Category: Foreign

  • Israel Strikes Syria’s Military Headquarters In Damascus

    Israel Strikes Syria’s Military Headquarters In Damascus

    Israel launched a series of powerful airstrikes on Wednesday, targeting Syria’s military headquarters in Damascus and striking near the presidential palace.

    The Israeli military said the operation was aimed at halting attacks on the Druze Community in southern Syria’s Sweida region.

    Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, confirmed the offensive, saying, “The Israeli military will continue to operate vigorously in Sweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until they withdraw completely.”

    The strikes reportedly destroyed a section of the defence ministry building, leaving the area strewn with rubble. According to a Syrian medical source, five members of Syria’s security forces were killed in the strikes.

    According to Reuters, an Israeli military official said the assault targeted “the entrance to the military headquarters in Damascus and a military objective near the presidential palace,” accusing Syrian forces of being complicit in the attacks on Druze civilians.

    The attacks came despite a recent thaw in relations between Israel and the interim Syrian government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

    Sharaa’s administration, composed in part of Islamist elements, had sought improved ties with the United States and Israel.

    However, Israel branded Syria’s new rulers as “barely disguised jihadists” and insisted it will block any military movements by Syrian forces into the Druze-majority south.

    The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, responded cautiously, calling the situation “complicated,” and added, “It looks like a misunderstanding. I believe progress towards de-escalation will be made within hours.”

    Sweida, a predominantly Druze city, has seen a sharp rise in violence this week, as clashes erupt between Druze militias, government security forces, and armed Bedouin tribes.

    The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that 169 people have been killed, while Syrian security sources put the death toll at 300, figures that could not be independently verified by Reuters.

    Residents in Sweida described scenes of terror. “We are surrounded and we hear the fighters screaming. We’re so scared,” said one man by phone, adding that families were hiding and trying to keep their children quiet to avoid detection.

    A temporary ceasefire was reportedly brokered late Wednesday by Syria’s Interior Ministry and Druze leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou.

    However, another Druze spiritual figure, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, rejected the truce, saying, “Fighting should continue until Sweida is entirely liberated.”

    Following calls from within Israel to support the Druze community, scores of Israeli Druze broke through the border fence on Wednesday and joined their Syrian counterparts, a Reuters witness reported.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged restraint, saying, “The Israeli military was working to save the Druze. We call on all Israeli Druze citizens not to cross the border.”

    The Israeli military however said it was working to safely return those who crossed.

    An Israeli Druze man, Faez Shkeir, expressed helplessness, “My family is in Syria, my wife, my uncles; I don’t like to see them being killed. They kicked them out of their homes, they robbed and burned their houses, but I can’t do anything.”

    Reports of looting and extrajudicial killings by Syrian government forces are emerging. A Reuters correspondent in Sweida on Tuesday saw homes being looted and burned.

    One resident displayed the body of his brother, shot in the head inside their family home.

    In a statement, the Syrian government condemned the lawlessness in Sweida and promised justice.
    “Those responsible will be held accountable. The government remains committed to protecting the rights of the people in Sweida.”

    President Sharaa, facing mounting pressure from minorities and international observers, has repeatedly promised to protect Syria’s diverse communities. But trust is fading, especially after the massacre of Alawite civilians in March and the failure to contain the current crisis.

    U.S. Syria Envoy Tom Barrack, who had previously praised the new Syrian administration and expressed hope for peace between Israel and Syria, condemned the ongoing violence.

    “All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire. Perpetrators need to be held accountable,” he said.

    Leadership

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  • 92-year-old Cameroon President Set to Run For Eight Term in Office

    92-year-old Cameroon President Set to Run For Eight Term in Office

    The world’s oldest head of state, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, 92, has said he will run once more for re-election in October aiming to extend his 43 years in power.

    “Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face,” he said in a post on X.

    He added that his decision to go for an eighth term came after “numerous and insistent” calls by people from all regions in Cameroon and the diaspora.

    Biya’s administration has faced criticism over allegations of corruption and embezzlement, as well as accusations of bad governance and failure to tackle security challenges. There have also been concerns about his health and ability to govern.

    His absence from the public for more than six weeks last year led to speculation about his well-being and unfounded rumours that he had died.

    His candidacy was expected but not formally confirmed until Sunday’s social media post.

    Biya has never lost an election since taking power in 1982 and if he wins another seven-year term he could be president until he is nearly 100.

    There have been growing calls from inside and outside Cameroon for him to step aside and give way for fresh leadership in the central African nation.

    His candidacy follows a recent political divorce from key allies from the northern regions, who had been crucial in helping secure votes in previous elections from that part of the country.

    Two of these men – prominent minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary and former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari – recently quit the ruling coalition and separately announced plans to run in the election.

    Last month, Tchiroma said the Biya administration he belonged to had “broken” public trust and he was switching to a rival party.

    Multiple opposition figures, including 2018 runner-up Maurice Kamto, as well as Joshua Osih, Akere Muna, and Cabral Libii, have also announced their candidacies.

    However, members of the governing Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement and other supporters have since last year publicly called for Biya to seek another term. He was already the de-facto candidate as the party leader.

    Biya abolished term limits in 2008, enabling him to seek the presidency indefinitely.

    He won the 2018 elections with more than 71% of the vote although opposition groups said there were widespread irregularities.

    Reacting to Biya’s latest bid for the presidency, many people on the streets of the capital Yaoundé told the BBC they did not feel safe commenting openly on politics for fear of reprisals. Others withheld their names, ages or occupations out of caution.

    “Never in the political history of nations have I seen or heard that a man of that age, is declaring his candidacy in a presidential election,” said one member of the public, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

    “I really thought he would go and rest, and hand over to a new generation,” another local resident, Camille Esselem, said of Biya in surprise at the news.

    However, some people welcomed another seven years under the veteran leader.

    “The president still has much to offer the Cameroonian people,” said public sector worker Ngono Marius, adding, “if he is a candidate it means he’s capable to lead”.

    Sylvia Tipa, a consultant in the city, told the BBC that although she believes in change and the democratic principle of “relaying” power to the next comer, maybe “there’s no-one better than [Biya]”.

    “So far he has done a lot for the nation – we see his role played in conflict management and many other aspects,” she added, wondering if perhaps his long stay in power was God’s doing.

    BBC

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  • Trump sends tariff letters to 7 more countries

    Trump sends tariff letters to 7 more countries

    U.S. President Donald Trump sent letters to the leaders of seven more countries Wednesday morning, notifying them that new tariffs will be charged on goods imported by the United States from these countries starting August 1.

    Trump posted these letters on Truth Social, his own social media platform. The letters have been addressed to leaders of the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Iraq, Libya and Sri Lanka.

    According to the letters, 30 percent tariffs will be imposed on Libya, Iraq, Algeria and Sri Lanka, 25 percent on Brunei and Moldova, and 20 percent on the Philippines.

    Trump sent the first batch of tariff letters to 14 countries on Monday, with tariffs ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.

    PM News

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  • Linda Yaccarino Departs as X Boss

    Linda Yaccarino Departs as X Boss

    Linda Yaccarino, the boss of Elon Musk’s social media site X, has announced she is stepping down.

    Ms Yaccarino has been in the role since June, 2023.

    In a post on the social media platform, she said was “immensely grateful” to Musk for “entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App”.

    Musk has not yet commented on Ms Yaccarino’s departure.

    BBC

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  • Trump to host five African presidents at White House

    Trump to host five African presidents at White House

    US President Donald Trump will welcome five African leaders to a White House lunch on Wednesday, with commerce and trade expected to feature prominently amongst a mixed bag of potential agenda items.

    The presidents of Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon — five nations located along Africa’s Atlantic Coast — will convene at Trump’s behest.

    Officials from the countries have told AFP that they expect talks to centre on trade, investment and security, amongst other topics as they meet in the executive mansion’s State Dining Room.

    But few concrete details have emerged as to the White House’s intentions.

    The meeting comes as the Trump administration is focused on tariffs and trade deals, and as it seeks to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals.

    But the five nations lack the extreme mineral wealth of other African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    The gathering additionally takes place just days after the Trump administration celebrated the formal shuttering of the US foreign aid agency USAID, trumpeting the move as an end to the “charity-based model”.

    Officials from the five countries who spoke to AFP seemed keenly aware of the White House ethos.

    Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai accepted the invitation with an eye on no longer being “solely (an) aid recipient”, his press secretary Kula Fofana told AFP on Tuesday.

    “Our interest is to look more to trade and engagement partners who will invest,” she said.

    Gabonese presidential spokesman Theophane Biyoghe said the meeting marked a chance for synergies “centred around the industrialisation of our economy”.

    – Competition and security –

    US arch rivals China and Russia have made major incursions into the region recently, including substantial investments by Beijing in a number of the countries.

    Moscow, meanwhile, has lent support to the region’s newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprised of junta-led Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

    The alliance states share borders with several of the counties at Wednesday’s lunch.

    Security and drugs could additionally feature on the White House agenda.

    In April, Guinea-Bissau said it had turned over four convicted Latin American drug smugglers to the US DEA drug enforcement authority.

    The country is often used as a transit zone for moving cocaine from Latin America to Europe and beyond.

    Shortly before leaving for Washington, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo described the visit to the press as “very important” for his country.

    “Economically, this is a great opportunity opening for us,” he declared, adding that he hoped his country would also benefit from “the support” the United States provides to other countries.

    – Precarious visits –

    A number of world leaders have faced brutal political ambushes during White House visits.

    Among them are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who became embroiled in a notorious row with Trump, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

    During a visit, Trump showed the South African leader a video of baseless claims of a “white genocide” being committed in his country.

    While those episodes happened in front of cameras in the Oval Office, the five African presidents meeting Trump on Wednesday are so far not scheduled to appear before the press.

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared few details about the meeting when she told a briefing on Monday only that Trump would “host leaders of five African nations for lunch” in the State Dining Room.

    Gabon, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal are among 36 nations that the United States is considering adding to a travel ban barring entry to its territory, according to an internal administration memo last month.

    AFP

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  • Chinese former vice governor bags life imprisonment

    Chinese former vice governor bags life imprisonment

    A Chinese court on Thursday sentenced Zhang Zulin, former vice governor of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, to life imprisonment for bribery.

    According to the statement of the Intermediate People’s Court of Chongqing Municipality, Zhang will be deprived of his political rights for life; his personal property will be confiscated, and his illegal gains from taking bribes will be recovered and turned over to the state treasury.

    The court found that Zhang had taken advantage of his positions in Yunnan between 2001 and 2023 to assist individuals and organisations in matters related to real estate development, project contracting, project approval and loan obtaining.

    According to the court, Zhang accepted money and valuables worth more than 122 million yuan (approximately $ 17.03 million) in return.

    Zhang’s case was presented to the court in an open trial on April 10.

    (ZINHUA NET)

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  • Colombian Army frees 57 soldiers held hostage by locals in rebel-linked region

    Colombian Army frees 57 soldiers held hostage by locals in rebel-linked region

    The Colombian military has freed 57 soldiers who had been held captive by local residents in the southern Cauca region since the weekend.

    Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday,said the operation, dubbed Operation Justice, was carried out without a single shot being fired.

    He confirmed that 20 persons were arrested during the mission.

    DAILY POST had reported that the soldiers had been overpowered and detained by groups of civilians allegedly acting under orders from the EMC (Estado Mayor Central), a powerful breakaway faction of the former FARC guerrilla group.

    The EMC is heavily involved in cocaine production and trafficking and maintains strong influence in the rural, mountainous regions of Cauca.

    Sánchez denounced the soldiers’ seizure as a “kidnapping” orchestrated by the EMC, saying the group had instructed locals to prevent the military from removing a suspected rebel arrested on Saturday.

    According to General Erick Rodríguez of the Colombian Army, the initial standoff began when more than 100 people surrounded a military unit attempting to airlift the detainee out of the area.

    The following day, a second military unit was also surrounded and detained by an even larger crowd.

    While it is not uncommon for locals in conflict zones to detain soldiers in protest, the scale of this incident, involving 57 military personnel, was unprecedented.

    In previous cases, captured security forces were typically released after negotiations involving humanitarian organizations.

    This time, however, the captors refused any form of negotiation, prompting the military to dispatch heavily armed reinforcements.

    The resulting operation not only freed the soldiers but led to the arrest of 20 suspects believed to be acting on behalf of the EMC.

    Cauca remains one of Colombia’s most volatile regions, where state presence is often viewed with hostility due to the heavy reliance of local populations on coca cultivation.

    The Colombian military estimates that over 90% of residents in the area depend on coca, the raw material for cocaine, for their livelihoods.

    The region is also plagued by multiple armed groups who extort local farmers, engage in illegal mining, and control drug trafficking routes, complicating government efforts to restore security and legal economic activity

    Daily Post

  • BREAKING: Brazilian VP, Alckmin arrives Nigeria for historic strategic dialogue

    BREAKING: Brazilian VP, Alckmin arrives Nigeria for historic strategic dialogue


    Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, accompanied by his wife Maria Lúcia Alckmin, landed Tuesday at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, officially kicking off the highly anticipated Second Session of the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism (SDM).


    According to a statement by presidential media aide to Nigeria’s Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said the landmark visit marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s South-South diplomatic efforts and is poised to deliver major policy breakthroughs across key sectors including agriculture, energy, and industrial development.


    The Brazilian delegation was warmly received by top Nigerian officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha; and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.
    At the airport reception, Hadejia described the visit as “a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s renewed hope agenda,” underscoring the strategic importance of strengthening bilateral ties with Brazil.
    He stated.


    “This dialogue mechanism represents our commitment to leveraging South-South partnerships that deliver tangible benefits to our citizens. Brazil’s expertise in agribusiness, energy transition, and industrial development aligns perfectly with Nigeria’s transformation priorities and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”


    The three-day summit is set to conclude with the signing of over thirty Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) spanning defence cooperation, agricultural technology transfer, energy collaboration, and cultural exchange programmes, signaling a new era of robust Nigeria-Brazil relations.


    Stay tuned for more updates on this historic diplomatic engagement

    The Sun

  • Trump ready to impose visa ban on Nigeria, 35 other countries [Full list]

    Trump ready to impose visa ban on Nigeria, 35 other countries [Full list]

    US president, Donald Trump, is considering imposing travel ban on Nigerians and citizens of an additional 35 countries.

    This would be a significant expansion of the travel ban announced by the administration early this month.

    The list of countries was contained in a State Department memo, according to The Washington Post.

    In total, there are 25 African nations facing visa bans or other restrictions.

    The memo, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, revealed that the governments of listed countries have a 60-day ultimatum, to meet new benchmarks and requirements established by the State Department.

    It set a deadline of 8am on Wednesday for them to provide an initial action plan for meeting the requirements.

    The memo noted that some countries had “no competent or cooperative central government authority to produce reliable identity documents or other civil documents,” or they suffered from “widespread government fraud.”

    Others had large numbers of citizens who overstayed their visas in the United States.

    The countries facing scrutiny in the memo: Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Bhutan; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Ethiopia; Egypt; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Ivory Coast; Kyrgyzstan; Liberia; Malawi; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; South Sudan; Syria; Tanzania; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.

    Dailypost

  • List of Iranian commanders killed in Israel’s attack

    List of Iranian commanders killed in Israel’s attack


    Israel struck dozens of targets, including nuclear facilities, military sites and private residences, across Iran on Friday, killing a number of senior military commanders in what it called “Operation Rising Lion”.

    The Israeli attacks also targeted a number of other influential figures linked to Iran’s nuclear programmes, including six nuclear scientists, IRGC-affiliated news agency Tasnim reported.

    Here’s what we know so far about the high-profile individuals among the dead.

    Mohammad Bagheri
    Bagheri was the highest ranking military officer in Iran, being the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces – which includes both the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the Iranian army.

    Bagheri joined the IRGC in 1980 aged 20 and, alongside his brother, helped establish the IRGC’s intelligence unit during the Iran-Iraq war.

    He was considered less hardline than other commanders. He had come under criticism recently for a speech he made in April in front of the ancient ruins of Persepolis in which he called for peace and urged for the avoidance of war.

    Abdolrahim Mousavi has been appointed the new chief of staff of the armed forces, Iranian state news agency Irna said. He does not come from within the ranks of the IRGC, being an army general.

    Hossein Salami
    Hossein Salami was the commander-in-chief of the IRGC.

    Salami joined the IRGC in 1980 during the Iran-Iraq war, and went on to become a deputy commander in 2009, before progressing to commander in 2019.

    Known for his ability as an orator, he took a hard-line stance towards Israel and as recently as last month said Tehran would “open the gates of hell” if attacked by either Israel or the US.

    Mohammad Pakpour has been appointed as the new commander of the IRGC, Iranian state media report.

    Gholamali Rashid
    Gholamali Rashid was the head of the IRGC’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates joint Iranian military operations.

    Rashid fought in the 1980s war with Iraq and was formerly the deputy chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.

    Since Rashid’s death, Ali Shadmani has been appointed the emergency command’s new leader, according to Iranian state media.

    Amir Ali Hajizadeh
    The commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force, Hajizadeh was a prominent figure in charge of the country’s missiles programme.

    The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hajizadeh had gathered in an underground command centre along with the majority of the IRGC’s air force commanders to prepare for an attack on Israel.

    The IDF said the group was then killed in a strike targeting the building.

    It said Hajizadeh commanded Iran’s missile attacks on Israel in October and April last year.

    Hajizadeh was regarded less favourably by members of Iran’s general public after he took responsibility for downing a Ukrainian passenger plane flying out of Tehran in 2020, which killed all 176 people on board.

    Fereydoon Abbasi
    Abbasi, a nuclear scientist, served as the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation between 2011 and 2013.

    He went on to be a member of parliament from 2020 to 2024.

    He promoted hardline positions to do with Iran’s nuclear activities.

    In May, he spoke on Iranian TV channel SNN.ir about potentially building a nuclear weapon, and said he would willingly carry out orders to do so if he received them.

    Nuclear scientists
    A number of other nuclear scientists are also reported by Iranian state media to have been killed.

    They are:
    Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, who was also the head of Azad University in Tehran
    Abdulhamid Minouchehr, head of nuclear engineering at Iran’s Shahid Beheshti University
    Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, a nuclear engineering professor at Shahid Beheshti University
    Amirhossein Feqhi, another nuclear professor at Shahid Beheshti University

    BBC

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