International

Nearly 1,500 Missing After Glacial Flood Devastates Nepal-Tibet Border, Testing Cross-Border Rescue Cooperation

Background

A catastrophic flash flood triggered by a high-altitude glacial collapse tore through the Nepal-Tibet border region this week, killing hundreds of people and leaving nearly 1,500 unaccounted for in one of the deadliest cross-border disasters to hit the Himalayas in years. The flood struck early Wednesday,…

Ruto Vows to "Crush" Political Gangs as Mt Kenya Rift Sharpens Ahead of 2027

Nairobi, Kenya 

President William Ruto stood in Emurua Dikirr, in Narok County, on Wednesday and made a promise that has become a near-weekly ritual for Kenyan officials this year: that the government would not tolerate armed gangs disrupting political life. "As for the issue of goons, we…

Iran and Oman Strike Hormuz Shipping and Revenue Deal as Washington Cries Foul

Background

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil normally passes, has been at the center of global anxiety since the 2026 Iran war erupted on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched nearly 900 strikes in twelve hours against Iranian missile sites,…

Biya's Return Fails to Settle Cameroon's Succession Crisis

Yaoundé, Cameroon 

President Paul Biya came home last week. The question hanging over Cameroon is whether he ever really left the country's deepest problem behind: what happens when the 93-year-old, the world's oldest sitting head of state, can no longer govern.

Biya landed at Yaoundé's Nsimalen…

Trump Administration Halts Visa Interviews Worldwide, Freezing Immigration Pipeline for Millions

Background

The Trump administration's approach to legal immigration has been defined, since the president's return to office in January 2025, by an aggressive push to restrict who is allowed into the United States and to tighten vetting for those already in the pipeline. That effort escalated sharply this year with a…

Guinea-Bissau's Junta Puts Expanded Presidential Powers to a Vote, With Opposition Crying Foul

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau  

Nine months after soldiers arrested President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and seized power a day before the results of a presidential election were due to be announced, Guinea-Bissau's ruling military junta will ask citizens on Sunday to approve a new constitution that would hand the…