Iran temporarily shut the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire drills on Tuesday, a rare show of force that coincided with another round of indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States in Geneva.

As Muslims across the world gear up to celebrate Ramadan, the Misr ElKheir charity foundation in Egypt is getting aid ready for residents living in poverty.

Catholics in Nigeria’s largest city flocked to churches on Wednesday for Ash Wednesday, beginning the 40-day Lenten season with prayers and the traditional imposition of ashes.

The Aboko teaching hospital is one of a string in South Sudan that are overwhelmed as fighting in the country rages on. It has only one surgeon, and resources are running thin on the ground.

At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed and 23 others wounded after a deadly raid by jihadists linked to the Islamic State in the country’s northeast.

Kenya will begin rolling out a revolutionary new HIV-prevention drug in March, offering near-complete protection with just two shots a year. The move comes as African nations scramble to adapt to shifting US foreign aid priorities.

Somalia’s government has announced it is making progress in its long-running fight against the Al-Qaida linked Al-Shabaab militant group. Officials have announced they’ve reclaimed territory from the militants, which once controlled swathes of the country.

The call came from Libya: pay $4,000 immediately, or the boy dies at sea. For Youssef Ibrahim, whose 18-year-old brother Hamdy had vanished after contacting smugglers online, there was no choice. “Returning meant death. There was no way back,” another relative told AFP.

The relatives of former Edgar Lungu have dismissed allegations that he was poisoned, as South African authorities pursue inquiries that have further delayed his burial months after his death.

Gabon’s media regulator on Tuesday announced the suspension of social media platforms “until further notice”, blaming content posted online for stoking conflict and division in society

The rhythm took over Rio de Janeiro as top-tier samba schools lit up the runway at the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, delivering a spectacle of music, movement and emotion.

As news of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s passing spread, those who knew him best gathered Tuesday evening in Chicago for a prayer and vigil, vowing to “keep hope alive” — the very mantra that defined his decades-long fight for equality.

A public prosecutor in Senegal has rejected accusations that a student who died on a Dakar university campus was killed by police.

France and Algeria agreed on Tuesday to restart security cooperation during a visit to Algiers by French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, marking the first sign of a thaw in diplomatic ties.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has criticised Israel’s move to recognise the breakaway Republic of Somaliland, saying the decision will not benefit Somaliland or the wider region.

Crime-weary South Africa will deploy army units alongside police within 10 days to tackle rampant crime fuelled by drugs gangs and illegal miners, the police minister said Tuesday.

Nigeria warned its nationals against being recruited for armed conflicts abroad after reports that some were duped into fighting for Russia in Ukraine, as were citizens of other African countries.

As nations seek to cut fuel costs and reduce emissions, both countries have signed deals to assemble vehicles using kits produced by automakers in China.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is in Ethiopia for his first official visit since 2015. He was received by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with an elaborate ceremony at the presidential palace in Addis Ababa.

A new report by two of its agencies describes systematic rights violations and abuses of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

As global art sales tumble, the oil-rich Gulf is emerging as the industry’s new frontier, with heavyweights like Art Basel making their regional debut in Qatar to tap into a surge of cultural investment.

Pix of the Day February 17, 2026

Sudan is one of the countries that practices female genital mutilation. The UN Children’s Fund and the UN Population Fund, UNFPA, have a joint program on the elimination of female genital mutilation, which the agencies continue to implement despite the challenges of a country at war.

The United States Embassy in Ghana has announced the release of more than 1,000 new interview appointments for B1/B2 visas, offering fresh opportunities for applicants seeking to travel to the U.S. for business or tourism.

The industrial action caused severe disruptions to local and international flights and air traffic control operations.

Nigeria’s data protection regulator has opened an investigation into Chinese-owned e-commerce platform Temu over suspected violations of the country’s privacy laws.

In the quiet, rural township of Roxbury, New Jersey, a sprawling warehouse has become the center of a growing national controversy over U.S. immigration policy.

The frenzy began a while ago when a man digging a fence post in a cattle kraal claimed to have found gold.

With Ramadan just hours away, shoppers fill the markets of Omdurman, rushing to secure provisions for the holy month. But the festive spirit is overshadowed by hardship due to the uncertainties gripping the country.

A partial solar eclipse will be visible to observers in parts of southern Africa and the southern tip of South America.

Guatemala lifted its state of emergency Monday, one month after President Bernardo Arévalo sought special powers following the killing of 10 police officers by suspected gang members.

Seven Ghanaian tomato traders were killed when Islamist insurgents attacked the town of Titao in northern Burkina Faso on Saturday, Ghana’s interior minister has said.

They also discussed water scarcity and support for the ongoing Nile Basin Initiative grouping together 10 countries

About 100 US troops plus equipment have arrived in Nigeria to help train soldiers in the West African country as the government fights against Islamic militants and other armed groups, the Nigerian military announced Monday.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez kicked off a two-day trip to Algeria on Monday in an effort to revive security cooperation between the two countries.

The head of Niger’s military junta declared the start of a “new dynamic” with Algeria following a meeting with its president on Monday, announcing plans to start construction on a new gas pipeline.

A strike delayed flights at Kenya’s main airport on Monday as workers demanded better pay and improved work conditions.

Lawyers in Morocco ended a weeks-long strike on Monday after the government suspended a bill regulating the legal sector and created a commission tasked with initiating dialogue, a professional association said.

Tunisian courts have sentenced five defendants to prison terms of up to 15 years for their roles in the deadly May 2023 attack on the Ghriba synagogue in Djerba that killed five people, a lawyer confirmed Monday.

A Senegalese student who died during a university police intervention that shook the nation suffered “multiple traumas” and “massive internal bleeding”, according to an autopsy report circulated widely in Senegalese media.