Burkina Faso’s military government has accused Nigeria of violating its airspace after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft carrying 11 soldiers reportedly entered the country without clearance. In a statement issued by junta leader Assimi Goita, the authorities said the NAF plane made an unscheduled landing in Bobo Dioulasso on Monday due to what was described as an “emergency situation in flight” while inside Burkinabe airspace. According to the statement,…

Hong Kong recorded one of its lowest ever voter turnouts in Sunday’s Legislative Council elections, with fewer than 32% of eligible voters casting their ballots. The figure of 31.9% was only marginally higher than the record low of 30.2% in 2021, though the overall number of voters fell to 1.3 million compared with 1.4 million four years ago. The city’s population is about 7.5 million. The elections were held under…

A United Nations committee has issued its strongest warning yet to New Zealand, cautioning that government policies risk undermining Māori rights and entrenching long‑standing disparities for the Indigenous population. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) released a 14‑page report on 5 December following its eight‑year review of New Zealand’s compliance with the international convention. The findings represent the most critical assessment of the country’s record to…

Thailand has carried out airstrikes along its disputed frontier with Cambodia after both sides accused one another of breaching a ceasefire agreement brokered earlier this year by US President Donald Trump. The Thai military confirmed the strikes followed clashes on Monday morning in which one soldier was killed and four others wounded. The air force said aircraft had targeted Cambodian military positions, accusing Phnom Penh of deploying heavy weaponry and…

Benjamin Netanyahu has said the first stage of the UN‑endorsed Gaza ceasefire plan is close to completion, insisting that the next phase must involve the disarmament of Hamas. The Israeli Prime Minister confirmed he would discuss the next steps later this month in Washington with US President Donald Trump, whose proposals for Gaza were codified in a UN Security Council resolution on 17 November. “We’re about to finish the first…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their rapid and coordinated intervention in the Republic of Benin following Sunday’s attempted coup that briefly disrupted national broadcasting and threatened the country’s 35-year-old democracy. Security sources confirmed that Nigeria deployed fighter aircraft and ground forces into Beninese territory after receiving two urgent requests from the Government of Benin, which warned that coup plotters had seized the national broadcaster…

French President Emmanuel Macron has assured President Bola Tinubu that France will deepen its cooperation with Nigeria in responding to terrorism and other security threats. In a message posted on Sunday, Macron said he expressed France’s solidarity as Nigeria confronts “various security challenges, particularly the terrorist threat in the North.” He noted that France will scale up its collaboration with Nigerian authorities and extend additional assistance to communities affected by…

Security forces loyal to President Patrice Talon have successfully foiled an attempted coup in Benin Republic, according to new details released by the government. Interior Minister Alassane Seidou confirmed on Saturday that the country’s armed forces had thwarted the plot and prevented the military takeover from gaining ground. Although initial reports suggested unrest in parts of the country, government officials later announced that the army had “regained control” and that…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday defended U.S. military strikes on alleged drug cartel boats in the Caribbean, insisting President Donald Trump has the authority to act “as he sees fit” and dismissing concerns that the operations violate international law. Speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Hegseth argued the strikes, which have killed more than 80 people since September, were necessary to protect Americans. He compared suspected drug smugglers…

Russia carried out one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine in recent months, unleashing more than 650 drones and 51 missiles overnight on Saturday. The strikes came as American and Ukrainian officials met in Miami for continued negotiations aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old conflict. Ukraine’s armed forces reported that the attacks targeted locations across the country, including western regions far from the frontlines. Air raid sirens also sounded…

PengMore than 60,000 African penguins have starved to death off the coast of South Africa due to the disappearance of sardines, a new study has revealed. The paper, published in Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology, found that over 95% of penguins in two key breeding colonies on Dassen Island and Robben Island died between 2004 and 2012. Researchers concluded that the birds likely starved during their annual moulting period, when…

The Pentagon announced Thursday that the US military carried out another deadly strike on a boat suspected of transporting illegal narcotics in the eastern Pacific, killing four men. The operation has intensified questions over the legality of the campaign, which has now claimed at least 87 lives since September. Video of the strike was released by US Southern Command, based in Florida. The footage showed a sudden explosion engulfing a…