World

We study peace and conflict in Africa, as well as African Union law. We set out these three categories in a paper we published in 2023. In it we analysed unconstitutional changes of government in Africa between 2001 and 2022.

Hamas says senior commander Raed Saad was killed in an Israeli strike near Gaza City, accusing Israel of breaching the ceasefire as both sides prepare for its next phase.

The move comes amid a broader controversy surrounding Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision. Following confirmation last week that Israel would remain in the competition, broadcasters in at least five countries — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain — announced they would withdraw from the 2026 contest.

A send-off ceremony was held at the Port of Mersin, attended by Turkish and foreign officials, aid workers, and representatives of donor organisations. Speaking at the event, Turkish Red Crescent Board Member Kamil Karadeniz said the ship carries not only aid supplies but also “hope, conscience, and human dignity.”

Regarding the death toll, one may rely on a literal reading of the archives, which consistently report 35 deaths (or 70 in one officer’s report, phrased in a particularly obscure way).

The juntas in both Burkina Faso and Niger cited political defects of their elected, if somewhat ineffective, governments. But they mainly blamed their predecessors’ failure to put down growing jihadist insurgencies.

Armed groups have learned that seizing a Western hostage is a low-risk and high-reward proposition. It leads to financial gain and political accommodation.

The resolutio calls on UN member states to deepen their engagement with youth in peace initiatives and to expand national action plans under the Youth, Peace and Security framework.

Changing human behaviours is difficult. And preventing bad baboon behaviour – like raiding human foods – is easier than trying to change baboon behaviours once they occur.

In its role as the chair in office of IGAD, the Republic of Djibouti said it had taken note of Eritrea’s decision, describing it as a sovereign choice.

Heavy rains across the Gaza Strip have flooded more displacement sites, damaged buildings in Jabalya and Gaza City, and caused further casualties, including children.

The draft resolution, introduced by Norway alongside more than a dozen other countries, was supported by 139 member states. 12 nations voted against it while 19 chose to abstain.

UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed concern over what he described as “renewed tensions” and urged both countries to step back from hostile actions.

Interpol’s Operation Thunder 2025 seized thousands of protected plants, animals and timber across 134 countries, exposing global wildlife crime networks and rising trafficking in bushmeat, marine species and exotic arthropods.

Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, welcomed the decision, thanking his ECOWAS counterparts for what he described as a strong vote of confidence in Ghana's leadership and pan-African credentials.

However, IGAD noted with concern that since rejoining in 2023, Eritrea has not participated in any IGAD meetings, programmes, or activities. The Secretariat said it had remained patient throughout this period while keeping communication channels open.

Eritrea recalled that it “played a pivotal role when IGAD was revitalised in 1993,” contributing alongside other member states to strengthen the body as “the primary vehicle for the enhancement of regional peace and stability” and as a foundation for economic integration.

Save the Children says an estimated eight million babies were born in 2025 into conflict, climate disaster and humanitarian crises, mostly in under-resourced settings, warning of preventable risks to mothers and newborns.

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said the decision to step down was a response to the “voice of the people” and the need to uphold democratic values.

Foreign direct investment to Africa fell 42 per cent to $28 billion in early 2025. Business leaders urge faster reforms on payments, integration and local capital to unlock the continent’s investment potential.

Heavy rains are flooding Gaza displacement camps, killing a baby and forcing thousands to move. Officials warn of an imminent humanitarian disaster amid severe shelter and aid shortages.

According to senior Beninese officials who spoke to Reuters, Tigri and four other soldiers are hiding in Lome's Lome 2 neighbourhood, which also houses the residence of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe.

Simultaneously, WHO is launching a global traditional medicine library — the first-of-its-kind digital platform with over 1.6 million scientific records on the topic, a traditional medicine data network and a Framework on Indigenous Knowledge, Biodiversity and Health, among other initiatives.

Iran Human Rights director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam condemned the initial amount as punitive and discriminatory.

Accra said it had been "compelled to retaliate", framing the episode as a defence of the dignity of its nationals.

Unveiled on Tuesday, the 29-article charter lays out the rules for the one-year transition.

With this recognition, Diwali becomes the 16th Indian tradition to join UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Escalating clashes along the Thailand–Cambodia border have displaced over 500,000 people and killed at least 13, as shelling and air raids hit multiple provinces for a third straight day.

A new report warns biometric digital-ID systems across ten African countries are blocking millions from voting, healthcare and social protection, amid weak legal safeguards and rising fears over data misuse.

The UN warns global human rights are under growing threat in 2025, citing funding cuts, escalating conflicts and attacks on defenders, even as youth-led activism from Kenya to Peru pushes back.

Ghana has protested to Israel after seven citizens, including MPs, were detained and some deported at Ben Gurion Airport, calling the treatment humiliating and warning of possible reciprocal action.

The UN has rejected Israel’s proposed ‘yellow line’ Gaza border, saying it violates the ceasefire, as Egypt also dismisses US ideas for a foreign-backed interim administration in the territory.

Soldiers tried to seize Benin’s state broadcaster in a failed coup, citing security and political grievances. The mutiny was crushed, but analysts warn it exposes rising tensions and regional democratic backsliding.

A new study of African coups from 2001–2022 finds the AU firmly sanctions most military takeovers but rarely confronts leaders who rig constitutions or refuse to concede defeat, raising stability concerns.

The move follows long-standing concerns from parents and lawmakers about social media's effects on young people's mental health.

According to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Israel broke international law by storming the compound and interfering with UN property and operations.

Hamilton, a Scottish zoologist and a pioneering figure in elephant research, transformed the way the world understands African elephants.

A CIVICUS report says at least 180 journalists were detained across sub-Saharan Africa in 2025, with Somalia and Kenya leading arrests and deadly crackdowns on protests shrinking civic and media space.

The Confederation of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, confirmed the development in a statement, noting that the plane, which landed in Bobo-Dioulasso, did not have authorisation to enter the country.

The Benin incident is the latest in a series of attempted power grabs across West Africa, often triggered by contested elections, constitutional disputes and public frustration.

The children were among 315 pupils and staff who were kidnapped from a Catholic boarding school in late November.

Troops drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone will be deployed to assist Benin's authorities in safeguarding constitutional order and territorial integrity, ECOWAS said in a statement.

China’s Shenzhou-20 capsule is returning to Earth without crew after a window was damaged by tiny space debris, highlighting rising orbital congestion, safety risks and gaps in global space governance.

Egypt’s foreign minister has rejected a US-backed interim administration for Gaza, insisting Palestinians must govern themselves and urging open crossings, peacekeepers along the Yellow Line, and no displacement via Rafah.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu confirms troops were sent to Benin at the government’s request after a failed coup, as ECOWAS deploys a regional force to help preserve constitutional order.

The decision marks a shift from earlier guidelines that only restricted certain types of filming.

A study finds more than 60,000 African penguins died in South Africa between 2004 and 2012 after sardines crashed, highlighting climate and overfishing threats to this now critically endangered species.

A Nigerian court’s terrorism conviction and life sentence for Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu ends a decade-long case but leaves core Igbo grievances and rising south-east insecurity unresolved.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed in New York that he will keep pushing for a Palestine two-state solution, criticising a paralysed Security Council and warning of rising global conflicts and climate risks.

Benin’s government says it foiled an attempted coup in Cotonou after soldiers briefly claimed to oust President Patrice Talon, highlighting growing instability across Africa’s expanding ‘coup belt’.