Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Reportedly Assassinated in Libya

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Killed in Libya Amid Political Uncertainty

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and once his designated heir, has been assassinated at his home in Zintan, according to his lawyer. The reported killing by a four-man commando unit adds a volatile new chapter to Libya’s prolonged instability. Conflicting reports emerged, with his sister claiming he died near the Algerian border. Gaddafi, 53, was a central figure in his father’s regime and later in Libya’s brief rapprochement with the West before the 2011 uprising. Following his father’s fall, he was imprisoned by a Zintan militia for six years and remains sentenced to death in absentia by a Tripoli court. The International Criminal Court also seeks his trial for alleged crimes against humanity during the 2011 conflict. His death removes a prominent, if polarizing, political actor from a fragmented landscape.

US Extends Key African Trade Preference Program

In a move with significant economic implications for sub-Saharan Africa, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a one-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The renewal, which restores duty-free access to the U.S. market for qualifying African goods, applies retroactively from September 30, 2025, through December 31, 2026. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated the administration will pursue modernization of the program aligned with an “America First” policy. First enacted in 2000, AGOA supports thousands of jobs and major exporters like South Africa and Nigeria. Its lapse had disrupted trade flows, and the extension provides temporary certainty amid complex U.S.-Africa relations, though long-term reforms remain pending.

WHO Issues Major Appeal for Conflict Zone Health Funding

The World Health Organization has launched a nearly $1 billion appeal for its 2026 global health response, targeting 36 humanitarian emergencies, including 14 of the highest-grade crises. The appeal underscores a growing gap between escalating health needs in conflict zones, climate-affected areas, and disease outbreak regions and declining humanitarian funding. In 2025, funding levels fell below those of 2016, forcing WHO and partners to abandon outreach to two-thirds of the 81 million people originally targeted for health assistance. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus framed the appeal as a critical investment in global stability, emphasizing that health crises in volatile regions have far-reaching consequences.

South Sudan President Dismisses Aides Over Election Panel Error

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired two senior aides following an embarrassing administrative error that placed a deceased man, Steward Soroba Budia, on a presidential panel tasked with leading discussions on the country’s long-delayed December elections. Budia, who died in 2021, was listed as an opposition representative. The mistake, which sparked widespread online ridicule, led to the dismissal of Press Secretary David Amour Major and Valentino Dhel Maluet, a chief administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. The incident highlights the governance challenges facing the world’s youngest nation as it attempts to prepare for elections amid persistent conflict and political friction, including unrest linked to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar.

Major Study Highlights Preventable Cancer Burden

A new analysis by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that up to 40% of global cancer cases are preventable. Based on data from 185 countries, the study attributes approximately 7.1 million cancer cases in 2022 to 30 preventable causes. Tobacco use accounts for 15% of preventable cases, while infections like HPV and Helicobacter pylori cause nearly half. Alcohol contributes 3%. Lung, stomach, and cervical cancers represent almost half of all preventable cancers. The report calls for context-specific prevention strategies, including tobacco control, alcohol regulation, and widespread vaccination against cancer-causing infections, framing these measures as essential public health investments.