… Invoking the metaphor of a “big, beautiful department store” (remember Trump referring to Gaza as “a beautiful piece of real estate”), Trump’s transactional approach, as Walt shows, is anchored in a misguided belief that the United States “has enormous and enduring leverage over …
… The European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, will head to Washington to represent the EU at the meeting on Thursday. “She will participate in the meeting of the Board of Peace for the specific part dedicated to Gaza. …
GAZA CITY – Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 11 people since dawn yesterday, while a military official said the attacks were carried out in response to violations of the ceasefire. …
… An AFP journalist said they saw at least 15 protesters being arrested and scuffling with police.Crowds also gathered in the centre of Melbourne demanding an end to Israel’s “occupation” of the Palestinian territories. …
… The government invited Herzog to visit Australia after an antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach, saying it would help the Jewish community heal, despite objections from pro-Palestinian groups. …
… At the same time, Iran says demands to limit the country’s ballistic missile programme and to end the support for proxies in the region – an alliance Tehran calls the “Axis of Resistance” that includes Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen …
… Trump has separately been accused by critics of seeking to replace some functions of the UN with his Board of Peace to oversee regeneration efforts in Gaza. …
RAFAH – Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing was reopened to Palestinians yesterday, an Israeli security official said, but Egyptian state-linked media said only 50 people would be allowed to cross in each direction in the early days. …
Mohamed Salah, 33, leads Egypt at what is likely his final World Cup, seeking a first tournament victory for the Pharaohs after three previous campaigns without a win. Salah recently ended his nine-year Liverpool career with 257 goals before joining Al-Ittihad.
Mohamed Salah, 33, leads Egypt at what is likely his final World Cup, seeking a first tournament victory for the Pharaohs after three previous campaigns without a win. Salah recently ended his nine-year Liverpool career with 257 goals before joining Al-Ittihad.
Former Namibian editor Gwen Lister has urged the government to urgently operationalise Namibia's Access to Information Act, signed in 2022 but not yet in effect, warning that delays are exposing journalists to growing legal and digital harassment amid increasing global threats against the media.
The World Health Organisation has suspended medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt after a security incident in which a WHO contract worker was killed. Israel said its soldiers opened fire on an unmarked vehicle that posed an immediate threat and continued to accelerate toward troops.
China has joined Pakistan in proposing a five-point plan to broker a ceasefire in the Middle East war, motivated by concerns that prolonged conflict threatens global economic stability and supplies to its industrial base. Beijing's move marks a diplomatic shift and comes ahead of trade talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.
Israel's defence minister announced that after the war with Hezbollah ends, Israel will maintain military control over a swath of southern Lebanon extending to the Litani River, and will demolish houses in border villages. Lebanon's government and international critics including the UN, Canada, and European nations have condemned the plan as an illegal occupation and collective punishment.
Israel's parliament passed legislation making the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of deadly terror attacks, with execution by hanging within 90 days. The law has drawn criticism from international observers and civil rights groups who say it is discriminatory and undermines democratic principles.
Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of plotting a ground attack despite diplomatic rhetoric, following the arrival of a US amphibious assault ship carrying 3,500 military personnel in the Middle East. The escalating regional conflict has involved aerial bombardment, Iranian retaliatory strikes on Gulf states, attacks on aluminium plants, and involvement by Houthi forces and Iraq, threatening global energy markets and shipping routes.
A New Era editorial argues that the United States has developed an entrenched war economy in which military spending and defence contracts sustain major industries and create financial incentives for perpetual conflict over peace. The editorial cites the scale of US defence spending, the involvement of Congress members in defence contractors, and decades of military interventions, contending that this structural dependence on war diverts resources from social and infrastructure investment.
Leo Brent Bozell III, the new US ambassador to South Africa, expressed optimism about US-South Africa partnership in his first public remarks, emphasizing shared values and economic ties. This marks a shift from his confirmation hearing comments, when he outlined Trump administration concerns about South Africa's geopolitical alignment, corruption, and property rights issues.
An opinion piece argues that geopolitical tensions—including Germany's support for Israel and Namibia's backing of Palestinian statehood—have hindered negotiations for reparations over the 1904–1908 genocide of Ovaherero and Nama. The author calls for Namibia to strengthen its negotiating position by unifying internally, centering victim communities' voices, and demanding legal recognition and direct reparations.
André du Pisani, an emeritus professor of politics, argues that the United States under Trump pursues a "predatory" form of realism that undermines global multilateralism and institutions. He calls for Namibia to conduct a comprehensive audit of its foreign relations and adopt a more integrated policy approach encompassing development, security, and economic diplomacy.
The European Union will participate in the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" this week through a commissioner representing the EU's position on Gaza, but Brussels clarified it is not joining as a member. Some EU states have raised concerns about the board's expanding scope and governance, questioning its compatibility with the UN Charter.
Gaza's civil defence agency reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 11 people since dawn, with a military official citing Hamas ceasefire violations as justification. Despite a US-brokered truce that entered its second phase last month, violence has continued, with Israel and Hamas trading accusations of breaching the agreement.
Sydney police deployed pepper spray on protesters who gathered to oppose Israel's President Isaac Herzog's visit to Australia, which was meant to console the Jewish community following a December shooting at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah festival. The visit sparked protests in Sydney and Melbourne, with some Jewish groups supporting Herzog's presence while others opposed it due to concerns about Gaza.
Police in Sydney used pepper spray and force against thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit on Monday, resulting in 27 arrests and injuries to officers and protesters, with authorities defending their actions as necessary restraint.
Senior US and Iranian officials are meeting in Oman for direct negotiations as military tension rises following Iran's violent suppression of anti-government protests and a significant US military buildup in the Middle East. The talks, brokered by regional mediators, aim to de-escalate conflict, though the two countries remain divided on key issues including Iran's nuclear programme, ballistic missiles, and regional proxies.
Devastating floods across Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique have killed more than 100 people and displaced hundreds of thousands since the start of the year. Authorities warn of hunger, cholera, and crocodile attacks, with Mozambique reporting the worst flooding since 2000 and aid workers concerned about disease outbreaks in overcrowded camps.
António Guterres has warned that the UN faces an "imminent financial collapse" due to member states not paying their assessed contributions, with money potentially running out by July. The crisis has been deepened by the United States refusing to pay its contributions and withdrawing from UN agencies, forcing the organisation to return funds it has not received and cutting humanitarian programmes worldwide.
An opinion piece argues that small resource-rich nations like Namibia face threats to sovereignty from great powers pursuing imperial interests, citing the US attack on Venezuela as evidence. The author calls for Global South countries to form strategic alliances based on shared principles to ensure collective security and protect their right to self-determination.
Gaza's Rafah border crossing has reopened to Palestinian residents after Israeli forces seized it in May 2024, with Egyptian media reporting only 50 people allowed to cross in each direction during the initial phase. The pilot reopening follows months of appeals from aid groups, with medical evacuees expected to be among the first groups allowed to leave the territory.
Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs announced it is terminating the humanitarian operations of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Gaza, requiring the organisation to cease work and leave by 28 February 2026. The decision follows MSF's failure to provide a list of its Palestinian staff as required by Israeli authorities, though MSF stated it could not agree to share staff information without assurances that the data would be used solely for administrative purposes and would not put colleagues at risk.
Israel said it would allow only pedestrian passage through the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt following the recovery of the last hostage remains, as part of a limited reopening under a truce framework announced by US President Donald Trump. The crossing has remained closed since Israeli forces took control during the war and is vital for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
US President Donald Trump withdrew an invitation for Canada to join his newly established 'Board of Peace' international organization, following tensions with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over economic coercion and global power dynamics. Canada had indicated willingness to join but declined to pay a proposed $1 billion membership fee for permanent members.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the BBC that the United States acts with impunity and believes its power matters more than international law, viewing multilateral solutions as irrelevant. Guterres warned that the UN's founding principles, including member state equality, are under threat, and called for reform of the Security Council to regain legitimacy and limit veto powers that he says are used to block global efforts.
Iran's neighbours in the Middle East are watching closely as the country faces deadly crackdowns on protesters and US threats of intervention. While Israel has backed protesters and expressed hope for regime change, Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar fear escalation could destabilize the region and have reportedly lobbied against further US strikes on Iran.
The UN rights office released a report stating that decades of systematic discrimination and segregation of Palestinians by Israel in the West Bank have drastically deteriorated, with UN rights chief Volker Turk calling it "a particularly severe form of racial discrimination and segregation, that resembles the kind of apartheid system we have seen before." The report documents unequal treatment of Israeli settlers and Palestinians, large-scale land confiscation, settler violence often supported by Israeli security forces, and widespread impunity for unlawful killings.
Israel's government has told its Supreme Court that a ban on international media access to Gaza should remain in place due to security risks, responding to a 2024 petition by the Foreign Press Association seeking unrestricted access for foreign journalists. The government argues that journalists should not be permitted to enter without military escort, citing ongoing security concerns despite a ceasefire that took effect in October.
Somaliland's foreign ministry rejected accusations from Somalia's president that it agreed to host Israeli military facilities and resettle Palestinians in exchange for Israeli recognition. Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland as independent last week, and the region is set to join the Abraham Accords, though Somaliland denied allegations of agreements beyond diplomatic engagement.