UN Warns of Growing Hunger Crisis After Major Aid Cuts in Somalia
The UN World Food Programme announced that it is cutting food assistance for hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia, where millions are facing the devastating effects of climate change and acute levels of hunger. The agency said the number of people receiving emergency food assistance in the country will decrease from 1.1 million in August to 350,000 in November due to “critical funding shortfalls.” A recent U.N. report found that 4.6 million Somalis are suffering from acute hunger, and 1.8 million are expected to suffer from severe malnutrition this year. Somalia continues to experience the effects of climate change, including droughts and floods, as well as decades of conflict and insecurity, with some areas controlled by al-Shabab. U.S. foreign aid cuts have worsened the response by humanitarian agencies that were already struggling to meet the needs of the growing number of vulnerable people.
Chad Lawmakers Move on Bill Allowing Unlimited Presidential Terms
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Lawmakers in Chad have fast-tracked a proposal to allow the president to serve an unlimited number of terms, in a move that the opposition warns opens the door to authoritarianism. The vote means that Chad’s constitution will be amended to extend the president’s term from five to seven years, renewable without limit. Both houses approved the measure ten days earlier than scheduled. The Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) of President Mahamat Idriss Déby proposed the reform after the death of his father, long-serving president Idriss Déby Itno, in 2021. The party’s sizeable majority in parliament enabled it to pass the amendment by 236 to 257, a result it called “an unprecedented political and social consensus”. Some 21 members of the opposition walked out of the vote in protest. Opposition figures, including Albert Pahimi Padacké and Robert Gam, accused the government of bypassing legislators, denying the public a referendum, and steering the country toward dynastic rule; they warned the changes would deepen authoritarianism. The amendments also increased parliamentary terms to six years, established a deputy prime minister post, and removed immunity for government members, prompting a promise from the opposition to resist.
Egypt Reopens Pharaoh Amenhotep III’s Tomb After 20-Year Renovation
The tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt between 1390 and 1350 B.C.E., has reopened in Luxor after being renovated for 20 years by the Japanese government and UNESCO. The tomb is one of the largest in the Valley of the Kings and has been undergoing two decades of renovation work under a Japanese-led, three-phased restoration project. Antiquities authorities said the site was first found in 1799 and its contents were looted, including the sarcophagus. It took more than 260 specialists, including researchers, restorers, and technicians, to save the site.
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Zimbabwe Police Launch Nationwide Crackdown on Unroadworthy Vehicles
Police in Zimbabwe have launched a nationwide crackdown on unroadworthy vehicles, impounding 186 cars since the operation began on 23 September. The campaign, which will run until 27 October 2025, targets all types of vehicles – including kombis, private cars, and buses – many of them found limping along with broken lights, cracked windscreens, or makeshift “repairs” like cardboard and plastic windows. National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the blitz aims to protect passengers and restore safety on the country’s roads. He warned that officers will continue carrying out strict inspections, with any unroadworthy vehicles being seized immediately. Nyathi urged motorists to maintain their vehicles and follow safety standards, emphasizing that passenger safety is a shared responsibility. The operation has rattled transport operators, as police vow to continue pressing until Zimbabwe’s roads are cleared of unsafe vehicles.
Constitutional Court Grants All South African Parents Equal Parental Leave
South Africa’s highest court ruled unanimously that all new parents are entitled to equal parental leave – a landmark ruling that has been hailed as a victory for gender equality and family rights. Mothers are currently granted four months of leave, while fathers receive only 10 days. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court declared parts of the law unconstitutional, calling it discriminatory against fathers, and ruled that both parents may share the leave however they like. In 2023, a lower court found certain sections of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCE) Act and the Unemployment Insurance Fund Act (UIF) unjust and ruled that they violated the rights of various family structures.
