Mauritania Intercepts a Migrant Boat with 161 Aboard, Including 17 Children

By AHMED MOHAMED

3:36 PM EDT, August 27, 2026

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) — Mauritania said Thursday it intercepted a boat off its coast carrying 161 migrants trying to make their way to Europe.

The country’s coast guard said in a statement it “rescued” the migrants off the coast near the fishing village of Amhijrat, north of the capital, Nouakchott.

The boat was carrying people from Senegal, Guinea and Gambia, including 17 children. It had left Gambia’s capital Banjul eight days ago and was trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.

The coast guard said the 161 people are expected to be transferred to a migrant reception center in Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital.

“They were in distress due to a lack of water and food,” an immigration official told The Associated Press. “The boat’s engine was extremely worn out and exhausted, and the vessel could no longer move forward, it therefore came to a stop at sea.”

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Mauritania’s waters have become a major route for people from sub-Saharan Africa seeking a better life in Europe as economic opportunities remain scarce at home.

Last month, the United Nations refugee agency said nearly 150 people died or went missing from boats off Mauritania attempting to go to Europe.

The route toward the Canary Islands is “one of the world’s deadliest” with long distances and unseaworthy and overcrowded boats. At least 1,200 migrants died in 2025 along the West Africa-Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing Migrants Project.

Former Head of Rwanda’s Presidential Guard Dies in Prison, His Brother Says

10:57 AM EDT, August 26, 2026

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Tom Byabagamba, a former commander of President Paul Kagame’s elite presidential guard who later was convicted of inciting insurrection, has died in prison after spending a dozen years behind bars, his brother said. He was 59.

Byabagamba, who held the rank of colonel before he was stripped of it, was the brother of former presidential adviser and now-exiled dissident David Himbara, who announced Byabagamba’s death Tuesday in a statement on X.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved brother, Colonel Tom Byabagamba, who passed away while in prison in Rwanda,” Himbara said. He did not give a cause of death.

There was no immediate comment from authorities in Rwanda, where the subject of Byabagamba is taboo. He was commander of the presidential guard until he apparently had a falling out with the president and was removed from his post in 2010, with no reason given.

Rwandan authorities detained Byabagamba in August 2014 along with another officer, Brig. Frank Rusagara. In 2016, the Military High Court sentenced them to several years in prison over charges including inciting insurrection and tarnishing the government’s image. Rusagara died in prison last year.

Many critics saw the trial as flawed, and Human Rights Watch said the case followed a pattern of silencing government critics at home and abroad.

In 2019, the Court of Appeal reduced Byabagamba’s initial 21-year sentence to 15 years.

Rwanda’s government denies targeting its opponents, even as Kagame’s critics say his authoritarian stance leaves no room for internal dissent. Many senior army officers have fallen out with Kagame, with some fleeing into exile because they believed their lives had been threatened.

Kagame is credited for transforming Rwanda from a country in shambles after the 1994 genocide. But he also faces persistent criticism for what human rights groups say are widespread abuses, a muzzling of independent media and suppression of political opposition. He denies the accusations.

DR Congo Begins Vaccinations to Fight the Fastest-growing Ebola Outbreak in History

8:05 PM EDT, August 27, 2026

KISANGANI, Congo (AP) — Congo on Thursday began vaccinating people against Ebola as health authorities work to slow the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history.

Health workers and other frontline workers in the Ebola response are being prioritized to receive the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type. Clinical trials are going on to find a licensed vaccine for the current outbreak.

“We have decided to use the Ervebo vaccine to protect first those who are on the front line,” Health Minister Roger Kamba said at the launch of the vaccination campaign in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo, which is one of the six provinces affected by Ebola in the east.

As of Tuesday, the country had recorded 5,713 confirmed cases, including 2,744 deaths, according to government figures. It is concentrated in Ituri province and is known to be the deadliest of all past 17 Ebola outbreaks in the country.

The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. The World Health Organization has said it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

More than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been received, according to Congo’s state news agency.

The World Health Organization said last week that 70,000 doses of Ervebo had been approved for use in Congo.

About 50,000 doses are intended for frontline and health workers, while 20,000 doses will be used in a clinical trial to study whether the vaccine protects against Bundibugyo virus, which is causing the current outbreak and has no licensed vaccine nor treatment.

The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use.

Health authorities said Ervebo could offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus because the two viruses are related. But whether the vaccine can actually prevent illness in people infected with Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied.

Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC’s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said data will be collected during the vaccination campaign to measure how well the vaccine works.

The campaign is expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.

Kamba strongly encouraged health workers to get vaccinated, saying the vaccine could protect them from the disease and help prevent them from carrying the virus into their communities.

Parents and Teachers in DR Congo Urge Delay of School Resumption as Ebola Outbreak Rages On

By CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA and OPE ADETAYO

1:39 PM EDT, August 27, 2026

BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Parents and teachers at the epicenter of Congo’s fast-moving Ebola outbreak are urging authorities to delay the reopening of schools as infections continue to outpace efforts to contain the disease.

The Ebola outbreak centered in the eastern Ituri province is the fastest-growing in the disease’s history and remains out of control with 5,713 confirmed cases, including 2,744 deaths, according to Congolese health authorities.

Schools are set to reopen across Congo on Sept. 1, but some teachers and parents in Ituri are urging authorities to delay the return, saying the Ebola outbreak still poses too great a risk to children.

Children aged 4 and below have the highest case-fatality rate of any age group in the outbreak, at 60%, according to available health data.

“We want to resume classes, but not at the cost of our lives,” Fazila Rebecca, a teacher in Ituri’s capital of Bunia, told The Associated Press. “As long as the disease is circulating and protective measures remain inadequate, returning to the classroom means taking a risk we cannot ignore.”

The local Ituri teachers union met Tuesday in Bunia, urging authorities to assess the outbreak before deciding whether to reopen schools.

“We are not opposed to the resumption of classes, but we believe that the health and safety of teachers and students must be a priority,” said Budju Lobo Isaac, a teachers’ union representative.

Authorities in Ituri did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday that an additional $1.1 billion is urgently needed to fight the outbreak, with the United Nation’s $2.13 billion response plan only 48% funded — largely because of a major contribution from the United States.

Guterres said international attention and resources are still lagging behind the reality on the ground, warning that “without additional funding, vital operations will run out of money just when they need to expand.”

The outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. The World Health Organization has said it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people.

Although the current outbreak was declared in mid-May, officials believe it had been spreading since February. It has spread from three health zones to nearly 60, with most cases and deaths occurring outside the network of monitored contacts and within communities.

A key challenge in fighting the outbreak is that the rare Bundibugyo virus that is causing it has no approved vaccines or treatments, although clinical trials of potential vaccines and treatments have begun in the region.

Efforts to bring the outbreak under control — from limited public gatherings to social distancing and airport closures — have disrupted life in the six affected provinces, particularly Ituri, which has been ravaged by rebel violence.

The government has introduced measures, including installing health and sanitary equipment at some locations, but advocacy groups say more needs to be done to build trust within the community.

“Beyond the practical challenges, community acceptance remains critical,” said Greg Ramm, director for Save the Children in Congo. “The immediate priority is to ensure that every school, teacher and family has the information and resources they need to make the start of the school year as safe as possible for children.”

Espérance Dz’venga was shopping for school supplies Wednesday at Bunia’s central market. She said she wants her children in school, but worries about their safety.

“As a parent, I want to see my children in school, but — like many other parents — what I want most is for them to come home healthy,” she said. “We are afraid that our children might be exposed at school and then bring the illness home.”

——

Adetayo reported from London. AP writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

Kidnappers in Nigeria Collected More Than $5 Million in Ransoms in a Year, Analysts Say

People protest demanding government to rescue the school children that were recently kidnapped in various part of the country, on the street of Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)

By DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN

9:36 AM EDT, August 27, 2026

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Kidnappers in Nigeria collected more than $5 million in ransom payments over the last year, a Lagos-based intelligence group said Thursday, as the country faces a multifaceted security crisis.

“For every ransom that is paid for a kidnapping incident, you are simply birthing another kidnapping incident,” Kehinde Giwa, a security analyst at SBM Intelligence, told The Associated Press.

SBM Intelligence said in a report on Wednesday that 7.78 billion naira ($5.8 million) was paid in ransom for releasing people who had been kidnapped between July 2025 and June 2026. The group said that 7,825 people were kidnapped in that time, a 66% increase from the previous year.

Abductions are common in Nigeria, where militant groups target schoolchildren and other civilians to put pressure on the government and extract ransoms.

Last week, dozens of people were kidnapped from a mosque in a spate of abductions at several villages in Nigeria’s north-central Niger state.

Armed groups, known as bandits in Nigeria, regularly carry out raids and kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and north-central parts of the country. Authorities have said the bandit groups include mostly former herders who took up arms against farming communities, after clashes between them over increasingly strained resources.

There is also an insurgency by Islamic militants in the country’s northeast that has lasted more than a decade.

“Nigeria is not winning the war,” said Giwa, from SBM Intelligence. “There are close to 21 kidnapping incidents that happen on a daily basis.”

Abba Bukar, a resident of Maiduguri, in the northeastern state Borno, said Thursday that he was abducted in June close to a university and spent around four weeks in captivity.

“My father paid around 2 million naira (about $1,500). He had to sell my house and belongings and borrow money,” Bukar said, adding that the family is still struggling to recover economically from the ordeal.

The United States and Nigeria recently formed a military partnership to tackle the West African country’s multifaceted security crisis.

The U.S. in February sent troops to Nigeria to help advise its military, and in March, the U.S. also deployed drones there after Trump’s allegations about Christians being targeted in Africa’s most populous country.

Judge Again Blocks Trump Mail Ballot Executive Order in Ruling that’s Likely to be Swiftly Appealed

An election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office for the Florida primary election in Doral, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI

10:35 PM EDT, August 27, 2026

A federal judge on Thursday halted — at least for now — attempts to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting.

The move stalled the directive for a second time only about a week before the first mail ballots are due to be sent out for the rapidly approaching midterm elections. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani blocked the government from implementing the order for two weeks.

The case could soon be appealed back to the Supreme Court, days after the justices handed down a procedural decision that allowed the the administration to move ahead.

The ruling Thursday came after Democrats and voting rights groups refiled their lawsuits to comply with the recent Supreme Court decision. The high court’s conservative majority did not rule on the legality of Trump’s executive order, instead saying Talwani had acted too soon.

Now the administration has issued a formal rule governing whether the U.S. Postal Service will deliver states’ mail ballots, effectively restarting the legal fight.

The whipsawing legal battle has major ramifications for the midterms. Nearly one-third of Americans vote by mail and election officials contend there isn’t enough time to revise their systems to comply with the new Postal Service directives.

The Postal Service says it won’t deliver mail ballots unless states provide a list of voters who should receive them and format the envelopes in a certain way.

“Plaintiff states have neither time nor funds to design new mail ballots, seek approval of the new designs, order production of mail ballots, update their own election management systems, train election officials to use the USPS portal and upload citizen data to the portal, all before the midterms,” Talwani wrote Thursday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A hearing in the case is set for Sept. 3.

“This rule is a clear attempt by the federal government to interfere in elections it has no power to control. Today, a federal court halted it before this administration could wreak havoc on our elections,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of two dozen Democratic attorneys general who filed one of the suits, said in a statement after the order.

Democrats and voting rights groups contend the Postal Services’ demand is unconstitutional. The Constitution, they note, grants states and, in some cases, Congress the power to make election rules — not the president or Postal Service.

That reasoning led courts to block Trump’s first executive order, issued last year, that sought to change election procedures, such as requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register.

The president has long targeted mail voting, which he falsely blames for his 2020 election loss even though he himself uses it to cast his ballot.

A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that mail voting fraud occurred in only about four cases out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.

Trump issued the executive order targeting mail voting, his second one related to elections since he returned from office, in March.

Opponents quickly sued, but the administration argued the claims were premature because it hadn’t issued rules outlining how it would implement the order. The administration won an initial case in Washington, D.C., with that reasoning, but Talwani placed injunctions against implementing the order for the November midterms in two separate cases she heard in Boston.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Monday struck down one of those holds.

Talwani, nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, reluctantly removed the second injunction shortly after. The plaintiffs then moved to refile their cases, citing the Postal Service’s publishing of its final rule, in hopes of winning a more durable victory.

US Company Strikes Deal to Deploy Multi-million-dollar Border Technology Across Zambia’s Busiest Trade Corridors

Solomon Ekanem

25 August 2026 08:57 AM

A US technology company has secured a contract to equip Zambia’s Livingstone border post with advanced X-ray cargo scanning technology as the country moves to modernise its customs and border operations.

US-based company Astrophysics Inc. has signed a contract to supply advanced X-ray cargo scanners to Zambia’s busy Livingstone border post.

The new technology will help Zambian customs officers inspect trucks and cargo quickly and detect contraband more effectively.

The scanners are expected to reduce wait times at the border, easing bottlenecks and facilitating legitimate trade.

This project builds on Astrophysics’ previous cooperation with Zambia, having supplied similar systems to the Nakonde border post.

South African airlines are making contingency plans after a disruption at the Natref refinery threatened jet fuel supplies.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Zambia, US-based security technology company Astrophysics Inc. and the Zambia Revenue Authority have signed a contract to equip the Livingstone border post with advanced border security technology.

The Livingstone border post is one of Southern Africa’s busiest crossings, making the new scanning system significant for both trade facilitation and border security.

The equipment will allow ZRA officers to inspect trucks and cargo more efficiently while improving their ability to detect contraband, smuggled goods and dangerous materials.

The scanners are also expected to reduce waiting times for trucks and cargo, potentially helping to ease bottlenecks at the border and facilitate the movement of legitimate goods across the region.

Technology aimed at speeding up regional trade

The project expands existing cooperation between Astrophysics and the ZRA. The company previously supplied similar technology to Zambia’s Nakonde border post, which was commissioned by President Hakainde Hichilema in June 2026 and is now operational.

Astrophysics Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development Vincent Zayek and ZRA Commissioner General Dingani Banda signed the Livingstone contract during a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka.

U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Mich Coker described the project as an example of how technology can support legitimate trade while strengthening border security.

The US Embassy said the project aligns with Zambia’s priorities of strengthening domestic revenue collection, improving the ease of doing business and positioning the country as a secure hub for regional trade.

The agreement also highlights the growing role of US companies in Zambia’s trade and security infrastructure, with Washington framing the partnership around commercial cooperation, technology and long-term investment rather than traditional aid.

Astrophysics’ expansion into another major Zambian border crossing comes as African countries increasingly invest in automated inspection and customs technologies to improve trade efficiency and strengthen control over cross-border commerce.

Zambian Opposition Leader Questioned by Police - State Media

Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile was unable to mount a legal challenge to the presidential election result

Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile, who had gone into hiding after disputing the recent presidential election result, has been handed over to the police, state broadcaster ZNBC is reporting.

The official results from the 13 August poll showed that incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema won with a 60% share of the vote compared to Mundubile's 38%.

The day after the vote, security forces raided a property in the capital, Lusaka, linked to Mundubile, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting a number of other politicians.

The authorities accused the opposition of planning an armed insurgency, which they denied.

Following the raid, Mundubile went to a "secure location under the protection of an international human rights body due to threats made against him", his NRPUP party said.

ZNBC reports that the opposition leader, along with his running mate Makebi Zulu, had been protected by the United Nations in Lusaka.

It adds that the two are now being interviewed by "law enforcement officers" in the presence of their lawyers after a summons regarding "alleged activities that police say have the potential to threaten national security".

The opposition was unable to mount a legal challenge to the election outcome as the courts were sealed off by the authorities on Monday, the final day that a case could be filed.

Hichilema is due to be sworn in for a second term on 1 September.

Zambia Opposition Leader Questioned Over ‘Treason’ Amid Election Fallout

Zambia’s entire judiciary closed on Monday on the last valid day to file a court challenge against Hichilema victory.

National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) presidential candidate Brian Muntayalwa Mundubile waves at supporters as he leaves Hot FM radio station studios in Lusaka, on August 12, 2026.

Zambian opposition presidential candidate Brian Muntayalwa Mundubile waves at supporters in Lusaka on August 12, 2026 [AFP]

By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters

27 Aug 2026

Zambia’s main opposition leader Brian Mundubile, who was runner-up in this month’s disputed presidential election, is being questioned by police over alleged treason.

⁠Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, are in police custody after ⁠being questioned “in connection with an alleged offence of treason”, the Zambia Police ⁠Service said on Thursday.

Zambian state media said Mundubile surrendered to police in Lusaka on August 27, after spending two weeks at an international human rights organisation, where he sought safety after a police raid at his home the day after the country’s August 13 elections.

The two were interviewed by a team of police officers alongside their lawyers. Police did not immediately provide further details of the allegations underpinning the treason investigation. They said that “warn and caution” statements ⁠had been recorded, a ⁠step typically preceding formal charges.

Treason is a serious offence in ⁠Zambia and carries severe penalties upon conviction.

The developments follow an escalation from two weeks ago, during which former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot and killed during the police crackdown in which 11 people were arrested at Mundubile’s home.

Police said the group were involved in alleged insurrection or militia activity, an accusation Mundubile has denied.

President Hakainde Hichilema won 60 percent of the vote and is due to be sworn in as president for a second term on Tuesday. The election results were disputed by opposition leaders.

Uncertainty over opposition election challenge

Mundubile, who won about 38 percent of the vote, promised to challenge the result in court, but Zambia closed its entire judiciary on Monday, the last day for filing an objection, citing “security reasons”.

Under Article 103 of the Zambian Constitution, an election petition must be filed within seven days of the winner being declared.

Filing the challenge automatically pauses the presidential swearing-in under Article 104.

Shutting the courts before that seven-day deadline expired physically blocked the opposition from filing, preventing the automatic pause on the inauguration.

The Constitutional Court said on Tuesday it had not received any petition challenging the election outcome, clearing the way for Hichilema to be sworn into office.

However, Chief Justice Mumba Malila said he had received a petition from a member of the public on his private email address.

He called the submission “highly irregular” but said he had referred it to the Constitutional Court for consideration.

Legal and rights groups have criticised the timing of the abrupt closure of the courts.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it was “a blow to the administration of law, transparency, and due process in Zambia”.

Concerns raised over shrinking of democratic space

Hichilema entered the race as the clear favourite after steering Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, through a major economic turnaround and restructuring its debt.

Opposition parties and civil society organisations have raised concerns over increasing repression by Hichilema’s government.

Rights groups and election observer missions have said the post-election dispute has tarnished Zambia’s democratic reputation.

Every change of president since the return to multiparty politics in 1991 has been achieved through elections.

Zambia Opposition Leader Sought Refuge Following Disputed Elections. Now He’s Accused of Treason

5:54 PM EDT, August 27, 2026

LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Police in Zambia detained the country’s main opposition leader Thursday over alleged treason after he handed himself over for questioning after having sought refuge at a United Nations building following a disputed election two weeks ago.

Brian Mundubile, who challenged President Hakainde Hichilema in the Aug. 13 election, surrendered to police alongside his running mate, Makebi Zulu.

They both recorded “warn and caution statements,” according to police — a procedure that normally comes before formal charges are filed. They are being held in custody, police said in a statement.

Hichilema was declared the winner of an unusually troubled presidential election in the copper-rich southern African nation that has a history of largely peaceful votes. Hichilema is expected to be inaugurated for a second five-year term next week.

Mundubile has rejected the result, claiming irregularities in the vote. He said he went into hiding after disputing the election results in fear for his life.

The treason allegations against Mundubile and Zulu follow a raid by security forces at Mundubile’s home a day after the election.

Authorities said 11 people were arrested in the raid and AK-47 assault rifles and other military equipment were found at the property. The people were arrested on suspicion of posing a threat to national security, according to authorities, and are in custody facing treason charges.

An opposition official who was a former Cabinet minister was fatally shot in the raid, though the circumstances of his killing are disputed.

Authorities said security officers were shot at and returned fire. Mundubile, who was present during the raid, disputed that account and said the opposition officials were unarmed and shot at by security forces in an attack. He has denied government allegations that the opposition were planning an insurgency.

He said after the raid that he had gone into hiding. The opposition alliance said Thursday that he and Zulu had “sought shelter” at a U.N. building in the capital, Lusaka.

Amnesty International called the killing of former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya in the raid “deeply alarming,” while U.N. rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement last week he was concerned about the arrests of Zambian opposition figures, including some who were detained before the election.

“The United Nations has been assured by the government that the two individuals will be treated in full respect of applicable rights and obligations under national and international law on due process and a fair trial,” spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Thursday. He added that the U.N. would monitor the situation closely.

Hichilema won the election with around 60% of the vote, according to the electoral commission. Mundubile said there were irregularities including the alleged removal of vote tally papers from some polling stations by unauthorized personnel.

Vote counting in the election was suspended for hours at one point because of violence at some counting stations and what the electoral commission called the theft of ballot boxes. The electoral commission did not say who was responsible for the alleged theft.

Gary is Majority Black and Out of Power

A city built on the steel industry which became a pioneer in African American political representation has faced massive population loss and now a power outage which lasted more than two weeks

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Wednesday August 26, 2026

Political Review

Gary, Indiana has been a focal point for discussion among the African American people across the United States due to a storm which caused a power outage lasting more than two weeks.

With a 76% African American population many believe that institutional racism could have played a part in the delay in restoring electricity in the municipality.

Gary and northwest Indiana have also been the location for data centers whose operations have had a negative impact on Gary and nearby communities along with other regions throughout the United States. The outage, which began on August 11, plunged Gary into complete darkness.

People suffered from the spoilage of food while the darkness and extreme heat threatened the well-being of the 67,000 residents of the city. The Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), the monopoly power firm, has come under severe criticism for the delay in restoring electricity. 

Gary has a high rate of impoverishment involving at least one-third of the city’s population. This can be attributed to deindustrialization of the city after the closure of steel mills over the last four decades. 

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton in an interview on August 24 said that the delay in restoring power was “unacceptable.” The mayor later made a direct appeal to the White House for assistance in resolving the crisis.

In social media posts emanating from Gary, people complained about the delay in power restoration. Many also decried the fact that the situation in Gary was not receiving national press coverage. The information about what was happening inside the city was circulated by residents and their families. Others who formerly lived in Gary and still had relatives there played a role in publicizing the situation in the northwest Indiana city.

In a transcription of the statement Melton delivered via livestream, emphasized that:

“Twelve days is too long for parents to worry about their children, and for businesses to lose revenue, and for families to wonder when the relief is finally going to come. Today, I want the people of Gary to know this. I want you to know that I share their frustration.” (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/24/gary-indiana-mayor-power-outages-storm)

As power was being slowly restored in Gary and neighboring communities, humanitarian efforts were being carried out to supply food and water to the people. Those who had automobiles and money to travel left the city to stay with relatives and friends until the power was turned back on. Nonetheless, many people did not have the capability to travel to other cities and were forced to suffer until the situation changed. 

The August 11 storm was characterized by 99 mph winds which brought down power lines and prompted flooding. Due to the fact that NIPSCO did not conduct ongoing work to remove trees surrounding power lines, the damage was quite extensive and posed challenges to repair.

In a report published by the Indianapolis Recorder, it attempts to analyze what could have caused such extensive damage:

“The power company has said Gary experienced the most widespread outage of any community in its Indiana territory. The utility is targeting 11:59 p.m. Aug. 25 for full restoration in Gary, making the city one of the last Northwest Indiana communities expected to have power fully restored. But windspeed alone doesn’t explain how the storm — classified as a derecho — could leave so much of a city without electricity for nearly two weeks. Atmospheric and environmental researchers say the devastation resulted from a punishing combination: unusually broad and sustained straight-line winds sweeping across rain-saturated soil, uprooting trees that then crashed into an electrical system heavily dependent on overhead power lines. The scale of the damage also raises a longer-term question: What investments can make electrical systems more resilient to severe storms?” (https://indianapolisrecorder.com/gary-power-outage-why-lasting/)

Obviously, preparations for natural disasters could avoid such situations as occurred in Gary and other northwest Indiana cities. Yet, in the US there is very limited investment in avoiding disasters as well as relief from such occurrences. 

Funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is far less than what is required amid the worsening conditions brought on by climate change. In addition, the Trump administration has also slashed funding for the National Weather Service (NWS) and National Public Radio (NPR) which broadcast reports in areas which are lacking in local coverage.

Moreover, the ideological orientation of the MAGA Republicans who control the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court is one of climate change denialists. At present the government is mainly concerned about maximizing profits for the multinational corporations and the initiation of wars in Asia, Africa and Latin America. 

Gary Has Been in Decline for Decades

As an industrial hub in northwest Indiana, Gary was a center for the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the North. Black people poured into the city during the period between World War I until the post-World War II era. 

The New York Times reported on the population loss and de-industrialization of Gary in an extensive article in February 2024. This entry in the Times said:

“Gary, Ind., was once a symbol of American innovation. The home of U.S. Steel’s largest mill, Gary churned out the product that built America’s bridges, tunnels and skyscrapers. The city reaped the rewards, with a prosperous downtown and vibrant neighborhoods. Gary’s smokestacks are still prominent along Lake Michigan’s sandy shore, starkly juxtaposed between the eroding dunes and Chicago’s towering silhouette to the northwest. But now they represent a city looking for a fresh start. More than 10,000 buildings sit abandoned and the population of 180,000 in the 1960s has dropped by more than half. Poverty, crime and an ignoble moniker — ‘Scary Gary’ — deter private investors and prospective homeowners.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/03/business/economy/gary-indiana-economy.html)

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Gary represented hope for the African American people in their quest for political power which emerged as a byproduct of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements. Richard Hatcher was elected mayor in 1967 illustrating the growing strength of the voting power of African Americans. 

Hatcher was an attorney who was elected to the City Council in 1963. His election to the mayoral office took place in November 1967. Hatcher along with Carl B. Stokes of Cleveland, who was also elected in 1967, represented the first African Americans to be elected mayors in municipalities with more than 100,000 people. 

Later in 1972, Gary was the scene of the National Black Political Convention (NBPC) in March of that year. The NBPC brought together an estimated 3,000 delegates from various states. Several thousands more attended as observers making it the largest national convention ever held by African Americans. 

During this period African Americans were being elected as mayors, city councilpersons, commissioners, sheriffs, judges and mayors in areas across the North, Midwest, South and West coasts. These electoral victories had taken place initially during and in the aftermath of mass demonstrations, boycotts, strikes and urban rebellions. 

However, by the mid-1970s, a major restructuring of the US and world economy was beginning to take shape. In Gary as well as other industrial cities such as Detroit, Cleveland, Flint, etc., massive job losses occurred. 

The collapse in job and business opportunities precipitated the decline in populations who were moving to suburban areas outside the industrial cities and to other regions of the country particularly in the South. With the decline in populations in the industrial cities, the rates of poverty increased.

In order to fully understand the social conditions prevailing in Gary it is essential to review the labor and economy history of the area. These factors along with the failure of multinational power firms and financial institutions to invest in the upgrading of infrastructure within these municipalities and even suburbs, has resulted in the current environmental situation. 

Another majority African American city in the mid-South, Memphis, also experienced similar problems in the aftermath of a storm during August. 100,000 customers of the power company in Memphis were out of service.

This is a pattern that has impacted African American communities across the US. Memphis, like Gary, has also been negatively impacted by a data center which is owned by Elon Musk, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

According to an analytical report published by Capital B, it points out:

“When the power goes out in America, it does not go out equally. Research has found that Black communities face higher odds of outages and longer-duration interruptions. In Memphis and Gary, residents and elected officials say those disparities are compounded by poverty, aging infrastructure, and rising pressure on regional power systems…. High minority areas are four times as likely to suffer a blackout compared to predominantly white areas, and, specifically, being Black is associated with nearly two times higher odds of experiencing an outage lasting 24 consecutive hours than white households.  In Memphis, this means thousands of households may be struggling for nearly a week in 90-degree heat. Studies show that without electricity, people die at elevated rates, especially people over the age of 65.” (https://capitalbnews.org/memphis-gary-black-communities-power-outages/)

These developments in recent weeks highlight the ongoing national oppression impacting the African American people. Consequently, African Americans and their allies must intensify organizing and mobilizing efforts to fight racism on a multi-faceted level involving economic disempowerment, exploitation, environmental degradation and the need for genuine equality and self-determination.

Trump Administration Escalates Third-Country Deportations

Opposition rises to the illegal removals of migrants from the United States to African and Latin American states which violates domestic and international law

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

August 25, 2026

Political Review

Since the assumption of office by President Donald Trump for his second non-consecutive term in January 2025, the administration has enacted the deportations of individuals from the United States to several African and Latin American states.

These actions by the White House have prompted legal and political challenges to what are clearly violations of both US and international law.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which was designed to provide people from countries which are undergoing natural disasters and political turmoil with the possibility of remaining inside the US, is being revoked for numerous nationalities. Even nationals which had sided with the US against their own governments are having their TPS status revoked.

Just five years after the US military and administrative withdrawal from Afghanistan, those nationals who worked directly with Washington during the two decades of occupation by the Pentagon and NATO are now being told to leave. Others such as people from Venezuela and Syria are facing deportations even though many of them have renounced the revolutionary and socialist-oriented policies of their governments past and present. Even those who have openly proclaimed being loyal to the capitalist system are being told they cannot remain in the US. 

Many of the deportees have been placed in detention facilities across the US and outside the country. El Salvador in Central America has been a site for illegal deportations.

In addition to El Salvador, several African states have agreed to accept deportees from the US which has been met with lawsuits regarding the Republic of Ghana where the administration of President John Mahama reached a secret deal with the Trump administration to accept people. Other states such as Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea and Uganda have made agreements with Washington to accept third-country deportations. (https://www.thirdcountrydeportationwatch.org/)

Liberia Deportation Plan Reinforces Neo-Colonial Legacy

Most recently the Republic of Liberia, which has a long history of subservience to US neo-colonialism, agreed to accept 1,200 deportees. The escalation of deportees is designed to meet quotas set by the Trump administration to remove people from the US. 

Many inside the US are saying that the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) tendency within the Republican Party really means “Make America White Again.” Almost all of the targeted nationalities for deportation are from the Global South. 

The specific focus on people from Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia speak volumes regarding the racist policies of the administration. Moreover, the removal of people of color from various geopolitical regions mirrors the domestic racism which has worsened under the present administration in Washington.

In the early phase of the second MAGA administration, the Trump White House has signed executive orders banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). In addition, higher educational institutions are being attacked under the guise of combating “wokeness” and false claims of antisemitism stemming from the growing Palestine solidarity movement on the campuses where students, staff and faculties are demanding full disclosure and divestment from entities conducting business with the State of Israel.

Therefore, despite the rhetoric saying that the migrant communities are bringing crime and threats of terrorism into the US, African Americans and other oppressed peoples are being victimized through executive orders, congressional decisions and supreme court rulings which attack voting rights, job opportunities and admissions into colleges and universities.

In a report published by National Public Radio on August 25, it says of the present situation:

“Under a series of often-secret agreements, the Trump administration has deported thousands of people to nearly two dozen countries that are not their own, advocates say, with about 10 (or more) of them in Africa. A key issue in the agreements is that they can involve migrants with protection orders from a U.S. immigration judge not to be returned to their home countries because of concerns for their safety. The Liberian minister did not say if the deportees expected in Liberia had such protection orders…. Immigration lawyers have said the Trump administration uses deportations to third countries as a legal loophole to indirectly force asylum seekers back to their home countries. In many cases, migrants are deported to countries they've never been to or where they face safety risks and are left with little choice other than to return to the home countries they were fleeing from.” (https://www.npr.org/2026/08/19/nx-s1-5937389/liberia-to-take-deportees-from-us)

There are reportedly 15 African states who have accepted collaboration with the Trump administration. These governments have given different reasons for accepting deportees from the US who are not nationals of these specific African states.

Some, like Liberia, say their motivations are humanitarian. Others have mentioned reciprocal deals with Washington involving lower costs for admission visas into the US along with prospects for financial investments. 

Ghana claimed that their agreement with the US only applies to people from the West Africa region. Yet, those who have been removed from detention facilities in the US to Ghana have complained about the conditions of removal and living arrangements once they arrive.

When the secret agreement between the Trump administration and Ghana was exposed during 2025, the judicial system in the US said that it did not have the capacity to force the return of these migrants which would be in line with domestic and international law.

US immigration agents place migrants on planes without telling them where they are being deported. Individuals being removed have reported that they were placed in straitjackets while being given only bread and water to consume. 

With specific reference to Ghana, deportees say they were placed in a military camp under deplorable arrangements. Those flown to Ghana were not born there and had legally challenged the forced return to their own countries for specific reasons including threats of imprisonment, torture and other forms of persecution. 

African states which have agreed to accepting illegally deported people from the US are Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Uganda. These policies undermine the overall image of African Union (AU) member-states making them appear to be surrogates of US imperialism. 

Trump had openly referred to African states during his first administration in disparaging terms saying they were repositories for human waste. In the second non-consecutive term of office, the administration has cut off humanitarian assistance through agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). 

After eliminating USAID and withdrawing from the WHO, the State Department has been negotiating bilateral agreements with African states. Some of these states have accepted these imposed agreements from Washington while others such as Zimbabwe and Zambia have rejected these proposals outright.

The Kenya government accepted a plan to build an Ebola treatment center for US citizens only so they would not reenter the country until they were medically cleared or effectively treated for the disease which has grown substantially in recent months. However, people held mass demonstrations forcing the government of President William Ruto to withdraw from the plan. 

Africa Remains Under Threat of Neo-Colonial Dominance

The imposition of the third-country deportations is further jeopardizing the potential for AU member-states to become self-reliant and genuinely sovereign. These deportations are illegal under the laws of the US as well as the United Nations. 

Liberia was formed in the early 1820s as a place for the removal of formerly enslaved Africans from the US. The country became a republic in 1847, yet it has been dominated by the US government and multi-national corporations such as Firestone Rubber. 

Although the Ghana government under Mahama has been an advocate of reparations for Africans due to the Atlantic Slave Trade and British colonialism, the secret deal with the Trump administration to receive migrants illegally deported from the US has undermined its political and moral authority as a spokesperson for the plight of Africans on the continent and throughout the world. 

The AU Commission should address these contradictions in order to bolster its status as a viable regional organization committed to the unification of Africa. Under neo-colonialism, the new form of imperial domination, Africa will only become more underdeveloped through a form of indirect exploitation.

All of the negotiations conducted by the State Department and White House with African states are seeking further access to strategic minerals and metals. These resources belong to the majority of the African people for the purposes of human and infrastructural developments. 

Tanzania’s Vice President Resigns in Test to the Country’s Democracy

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

6:36 AM EDT, August 26, 2026

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Tanzania’s vice president is resigning after less than a year in office, following what analysts say was a power struggle with the country’s first female leader.

Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi offered to vacate the office on Sept. 4, according to a statement released on Tuesday. The presidency confirmed that constitutional measures will be taken to select a new deputy to President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Nchimbi’s statement said he was “fully convinced” that Hassan desires another deputy. “I assure you that I will continue to be a good citizen of Tanzania,” it said.

His resignation is remarkable in a country known for its relative stability under the one-party rule of the Chama cha Mapinduzi party, or CCM.

Some analysts say he appeared to have disagreed with Hassan over governance and other issues stemming from the government’s brutal crackdown on street protests during and after the Oct. 29 election.

“The two were not on good terms,” said Tito Magoti, a rights attorney and independent analyst in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam.

A postelection inquiry showed 518 people were killed in the violence, shocking many at home and abroad. The military was deployed alongside the police to quell riots in major cities, with sporadic gunfire ringing out in the usually peaceful country that many foreigners visit for its pristine coastal beaches and safari tourism.

The internet was shut down for days, a move that Hassan later apologized for and promised would never happen again.

The leader of the commission that investigated election-related violence, Mohamed Chande Othman, said during the release of his report in April that the number of deaths was likely higher, because some families buried their loved ones without taking their bodies to morgues. He recommended an investigation into the use of firearms, as some of the witnesses told the commission that their loved ones were shot while sitting inside their houses.

Hassan, who has served as president since 2021, drew widespread anger for running virtually unopposed after her two main opponents were blocked or prevented from contesting. Her main rival, Tundu Lissu, is currently jailed over treason charges he says are politically motivated.

A version of CCM has ruled Tanzania since the country gained independence from Britain in 1961. CCM is fused with the state and effectively in charge of the security apparatus.

Hassan, who was formerly a vice president, became president without incident when her predecessor, John Pombe Magufuli, died suddenly after the start of his second term.

The orderly transition sustained Tanzania’s reputation as an oasis of political stability and relative peace, a major reason for CCM’s considerable support, especially among rural voters.

___ An Associated Press reporter in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, contributed to this report.

Fastest-growing Ebola Outbreak on Record Threatens to Become Worst in History

The response to Congo’s raging Ebola epidemic has been hampered by a severe lack of funding and pervasive misinformation, according to people on the front lines.

August 26, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDT

Health workers tend to an Ebola patient at the Rwampara Treatment Center in Ituri, Congo, on June 18. (Moses Sawasawa/AP)

By Rael Ombuor and Rachel Chason

The Ebola epidemic raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to become the worst in history — amid a response hobbled by a severe lack of funding and rampant misinformation, according to doctors, relief organizations and global health authorities.

At least 5,605 people have been infected since the first case of the outbreak was identified May 15, of whom 2,683 had died as of Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congo’s government records similar figures. That means the outbreak is already bigger than the one that lasted from 2018 to 2022, which killed 2,200 people, and is spreading faster in its initial months than the West Africa epidemic that began in 2014 and caused more than 11,000 deaths.

At the same point in that outbreak — about 100 days after the first case had been reported — there were only 759 recorded cases, according to the CDC, less than 15 percent of what has been recorded so far in Congo’s outbreak.

Interviews with more than a dozen doctors, relief workers and patients operating in Ituri and North Kivu — the provinces at the heart of the outbreak — suggest that the confirmed figures are likely to represent only a fraction of the total current toll.

“The situation looks bad, and it is worsening,” said Alice Ribes, the Congo-based Ebola lead for the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian group. “It’s spreading very, very fast.”

In Bunia, a city at the center of the heartbreak, there is a frightening dual reality: While the virus is quietly spreading, Ribes said, “life is continuing as if nothing is happening.”

“You have massive crowds,” she said. “Massive weddings, big parties. Churches that are completely full.”

Most people on the front lines of the response believe that the current “figures are underestimated,” she said.

“It’s a rapid fire,” said Grace Wairima, the senior Africa media and communications manager for Mercy Corps, an aid group.

The deadly viral disease spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces. Wairima noted that many people with confirmed Ebola diagnoses do not appear on contact lists for others already in treatment. “The virus has moved through so many cracks,” she said.

Medical personnel and aid organizations say their ability to respond has been hampered by sweeping cuts in aid to Congo and the World Health Organization by the United States and other Western nations.

Especially in the early days of the outbreak, aid groups and medical personnel said, they lacked the staff, surveillance systems and emergency supplies to quickly detect infections or contain the virus as it surged. The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, in particular, had operated in Congo for decades and worked in previous Ebola outbreaks — this the 17th — to coordinate with Congo’s Ministry of Health and aid organizations on the international response.

The State Department said in a statement Tuesday that it had announced more than $512 million in direct assistance to combat the ongoing outbreak, supported 8.6 million health screenings across affected and at-risk countries, reached more than 1 million people with risk communication messaging, supported more than 180 health facilities in affected areas, contributed to the direct operation of 12 special facilities in Congo, and procured and distributed nearly 300 metric tons of supplies, among other efforts.

The WHO has said that the outbreak — caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no vaccine or approved treatment — probably started as early as February, months before a global emergency was declared.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a speech last week that the disease was moving with “unprecedented speed.”

“We must be frank: The epidemic is far from being under control,” he said. “It had a big head start, and we are still playing catch-up.”

Tedros added that what concerns him most is “where people are dying: at home, in their communities, outside treatment centers, and outside known contact lists. … Every death like that points to a chain of transmission we have not yet found.”

Maurice Kakule, the lead doctor on Ebola cases at the General Reference Hospital in Oicha in North Kivu, said that one of the biggest difference between this outbreak and the two previous ones on which he worked is the level of surveillance.

Kakule, 42, said that because many international organizations are stretched too thin to do surveillance this time around, some health workers at his hospital have taken it upon themselves to identify and track new cases.

He said misinformation is so intense that many people who suspect they have Ebola choose to die at home instead of going to the hospital, where they fear medical interventions. The true toll, he and other local medical personnel said, could be two to three times as high as the official statistics.

“It is likely to be the worst the country has experienced, given the number of deaths we have recorded in a few months,” he said.

Muhundi Sikwaya, 30, said he started feeling sick while working his welding job in Komanda, a town in Ituri. He lost his appetite for food and was too weak to work. He said he visited a hospital and was told he had contracted malaria.

But a week later, he was only getting worse, with blood in his vomit and diarrhea. His sister, Kavuho Nyasa, flagged down a person on a motorbike for the two-hour ride back to the hospital. She said she put her brother, by then mostly unconscious, on the back of the bike, sandwiched between the driver and another rider.

It was only once he arrived at the General Reference Hospital in Oicha that he was diagnosed with Ebola.

“I thought I was a dead person,” Sikwaya told The Post a week after he was discharged from the hospital in early July.

His sister said she worries about the driver, hoping he did not catch the virus.

Kakule had treated Sikwaya, along with three other Ebola patients. The other three died, Kakule said. Two more patients have since arrived.

UNICEF staff and airport workers in Bunia receive an aircraft carrying supplies on May 19 amid intensified efforts to contain the outbreak. (Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters)

More than a month after being discharged, Sikwaya said his life has changed. Mostly, he said, he stays at home, indoors, if he is not at work, because people are too scared to interact with him.

“There is a stigma, but nothing lasts forever,” he said. “I am sure this disease will also come to an end.”

Adam Taylor contributed to this report.

Ebola Outbreak in Eastern DR Congo Could Become Worst in History — Media

According to the newspaper, much of the population in eastern DR Congo was not following the necessary precautions against the virus

© AP Photo/ Dieudonne Dirole

PRETORIA, August 26. /TASS/. The current Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could become the largest ever recorded, The Washington Post reported, citing specialists working in Congolese provinces affected by the virus.

"The situation looks bad, and it is worsening," said Alice Ribes, the Congo-based Ebola lead for the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization. "It’s spreading very, very fast," she noted.

Ribes said that much of the population in eastern DR Congo was not following the necessary precautions against the virus. This also applies to Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province and the epicenter of the current outbreak. While the virus is spreading, "life is continuing as if nothing is happening," she noted.

"You have massive crowds," Ribes said. "Massive weddings, big parties. Churches that are completely full." Most people on the front lines of the Ebola response believe that the current "figures are underestimated," she added.

Another challenge hindering efforts to fight Ebola is the lack of funding in the DRC. Medical personnel and aid organizations say their response capacity has been hampered by sweeping cuts in assistance to the DRC and the World Health Organization by the United States and other Western countries, the newspaper said. Especially in the early stages of the outbreak, they lacked staff, surveillance systems and emergency supplies to quickly detect infections or contain the virus.

Specialists say the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC is spreading faster than the one that began in West Africa in 2014 and killed 11,000 people, regarded as the largest in Africa’s history. According to the Congolese Health Ministry, 5,584 Ebola cases and 2,680 deaths have been recorded so far. The Washington Post said specialists working in virus-affected areas of the DRC believe these figures probably represent only a fraction of the total number of infections and deaths.

The outbreak, which began in the DRC and Uganda on May 15, has already become the second-deadliest ever recorded. Ebola cases have now been registered in six Congolese provinces. Ugandan authorities declared the outbreak in their country over on July 28.

Russian Troops Liberate Two Communities in Ukraine Operation Over Past Day — Top Brass

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 240 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and 14 motor vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

© Alexey Konovalov/TASS

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated two communities in the Sumy and Zaporozhye Regions over the past 24 hours in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units took control of the settlement of Pisarevka in the Sumy Region through decisive operations. <…> Battlegroup East units kept advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlement of Nezhenka in the Zaporozhye Region through active operations," the ministry said in a statement.

Kiev loses 1,405 troops along engagement line in past day – latest figures

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 1,405 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past 24 hours, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost roughly 240 troops, a tank and 14 motor vehicles in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, about 210 troops and two US-made armored vehicles in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West and more than 215 troops and four field artillery guns in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup South.

During the last 24-hour period, the Ukrainian army also lost roughly 365 troops and an armored combat vehicle in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup Center, over 345 troops and two armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup East and about 30 troops and a howitzer in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Dnepr, the latest figures show.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 240 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 240 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and 14 motor vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup North units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, two airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Tolstodubovo, Proletarskoye, Sadki and Kiyanitsa in the Sumy Region," the ministry said.

In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault regiment, an unmanned systems battalion of the Ukrainian army, three territorial defense brigades and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Prikolotnoye, Buzovo, Tsupovka, Novoaleksandrovka, Liptsy and Slatino in the Kharkov Region, the ministry reported.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 240 personnel, a tank and 14 motor vehicles in those frontline areas over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts 210 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 210 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two US-made armored vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Proletarskoye and Vyssheye Solyonoye in the Kharkov Region, Bogorodichnoye, Sidorovo, Mayaki, Raigorodok and Svyatogorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 210 personnel, two US-made HMMWV armored vehicles, 17 pickup trucks and an electronic warfare station in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts over 215 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 215 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy field artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their forward positions and inflicted losses on formations of three mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault brigade, an airmobile brigade, a mountain assault brigade and an unmanned systems battalion of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Druzhkovka, Krasny Molochar, Nikolayevka, Semyonovka and Alekseyevo-Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 215 personnel, 25 motor vehicles and four field artillery guns in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 365 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 365 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units continued advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, a jaeger brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and four National Guard brigades in areas near the settlements of Raiskoye, Andreyevka, Druzhkovka, Slavyanka, Novogrigorovka, Novotroitskoye, Belozerskoye, Dobropolye and Roganskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 365 personnel, a Kozak armored combat vehicle, five motor vehicles, an artillery gun and an electronic warfare station in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 345 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 345 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup East units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two assault brigades, two air assault brigades, three assault regiments, an unmanned systems battalion of the Ukrainian army and a marine infantry brigade in areas near the settlements of Malinovka, Malomikhailovka, Ivanovka and Vasilkovka in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, Obshcheye, Barvinovka and Omelnik in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 345 personnel, two armored combat vehicles and three motor vehicles in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminates 30 Ukrainian troops in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminated roughly 30 Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy howitzer in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Orekhov, Dimitrovo, Novoyakovlevka, Chervonaya Krinitsa and Preobrazhenka in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.

"Up to 30 [Ukrainian] military personnel, 32 motor vehicles, a 122mm D-30 howitzer and three electronic warfare stations were destroyed," it said.

Russian troops strike logistics centers, energy sites used by Ukrainian army in past day

Russian troops struck logistics centers, energy infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army and enemy deployment sites over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck logistics centers, fuel and energy, transport and port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine used by the Ukrainian army, ammunition and materiel depots, workshops assembling and sites storing unmanned aerial vehicles and their components, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 141 locations," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses intercept 798 Ukrainian UAVs, 12 smart bombs over past day

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 798 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 12 smart bombs over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down 12 guided aerial bombs, a rocket of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, three Flamingo long-range cruise missiles and 798 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Russian forces destroy over 220,000 military drones in Ukraine operation

Russian forces have destroyed more than 220,000 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian army since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the ministry reported.

"Overall, the following targets have been destroyed since the start of the special military operation: 674 aircraft, 284 helicopters, 220,067 unmanned aerial vehicles, 669 surface-to-air missile systems, 30,725 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,775 multiple rocket launchers, 36,274 field artillery guns and mortars and 70,240 special military motor vehicles," the ministry said.

Reality Sets in for Ukraine’s Former Defense Chief, Russian Envoy Says

Kirill Dmitriev also noted that "the blame game for failures" begins in Ukraine

Russia’s Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev Sergey Bulkin/TASS

Russia’s Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev

© Sergey Bulkin/TASS

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. A remark from ex-Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fydorov that Kiev is gradually losing ground to Russia on the battlefield shows that reality finally sets in for him, according to Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the Russian President for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries and Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

"The reality sets in, false narratives collapse, and the blame game for failures begins," Dmitriev commented in a post on X.

Earlier, Fyodorov told Reuters in an interview that Ukraine urgently needs to figure out a way to end the conflict pronto. At the same time, he said, Ukraine suffers from "an inability to innovate, entrenched corruption and nepotism and a lack of political independence in government institutions."

Ukrainian Forces Shell DPR Populated Areas 17 Times Over Past Day

11 civilians, including two children, were injured

DONETSK, August 27. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces shelled populated areas of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) 17 times over the past day, injuring 11 civilians, including two children, the department for documenting Ukrainian war crimes under the administration of the DPR head and government said.

"Seventeen armed attacks by Ukrainian armed formations were recorded <...> over the past day. Reports were received that 11 civilians, including two children, were injured. Additional information was received about two civilians injured on February 23 and April 13 in the populated area of Konstantinovka," the statement said.

According to the department, Ukrainian forces fired 25 munitions. Eight residential buildings, 11 civilian infrastructure facilities, and passenger vehicles were damaged.

Nine Killed, Six Wounded: What We Know About Ukrainian Attack on Passenger Bus in LPR

Leonid Pasechnik stated that the Ukrainian armed forces’ strike was targeted

© The official channel of the LPR Prosecutor's Office in "Max"

LUGANSK, August 26. /TASS/. Nine people were killed and six more wounded in a Ukrainian strike on a passenger bus traveling from Lisichansk to Stakhanov in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Head of the LPR Leonid Pasechnik said.

TASS has gathered key facts about the Ukrainian attack

Ukrainian military attack

- The Ukrainian military delivered a strike on a passenger bus on the Zolotoye-Pervomaisk highway.

- The bus was en route from Lisichansk to Stakhanov.

- Pasechnik stated that the Ukrainian armed forces’ strike was targeted.

- The bus carried 15 passengers, he specified.

Killed and wounded

- As a result of the attack, eight people were killed on the spot.

- Six more sustained wounds.

- A twenty-year-old girl was rushed an intensive care unit. Doctors fought for her life, but they couldn't save her.

- Her mother was wounded.

- An 18-year-old girl was also injured, she was hospitalized.

- Three more passengers and the driver received the necessary medical assistance, they were referred for outpatient treatment.

Investigation

- The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case on charges of terrorism in regard to the Ukrainian attack on a passenger bus in the LPR, Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, told TASS.

- The Investigative Committee organized a set of measures to collect evidence, establish the type and model of the unmanned aerial vehicle of the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as all the details of the incident.

Reaction

- The Ukrainian military attack on a bus in the LPR cannot be a mistake, it is another terrorist attack by the Kiev regime, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

- He noted that "the UAV operator sees in real time where he strikes."

- Pasechnik called the Ukrainian military attack on the bus an act of terrorism by the bloody Kiev regime.

Ukraine Attacks Donetsk with Anglo-French Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG Cruise Missiles

Eight civilians were injured, head of the republic Denis Pushilin said

© AP Photo/Lewis Joly

DONETSK, August 26. /TASS/. Ukraine has used Anglo-French long-range cruise missiles Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG to attack the center of Donetsk, where eight civilians were injured, head of the republic Denis Pushilin said on Max messenger.

"In the Kievsky district of Donetsk, as a result of an attack by Anglo-French long-range cruise missiles of the air-launched Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG in the area of the Donetsk City shopping and entertainment center a child, a girl born in 2016 and a woman born in 1973 were moderately injured, a teenage girl born in 2010 and a woman born in 1947, men born in 1987, 1981, 1977 and 1949 were injured," he wrote.

Egypt Expected to Embrace Cooperation as Ethiopia Exercises Its Water Rights: Prof. Yacob

Addis Ababa, August 25, 2026 (ENA)— Egypt is expected to pursue cooperation for shared benefit as Ethiopia exercises its sovereign right to harness and develop its water resources, Hydro politics scholar Professor Yacob Arsano told ENA.

Water development in Ethiopia is still in its infancy, Prof. Yacob underscored.

“Ethiopia’s water resources remain largely underdeveloped, yet they will be central to the country’s future economic growth and development,” he noted, stressing that the country’s water resources remain largely untapped for agriculture, power generation, tourism and other productive sectors, the renowned scholar said.

He noted that Ethiopia’s future growth and development will inevitably depend, in significant part, on its ability to effectively harness and utilize its water resources on Abay (Nile) River.

“Therefore, its right to utilize its water resources is guaranteed,” the professor said.

Professor Yacob further emphasized that the Ethiopian government and its people are determined to turn that right into reality.

Yacob stressed that Ethiopia does not require permission from Egypt to develop its own water resources.

“Fundamentally, no one is waiting for Egypt to grant permission,” he said, adding that Ethiopia has never sought Egypt’s permission to utilize and develop its water resources and will not do so in the future.

At the same time, he emphasized that Ethiopia’s assertion of its sovereign development rights does not rule out cooperation.

“The door remains open if Egypt comes to its senses and returns to negotiations,” Prof. Yacob said.

He added that Ethiopia’s position is broadly shared by other upstream Abay (Nile) Basin countries, which maintain their right to utilize their water resources for development while remaining open to cooperation based on dialogue and mutual benefit.

Ethiopia’s approach, he said, is therefore anchored in two principles: the sovereign right to develop its water resources and the willingness to cooperate for shared benefit.

Ethiopia has planned to consolidate the momentum created by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by expanding investment in additional mega dams on the Abay River.

In his recent interview, Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa said:  “Ethiopia does not need permission from anyone to develop its water resources as it is a sovereign country,”. 

“Who said that we need permission from anyone? Ethiopia is a sovereign country... Look, we built the GERD without the permission, and we will also build other dams on other river basins whenever the needs arise,” he elaborated.