KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – Somalia has renewed its bid to join the East African Community (EAC), a seven-nation intergovernmental bloc that the country had been seeking membership of for over 50 years. The bloc had rejected Somalia’s application over a decade ago in March 2012, citing sporadic conflicts and weak institutions. However, with t...
TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) – Tunisia summoned its ambassador from Morocco on Saturday amid a dispute over a visit to the North African nation by the head of the Polisario Front that is seeking independence of the Western Sahara. The move came one day after Morocco recalled its envoy from Tunisia in protest of a meeting […]
TRIPOLI, Libya (AA/AFP) – A civilian was killed and another injured in clashes between rival militias in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Saturday. Emergency services spokesman Osama Ali reported that Mustafa Baraka, a comedian, was killed in the clashes that erupted in several areas in the capital. No information was yet available about casualti...
KABUL (AA) – A group of Afghan women’s rights activists have established a library in the capital Kabul to help improve access to education and public life for women and girls in the country. “Restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban are the reason for the opening of this library. Another reason is our desire […]
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Human rights experts have called for steps to promote social cohesion between Rohingya and the host community amid growing propaganda against the persecuted Muslims in Bangladeshi refugee camps. Bangladesh is currently providing shelter to 1.2 million Rohingya refugees on its southeast coast of Cox’s Bazar since a refu...
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – There is “extreme tension” in Israeli prisons amid a growing standoff between officials and Palestinian detainees, a Palestinian NGO has reported. Palestinian prisoners in various Israeli jails kicked off a series of protests this week against persistent mistreatment by officials. Israeli authorities have responded w...
TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – After more than a year of indirect talks marked by frequent interludes, Iran and the US see an agreement aimed at salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal as closer than ever. Washington has responded to Tehran’s comments on a draft proposal by the European Union that was submitted right after the latest […]
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AA) – Rohingya Muslims are finding it hard to educate their children in Bangladesh which hosts more than 1.2 million refugees who fled a brutal military crackdown in their home country’s Rakhine state in August 2017. Bangladesh considers the Rohingya as displaced citizens of Myanmar and not refugees. So the Rohin...
UNITED NATIONS (AA) – The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that political priorities, shifting regional dynamics and the emergence of new humanitarian crises have deprioritized the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his briefing to the UN Security Council, Philippe Lazzarini painted a bleak picture o...
Rabat, Morocco (AFP): Germany gave its backing on Thursday to a Moroccan autonomy plan for resolving the Western Sahara conflict, days after the North African country’s king urged allies to “clarify their positions.” A joint statement issued at the end of a visit to Rabat by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that “...
