International
Mali: 25 civilians killed in convoy ambush – Army
Malian Army late Saturday confirmed that insurgents killed at least 25 civilians and injured 13 others in an ambush of a military-escorted convoy near northeastern city of Gao on Friday.
The army’s death toll differed from a local official’s account of the incident, which said that up to 56 bodies were recorded at the hospital in Gao, and that there was also an unknown number of military casualties.
It was gathered that the attackers struck near the village of Kobe, around 30 km from Gao in a region where groups linked to Islamic State and Al Qaeda have been active for over a decade, destabilising Mali and its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger.
According to the army in a statement, no fewer than 19 assailants were killed when soldiers retaliated and pushed them back.
The army, however, did not mention military casualties.
The insurgencies took root in Mali’s arid north following a Tuareg separatist rebellion in 2012.
The Islamist militants have since spread to other countries in the impoverished central Sahel region south of the Sahara.
A Gao resident, speaking to reporters said deadly attacks have become so frequent that the military organises near-daily escorts.
The violence is said to have killed thousands of people, displaced millions, and spurred a string of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger between 2020 and 2023.
International
UK PM announces ban on social media for under-16s
The ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp, the government said.
•UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Children under 16 will be banned from using social media in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday, saying such platforms were making youngsters “unhappy”.
Some children’s charities welcomed the sweeping change, which is likely to trigger a major fight with US tech giants, but others warned it could make teenagers less safe online.
Starmer, likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said social media sites were exposing children to content that is “dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.
The ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp, the government said.
Some young people gave a mixed response to the move.
“I think it’s a good thing, to be honest, because I don’t even remember what age I was when I got Instagram, but it was just way too early,” student Connie Skitt, 19, told AFP in Buxton, central England.
“You’re making friends with people you don’t know. It’s like, not that safe.”But 18-year-old tour guide Tom Warvell expressed concerns that 16 was “a little bit high”, arguing younger teens were “a better age to focus on”.
“Times have changed so it is important for people to still be able to use it.”
International
US and Iran to sign historic peace deal June 19 in Switzerland
He commended both Washington and Tehran for choosing diplomacy over continued conflict and acknowledged the roles played by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye in facilitating the talks.
•US/IRAN flags
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, revealed that both the United States and Iran have reached a landmark peace agreement to the immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
The formal signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 19 in Switzerland.
According to Sharif, the agreement is the result of extensive mediation efforts involving several regional and international stakeholders.
He commended both Washington and Tehran for choosing diplomacy over continued conflict and acknowledged the roles played by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye in facilitating the talks.
International
Zimbabwe Wins UN Security Council Seat for 2027-2028
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Zimbabwe has been elected to a non-permanent, two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, the third time the country will be represented on the body mandated to maintain international peace and security.
Voice of Nigeria reports that the other countries that secured seats around the iconic horseshoe table are Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kyrgyzstan.
The five countries were elected by the 193-member General Assembly to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on January 1, 2027.
Austria and Portugal won the two seats allocated to the Western European and other States (WEOG) Group, while Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe were elected from the Latin American and Caribbean Group and the African Group, respectively.
Kyrgyzstan secured the Asia-Pacific seat after defeating the Philippines in four rounds of voting.
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