Somalia's government continues to battle Al-Shabaab militants with no decisive advantage. Mogadishu needs to strengthen its military and address civilian suffering in insurgent-controlled areas. Dialogue with the group is also being considered to improve its situation. The Somali government’s battle with Al-Shabaab militants grinds on, with neither able to gain a decisive advantage. To improve its lot, Mogadishu needs to bolster its military and alleviate civilian suffering in areas under insurgent control, while looking for openings for dialogue with the group.
Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia's presidential election with promises to fight armed groups. This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group experts Renata Segura and Elizabeth Dickinson about Colombia’s turbulent election, president-elect Abelardo “El Tigre” de la Espriella’s hardline promises to fight armed groups and the legacy of outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s signature policy of “Total Peace”.
Trump threatened to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure in response to attacks on ships. "I don't think it's going to start again. I think it's going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder," Mr. Trump told reporters in Ankara.
Hamas dissolved its Gaza government, signaling readiness to hand over to the National Council for Administrative Governance. This move comes as Hamas presses Israel to honor parts of the stalled peace plan. The development was announced on July 6. On Monday (July 6, 2026), Hamas said it had dissolved its de facto government in Gaza and signalled it was ready to hand over to NCAG, as it presses Israel to honour other parts of the stalled peace plan.
US President Trump stated a ceasefire with Iran is over after the US and Iran exchanged strikes. The US had launched air strikes following attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump vowed to strike Iran "hard" again if necessary. U. S. President vows to strike Iran “hard” again, but says he will let negotiators keep talking; IRGC hits Gulf targets after U.
The US-Iran ceasefire has ended, but details on the current situation are scarce. The conflict in West Asia continues to escalate. Recent developments include the 2023 killing of a Khalistani separatist in Canada. From the escalating conflict in West Asia to latest developments in the 2023 killing of a Khalistani separatist in Canada, we bring you the latest in this episode.
Zineb Riboua believes Iran's growing repression reflects weakness, not confidence. RFE/RL spoke with Zineb Riboua, a research fellow with the Hudson Institute, about Iran's post-Khamenei power structure, the expanding influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Core (IRGC), and why she believes growing repression reflects weakness rather than confidence.
UN investigators warned that El Obeid must not become a crime scene after atrocities in El Fasher bore markers of genocide. Atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia against Sudanese civilians in El Fasher in October – including mass killings, abductions and gang rapes – bear the markers of genocide, independent UN human rights investigators reported on Wednesday.
A UN peacekeepers report says the ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv has reduced hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli military, but communities returning home in Lebanon find widespread destruction. The situation remains unstable and uncertain. Devastation greets Lebanon's war-weary returnees. The ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv has led to a marked reduction in hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli military sparked by the wider Iran-Israel-US war, but the situation remains uncertain for communities returning home only to find widespread destruction, UN peacekeepers said on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump stated that the Iran deal is "over" at a NATO summit, as he met with leaders on the second day of the alliance's gathering, with the Iran conflict being a major topic, and later planned to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. US President Donald Trump has gone into key meetings with NATO and other leaders on Day 2 of the alliance's summit, with the Iran conflict looming large.
NATO leaders met in Ankara for a summit to shape the alliance's future direction, with European capitals seeking to demonstrate political unity amid profound geopolitical change, who noted adapting to the changing transatlantic order as a key challenge. As NATO leaders gather in Ankara for a summit expected to shape the alliance's future direction, European capitals are looking to what many see as the meeting's defining challenge: whether the alliance can demonstrate political unity at a moment of profound geopolitical change.
The NATO summit in Ankara showed security imperatives trump liberal values in today’s geopolitics. NATO allies prioritized defense spending deals over shared values. The liberal internationalist story has always been seductive: Democracies prefer each other, build institutions together and let shared values govern how they distribute power and resources. But this week’s NATO summit in Ankara showed that security imperatives trump liberal values in today’s geopolitics.
The United States launched military strikes against Iran and revoked a sanctions waiver covering Iranian oil sales. This move was made after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The action puts a fragile cease-fire at risk. Iran's oil sales will be impacted by the revoked waiver. The United States launched a new round of military strikes against Iran and revoked a key sanctions waiver covering Iranian oil sales after accusing Tehran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, putting a fragile cease-fire into peril.
Iran's clerical establishment staged a mass funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aiming to showcase the Islamic republic's popularity as a referendum, demonstrating its ability to organize large-scale events and garner public support. Iran's clerical establishment has shown time and again it has few rivals at staging a mass funeral. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's was a spectacle built to be seen as a referendum on the Islamic republic's popularity.
The Bundibugyo species of Ebola continues to spread in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization reported the death toll has now passed 500. The outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding, while the push to accelerate testing and identify effective treatment options continues, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Elon Musk has been posting about the US Agency for International Development on X. His comments come as USAID faces criticism for cutting funding to Ebola programs. Experts say these cuts have hindered the response to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak. The cuts have resulted in significant numbers of deaths. Experts say cuts have hindered the response to DRC’s Ebola outbreak and resulted in ‘significant numbers’ of deathsElon Musk has an Ebola problem.
A Ukrainian woman suspected of carrying out a bombing in Monaco was found dead with gunshot wounds. The bombing targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia. The killing is claimed to have been carried out by a Ukrainian spy. The woman's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds. A Ukrainian woman believed to have set off a bomb targeting a tycoon with links to Russia has been found dead with gunshot wounds in a killing apparently carried out by a Ukrainian spy, it is claimed.
Unnikrishnan S, an Indian national, was killed in Sri Lanka's prison riots, with the High Commission of India yet to issue a statement. The deceased Indian’s name is Unnikrishnan S.; the High Commission of India has not yet issued an official statement on the death, official sources in Colombo confirmed that a note verbale on the incident was sent.
China is developing its own extreme ultraviolet lithography machines and using AI to boost chip performance to evade US export controls. The US suspects China may have obtained an EUV machine through other means, and is monitoring the situation closely. Beijing's efforts aim to counter US chip bans. China is using several methods to circumvent United States export controls on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, including developing its own machines and stacking artificial intelligence (AI) chips to boost their performance.
Severe storms in China have killed 15 people, with 16 still buried after a landslide. Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for an "all out" rescue effort. Hundreds were injured and tens of thousands evacuated due to devastating storms in parts of China. Chinese leader Xi Jinping calls for ‘all out’ rescue effort as death toll rises and 16 people remain buried after a landslide in the country’s westThe death toll from devastating storms in parts of China rose to 15 on Tuesday, with hundreds more injured and tens of thousands evacuated, state media reported, as the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, urged “all out” efforts to rescue people affected by.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated China's recent ICBM test in the Pacific risks nuclear proliferation. He noted the missile could cause significant damage if weaponized. The Solomon Islands prime minister expressed concern over such tests in the region. Solomon Islands prime minister says he doesn’t want to see more countries testing ICBMs in Pacific, adding ‘be our friend but don’t threaten us’ Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has said China’s weapons test in the Pacific risks fuelling dangerous nuclear proliferation, with the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fired on Monday capable of causing “considerable damage” if weaponis.
The UN General Assembly voted to debate US sanctions against Cuba at Havana’s request. The decades-long embargo is discussed amid warnings of increasing suffering on the Caribbean island. The UN General Assembly overwhelming voted to debate United States sanctions against Cuba in a meeting on Tuesday, at Havana’s request, to discuss the decades-long embargo amid warnings of increasing suffering on the Caribbean island.
The Southwest Pacific's last tropical glacier is at risk of vanishing within months. The region faces increasing climate risks, with the ocean becoming hotter and more acidic, threatening coastal communities, report. The Southwest Pacific is facing mounting climate risks as its vast ocean expanse becomes hotter, more acidic and more dangerous for coastal communities, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a report published on Tuesday.
A UN report says billions of lives have improved due to development goals, but challenges remain to meet the 2030 deadline. With fewer than five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new UN report says sustained investment and international cooperation have improved billions of lives, but warns that governments must urgently accelerate action if the goals are to be met by their 2030 deadline.
Global experts discussed accountability when AI causes harm at the UN summit on AI governance. Who is legally responsible when Artificial Intelligence causes harm? The issue took centre stage on Tuesday – day two of the first ever UN summit on AI governance, where leading experts warned of mounting evidence of human rights violations linked to the revolutionary technology. When AI hurts people, who’s to blame?
