Man dead, two police officers hurt in shooting during custody exchange in North Carolina
A man was shot and killed Friday (December 26, 2025) after firing at police in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, during a child custody exchange, authorities said. Two Mint Hill police officers were also wounded in the shooting, Mint Hill Police said in a statement on social media. Mint Hill officers were called to the exchange at an Edible Arrangement store around 10:45 a.m. on Friday (December 26, 2025). Authorities said the man pulled out a gun and started shooting and officers fired back. Police initially said the officers were in critical condition and a few hours later updated their conditions to stable.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 27, 2025 03:28 UTC
Donald Trump says US struck Isis targets in Nigeria over attacks on Christians
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Source:The North Africa Journal
December 27, 2025 00:30 UTC
UN chief supports Sudanese premier’s peace initiative, calls for immediate ceasefire
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Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 17:23 UTC
Nigeria averts unilateral U.S. action by cooperating on airstrikes
LAGOS, Nigeria — By publicly cooperating with the United States on Christmas Day airstrikes, Nigeria’s government may have averted humiliating unilateral military action threatened a month ago by President Donald Trump. Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said on Friday Nigeria had acted jointly with the U.S., but not targeting any specific religion. “Nigeria is a multi-religious country, and we’re working with partners like the U.S. to fight terrorism and protect lives and property,” Tuggar told Nigeria’s Channels Television. Last month, Trump threatened to order his forces to take military action in Nigeria unless the authorities there acted to stop what he described as the persecution of Christians. “It’s very likely this is the group Trump referred to when mentioning U.S. military strikes in Nigeria,” said Confidence MacHarry, senior analyst at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 16:54 UTC
Algeria Passes Bill to Criminalize Colonization
(2 Minutes Read)The President of the Assembly said the bill sends a “clear political message that Algeria’s memory is neither erasable nor negotiable.”Algerian parliament passes law declaring French colonization of Algeria a crime. They then unanimously passed a bill declaring French colonization of Algeria a “crime of state.” The new law demands an apology and reparations. The President of the Assembly said the bill sends a “clear political message that Algeria’s memory is neither erasable nor negotiable.” France ruled the North African nation from 1830 to 1962. French President Emmanuel Macron has previously acknowledged France’s colonisation of Algeria as a “crime against humanity” but stopped short of offering an apology. Read Also:https://trendsnafrica.com/portugal-admits-to-colonial-period-crime-of-transatlantic-slavery-ready-to-offer-reparation/The bill isn’t legally binding for France but analysts say it marks a significant break in relations between the two countries.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 16:27 UTC
Sounds of the Africa Cup of Nations
It is impossible to imagine the Africa Cup of Nations without music. Here’s a round-up of what players and fans are listening to after the opening matchday of the tournament. In no other competition do teams step off their bus chanting in unison as they enter the stadium and walk toward the dressing room. While some Cameroonians felt the display reflected poorly on a national institution, much of the continent found it entertaining. The Benin Cheetahs, meanwhile, jumped on a TikTok challenge set to Congolese rapper Naza’s “Tout donner” (“Gave it all away”).
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 16:11 UTC
The 16 travel trends to update your bucket list with in 2026
There's a new Caribbean queengettyLonely Planet has chosen Barbados as one of its top destinations for 2026, and we can see why. Stay on a farmPPAMPictureMove over cottagecore: one of the new buzz phrases for 2026 is ‘farm charm’. You can still get tickets (as well as a holiday) through Hays Travel (haystravel.co.uk). In its 2026 Travel Trends report, ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) revealed 23% of Brits were planning a Spanish break in the next 12 months, making it our most popular worldwide travel destination, ahead of France and Italy (at 14% each). ‘Even in the winter months, temperatures are mild, making them a perfect choice for year-round travel,’ says Chris Logan of .
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 15:28 UTC
U.S. launches strikes on ISIS targets in Nigeria on Christmas Day, Trump says
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X: "The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West." Map shows area of U.S. strikes on ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria on Dec. 25, 2025. The State Department usually releases its annual Report on International Religious Freedom in the spring, but has not yet done so this year. Nigeria was first placed on the "country of particular concern" list by the U.S. in 2020 in what the State Department called "systematic violations of religious freedom."
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 14:39 UTC
North Korea Displays Apparent Progress in Construction of Nuclear-Powered Submarine
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull, as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea’s push to acquire the technology. It was not immediately clear how close North Korea is to completing the vessel. A nuclear-powered submarine is Kim’s next major military goalA nuclear-powered submarine was one item on a long wish list of sophisticated weaponry that Kim announced during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called growing U.S.-led military threats. But there have been questions about whether North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines. While some analysts suspect North Korea may have sought a reactor from Russia, possibly from a retired Russian submarine, Moon said it's more likely that North Korea designed its own reactor, while possibly receiving some technological assistance from Russia.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 13:48 UTC
North Korea's Kim orders factories to make more missiles in 2026
SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered officials to step up production of missiles and construct more factories to meet his military's growing need for the projectiles, state media said. In a visit to munitions factories accompanied by top officials, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim had ordered the factories to prepare for a busy year ahead. In return, Russia is sending North Korea financial aid, military technology and food and energy supplies, analysts say. "With its ICBM program already at a stage widely seen as having achieved core objectives, Pyongyang is likely to further accelerate development next year," said Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea. The North Korean leader also learned about research into "new underwater secret weapons", KCNA said.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 13:41 UTC
Ancient Humanity, Surprise Us: Best Archaeology Stories in 2025
Dear JudahWe are not amusedAn Assyrian cuneiform seal is found in Jerusalem, for the first time. What could it be from? Who knows, but archaeologists suspect it sealed a letter of complaint from the overlords in the eighth century B.C.E. after the King of Judah welshed on tax. This surmise is based on the nature of their communiques to other vassal regions that have actually been found.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 13:20 UTC
Tunisia Commissions its First >100MW Solar Power Plant - Africa’s premier report on the oil, gas and energy landscape.
Tunisia Commissions its First >100MW Solar Power PlantTunisia has commissioned the first solar power plant to exceed 100 megawatts of installed capacity. The 120MWp Kairouan solar power plant, located in the Kairouan Governorate in the inland desert in the north of the country, is also the first to inject renewable electricity into the 225-kilovolt high-voltage grid of the Societe Tunisienne de l’Electricite et du Gaz (STEG). The power station is a ground-mounted solar project sitting on 200 hectares (490 acres). A power purchase agreement (PPA) has been signed by the SPV company and the off-taker, (STEG). The plant was construted by a joint venture between China Energy Engineering Group, Tianjin Electric Power Construction and Northwest Electric Power Design Institute.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 13:12 UTC
AFCON organizers opens gates for free after kickoff amid empty seats
Organizers at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco have begun allowing fans to enter for free after kickoff when stadiums are not full, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) source told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Officials later announced an attendance of 35,200 at the stadium, which has a capacity of more than 45,000. Similar scenes have played out across the opening days of the tournament, at times causing confusion over attendance figures. The CAF source said organizers, in coordination with African football’s governing body, were opening sections about 20 minutes into matches to allow fans waiting outside to enter without paying. CAF’s official ticketing platform on Thursday showed seats available for nearly all remaining group-stage matches, with prices starting at 100 dirhams ($10.96).
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 12:22 UTC
MENA Region Reaches Digital Economy ‘Inflection Point’ as Instant Payments Drive Growth
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region solidified its position in 2025 as a global hub for financial services innovation, driven by ambitious government initiatives and the acceleration of digital payments infrastructure. The UAE, in particular, is deemed to be on the verge of a digitisation “inflection point,” according to Islam Shawky, co-founder and CEO of payments provider Paymob. For Paymob, interacting with Aani, the UAE’s instant payment platform, overcomes the primary disadvantage digital payments have compared to cash. FF25 also saw the successful pilot of a Google Cloud infrastructure for payments involving leading Bahraini banks and BENEFIT, enabling instant digital transactions. This concentration of investment and regulatory focus positions the MENA region to lead the global charge in payments and financial infrastructure throughout 2026.
Source:The North Africa Journal
December 26, 2025 10:34 UTC