
Iran announced on Saturday that it would resume strict control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, reversing a brief reopening. This decision comes in response to the continued US blockade of Iranian ports and prompted an immediate reaction from Donald Trump, who denounced it as "blackmail." This escalation occurs amidst diplomatic efforts to resolve the Middle East conflict, following a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States that began on April 8. Tehran stated it is reviewing new proposals from Washington but, through its Supreme National Security Council, indicated that no compromise would be accepted. While the US President speaks of a nearing agreement, Iranian authorities maintain a firm stance. Iran announced its intention to control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz until the war ends, retracting its previous day's decision to allow a limited number of commercial vessels to pass. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Saeed Khatibzadeh asserted that the United States cannot impose a siege on Iran. Donald Trump, for his part, rejected any notion of pressure, accusing Tehran of playing a dangerous game. On the ground, the situation remains tense. While some ships passed through the strait during its temporary reopening, others were targeted or threatened by Iranian forces after its renewed closure, according to the British agency UKMTO. Two Indian-flagged vessels were affected, leading to the summoning of the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi. The Revolutionary Gu
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Must ReadKuwait's air defenses intercepted missile and drone attacks early Wednesday, the army announced on social media platform X at 1:45 AM. This incident follows similar events two days prior. The national agency Kuna reported that alert sirens sounded for the second time that night. On Monday, Kuwaiti anti-aircraft defenses intercepted similar devices. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs held Iran "fully responsible for these heinous attacks" in a statement. The United States also announced it had shot down two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting its armed forces in the Gulf country. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated they had targeted a base used by the US army, as they had the previous Thursday when Kuwait reported a similar attack. Iran and the United States have repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreed upon on April 8. Indirect negotiations between the two countries, aimed at ending the war that began on February 28 with a joint Israeli-American attack, have been stalled for weeks.
Must ReadFormer Prime Minister and leading Gabonese opposition figure Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze remains in detention after the Libreville Court of Appeal rejected his request to nullify the proceedings. His lawyer, Arthur Vercken, stated that Bilie-By-Nze, president of the Together for Gabon party, has been incarcerated since April 16 as part of an investigation into alleged breach of trust and fraud dating back to 2008. His lawyers argue that the statute of limitations applied in 2011 and denounce the procedure as flawed and the detention as arbitrary, asserting that the alleged facts lack serious criminal qualification. Vercken stated that this situation constitutes a serious violation of Gabonese law, fundamental guarantees of a fair trial, and Gabon's international commitments, demanding his immediate release from Libreville central prison. According to his party, Bilie-By-Nze was apprehended under "brutal, irregular, and contrary to the elementary principles of the rule of law" conditions, then "held incommunicado for 24 hours, without access to his lawyers," before being placed under a committal order. Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, in an interview on France 24, defended the independence of the judiciary and denied any executive intervention in the case. Bilie-By-Nze, who served as Prime Minister under Ali Bongo from 2009 to 2023 and was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2025 presidential election against Oligui Nguema, was arrested after speaking out against the suspens

Each year, millions of sheep are sacrificed in Senegal for Tabaski, a ritual that, despite its sacred nature, leads to a disastrous management of organic waste. This mismanagement highlights structural underdevelopment and significant economic losses. Following Tabaski, urban centers in Senegal are often littered with thousands of abandoned skins, decomposing offal creating a foul odor, and clogged sewage systems. This issue, often seen as a temporary nuisance, is an environmental crime and an industrial disaster costing billions. Senegal's population of approximately 19 million, with over 96% being Muslim, results in a social fabric of about 2.1 million families. While some families cannot afford an animal, wealthier households often sacrifice multiple sheep. Official figures from the Ministry of Livestock indicate a national need of 800,000 to 1,000,000 sheep for the holiday. Within 24 hours, over 4,000 tons of skins and vast quantities of paunch residues accumulate in public spaces. Citizen strategies for disposal range from burying remains, which merely displaces the problem, to abandoning skins or dumping offal directly into the ocean or sewage systems. The anaerobic decomposition of this biomass generates greenhouse gases. Each abandoned sheep contributes to pollution, with the degradation of its rumen and uneaten offal releasing 2 to 4 cubic meters of biogas, nearly 60% pure methane. Methane has a global warming potential 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. Across a
Must ReadThe government of Maputo has reported that five Mozambican nationals were killed in xenophobic violence in South Africa over the weekend. This makes Mozambique the first foreign government to confirm fatalities linked to the recent wave of anti-immigrant protests and actions. Approximately 800 Mozambicans were affected by the violence that erupted in the port city of Mossel Bay on Friday. According to a statement released by Maputo on Monday evening, seven Mozambicans died, with five deaths directly resulting from xenophobic attacks and two from a car accident while returning to Mozambique. The situation prompted 300 Mozambicans to return home independently on Saturday, and the remaining 500 have since found refuge in a safe location in the Western Cape province, with their repatriation already underway. On Sunday, South African police stated they were investigating the deaths of two men in a Mossel Bay township, a city about 400 kilometers east of Cape Town, where xenophobic violence was reported. However, the South African police had not linked these deaths to the violence or clarified the nationality of the two victims. Mayor Dirk Kotze, however, expressed "deep concern and dismay at the xenophobic violence that led to the murders of people, burned houses, and displaced families." The region has experienced anti-immigrant demonstrations similar to gatherings observed in recent weeks in Johannesburg, Durban, and the Eastern Cape province, ahead of local elections in Novembe