As US-Canada Ties Sour Under Trump, More Americans Consider Moving to Canada: Report

Saturday, 30 May 2026 11:52 PM

File photo shows the headquarters of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada's immigration agency, in Ottawa.

A growing number of Americans are seeking Canadian citizenship under recently expanded eligibility rules, according to data from Canada's immigration agency, amid strained relations between the US and Canada during President Donald Trump's administration.

Reuters published the report on Saturday, citing the figures, which suggested many Americans were interested in obtaining Canadian citizenship by descent following changes to Canadian law that have broadened access beyond first-generation descendants of Canadian citizens born abroad.

Data provided by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) showed that approvals for proof of citizenship by descent have increased significantly since new rules took effect in December 2025.

The expanded framework allows more descendants of Canadians to claim citizenship than was previously permitted under first-generation restrictions.

According to the data, approvals under the newly established category totaled 1,140 in January, 1,255 in February, and 1,405 in March. By comparison, there were 275 additional approvals in December 2025, when the law entered into force.

The data also indicated that approximately 48 percent of the additional approvals through February originated from the United States.

Lawyers cite political uncertainty, practical considerations

Immigration lawyers said the high proportion of American applicants reflects the longstanding relationship between the neighboring countries, while also highlighting Canada's appeal as a place to live or study.

William Hunnewell, a 41-year-old Seattle resident whose great-grandfather settled in Saskatchewan before World War One and whose grandfather was born in Canada, said he applied for citizenship earlier this year and expects a response within nine months to a year.

"The biggest thing is it gives our family options," Hunnewell said.

"If my kid wants to study or live in Canada, she can just go — there's no visa, no deadlines," he said.

Nick Berning, a US-based immigration lawyer, said many applicants were primarily interested in preserving future opportunities.

"Current interest in Canadian citizenship is definitely influenced by US politics," Berning said. "They want to stay in the US, but if things become untenable, they want a way out."

Growing tensions between Washington and Ottawa

The report came amid heightened tensions between the United States and Canada.

Ties between the countries have become strained since Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian goods and discussed the possibility of annexing Canada as "the 51st state."

The report also noted that political divisions in the United States have deepened, with polls showing growing dissatisfaction with the Trump administration.

Iran to Respond More Forcefully to Any Fresh Enemy Aggression: Senior Army Commander

Saturday, 30 May 2026 9:45 PM

Iran's Deputy Army Commander for Coordination, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari

A senior Iranian Army commander strongly warns the Islamic Republic's adversaries against attempting fresh aggression against the country, asserting that such miscalculation will receive a response more forceful than previous retaliation.

Deputy Army Commander for Coordination, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari made the remarks on Saturday.

"The enemy should know that any aggression against the country's territory will be met with a response even more forceful than before," he stated.

"Today, the Army of the Islamic Republic stands firmly and resolutely against any hostile move by the enemy," the commander added.

Sayyari underlined that the country's military forces, including all the branches of the Army, were equipped with the most advanced defense systems and equipment outfitted with modern technologies.

The comments echoed verification by American officials, themselves, that Iran retains significant firepower, despite the latest bout of unprovoked aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime that targeted the country between February 28 and April 7.

Speaking to CBS News last month, the officials said the Islamic Republic continues to maintain substantial military capabilities, despite weeks of US and Israeli strikes.

The officials, who were familiar with intelligence assessments, said public statements by the White House and the US Department of War might understate the extent of Iran’s remaining military strength following the aggression.

Also last month, The Washington Post wrote in a report that Pete Hegseth’s public claims of "American success" during the aggression might not fully reflect the reality on the ground, raising concerns about the accuracy of information being relayed by the secretary of war.

"Pete is not speaking truth to the president. As a result, the president is out there repeating misleading information," the daily wrote, citing an official.

Five Americans Injured in Iranian Missile Strike on Kuwait Base: Report

Saturday, 30 May 2026 10:17 AM

File photo of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s ballistic missiles (Photo by Tasnim News Agency)

An Iranian ballistic missile attack on a Kuwaiti air base has wounded several American military personnel and caused serious damage to two US MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to a new report.

The American news outlet Bloomberg, citing an informed source, said in a report published on Saturday that the attack on the Ali Al Salem Air Base resulted in minor injuries to approximately five individuals, including US service members and contractors.

It also caused significant damage to two MQ-9 Reaper drones, with one reportedly destroyed and another heavily damaged. Each drone is valued at around $30 million.

According to Bloomberg, Kuwaiti air defences intercepted an Iranian Fateh-110 missile before it reached its intended target. However, debris from the intercepted projectile fell onto the US-operated Ali Al Salem Air Base, causing the injuries and damage.

The latest development comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

On Thursday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed that Iran had launched a missile toward Kuwait, describing the action as a “gross violation of the ceasefire.”

In a statement issued later in the day, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had deliberately targeted the US base, noting that it had been used to launch an earlier American attack.

The IRGC went on to say that US forces had conducted a strike using aerial projectiles against a location near Bandar Abbas airport earlier that morning, describing its missile attack as a warning to the US.

It also vowed that any future acts of aggression would be met with a stronger response, stressing that responsibility for any escalation would rest with the party initiating hostile actions.

The US and Israel started an aggression against Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out unprovoked attacks on the country.

Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the strikes by launching a barrage of missiles and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on US bases in regional countries.

On April 8, forty days into the war, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire between Iran and the US took effect.

Negotiations ensued in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, but stopped short of an agreement amid Washington’s maximalist demands and insistence on unreasonable positions.

WHO Chief Calls for Reconsideration of Travel Bans as DR Congo Battles Ebola Outbreak

Source: Xinhua| 2026-05-31 00:50:15|Editor: huaxia

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is pictured in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 30, 2026. Tedros on Saturday called on countries that have imposed travel bans or closed borders in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to reconsider such measures. (Xinhua)

BUNIA, DR Congo, May 30 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday called on countries that have imposed travel bans or closed borders in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda to reconsider such measures.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Bunia, the capital of the northeastern Ituri Province and the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, Tedros said such restrictions could complicate response efforts and risk discouraging transparency and trust, which are essential to saving lives.

"I call on countries that have imposed travel bans or border closures to reconsider. These measures make the response harder, and they discourage transparency and trust that saves lives," Tedros said.

Despite the lack of approved vaccines and specific medicines, the WHO chief said patients could still recover if they receive timely, quality medical care.

Tedros said his visit to Bunia was also aimed at engaging directly with affected communities in this outbreak, in which over 1000 suspected cases have been reported.

Uganda has also reported nine confirmed cases after detecting two new infections in the capital, Kampala, the Ugandan health ministry said on Friday.

DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said the country aims, "in the best-case scenario," to contain and end the outbreak within "four to six months," based on its experience in responding to epidemics and the known course of the Ebola virus disease.

He said the immediate priority is to contain the virus within the three affected provinces -- Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu -- and prevent further spread.

Kamba also highlighted the country's strengthened laboratory testing capacity, with no backlog of samples remaining. Around 900 samples had been tested, of which about 260 were positive, he said, adding that the country now has the capacity to process all incoming samples, even if daily testing rises to 200 or 300 samples.

Interview: Congolese Virologist Urges Stronger Surveillance as Ebola Outbreak Spreads

Source: Xinhua| 2026-05-18 17:20:45|Editor: huaxia

KINSHASA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo must quickly strengthen active surveillance, trace transmission chains and prevent the Ebola virus from spreading after the latest outbreak in the country, a leading Congolese virologist has warned.

Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director general of the National Institute of Biomedical Research, told Xinhua on Sunday that the immediate response should rely on core public health measures like isolating patients, carrying out active surveillance, tracing contacts, protecting health workers and disinfecting health facilities.

The outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a rare variant of the Ebola disease that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines.

RARE STRAIN

Congolese health authorities declared the new Ebola outbreak in Ituri on Friday, the country's 17th since 1976. According to data released Saturday by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), 336 cases and 87 deaths have been reported.

Muyembe said the current outbreak was not caused by the more familiar Ebola Zaire strain, but by the Bundibugyo strain, which was first identified in Uganda in 2007 and later caused an Ebola outbreak in 2012.

Of the 17 Ebola outbreaks recorded in the country, 15 were caused by the Zaire strain and two by the Bundibugyo strain, he said.

The main difference, Muyembe said, is pathogenicity. The Zaire strain is among the most virulent forms of Ebola and can have a fatality rate of around 80 percent or higher, while the Bundibugyo strain has a fatality rate below 50 percent.

HEIGHTENED RISKS

Muyembe said the current outbreak spread to multiple areas in Ituri. The risk of further transmission is especially high in eastern Congo because of population density, frequent movement and the challenges of managing an epidemic in a conflict zone, he said.

"The risk that the virus escapes these health zones and spreads to other health zones, or even to other provinces, is very great," he said.

A confirmed case has also been reported in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The city, currently under the control of the March 23 Movement rebel group, lies on the border with Rwanda and is a major urban and cross-border hub.

After the case was confirmed in Goma, Rwanda temporarily closed border posts with the city. Muyembe said that under the International Health Regulations, the response to Ebola should be strengthening cross-border health coordination, screening and contact tracing, instead of closing borders.

PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE MATTERS

The Africa CDC has said there is currently no specific vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. Muyembe said research is continuing to assess possible vaccine candidates and medical options that could be used against it.

He noted that the 2012 Ebola outbreak, also caused by the strain, was controlled through public health measures.

"For those who are hospitalized and sick, we have standard care techniques. By applying them, we stop the outbreak," he said.

Depicting health as a matter of sovereignty, Muyembe said that while partners could provide support, it was ultimately up to the government to take charge and establish mechanisms to detect outbreaks as quickly as possible and mount an effective response.

China-Africa Friendship in a Bag of Rice

Source: Xinhua| 2026-05-27 18:29:17|Editor: huaxia 

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Five kilograms of rice is not much. But in the story of China-Guinea agricultural cooperation, it has become a small but tangible reflection of how practical joint efforts are improving people's lives.

Recently, a bag of hybrid rice produced in the West African country of Guinea was handed over to Deng Ze, the wife of Yuan Longping, China's late "father of hybrid rice."

The bag itself was unremarkable, with the national flags of China and Guinea printed on the front, and the back bearing a handwritten message from Guinea's prime minister, who described the rice as "a symbol of cooperation between Guinea and China."

Light in weight, the rice had travelled across oceans. Its significance, however, lay elsewhere: in a simple fact that Chinese hybrid rice has already taken root in African soil, grown through local farming, and is now helping to improve harvests and livelihoods.

China's engagement, especially in Africa, is often defined not only by short-term assistance, but by the provision of development experience, technical capacity and practical pathways.

Nowhere is this more evident than in China-Africa agricultural cooperation, which is characterized by pragmatism.

China does not simply send grain; instead, it works with local partners to build irrigation systems, improve seed varieties, control pests and raise production capacity. Under frameworks such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, support has increasingly focused on agricultural infrastructure, equipment and supply chains.

In Guinea, Chinese agricultural experts helped establish Africa's largest hybrid rice demonstration park, where yields per season are three times higher than those of traditional local varieties.

In Chad, a country long plagued by food shortages, the introduction of high-yield rice cultivation techniques has sparked discussions about generating export revenues from grain.

In Madagascar, rice imagery appears on the country's highest-denomination banknote, a reference to the work of Yuan Longping's team in improving yields and supporting food self-sufficiency.

Today, Chinese hybrid rice has been introduced in more than 20 African countries, becoming a visible example of Chinese agricultural technology taking root and flourishing in Africa.

China's own history helps explain why this pragmatism resonates.

China itself struggled with poverty and hunger for a long time. That experience has heightened its sensitivity to similar concerns facing other developing countries, reinforcing the view that overcoming hunger is not a one-off effort, but a long-term, systematic and sustainable undertaking.

That perspective also helps explain China's broader model of development cooperation. The idea of "teaching people to fish rather than giving them fish" is often cited in reference to infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Railways, ports, roads, irrigation networks and energy facilities may not yield immediate returns, but they reshape the conditions for growth. Over time, infrastructure improvements and enhanced connectivity will bring about tangible development potential.

Another defining feature of China-Africa cooperation is respect.

Colonial history left many African economies structured around narrow exports serving external demand. Even after independence, the legacy of single-commodity dependence has continued to weigh on development in many places.

Today, although the colonial era has ended, colonial thinking has not fully faded away. Some Western aid still comes with political conditions, while some forms of cooperation primarily serve the strategic interests of Western countries.

True respect, in this framing, is not about deciding for others, but about helping expand their ability to decide for themselves.

International morality does not depend on resounding slogans, nor does it necessarily stem from grand narratives. More often, it is embodied in a road, a bridge, a well, or a rice field -- in the steady process of enabling people to live increasingly stable and prosperous lives from day to day.

A simple truth is that when a country helps others eat well, grow food successfully, build roads, and improve their livelihoods, its influence will naturally follow. This is also why a bag of rice from Guinea stands as the best testament to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith between China and Africa.

Chinese Automakers Gain Ground in South Africa as Jetour T2 Wins 2026 Car of the Year

Source: Xinhua| 2026-05-29 19:44:17|Editor: huaxia

JOHANNESBURG, May 29 (Xinhua) -- When the Jetour T2 was named South Africa's 2026 Car of the Year on Wednesday, it marked a breakthrough for Chinese automakers, signaling their growing influence in one of Africa's most competitive vehicle markets.

South Africa has long been dominated by established Japanese, European and American brands, with motorists traditionally associating Chinese vehicles with lower-cost, entry-level models.

But things are no longer what they used to be.

The Jetour T2 became the first Chinese vehicle ever to win the prestigious award in the competition's 40-year history, hosted by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ), signaling how Chinese automakers have moved from fringe challengers to major contenders in South Africa's rapidly evolving motoring landscape.

Industry executives say that perception is changing quickly as Chinese manufacturers gain ground through competitive pricing, bold styling and increasingly advanced technology.

Congratulating the winning brands, Thami Masemola, chairman of the competition, said the awards have, since their inception in 1986, consistently recognized only "the best of the best."

"The Jetour T2 is probably the most attractive vehicle on the market -- inside and out -- across all brands, and at an affordable price," said an executive at a long-established dealership south of Johannesburg, who requested anonymity.

The executive said Chinese brands are no longer competing on the margins, but are increasingly setting the pace in value, design and technology.

"Chinese hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology appears to be leading the market," he said, adding that strong hybrid and plug-in hybrid systems are increasingly viewed as market-leading at their price point.

Chinese automakers, including Jetour, Great Wall Motors (GWM) and Chery, have expanded aggressively in South Africa in recent years, introducing a wide range of sports utility vehicles, hybrids and electric models aimed at middle-income consumers seeking value and modern features.

According to the SAGMJ, a total of 55 eligible vehicles initially entered the contest and were judged by a panel of more than 25 experienced automotive journalists before being narrowed down to 30 semi-finalists and ultimately 18 finalists for the final round.

Local media outlet Bizcommunity commented that seven Chinese brands were among this year's finalists, a strong indication of how much the segment has evolved in South Africa's highly competitive vehicle market.

Beyond the overall title, the Jetour T2 also won the Mild Adventure category, beating rivals such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, BYD Shark 6 and GWM Haval H7.

Meanwhile, another Chinese vehicle, the Omoda C7, claimed top honors in the Family segment, outperforming competitors including the Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, Opel Grandland and Volkswagen Tayron.

For industry observers, the Jetour T2's award-winning moment represents a turning point for the South African automotive industry -- one shaped by affordability, rapid innovation and rising consumer confidence in the quality and value of Chinese-built vehicles.

"The message from the 2026 Car of the Year competition is increasingly clear: the future of South African motoring is being rewritten, and China is now firmly in the driver's seat," the regional director of Mahindra Alberton Branch, another executive who declined to be named, told Xinhua. 

Zimbabwean Children Enjoy Chinese Culture During International Children's Day Celebrations

Source: Xinhua| 2026-05-30 21:23:15|Editor: huaxia

Zimbabwean students paint at the Chinese Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe, on May 29, 2026. Scores of students from schools across Zimbabwe on Friday experienced Chinese culture at the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe during a joint celebration of International Children's Day, which is observed annually on June 1.(Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

HARARE, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Scores of students from schools across Zimbabwe on Friday experienced Chinese culture at the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe during a joint celebration of International Children's Day, which is observed annually on June 1.

The event featured a vibrant mix of music and dance performances by children from China and Zimbabwe. Participants also took part in a range of fun activities, including calligraphy, mask painting, and paper-cutting.

Addressing the event, Zimbabwe's Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Angeline Gata said the celebration reflected the enduring friendship between Zimbabwe and China, covering education, culture, technology and other fields.

"It is about reaffirming our collective responsibility to protect, educate and empower every child," she said, while applauding the embassy for hosting the event.

"Our partnership continues to benefit the education sector through infrastructure, scholarships, cultural exchange programs and the support that directly impacts the lives of our learners," she said.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding said the embassy stands ready to support young people as they grow into capable builders of Zimbabwe's future and envoys of China-Zimbabwe friendship.

He highlighted China's support for Zimbabwe since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1980, including training programs, scholarships, academic exchanges, vocational education collaboration and technological cooperation.

"Our educational and cultural exchanges have flourished. Events like today's celebration have brought our peoples closer and cemented the solid foundation of our enduring friendship," he said.

Noting that 2026 has been designated the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Zhou said the initiative presents new opportunities for deeper cooperation in primary, secondary, higher and vocational education between China and Zimbabwe.

"I encourage more young Zimbabweans to actively engage with China through these diverse programs and initiatives," he said. ■

Zimbabwean students write Chinese calligraphy at the Chinese Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe, on May 29, 2026. Scores of students from schools across Zimbabwe on Friday experienced Chinese culture at the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe during a joint celebration of International Children's Day, which is observed annually on June 1.

(Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

Chinese Medical Team Donates Antiviral Medications to Sierra Leone

Source: Xinhua| 2026-05-30 23:15:30|Editor: huaxia

FREETOWN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The 27th batch of the Chinese medical team to Sierra Leone on Friday donated a consignment of antiviral medications to Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Freetown, the country's capital, to reinforce its capacity to combat Lassa fever and other infectious diseases.

The donation primarily consisted of 18,000 vials of Ribavirin Injection, a key therapeutic drug used to treat viral hemorrhagic fevers, including Lassa fever.

According to the Chinese medical team, the supplies were delivered following a rapid emergency assessment that identified shortages in local medicine stockpiles.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sartie Kenneh, chief medical officer for Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation, said maintaining resilient medical reserves is essential in addressing infectious febrile diseases.

He thanked the Chinese government and the medical team for their continued support, describing the donation as timely and targeted.

Kenneh noted that Sierra Leone's public health system has become more resilient through previous health emergencies, but emphasized that China's sustained assistance remains an important pillar in strengthening the country's disease prevention and response capacity.

Li Zheng, chief of the Chinese medical team, said the health cooperation mechanism between China and Sierra Leone has proven effective during major public health challenges, including the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks.

Li added that the team will continue to monitor local disease trends to ensure that future assistance meets the country's urgent clinical needs.

Xi Exchanges Congratulations with Egyptian President on 70th Anniversary of Ties

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia2026-05-30 10:52:00

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday exchanged congratulations with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Xi said that Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

Over the past 70 years, no matter how the international and regional landscapes have evolved, the two countries have always respected each other, treated each other as equals, placed mutual trust in each other and helped each other in times of need, Xi said.

He said China-Egypt relations have become a model of amity, solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, as well as a benchmark for collective cooperation between China and Arab states and between China and Africa, thereby advancing steadily toward building a China-Egypt community with a shared future in the new era.

As two ancient civilizations and important members of the Global South, Xi said, China and Egypt should draw wisdom and strength from history, strive to accomplish the historical missions of pursuing peace, development, cooperation and upholding justice so as to inject strong impetus into building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Egypt relations and stands ready to work together with Sisi to take the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a new starting point, carry forward the traditional friendship, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and push for the growth of China-Egypt relations featuring greater strategic guidance, stronger synergy for development and broader international influence, so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples and make greater contributions to peace and development in the region and beyond.

For his part, Sisi said that Egypt and China have stood shoulder to shoulder through various historical periods and under the joint guidance of the leaders of the two countries over the past 70 years, Egypt-China relations have sustained steady growth.

Applauding the important achievements in Egypt-China relations, Sisi voiced hope of working with Xi to push for further progress in bilateral ties, and jointly build a more stable multipolar world with greater capacity to address global challenges, so as to enable all countries to share the fruits of comprehensive development and jointly realize peace and security.

Also on Saturday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly exchanged congratulations.

Li voiced China's willingness to work with Egypt to follow through on the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, accelerate high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, enhance exchanges and cooperation across various fields and work for steady growth of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership so as to deliver more benefits to the two peoples.

For his part, Madbouly said that over the past 70 years, Egypt-China relations have made remarkable progress and bilateral cooperation has achieved unprecedented results.

Egypt looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with China and making steady headway in such fields as economy, science and technology so as to deliver benefits to the two friendly countries and the two peoples.

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on 1+1 with Youri Smouter Discussing the History and Contemporary Affairs of the Republic of South Africa

Watch this interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, with Youri Smouter of 1+1, discussing the history and contemporary affairs of the Republic of South Africa.

To view this episode in its entirety just click on the following link:1+1 E391 Youri talks to Abayomi Azikiwe of Pan-African Newswire on South Africa's past & present - YouTube 

The program recorded on May 29, 2026 examines the various stages of historical development from the rise of traditional cultures, societies, kingdoms and nation-states. 

We then look at the onset of enslavement, colonialism and settler-colonialism. 

The apex of white supremacist rule was represented by the apartheid system. 

Nonetheless, the mass resistance, labor insurgencies and armed struggle attracted worldwide attention during the later decades of the 20th century. 

The program places South Africa within a regional and international context. 

We conclude by reviewing the democratic transition and the continuing contradictions inside the country.

Sudanese Medical Group Accuses Paramilitary Force of Killing 27 in Attack Targeting Civilians

An empty checkpoint where a mannequin dressed as a soldier stands in downtown Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

By FATMA KHALED

9:01 AM EDT, May 29, 2026

CAIRO (AP) — A humanitarian organization on Friday accused forces affiliated with a Sudanese paramilitary group of targeting civilians in an area of Sudan free of any military presence during a major Muslim holiday, killing 27 people, among them elderly people.

Sudan Doctors Network, a group that tracks violence across the country, blamed forces affiliated with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for carrying out the attacks on Thursday on villages in al-Murrah area located west of Barah town in North Kordofan.

It said the attacks worsened already “catastrophic humanitarian conditions that citizens are enduring due to the ongoing war.”

A full-scale war erupted in April 2023 after long-simmering tensions between the army and the Rapid Support Forces escalated. The Kordofan region has become one of the conflict’s main epicenters, with fighting intensifying on several fronts, including through drone warfare.

The paramilitary RSF and its allies control the western Darfur region and areas in the Kordofan region along the border with South Sudan — both regions rich in oil fields and gold mines. The RSF also repeatedly clashed with the army over Barah.

Thursday’s attacks were carried out during the second day of Eid al-Adha or “Feast of Sacrifice,” an Islamic holiday celebrated by millions of Muslims around the globe.

The doctors’ network said in its statement that “targeting villages and civilian areas and liquidating citizens in this horrific manner constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”

North Kordofan’s governing administration condemned the attacks in a statement on Friday and said that “such crimes will only increase the citizens’ unity behind the armed forces in defense of the security and stability of the state and Sudan in general.”

Earlier this month, intense clashes in southern Sudan in South Kordofan between forces linked to the rebel group Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North and the Otoro tribe killed over 61 people, including nine children. Last week, a drone strike on a bustling market in central Sudan killed 28 people and wounded dozens more.

The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 after long-simmering tensions between the army and RSF erupted into a full-out war. The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million, and pushed many parts of the country into famine. More than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Both of Sudan’s warring sides have been accused by the United Nations and rights groups of committing atrocities, including ethnic cleansing, extrajudicial killings and sexual violence against civilians. Aid groups say the true toll could be much higher as access to areas of fighting across the vast country remains limited.

FATMA KHALED

Khaled is based in the Middle East region. She covers humanitarian crises, conflict, among other news beats for The Associated Press.

WHO Chief Lands in Congo, Saying Ebola Outbreak ‘Can be Stopped’

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE, JUSTIN KABUMBA and MARK BANCHEREAU

3:14 PM EDT, May 29, 2026

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization has arrived in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, to support efforts against an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola virus, where he called on the international health body to work with the local community to stop the spread.

The WHO said Friday authorities have reported 125 confirmed cases in Congo, including 17 confirmed deaths. Additionally, there are 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths.

Neighboring Uganda has confirmed nine cases and one death, the Ugandan ministry of health said Friday.

“To come here is to really show to the community that they’re not alone,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at the airport in Kinshasa late Thursday.

“Pushing orders from my comfortable office in Geneva is easy, but I’m asking my colleagues to work with the community and I am asking communities to protect themselves,” he added.

The outbreak “can be stopped,” he said, but is “very complex.”

Challenges like the high number of people displaced by armed conflict in the region and food insecurity are complicating efforts, Tedros said. Aid supplies reached the heart of the outbreak this week but medical personnel continue to struggle with a lack of equipment, a distrustful population and armed groups in the volatile region.

Containment has been particularly difficult because the disease likely spread for weeks before it was first identified in mid-May.

Outbreak spreading faster than response

The outbreak continues to spread faster than the response, despite health facilities becoming more organized and more equipment arriving.

The Bundibugyo virus, the current kind of Ebola, has no approved treatment or vaccine.

Anaïs Legand, a researcher in the WHO emergencies program, cited a patient discharged Wednesday as a “positive development” since it is the only documented recovery of a confirmed Ebola patient during the current outbreak.

Legand said at a U.N. briefing in Geneva Friday that five other infected people were also likely to recover.

The average fatality rate of Bundibugyo virus is around 30 to 50%, she said.

Medical aid donated by the European Union arrived in Ituri, the heart of Congo’s Ebola outbreak, on Thursday, with more shipments expected over the next eight days. The U.S. announced $80 million in additional aid on the same day, bringing its total commitment to more than $112 million.

At Rwampara Hospital, where a treatment center has been established, the response looks far more organized than in previous days, with more staff deployed, stronger prevention measures and teams in protective gear visible across units — though patients continue to arrive around the clock, according to an Associated Press reporter in Bunia, the provincial capital.

The same progress was noted at Bunia General Hospital, where new medical kits, support personnel and emergency funding appear to be reinvigorating operations.

David Munkley, the eastern Congo director of World Vision, said more equipment and supplies are still needed.

“We know what is required in terms of personal protective equipment, in terms of supporting communities and ensuring proper sanitation hygiene practices,” Munkley told the AP. “So the moment of truth is, are we going to fund it or not?”

Congo’s Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba told reporters Thursday night they are exploring more drugs “that can help save even more lives, because ... this disease initially presents just like any other infectious disease we’re familiar with: dizziness, headache, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.”

The continent’s top public health body will “ensure that we have a vaccine and a treatment for Bundibugyo” by the end of the year, Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya said Thursday.

Distrust, travel bans could complicate response

Dangers faced by health workers have been heightened by anger among residents over the stringent medical protocols for handling the victims’ bodies, which clash with local burial rites. Residents have launched at least three attacks against health centers.

Attacks in Ituri by the Allied Democratic Force, a rebel group allied with the Islamic State group, and a coalition of ethnic militias have also hindered the response.

The illness also has been reported in the Congolese provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, south of Ituri, where the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group controls many key cities, including Goma and Bukavu. The rebels have reported two cases.

After Uganda closed its border with Congo, the WHO chief said Thursday he discourages countries from imposing travel bans. “There are ways to manage workers and to manage cases without having a strong, restricted travel ban,” Tedros said.

The Trump administration last week announced a temporary ban on the entry of people without U.S. passports who have visited Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days. A Kenyan court Friday suspended a U.S. plan to house Ebola-exposed Americans at a facility in Kenya rather than flying them home, following backlash from medical workers and activists.

More than 230 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff are working on the Ebola response, including screeners at four U.S. airports and personnel deployed to Congo and Uganda, the agency said Friday.

But current and former staffers say many have unaddressed safety concerns, particularly over whether the Trump administration would repatriate infected personnel.

“The U.S. government refusing to repatriate first responders who may contract Ebola would be an abandonment of our government’s duty,” said the National Public Health Coalition, a group of current and former CDC workers.

___

Kabumba reported from Bunia, Congo, and Banchereau from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Monika Pronczuk in Dakar and Mike Stobbe in New York contributed to this report.

South Africa Court Weighs Feud Over the Body of Zambia’s Former President Lungu

By MICHELLE GUMEDE

11:11 AM EDT, May 29, 2026

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A bitter feud over whether the body of Zambia’s former President Edgar Lungu should return to his country for a state funeral or stay in South Africa for burial went before a South African appeals court Friday, nearly a year after his death.

Lungu, who was Zambia’s leader from 2015 to 2021, died of an undisclosed illness in a South African hospital on June 5, 2025 at the age of 68.

He has not yet been buried because of a tug-of-war between his family and his long-time rival, current Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

Hichilema wants Lungu’s body returned for a state ceremony, and his government won a ruling in August from the Pretoria High Court that the remains be turned over to Zambian diplomats for repatriation.

However, Lungu’s family wanted to bury him in South Africa because they objected to any funeral arrangements involving his bitter rival Hichilema, and appealed the ruling before South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal.

In arguments Friday in the city of Bloemfontein, family lawyer Tembeka Ngcukaitobi argued that the Zambian government’s claim to a state burial was unwarranted since Lungu’s presidential benefits were revoked prior to his death. He insisted that a widow’s wishes should take precedence in burial decisions.

A lawyer for the Zambian government, Ben Stoop, argued that the family and the government previously had agreed that Hichilema would attend the funeral and receive dignitaries, and that the family later violated this agreement.

The five justices who heard the appeal questioned the absence of any explicit instructions that Lungu intended to be buried in South Africa, even though it may be true that he would not have wanted his successor to conduct his funeral.

The court did not say when a ruling would be issued.

Eight Students Are Suspected of Arson After a Deadly Fire at a Girls School in Kenya

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI

2:46 PM EDT, May 29, 2026

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Police in Kenya have arrested eight female students on suspicion of arson, authorities said Friday, after a fire destroyed a dormitory at a boarding school, killing 16 children and injuring dozens of others. The motive is still unknown.

Police held 30 students overnight for questioning. Authorities said school administrators would face disciplinary action for safety violations after an exit door was found to be locked during the panicked rush to escape the building. At least 79 people were injured.

Education Minister Julius Ogamba said two teachers were aware that students were planning something but failed to take appropriate action, without elaborating.

A full day after the blaze, some parents said they had still not been told whether their children were under arrest or just being questioned.

“We have not even been told about the eight that police have arrested,” a parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear that her daughter could be victimized, told The Associated Press. “We are just here and no one is giving us any information.”

At a hospital morgue some 28 kilometers (18 miles) from the school, other parents awaited DNA tests to identify their children. A distraught father, John Muiruri, said they were being given conflicting information about the location of the bodies.

“They have just been doing some sideshows, trying to prevent us from knowing the truth, but the reality we have come to know is that we have lost our children,” he said. “What we want to know is where are the remains of our daughters.”

The Utumishi Girls School, located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the capital, Nairobi, is managed and sponsored by the police, and many of the students are daughters of police officers.

“Investigators have conducted extensive interviews with students, teaching staff and other witnesses, while forensic teams carry out a detailed review of available CCTV footage,” John Marete, a spokesman for the investigative arm of the national police, said in a statement.

Education Minister Ogamba said the school’s board of management had been dissolved and the principal would face disciplinary action for failing to comply with safety regulations.

“In particular, there was congestion in the dormitory and one exit door was locked, contrary to the prescribed safety requirements,” he said.

Fires at schools have long been a cause of concern for education officials in East Africa, where classrooms and dormitories are often crowded and firefighting equipment is rarely within reach.

Fires are sometimes attributed to electrical faults but there have also been cases of students burning down schools because of disciplinary issues.

___

Associated Press journalist Zelipha Kirobi in Gilgil, Kenya, contributed.

US Spends Over $95.2 Billion on Military Operations in Iran — News Outlet

The website's real-time counter is based on a Pentagon briefing to the US Congress on March 10, which stated that Washington had spent $11.3 billion during the first six days of hostilities in the Middle East

NEW YORK, May 29. /TASS/. US spending on the military operation in Iran has exceeded $95.2 billion, the Iran War Cost Tracker reported.

The website's real-time counter is based on a Pentagon briefing to the US Congress on March 10, which stated that Washington had spent $11.3 billion during the first six days of hostilities in the Middle East and planned to spend an additional $1 billion for each subsequent day of the conflict.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.

Medvedev Lashes Out at EU Countries for Direct Involvement in War Against Russia

The Russian Security Council deputy chairman stressed that nobody disputes this anymore

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir Gerdo/TASS

© Vladimir Gerdo/TASS

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. European Union countries are directly involved in the war against Russia – Ukraine is just a proxy, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.

"European countries are direct participants in the war against Russia, and no one disputes this anymore. Indeed, they are using the Banderites as proxies, but what difference does it make for us?" the politician wrote on Russia’s national messenger Max.

"European drones, their components, and other weapons – to say nothing of intelligence – are part of everyday attacks on our country. What they do leads to damage to homes and civilian casualties," Medvedev stressed.

"The responsibility for all this, including the terrorist attack on Starobelsk, lies with wretches like Ursula [von der Leyen], Merz, Macron, Starmer and other bastards," he added.

Armenia Should Weigh its Gains, Losses While Choosing Between EAEU, EU — Lukashenko

The Belarusian leader said that Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to inform the world community about this

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Alexander Kazakov/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

© Alexander Kazakov/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

ASTANA, May 29. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called on Armenia to weigh its potential gains and losses while choosing between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union.

"Armenia’s leadership and especially people should understand what they will gain and what they will lose (if they hold a referendum on whether the country should join the EU or remain in the EAEU – TASS). The Russian president [Vladimir Putin] has promised to inform the world community, those who will be willing to listen, about this," he said as quoted by the BelTA news agency. "He will dwell in detail again – Russian specialists have prepared a report on this for him – on what it will mean for Armenia to refuse from the Eurasian Economic Union, of which it is a member, and opt for joining the European Union."

Earlier, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan voiced their support for the idea of Armenia holding a referendum on whether to remain within the EAEU or joining the EU.

Ukrainian Drones Entered Various Countries, with Reports Claiming 'Russian Attack' — Putin

The Russian president said the initial reaction was exactly the same as it is now in Romania

ASTANA, May 29. /TASS/. Ukrainian drones have previously entered the airspace of various countries, and initial reports consistently claimed it was "a Russian attack," President Vladimir Putin said in response to a TASS question about the drone incident in Romania.

"We know that Ukrainian drones have flown into Finland, Poland, and several Baltic states. The initial reaction was exactly the same as it is now in Romania. 'Oh no, the Russians are coming, it’s a Russian attack!'" Putin recalled.

Ukrainian drone attack on car in Russia’s Belgorod Region kills two

An FPV-drone attacked a car in the locality of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod municipality

BELGOROD, May 30. /TASS/. Two people were killed and two others were injured as Ukrainian troops launched a drone on a car in the locality of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod Region, the bordering Russian region’s operational headquarters said in a post on Max.

"As a result of a targeted Ukrainian strike, two civilians were killed and two others were wounded. An FPV-drone attacked a car in the locality of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod municipality. Two men died on the spot from their injuries," the post reads.

The car caught fire as the drone detonated, the operational headquarters specified. Two men suffered acoustic ear injures and fragmentation wounds in their necks.

Romania uses UAV incident for confrontation as part of NATO-EU playbook — Russian embassy

Romania openly follows the EU and NATO’s foreign policy course, the Russian embassy to Bucharest said

MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/. Romania exploited the incident with a falling drone in Galati to implement NATO and the EU’s foreign policy course toward confrontation with Russia, the Russian embassy to Bucharest told Izvestia.

"Romania openly follows the EU and NATO’s foreign policy course toward confrontation with Russia, and, judging from how things developed today [on Friday], it used the Galati incident as a pretext to implement a pre-arranged decision," the diplomatic mission said.

In an interview with TASS earlier, Russian Ambassador to Bucharest Vladimir Lipayev called the Romania drone incident a provocation by the Kiev regime which he said is doing everything it can to drag NATO into a war with Russia and district attention from what he described as a barbaric Ukrainian crime in Starobelsk, referring to the May 22 attack on a college there that killed 21 students.

On May 29, the Romanian Defense Ministry reported that a drone crashed onto the roof of an apartment building in Galati. Bucharest blamed the incident on Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in response to a TASS reporter’s question that the incident involving a UAV in Romania was most likely caused by a Ukrainian drone. He noted that that there have already been instances of Ukrainian drones crashing in European countries. According to the president, Russia is ready to conduct an impartial investigation if the wreckage of the drone that crashed in Romania is handed over to it. "Only then will we be able to assess what has happened," he concluded.

Ukrainian drone attack on car in Russia’s Belgorod Region kills two

An FPV-drone attacked a car in the locality of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod municipality

BELGOROD, May 30. /TASS/. Two people were killed and two others were injured as Ukrainian troops launched a drone on a car in the locality of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod Region, the bordering Russian region’s operational headquarters said in a post on Max.

"As a result of a targeted Ukrainian strike, two civilians were killed and two others were wounded. An FPV-drone attacked a car in the locality of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod municipality. Two men died on the spot from their injuries," the post reads.

The car caught fire as the drone detonated, the operational headquarters specified. Two men suffered acoustic ear injures and fragmentation wounds in their necks.

Russian Troops Liberate 10 Communities in Ukraine Operation Over Week — Top Brass

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 2,250 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and 22 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the Defense Ministry reported

© Alexey Konovalov/TASS

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated 10 communities in the Kharkov, Sumy, Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye Regions over the week of May 23-29, including four communities over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"On May 23-29, Battlegroup North units took control of the settlements of Granov and Novovasilevka in the Kharkov Region, Zapselye and Ryasnoye in the Sumy Region through decisive operations. Over the past 24 hours, they liberated the settlements of Budarki and Karaichnoye in the Kharkov Region. <…> Over the past 24 hours, Battlegroup Center units liberated the settlement of Novopodgorodnoye in the Dnepropetrovsk Region," the ministry said in a statement.

"Battlegroup East units liberated the settlements of Vozdvizhevka in the Zaporozhye Region and Dobropasovo in the Dnepropetrovsk Region through active offensive operations. Over the past 24 hours, they liberated the settlement of Lesnoye in the Dnepropetrovsk Region," it said.

Russian troops deliver six precision strikes on Ukrainian military sites over week

Russian troops delivered one massive and five combined strikes by precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises, energy and transport facilities and military airfields over the week, the ministry reported.

"On May 23-29, in retaliation to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory, the Russian Armed Forces delivered one massive and five combined strikes by air-launched, seaborne and ground-based precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, hitting enterprises of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector, fuel and energy, transport and port infrastructure used to support the Ukrainian army’s operations and military airfields," the ministry said.

The strikes also targeted workshops for the assembly and sites for the storage and launch of unmanned aerial vehicles, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 1,245 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,245 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 10 enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup North units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, an air assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, two territorial defense brigades and a National Guard brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,245 personnel, 10 armored combat vehicles, 110 motor vehicles, seven field artillery guns and four electronic warfare stations in those frontline areas over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 1,340 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,340 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and 37 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units continue active offensive operations. Over the week, they inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, two assault brigades of the Ukrainian army, two marine infantry brigades and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,340 personnel, a tank, 37 armored combat vehicles, 128 motor vehicles, nine field artillery guns and five electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts over 950 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 950 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks and 26 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Over the past week, Battlegroup South units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of six mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 950 personnel, three tanks, 26 armored combat vehicles, 111 motor vehicles, 17 field artillery guns, three Grad multiple rocket launchers and two electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 2,250 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 2,250 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and 22 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the week, Battlegroup Center units "inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, an infantry brigade, a jaeger brigade, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, two air assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian army, two marine infantry brigades and four National Guard brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 2,250 personnel, a tank, 22 armored combat vehicles, 58 motor vehicles, 15 field artillery guns and seven electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 1,970 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 1,970 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 16 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

Over the past week, Battlegroup East units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, two assault brigades, four air assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,970 personnel, 16 armored combat vehicles, 49 motor vehicles and four field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts over 375 casualties on Ukrainian army in week

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted more than 375 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed five enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, an unmanned systems brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 375 personnel, five armored combat vehicles, 70 motor vehicles, three field artillery guns and 18 electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the week, it specified.

Russian air defenses intercept 2,628 Ukrainian UAVs, 23 HIMARS rockets over week

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 2,628 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 23 US-made HIMARS rockets over the week, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down 44 guided aerial bombs, three British-made Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles, three French-made SCALP airborne long-range missiles, 23 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 2,628 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 671 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 284 helicopters, 153,332 unmanned aerial vehicles, 661 surface-to-air missile systems, 29,538 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,727 multiple rocket launchers, 35,121 field artillery guns and mortars and 62,799 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

AfDB Cuts Africa 2026 Growth Forecast to 4.2% Amid US War on Iran

By Al Mayadeen English

27 May 2026 17:10

Disruptions to global energy and fertilizer markets fuel inflation, weaken currencies, and threaten food security across the continent.

The African Development Bank warned Tuesday that the economic fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran is increasingly weighing on African economies, as disruptions to global energy and fertilizer markets fuel inflation, weaken currencies, and threaten food security across the continent.

In its latest economic outlook presented during the bank’s annual meetings in Brazzaville, the AfDB projected Africa’s growth rate at 4.2% for 2026, down from 4.4% recorded last year, while warning that a prolonged war could trigger an even sharper slowdown.

The bank linked the weaker outlook to supply chain disruptions and soaring import costs triggered by the expanding Middle East conflict, particularly after Washington’s military escalation against Iran intensified instability around the Strait of Hormuz, a corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies and a major share of global fertilizer exports transit.

"The impact of this shock on growth and macroeconomic stability will depend on the duration of the supply chain disruptions and their effects on global energy and fertilizer prices," the report said.

Growing fears of wider economic crisis

A separate report issued jointly by the AfDB, the African Union, and UN agencies earlier this year warned that Africa could lose at least 0.2 percentage points of growth in 2026 if the war drags on for more than six months. The report said higher fuel and food prices could rapidly evolve into a continent-wide cost-of-living crisis.

The economic strain is already prompting governments to seek emergency financial assistance. A Reuters report published last week revealed that 27 countries have activated or are preparing to activate World Bank crisis-financing mechanisms since the outbreak of the war on February 28.

Kenya has acknowledged seeking rapid World Bank support to manage rising fuel import costs, while multiple governments across Africa are facing mounting debt and inflation pressures amid fears of IMF-linked austerity measures.

East Africa among hardest hit

East Africa, traditionally the continent’s fastest-growing region, is expected to be among the hardest hit as fuel and transport costs surge. Reports from several countries point to worsening economic stress linked to the conflict.

In Kenya, fuel prices reached record highs in April, forcing transport operators to raise fares by roughly 25%, while exporters faced shipping delays linked to rerouted maritime traffic.

In Ethiopia, authorities reported severe fuel shortages after diesel supply volumes were nearly cut in half, contributing to sharp increases in the prices of cooking oil, eggs, and other basic goods.

Fertilizer and food security concerns deepen

The crisis has also intensified concerns over fertilizer access. The Gulf region remains central to global ammonia, LNG, sulfur, and urea exports essential for agricultural production, with analysts warning that disrupted supplies during planting seasons could reduce crop yields across vulnerable African states.

The World Food Programme warned Wednesday that the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran is contributing to historic levels of global hunger, with rising oil and transport costs pushing millions deeper into food insecurity, including populations across Africa already struggling with inflation and humanitarian crises.

AfDB pushes domestic financing strategy

Despite the worsening outlook, the AfDB said Africa remains among the world’s fastest-growing regions alongside Asia, and forecast growth could recover to 4.4% in 2027 if the Middle East crisis subsides within several months.

AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah said the continent must reduce dependence on shrinking foreign aid and mobilize domestic capital to shield itself from future geopolitical shocks.

"Achieving sustained and inclusive growth will require a substantial increase in investment," Tah said in the report.

Tah added that Africa would need to maintain annual growth above 7% over decades in order to generate sufficient employment opportunities and significantly reduce poverty across the continent.

RSF Drone Strike Kills 14 Civilians in Sudan Border Town

By Al Mayadeen English

27 May 2026 22:31

An RSF-linked drone strike killed 14 civilians, mostly women, in Sudan’s border town of al-Tina as violence and displacement continue to worsen across Darfur.

A drone strike blamed on the Rapid Support Forces killed at least 14 civilians in the Sudanese border town of al-Tina, as violence and displacement continue to escalate across the Darfur region.

A survivor and a local government official told AFP that the strike struck a market area on Monday in al-Tina, a town near the border with Chad that has repeatedly come under attack this year.

Locals recovering victims from the scene “found 14 bodies at the bomb site, most of them women,” the survivor said via satellite internet due to an ongoing communications blackout.

The witness, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the attack “targeted a gathering of women selling food and tea in the al-Tina market.”

A Sudanese official also confirmed the strike and said authorities were “working to tally the number of casualties.”

Darfur crisis deepens

The attack comes as fighting intensifies between the Sudanese army and the RSF, whose war since April 2023 has devastated large parts of Sudan and triggered what humanitarian organizations describe as one of the world’s worst hunger and displacement crises.

Al-Tina lies in North Darfur, where famine conditions are worsening and large numbers of civilians have fled toward Chad. The RSF consolidated control over most of Darfur last year, although armed groups allied with the Sudanese army continue to hold several positions near the frontier, including areas around al-Tina.

The conflict has increasingly involved drone warfare, with both sides relying on unmanned strikes as fighting spreads across the country. According to the United Nations, at least 880 civilians were killed in drone attacks between January and April alone.

Meanwhile, survivors fleeing the RSF’s recent takeover of El Fasher have continued arriving at the Tine refugee transit center along the Sudanese-Chadian border, recounting abuses allegedly committed during the assault.

Siege horror unfolds

The famine-stricken city, once home to nearly one million residents, had endured an 18-month siege before RSF forces launched a major offensive on October 25.

Witnesses cited by Reuters described civilians escaping through the desert under severe conditions, with many arriving wounded, barefoot, or traumatized after days of walking.

According to testimonies from survivors, RSF fighters carried out executions, beatings, detentions, and looting during the operation.

“They could do nothing but watch as fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) opened fire on their loved ones and killed them,” survivors said, adding that civilians “were taken hostage and severely beaten. Their phones, shoes, and lifelong savings were stolen.”

Mohamed Adam, one of the displaced civilians, said he lost his wife, a former member of parliament, in a drone strike, while other survivors reported seeing relatives killed during mass executions allegedly carried out by RSF fighters.

Videos circulated online in recent days also appeared to show killings attributed to commanders affiliated with the paramilitary group.

US Global Dominance Faces Mounting Structural Pressures: FT

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Financial Times

Mounting debt, militarization, tariffs, and weakening trade structures are raising concerns over the long-term stability of US global dominance.

The United States’ position as the world’s dominant power is increasingly facing pressure from mounting debt, weakening trade structures, and shifting geopolitical realities, according to an opinion analysis by Pimco co-founder Bill Gross for the Financial Times.

Gross argues that the foundations of US “hegemonic” power, built over decades through free trade, military supremacy, and dollar dominance, are showing signs of structural deterioration amid deepening fiscal and geopolitical strains.

It describes American global leadership as dependent on continuous economic and political maintenance rather than permanent superiority, warning that several of the conditions that historically enabled Washington’s dominance are now eroding.

“Pax America requires continued maintenance and favourable government policies that promote its number-one status,” Gross states.

Debt expansion and military spending strain US power

The analysis identifies expanding fiscal deficits as one of the clearest indicators of declining US stability, pointing to widening trade and budget deficits that have reached roughly 6% of GDP annually in recent decades.

Structural obligations linked to healthcare and social security spending are also expected to place additional long-term pressure on US finances, alongside sustained military expenditures.

Citing Congressional Budget Office projections, Gross notes that US public debt is expected to rise from 101% of GDP in 2026 to 120% by 2036, exceeding levels recorded immediately after World War II.

Gross further links these pressures to military expansion and overseas confrontations, including the costs associated with the war on Iran.

The article argues that the financial burden of war “is likely to far exceed” the $29 billion estimate already discussed by US military officials, while warning that Washington’s long-term military commitments will continue driving expenditures higher.

Tariffs and protectionism weaken free-trade foundations

Gross states that another central pillar of US dominance, free trade, has been significantly undermined through tariffs and protectionist economic measures introduced during the Trump era.

While tariffs were promoted domestically as part of an industrial revival strategy, the analysis states that they have failed to meaningfully reduce trade and fiscal imbalances.

“The reversal of free-trade policies has led to a weak dollar,” the piece states, noting that the trade-weighted DXY dollar index had declined by roughly 10% over the past 18 months.

Gross also argues that current US economic growth is disproportionately dependent on artificial intelligence-driven capital investment rather than broad industrial expansion.

China challenge and the 'Thucydides Trap'

The FT opinion piece further links concerns over the US decline to the rise of China as a competing global power.

It references a reported discussion between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump earlier in May, during which Xi invoked the concept of the “Thucydides Trap”.

The phrase references the ancient Greek historian Thucydides’ argument that war between Athens and Sparta emerged from the fear generated by the rise of Athenian power.

According to Gross, the reference signaled Beijing’s long-term strategic outlook regarding global leadership, contrasting with what it characterized as the short-term orientation of current US policymaking.

Financial markets reflect concerns over decline

The FT article argues that financial markets are increasingly reflecting concerns over what it describes as “hegemonic decay”.

It notes that yields on 30-year US Treasury bonds have risen in recent months despite historically weak inflation-adjusted returns.

According to Gross, growing concerns over future government liabilities and long-term structural instability, not inflation alone, are contributing to investor anxiety surrounding US debt markets.

The article further warns that continued erosion of confidence in US fiscal stability could weaken one of Washington’s central instruments of global influence: the dollar’s reserve currency status.

AI and the future of global power

Gross speculates that future global dominance may ultimately move beyond traditional nation-states altogether.

While acknowledging China’s geopolitical ambitions, he argues that artificial intelligence could emerge as a defining hegemonic force depending on who controls its development and infrastructure.

“Another hegemon may replace America and China as well,” the article states. “It goes by the name of AI.”

'Israel' Expands Strikes on Lebanon, Strikes Area South of Beirut

By Al Mayadeen English

Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon killed and injured civilians, including children, amid intensified raids on Saida, Tyre, and surrounding areas.

"Israel" has ramped up its aggression on Lebanon overnight and into the afternoon, targeting major population centers like Tyre, Saida, and the Choueifat area south of Beirut.

Israeli forces carried out a series of wide-ranging strikes across southern Lebanon during the night and early hours of Thursday, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The agency reported that six people were killed, including children, in a massacre after a vehicle was struck on the Adloun highway.

In a separate incident, three people were killed and five others injured when an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential apartment in the Qaya’a area of Sidon Saida.

According to the National News Agency, the apartment was sheltering a displaced family from southern Lebanon at the time of the attack. Emergency teams and civil defense crews transported victims to nearby hospitals.

Motorcycle strikes and additional casualties

The agency also reported that two people were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle on the Masaken al-Shaabi road in Tyre, while another motorcycle in the village of Bazouriyeh was also struck.

In addition, an airstrike on the village of Jebchit left three people injured, according to field reports cited by local media.

Israeli forces also targeted multiple towns overnight, including Deir al-Zahrani, Zibqin, Al-Mansouri, Toul, Ghassaniyeh near Saida, and Qaaqaiyat al-Snoubar.

Intensified strikes on Tyre

Strikes on the city of Tyre intensified, with reports of multiple buildings and civilian sites being hit, including structures on Hiram Street, Al-Halwani Street, Al-Rifai neighborhood, and areas near the Jabal Amel roundabout. Additional strikes reportedly targeted camps in Al-Rashidieh and Al-Bass.

The latest casualties add to the broader toll of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon. According to figures published by the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the total number of people killed since March 2 has reached 3,269, while 9,840 others have been injured.

IOF issue threat for whole South Lebanon

Israeli warplanes carried out a series of intense airstrikes on Wednesday, striking multiple locations across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region, as the Israeli occupation forces issued a displacement threat for the entirety of South Lebanon.

The displacement threat constitutes a violation of international law, particularly international humanitarian law, which prohibits the mass forcible transfer of civilians and collective punishment during wars.

Israeli airstrikes hit several towns, including Qsaybeh, Houmine al-Fawqa, Jarjou', Haddatha, Yater, Qaaqaiyat al-Jisr, and Kfar Houna, along with Kfar Joz, Mleekh, and al-Luwaizeh in the south. The heights of Ali al-Taher were also repeatedly targeted.

In the Bekaa region, Israeli warplanes targeted the highlands of Hrabta and Brital, as well as the area between the Brital and al-Khraibeh hills. Fresh raids were also reported on the outskirts of Hermel in northern Bekaa.

Concurrently, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon reported that three people were killed, according to a preliminary toll, following an Israeli aggression on the town of Shoukine in the Nabatieh district.