Trump’s office bans medical agency FDA from using terms such as intersex, woman, disabled, transgender, LGBTQ and others
Another federal health agency was told in recent weeks to remove words such as gender, transgender, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and non-binary from its communications to ensure that they comply with executive orders that solely recognise male and female sex and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.
Trump denounces Ukrainian President Zelenskiy as ‘dictator’ and warns he risks losing his country
Trump’s outburst followed Zelenskiy’s comments on Tuesday that the US president was parroting Russian disinformation when he asserted that Ukraine “should never have started” the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago.
Trump’s rush to Russia’s war in Ukraine has stoked fears in Ukraine, among NATO allies
The talks in Riyadh, the first time the US and Russia have met to discuss the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two, yielded agreement to form negotiating teams for future meetings and work to restore the normal functioning of each other’s diplomatic missions, reflecting a thawing of long-frozen relations.
America’s decision to sideline Europe in Ukraine peace talks with Russia stuns NATO members
Later in the day, it emerged that US and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to start talks aimed at ending the war. US officials have insisted they will only settle for a “durable” peace deal and Ukraine will be at the table.
Perverse effects of conflict minerals initiatives in Congo remind us of how inaccurate narratives fuel the very problems they pretend to tackle
Natural resources do play an important role for both eastern DRC and Rwanda’s political economy, and it is true that the return of the M23 in 2021 correlates with a sharp rise in Rwanda’s mineral exports, as per official statistics.
Trump’s latest executive order strips federal funding from schools that mandate Covid vaccines
Lucia Sinatra, co-founder of No College Mandates, which has been fighting to end college mandates since the booster mandates were rolled out in 2021, said she and her organisation “couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Rwanda faces aid freeze if EU backs European Parliament’s position on eastern Congo conflict
Congo is also the world’s most aid-dependent country, though humanitarian operations, which were 70 per cent funded by Washington last year, have taken a big hit since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a pause on foreign aid last month.
Saudi Arabia spearheads Arab scramble for alternative options to Trump’s Gaza plan
The latest Egyptian proposal involves forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas involvement, international participation in reconstruction without displacing Palestinians abroad, and movement towards a two-state solution, three Egyptian security sources said.
Kenya’s finance minister downplays US foreign funding freeze, says economic outlook is positive
Principal Secretary of State Department for National Treasury, Dr Chris Kiptoo, reiterated that the diversified economy and resilience have enabled the GDP to remain one of the highest in the world because the world growth rate is around three percent with sub-Saharan Africa representing 3.7 per cent and our GDP is around 5 per cent.
Why Trump views Africa as key to repulsing China influence, degrading Islamists and restoring hope among Christians
Counterterrorism efforts also featured prominently in Hegseth’s discussions. He underscored the importance of counterterrorism efforts in Africa. He pointed to the February 1 US airstrikes against ISIS targets in Somalia as an example of the military’s ongoing role in stabilising the region. Coordinated with the Federal Government of Somalia, the strikes reflect what he described as a necessary shift in decision-making authority to field commanders.
