Appealing to the international community for assistance, the 16-nation Southern African Development Community has warned that some 68 million people in southern Africa are facing food shortages and damaged economies due to a drought brought on by the El Nino phenomenon, Reuters reports.

United Nations investigators contend in a new report that Iran has perpetrated “crimes against humanity” in attacking ethnic and religious minorities amid its crackdown on women’s rights protests, Christian Today reports.

The European Union is rolling out a European Vaccination Card, sidelining critics who fear it will lead to more central government control over people’s personal lives and decisions.

Ukraine has defended its massive offensive into Russian territory, saying it is designed to persuade Moscow to engage in “fair” talks on ending its war in Ukraine. Additionally, Kyiv denied reports that it was responsible for blowing up Nord Stream pipelines that carried natural gas from Russia to Europe.

Europe’s health authorities are rushing to contain an outbreak of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox after a more severe strain was detected in Sweden. They asked European leaders to issue travel advice for areas impacted by pox, as the potentially fatal virus was declared a global health emergency.

The parliament of Thailand has voted for the heir of a powerful and polarizing dynasty to lead the Asian nation as its youngest prime minister ever.

The globally renowned US-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has warned that Iran is spending massive academic research resources on nuclear bomb detonation, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Setting aside historical tensions over Turkey’s military action against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in Iraq, senior Turkish and Iraqi officials are meeting in Ankara on Thursday for high-level talks on security cooperation, Media Line reports.

Iran’s supreme leader said Wednesday that Tehran shouldn’t walk away from pledges to attack Israel after one of the largest cyber attacks on agencies linked to the Islamic Republic’s government.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned the world Wednesday of mpox, formally known as monkeypox, declaring the potentially fatal viral infection a “global public health emergency”, after an outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crossed into nearby nations.