Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Reportedly Assassinated in Libya
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the 53-year-old son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and once seen as his heir apparent, was reportedly shot dead. His lawyer said a four-man commando unit assassinated him at his home in Zintan, though it was not clear who may have been behind the attack. His sister offered a conflicting account, claiming that he died near the Algerian border. Gaddafi was long seen as the most influential and feared figure in the country after his father, who ruled Libya from 1969 until being ousted and killed during an uprising in 2011. He played a key role in Libya’s rapprochement with the West from 2000 until the collapse of the Gaddafi regime. After his father’s fall, he was imprisoned for six years by a Zintan militia, sentenced to death in absentia in Tripoli. The International Criminal Court wanted to put him on trial for crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the suppression of opposition protests in 2011.
Trump Signs One-Year AGOA Extension
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US President Donald Trump has signed into law a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) program, with African countries restoring duty-free access to the US market until the end of the year. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the renewal of the AGOA applies retroactively from September 30, 2025, when the program expired, through December 31, 2026. Greer said the administration would work with Congress to modernize AGOA in line with Trump’s America First policy. First enacted in 2000, AGOA allows qualifying sub-Saharan African countries to export more than 1,800 products duty-free. South Africa and Nigeria are among the top beneficiaries. Its expiry had disrupted trade and threatened jobs across the continent. The extension comes amid strained US-South Africa relations, but South African Trade Minister Parks Tau welcomed the renewal.
WHO Launches US$1 Billion Appeal for 2026 Humanitarian Health Response
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched its 2026 global appeal to ensure that millions of people living in humanitarian crises and conflicts can access health care. The appeal seeks nearly US$ 1 billion to respond to 36 emergencies worldwide, including 14 Grade 3 emergencies requiring the highest level of organizational response. These emergencies span sudden-onset and protracted humanitarian crises where health needs are critical. WHO warned that growing global pressures, from protracted conflicts to climate impacts and disease outbreaks, are increasing demand for emergency health support even as humanitarian funding declines. In 2025, humanitarian funding fell below 2016 levels, leaving WHO and partners able to reach only one-third of the 81 million people originally targeted to receive humanitarian health assistance. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the appeal was a strategic investment in global health and stability.
South Sudan’s President Fires Aides after Dead Man Appointed to Election Panel
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir dismissed two senior aides after an embarrassing incident in which he appointed a man who died five years ago to serve on a panel to lead discussions on elections scheduled for December. Steward Soroba Budia was announced in a presidential order dated 30 January. The error sparked widespread mockery online. This led to the removal of Kiir’s press secretary, David Amour Major, and the chief administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Valentino Dhel Maluet, though no official reason was given. Amour had earlier said the presidency relied on names submitted by external stakeholders and that one had failed to verify its list. Budia, a signatory to South Sudan’s 2018 peace deal, was listed as representing the opposition United Democratic Party. The panel forms part of efforts to prepare for long-delayed elections, but ongoing conflict, including renewed clashes in Jonglei and unrest linked to the suspended Vice-President Riek Machar, has cast doubt on whether the vote will proceed as planned.
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Up to 40% of Cancer Cases Preventable – Report
A new WHO and International Agency for Research on Cancer analysis revealed that up to 40% of global cancer cases could be prevented through stronger action. In the study, 30 preventable causes were examined, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, and, for the first time, nine cancer-causing infections. According to the study, based on data from 185 countries, approximately 7.1 million cancer cases in 2022 will result from preventable causes, of which 15% will be the result of tobacco use. Nearly half of all preventable cancers are caused by infections such as HPV and Helicobacter pylori, and alcohol accounts for 3%. Lung, stomach and cervical cancers represent nearly half of all preventable cancers. According to the report, “context-specific prevention strategies” are needed, including the control of tobacco use, the regulation of alcohol, and vaccination against HPV and other cancer-causing infections.
