Author: Editor

THE winter has made a life of relentless suffering worse for the people of Gaza, particularly for the wounded, children and elderly, with hundreds of thousands in the Palestinian territory displaced by Israel’s genocidal war desperately trying to survive on the scant humanitarian aid Israel is allowing in. Nine-year-old Assad al-Madhna lost his left hand when Israeli fire hit a group of children playing in al-Zuwayda in central Gaza. The same attack also wounded him in the leg. Now, as winter envelops the besieged enclave, Assad’s pain increases as the metal rods and pins holding his leg in place stiffen…

WORLD leaders have continued to react to the US strike in Venezuela and the arrest of the South American country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro. From China to the UK, the leaders were not unanimous in their reaction to the strike. United Nations The United Nations Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss the US operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP on Saturday. The emergency meeting, scheduled for 10:00 am (1500 GMT), was requested by Venezuela and relayed by Colombia, diplomatic sources said. Russia Russia on Saturday urged the United…

MALI and Burkina Faso have restricted United States citizens from entering their countries following President Donald Trump’s visa restrictions. The two countries, in separate statements by their foreign ministers made the announcements. With these, the number of African countries reciprocating the US travel ban has climbed to four. On June 6, 2025, Chad suspended the issuance of visas to American citizens as a reciprocal move to earlier US visa restrictions affecting Chadians. Chadian President Mahamat Deby in a statement via social media said the suspension was effected in “accordance with the principles of reciprocity.” Deby emphasised that the action was…

RESCUE operations are ongoing in Nairobi, after the Friday collapse of a multi-storey building under construction left at least four people trapped, according to Kenyan authorities. The building was in an area of the capital known as South C, according to the Kenya Red Cross, which said in a statement that a multi-agency response team was at the scene “managing the situation.” Geoffrey Ruku, the cabinet secretary for the ministry of public service, told local media that two watchmen and two pedestrians remain under the rubble. He also said that a taxi driver who survived the collapse was admitted to…

UNITED States President Donald Trump has announced that American forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following what he described as a “large-scale” U.S. military strike on Venezuela. Trump made the stunning announcement on Saturday via his social media platform, Truth Social, saying the operation was carried out jointly by the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies. “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote. “This…

STRASBOURG manager Liam Rosenior is the leading contender for the Chelsea job vacated by Enzo Maresca. Former Leicester boss Maresca, 45, left his role as Chelsea head coach on Thursday amid internal tensions with the club’s hierarchy and ownership. The process to replace the Italian is under way, and it is understood Englishman Rosenior is the frontrunner, though sources have stressed other candidates are also under consideration. Rosenior’s current employers are owned by investment vehicle BlueCo – the consortium set up to purchase Chelsea in 2022. The 41-year-old, who previously managed Hull, has significant backing internally at Chelsea and it…

SEVERAL countries in the Middle East and Asia have called on Israel to allow “immediate, full, and unhindered” deliveries of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as winter storms lash the bombarded Palestinian enclave. In a statement on Friday, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia warned that “deteriorating” conditions in Gaza had left nearly 1.9 million displaced Palestinians particularly vulnerable. “Flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures coupled with malnutrition, have significantly heightened risks to civilian lives,” the statement reads. They called…

PACKED with missile tests, propaganda hailing the great leaders and tirades against the United States, North Korea’s top newspaper was long considered so incendiary that South Korea banned its citizens from reading it. But dovish President Lee Jae Myung is now seeking better ties with Pyongyang and has joked that he does not believe the public will “become commies” by reading the Rodong Sinmun. That means from this week, South Koreans can access the publication, whose name means “Workers’ Newspaper” — at select locations without state approval. Prospective readers no longer have to identify themselves and submit an application explaining…

AT least seven people have died and many others are missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say. The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found “grounded on a sandbank”, the country’s defence ministry said in a statement. Ninety-six people have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for other passengers who were aboard the shipwrecked vessel that was heading towards Spain’s Canary Islands. The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has become an…

GABON’s President Brice Oligui Nguema started the New Year with a major government reshuffle. It’s the latest step in the consolidating the political transition underway since the Nguema took power in 2023. Hughes Alexandre Barro Chambrier becomes Vice-President of the Republic, while Hermann Immongault leaves the Ministry of Interior to take over as Vice-President of the government. Immongault’s promotion is being seen as a reward for managing September’s legislative and parliamentary elections, which resulted in Nguema’s Democratic Union of Builders winning 101 of the 145 parliamentary seats. Nguema also signed a decree formalising the make up of the new government.…

GABON’s sports minister has announced the banning of veteran players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga, the suspension of the whole national team, and the sacking of the coaching staff following the Panthers’ disastrous showing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). An injury-time winner by Bazoumana Toure condemned Gabon to a 3-2 defeat against defending champions Ivory Coast at the AFCON on Wednesday. A third consecutive defeat in as many outings ensured that they finished rock bottom of Group F, below heavyweights Ivory Coast and Cameroon, but also Mozambique. “Given the Panthers’ disgraceful performance at the AFCON, the government…

ISRAELI forces have killed a Palestinian child in northern Gaza as hundreds of thousands of families across the bombarded enclave continue to reel from Israel’s continued restrictions on shelter supplies and other humanitarian aid. A medical source at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City told Al Jazeera on Thursday that the child – identified as Youssef Ahmed al-Shandaghli was killed by Israeli forces in the Jabalia an-Nazla area in the north of the territory. The exact circumstances surrounding the boy’s killing were not immediately clear. It comes as Israel has continued to carry out attacks across Gaza despite a United States-brokered…

AT least six people have been killed as demonstrations over the soaring cost of living in Iran spread to more parts of the country. At least three people were killed and 17 others were injured at protests in the city of Azna in Lorestan province, some 300km (185 miles) southwest of Tehran, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency reported on Thursday. Videos shared online appeared to show objects in the street ablaze and gunfire echoing as people shouted: “Shameless! Shameless!” Earlier, Fars said two people were killed during protests in the city of Lordegan, about 470km (290 miles) south of the…

SOMALILAND has rejected accusations that it agreed to host Israeli military facilities and resettle displaced Palestinians from Gaza in exchange for recognition by Israel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday dismissed the claims as baseless, saying its engagement with Israel was “purely diplomatic” and conducted “in full respect of international law”. The denial came in response to allegations by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who told Al Jazeera that Somaliland had accepted three conditions from Israel: The resettlement of Palestinians, the establishment of a military base on the Gulf of Aden coast, and joining the Abraham Accords to normalise…

ON the outskirts of Kosti, a city in south-central Sudan that has transformed into a giant way station for the desperate, Aziza sits with her children on the open sandy ground. There are no walls to protect them, and no roof to shield them from the sun or extreme weather. After a long and harrowing journey escaping the war, Aziza and her family have been reduced to sleeping under thin sheets repurposed into a basic shelter. Aziza spoke briefly, only touching on the desperation of her situation. “There is no man to lead us; our sons are in one place,…

ENZO Maresca has left his role as Chelsea manager with the club sitting fifth in the Premier League. The Italian, 45, departs less than six months after winning the Club World Cup at the end of his first season at Stamford Bridge. “With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the Club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track,” Chelsea said. The Blues have won just one of their past seven league matches and took only six points from six games…

ANTOINE Semenyo’s future is entering a crucial 48 hours, with the Bournemouth attacker eager to have his departure concluded by 1 January. BBC Sport reported last week that Manchester City’s move for the player, who has a £65m release clause, is at an advanced stage following discussions between his representatives and the Etihad club. It is understood further discussions between parties are scheduled to take place in the next two days with a view to wrapping up Semenyo’s move to the Etihad. But until a deal is signed, Semenyo’s future remains open. Indeed, it still remains to be seen as…

ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reached the end of his latest trip to the United States and appears to have gained what he wants from President Donald Trump. Trump hailed Netanyahu after their meeting on Monday, calling him a “hero” and saying Israel and by extension its prime minister had “lived up to the plan 100 percent” in reference to the US president’s signature Gaza ceasefire. That is despite reports emerging last week that US officials were growing frustrated over Netanyahu’s apparent “slow walking” of the 20-point ceasefire plan imposed by the US administration in October – suspecting that…

IRANIAN protesters demonstrating over economic hardship and a plummeting currency attempted to break into a local government building as the unrest continued for a fourth day. State media reported on Wednesday an organised group of “rioters” attempted to get into the local governorate building in Fasa in the southern province of Fars. Footage broadcast showed a group of people trying to break open the gate of the building. “Their attack failed with the intervention of security forces,” state media said. “The leader of these rioters, a 28-year-old woman, was arrested.” The semi-official Tasnim news agency cited a local official ‍as…

MALI and Burkina Faso say they will bar US citizens from entering their countries in response to a similar move by the Trump administration. The two West African states were recently placed under full entry restrictions under US President Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban. In separate statements, they said they would apply the same measures on US nationals. Burkina Faso’s foreign affairs minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said his government was acting on the “principle of reciprocity”, while Mali’s foreign ministry called for “mutual respect and sovereign equality”. The latter said it regretted the US’s move, adding that “such an important…