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Taiwan Vows To Defend Sovereignty After China Drills

Taiwan Vows To Defend Sovereignty After China Drills

January 1, 2026 2:42 am

Taiwan vows to defend its sovereignty and strengthen its defenses as pressure from China intensifies, President Lai Ching te said Thursday, days after Beijing fired dozens of rockets toward the island during large scale military drills.

Speaking in a New Year address broadcast from the presidential office in Taipei, Lai said the exercises underscored the growing threat facing Taiwan and the need for sustained investment in national defense.

“The international community is watching whether the Taiwanese people have the determination to defend themselves,” Lai said, adding that his position as president was unchanged. “My stance has always been clear: to …

Zohran Mamdani Sworn In As New York City Mayor

Zohran Mamdani Sworn In As New York City Mayor

January 1, 2026 2:07 am

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s mayor just minutes into the New Year, taking the oath of office inside the historic City Hall subway station in a symbolic start to his term.

The oath was administered shortly after midnight by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, formally transferring power at the moment the new four year mayoral term began under state law. Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, stood beside him during the brief ceremony.

“Happy New Year to New Yorkers, both inside this tunnel and above,” Mamdani said after the oath, standing beneath the vaulted ceiling of …

Uganda Election Crackdown Deepens With Activist Arrest

Uganda Election Crackdown Deepens With Activist Arrest

December 31, 2025 2:51 am

Ugandan police have detained prominent human rights activist Sarah Bireete, authorities said Tuesday, as President Yoweri Museveni’s government intensifies actions against critics and opposition figures ahead of the January 15 general election.

Police confirmed the arrest in a statement posted on social media platform X, saying Bireete was being held in custody and would be presented in court at a later date. Officials did not disclose the charges or provide a timeline for her court appearance.

Bireete is the executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance and a well known lawyer who regularly appears on television and radio to …

Mamady Doumbouya Wins Presidential Election Guinea Vote

Mamady Doumbouya Wins Presidential Election Guinea Vote

December 31, 2025 2:28 am

Guinea’s military leader Mamady Doumbouya has been elected president, according to provisional results announced Tuesday, marking the country’s formal return to civilian rule more than three years after a coup reshaped its political landscape.

Election officials said Doumbouya won an outright majority in the December 28 vote, securing a seven year mandate without the need for a runoff. The result now awaits confirmation by Guinea’s Supreme Court, which has up to eight days to review any legal challenges.

Provisional figures released by the national electoral authority showed Doumbouya capturing 86.72 percent of the vote in a race widely expected …

Russia Accuses Ukraine Of Targeting Putin Residence

Russia Accuses Ukraine Of Targeting Putin Residence

December 30, 2025 4:59 am

Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence, a claim Kyiv flatly rejected as false, deepening tensions at a moment when fragile peace talks are under way.

The allegation, which Moscow did not support with evidence, triggered sharp diplomatic exchanges and raised fresh uncertainty over negotiations aimed at ending the nearly three year war in Ukraine.

Russian officials said Ukraine launched a drone attack targeting Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region late last month. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said 91 long range drones were intercepted by Russian air defenses and that no injuries or damage were reported.…

Reuters/Kim Jong Un Orders Rocket Launcher Production Boost

Kim Jong Un Orders Rocket Launcher Production Boost

December 30, 2025 4:46 am

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered higher production of multiple rocket launchers after inspecting a factory that manufactures the weapons system, state media reported on Tuesday, as Pyongyang accelerates military preparations ahead of a major ruling party meeting.

The visit underscores Kim’s push to strengthen long range artillery capabilities, which North Korea sees as a central pillar of its modernised military posture, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

KCNA said Kim toured a production facility where large rocket launcher vehicles were lined up, appearing fully assembled and ready for deployment. During the inspection, Kim stressed the need …

Muhyiddin Yassin Resignation Shakes Malaysia Opposition

Muhyiddin Yassin Resignation Shakes Malaysia Opposition

December 30, 2025 4:37 am

Malaysia’s former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday that he will step down as leader of the Perikatan Nasional opposition coalition, a decision that could reshape the political alliance and open the door for the Islamist PAS party to take control ahead of future elections.

Muhyiddin said his resignation as coalition chairman will take effect on January 1. He did not give a reason for the move, which comes amid growing internal tensions within the bloc as it seeks to challenge Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government.

In a brief statement, Muhyiddin thanked coalition leaders for their support during …

China War Games Intensify With Rockets And Naval Drills

China War Games Intensify With Rockets And Naval Drills

December 30, 2025 4:24 am

China expanded its largest ever military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, firing rockets into nearby waters and deploying amphibious assault ships, bomber aircraft, and naval destroyers in what Beijing described as a rehearsal for a potential blockade of the island.

The exercises, which Chinese officials say include live fire operations, marked the second day of sweeping maneuvers encircling the democratically governed territory and raised fresh concerns in Taipei about further escalation.

China’s Eastern Theatre Command said the drills would continue until 6 p.m. local time and would affect airspace and waters in five zones surrounding Taiwan. In a video released …

Khaleda Zia Death Marks End Of An Era In Bangladesh

Khaleda Zia Death Marks End Of An Era In Bangladesh

December 30, 2025 3:59 am

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister and one of the most influential figures in the country’s modern political history, has died after a long illness. She was 80.

Her party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, confirmed on Tuesday that Zia died following years of serious health complications, including advanced liver disease, diabetes, arthritis, and heart related conditions, according to her doctors.

Zia’s death closes a defining chapter in Bangladesh politics shaped by her decades long rivalry with Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister and leader of the Awami League. Together, the two women dominated the country’s political life for …

Turkey Islamic State Raid Leaves Nine Dead In Yalova

Turkey Islamic State Raid Leaves Nine Dead In Yalova

December 29, 2025 6:08 am

Turkish security forces killed six Islamic State militants and lost three police officers during a prolonged gun battle in the northwestern town of Yalova on Monday, authorities said, showing Ankara’s intensified campaign against the extremist group ahead of the year end holiday period.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the clash erupted during a counterterrorism raid on a suspected militant hideout near the Sea of Marmara, south of Istanbul. The operation came just days after police detained more than 100 suspected Islamic State members accused of plotting attacks around Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The deaths highlight renewed security pressure in …

Gaza Talks To Continue As Trump Meets Netanyahu

Gaza Talks To Continue As Trump Meets Netanyahu

December 29, 2025 3:21 am

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to press for movement on the stalled Gaza ceasefire when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, according to officials familiar with the plans. The talks are set to cover the next phase of the Gaza agreement as well as Israel’s security concerns involving Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.

The meeting comes as Washington tries to prevent a collapse of the ceasefire framework it helped broker last year. Despite a sharp drop in large scale fighting, the agreement has been repeatedly tested by accusations of violations and continued violence on the ground.…

Nigeria AKK Gas Pipeline Nears Completion

Nigeria AKK Gas Pipeline Nears Completion

December 29, 2025 2:51 am

Nigeria’s NNPC says a long delayed gas pipeline is finally nearing completion, a step it believes could unlock large scale manufacturing and power generation across the country’s northern region.

After briefing President Bola Tinubu on Sunday, NNPC Ltd Group Chief Executive Bashir Ojulari told reporters that welding work on the main line of the Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano gas pipeline has been completed, including the technically difficult crossing of the River Niger. That section had stalled progress on the project for years.

The milestone brings the 614 kilometer pipeline closer to delivery, with connections expected to begin early next year. Ojulari …

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𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, is a nonpartisan online news portal founded on the truth to provide you with weekly, insightful articles written with precision and current updates on current events from Africa in particular and the rest of the world in general. All of our reports undergo extensive fact-checking to ensure their veracity, and we adhere strictly to the facts, no matter whose ox is gored.

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