THE US has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, alleging that officials destroyed a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seized “donor-funded food aid”. “The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” said a US state department statement on X. The message, posted on the account of the under secretary for foreign assistance, said reports had been received about officials illegally seizing 76 tonnes of food intended for “vulnerable Somalis”. Somali has denied the allegations, saying that the expansion work under way in the Mogadishu port, where the warehouse is…
Author: Editor
Read More
THE quarter-final line-up for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 is now largely confirmed following Algeria’s extra-time victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday. News Point Nigeria Sports reports that Algeria edged DR Congo 1–0 in Rabat, with substitute Anis Boulbina scoring the decisive goal in the 119th minute to secure their place in the last eight. The win sets up a quarter-final clash against Nigeria, who had booked their spot a night earlier with a convincing 4–0 triumph over Mozambique. Victor Osimhen scored twice in that game to lead the Super Eagles through. Other teams…
AN INTERNATIONAL media association has denounced the Israeli government’s continued refusal to lift its ban on unrestricted media access to Gaza, despite the ceasefire in the embattled enclave. The Foreign Press Association (FPA) issued a statement on Tuesday expressing its “profound disappointment” with the government, which had told the Supreme Court two days earlier that the ban should be maintained due to “security reasons”. Israel, which has barred foreign journalists from independently entering Gaza since the war started in October 2023, was responding to an FPA petition seeking free and unfettered access for foreign journalists to the devastated territory. The…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to withdraw the US from 66 United Nations and international organisations, including major forums for cooperation on climate change, peace and democracy. In a presidential memorandum shared by the White House on Wednesday evening, Trump said that the decision came after a review of which “organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States”. The changes would see the US cease participation and also cut all funding to the affected entities, Trump added. The list shared by the White House included 35 non-UN organisations, including notably…
AT least 22 migrants have been killed and 65 others injured after a lorry they were travelling in overturned in Ethiopia’s north-eastern Afar region, authorities say. About 85 Ethiopian migrants were travelling along the eastern migration route when the lorry overturned in the town of Semera on Tuesday morning, a senior Afar official Mohammed Ali Biedo said in a statement. Their final destination was unclear but the route typically runs from Ethiopia through Djibouti, across the Red Sea to Yemen, and onward to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. Yemen is a major pathway for migrants from the Horn…
ISRAEL’s foreign minister has held talks with Somaliland’s president on his first visit to the breakaway region since Israel controversially recognised it as an independent country. Gideon Saar said Israel was determined to advance relations with Somaliland “with momentum”, while President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi hailed his visit as a “big day”. Last month Israel became the first country in the world to recognise Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia more than 30 years ago. Somalia sees Somaliland as being part of its territory, and condemned Saar’s visit as “unacceptable interference” in its affairs. Saar posted on X that his talks…
ALGERIA secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) last-16 tie on Tuesday, setting up a quarter-final showdown with Victor Osimhen’s Nigeria in Marrakesh on Saturday. A late strike by substitute Adil Boulbina in the 119th minute settled a tense encounter at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. Released on the left, the 22-year-old forward, who plays for Al-Duhail in Qatar, advanced into the area and unleashed a powerful shot into the net, sparking wild celebrations among the 18,837 fans in attendance. Boulbina, making just his second appearance off…
IN a small tent overshadowed by the sound of nearby gunfire, seven-year-old Tulin prepares for her first day of school in two years. For most children, this would be a moment of excitement. For Tulin and her mother, it is a chapter of terror. The relentless Israeli war has destroyed the vast majority of Gaza’s educational infrastructure, forcing families to create makeshift “tent schools” in dangerous proximity to Israeli forces — an area demarcated by Israel as the “yellow zone” west of the separation line, often just a few metres away from danger. “Until my daughter gets to school, I…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has announced that Venezuela will turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil. Trump said the oil, held in storage due to Washington’s embargo on Venezuela exports, would be sold at market prices and that he would control the resulting revenues to ensure the money is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the US. Trump added that he had directed his energy secretary, Chris Wright, to execute the plan “immediately”. “It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States,” Trump said on…
THE Central African Republic has re-elected President Faustin-Archange Touadera, according to provisional results released by the electoral authority on Tuesday. Touadera, 68, had been widely expected to win a third term and had touted his efforts to steady a nation long plagued by conflict. Part of the opposition had called for a boycott, condemning the election as a sham and lacking political dialogue. Touadera won more than 76 per cent of the vote, the National Authority of Elections said. His main opponent, Anicet-Georges Dologuele, came second with 15 per cent. Henri-Marie Dondra was third with three per cent. Turnout was…
AT least 13 people have been killed – eight of them children – after a drone strike on a house in the Sudanese city of el-Obeid, says the Sudan Doctors’ Network. Most of the dead were part of the same family, the medical group added. Although no group has claimed responsibility, the medics say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out the attack in an area controlled by the army, and which it has been trying to penetrate for months. As the civil war between Sudan’s army and RSF rebels approaches its third year, the scale of suffering has…
ISRAEL’s military has launched attacks on what it described as Hezbollah and Hamas “targets” in Lebanon after issuing evacuation orders for four villages in the country’s east and south. An Israeli army spokesperson said earlier that it was planning air strikes on Hezbollah and Hamas “military infrastructure” in the villages of Hammara and Ain el-Tineh in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, and Kfar Hatta and Annan in the south. An AFP news agency photographer in Kfar Hatta saw dozens of families flee the village after an Israeli warning was issued, with drone activity in the area. Ambulances and fire trucks were…
DEPOSED Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism in a New York court on Monday, two days after being snatched by US forces in a stunning raid on his home in Caracas. Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela and said, “I’m innocent; I’m not guilty,” US media reported. “I’m still the president of my country,” he was quoted as saying. Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise pleaded not guilty. The pair was snatched by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday in an assault backed by warplanes…
UGANDA’s authorities have denied reports that they are planning to cut access to the internet during next week’s election. The main opposition candidate last week repeated claims that the government was going to block the internet to prevent his supporters from mobilising, and sharing election results. On Friday, satellite internet provider Starlink restricted its services in Uganda following an order from the communications regulator, fuelling these concerns. President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his 40-year rule in the 15 January elections. His strongest challenger is expected to be Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, a former pop star.…
GUINEA’s Supreme Court on Sunday validated an overwhelming presidential election victory for junta chief Mamady Doumbouya, crediting him with 86.72% of votes. This confirms provisional results announced earlier last week, following the December 28 election that excluded opposition heavyweights from the ballot. The runner-up, Abdoulaye Yéro Baldé, won 6.59% of the vote, also unchanged from the provisional result. Baldé, who had challenged the election result in a filing with the Supreme Court, had since “voluntarily withdrawn” the complaint, the Court’s first president, Fode Bangoura, said as he announced the final election tally. In his first address to the nation after…
MANCHESTER United have sacked manager Ruben Amorim, with the club planning to appoint a caretaker manager for the remainder of the season. Former midfielder Darren Fletcher will take charge for Wednesday’s Premier League game against Burnley. The Scot will remain in place until a caretaker is appointed for the rest of the campaign, with the club planning to name a permanent successor for Amorim in the summer. On Friday Amorim hinted that his relationship with club officials was strained – suggesting he would not be fully backed in the transfer market. And following the 1-1 draw with Leeds on Sunday,…
IRANIANS are again experiencing internet disruptions amid ongoing protests across the country as state authorities warn against foreign sabotage and organise demonstrations. Internet users have since Thursday reported sporadic disruptions to home and mobile connections, with data from the US-based global internet infrastructure and cybersecurity company Cloudflare on Saturday showing an average 35 percent lower traffic volume in Iran compared with previous days. Iranian authorities have shut down or slowed connectivity levels during previous rounds of protests, limiting Iranians to only a localised intranet. Internet connectivity came to a near-complete halt in mid-June for several days during the height of…
VENEZUELA’s deposed president, Nicolas Maduro, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in New York at noon Monday to be formally notified about the charges against him, the court said. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by US forces during a pre-dawn raid Saturday in Caracas and brought to New York to face charges of “narcoterrorism” tied to the alleged trafficking of tons of cocaine into the United States. Meanwhile, five Latin American countries and Spain warned on Sunday against any outside bid for “control” of Venezuela, after US President Donald Trump suggested Washington would “run” the…
RENEWED tensions are flaring in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with fresh fighting reported around the city of Uvira in South Kivu province. Clashes broke out Saturday in several localities about ten kilometers south of Uvira, involving the Congolese army supported by Wazalendo fighters, and AFC/M23 rebels allied with the Twirwaneho group. According to multiple United Nations reports, the armed groups are backed by Rwanda. Fighting was reported in Kigongo and surrounding areas, with gunfire and explosions heard inside Uvira. Witnesses say heavy weapons fire was heard in the highland areas and, at times, in residential neighborhoods. While activity continued…
THE United Nations Security Council has welcomed Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Latvia and Liberia as its five new non-permanent members for the next two years. The DRC joins the Council for the first time in 35 years. On Friday, the country emphasised its commitment to peace and security, and to conflict prevention and resolution. “We will actively contribute to discussions on the future of United Nations peacekeeping operations,” said Congolese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Noëlla Ayeganagato Nakwipone. “As a host country for more than two decades to one of the largest peacekeeping missions [MONUSCO], the DRC…