Behind closed doors in Villa Somalia: former foes, fragile alliances MOGADISHU — In a sign of how fragile and fluid Somali politics remain, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud convened a private meeting at Villa Somalia this week with a who’s who of figures who recently left the Somali National Salvation Council. The gathering — attended by former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, ex-Parliament Speaker Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdirahman, and Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, the one-time president of SouthWest State — has…

Morocco's Bold Investment in Health and Education: A Hopeful Path for Reform In a significant stride towards modernization, Morocco has unveiled plans to invest 140 billion dirhams—approximately $14 billion—into its education and health sectors in the coming year. Announced at a ministerial meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI in Rabat, this initiative aims to address long-standing issues in these critical areas, marking a substantial commitment to improving the nation's infrastructure and workforce. A Boost to Health…