indaba

Media personality Daddy Freeze revealed that his first marriage was driven by an unplanned pregnancy. Speaking in an interview with Chude Jideonwo, he said he would not have married his ex-wife, Opeyemi, if she had not been pregnant. At the time, he was 24 years old, and she was 22 years old. He...

Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has criticized the removal of Energy Mutodi from his post as chair of Parliament's Budget and Finance Committee, calling the decision unconstitutional and politically driven. Mutodi, who represents Bikita South under the ruling Zanu PF, was dismissed on...

The government removed Bikita South lawmaker Energy Mutodi from his role as chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance, and Investment Promotion. The decision, announced in an official letter dated Oct. 7 and signed by the Speaker of Parliament, came after Mutodi publicly...

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met on Tuesday with Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, to discuss Iraq’s political and regional developments, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Presidency. The talks focused on relations between Erbil and Baghdad...

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli reignited political debate on Tuesday by calling for a renewed appeal from PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan to the Syrian Democratic Forces to disarm. Speaking during his party’s first session of the legislative year, Bahçeli said Turkey should...

Italian Ambassador to Iraq Niccolò Fontana has reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to strengthening ties with the Kurdistan Region, with a focus on expanded cooperation in trade, agriculture, and education. In an interview published Tuesday, Fontana said fostering partnerships between Italy, Iraq, and...

The United States marked the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Monday, honoring the more than 1,200 victims, including 46 Americans, in what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the deadliest terrorist assault in Israel’s history. Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s support for...

A closed-door meeting between the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Syrian Interim Government concluded in Damascus on Tuesday, amid rising tensions in Aleppo. Senior figures, including SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi and Interim Government President Ahmed...

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met on Tuesday with Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, to discuss national issues and Erbil-Baghdad relations, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government. Both leaders stressed the need to resolve...

Erbil’s parks and landscaping directorate announced steady progress in its greening campaign, with greenery now covering nearly 20 percent of the city, nearing the global urban standard of 25 percent. The “Autumn Green Initiative,” launched by the directorate, focuses on expanding green zones...

Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have reached a ceasefire in Aleppo after several days of clashes, state media reported on Tuesday. The violence resulted in the deaths of a domestic security officer and a civilian, while dozens of families fled...

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the continued detention of UN personnel and partners by Houthi authorities in Yemen, calling it a serious breach of international law that blocks humanitarian efforts. A statement released on Monday by UN Spokesperson Stéphane...

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Myanmar announced that applications for the 2026 Global Korea Scholarship for undergraduate programs must be submitted offline due to a system error. Previously submitted online applications cannot be recovered, requiring all applicants to resubmit...

The Central Bank of Myanmar sold more than $39 million worth of currency purchased from Cut, Make, and Pack companies in September 2025. It also injected over $680,000, 6.2 million yuan, and 300,000 baht into the market through the online foreign exchange trading platform. In August, over $1...

Residents in Mandalay Region observed the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut by offering flowers, water, and oil lamps to honor the Buddha and share the merits of their actions. Early that morning, devotees made offerings of flowers, water, oil lamps, and gold foils to the Maha Muni Buddha Image while...

The second round of Myanmar-Belarus Bilateral Consultations took place on the morning of Oct. 3, 2025, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus. The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, U Ko Ko Kyaw, and the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs...

Pilgrims filled major pagodas in Yangon on the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut, with large crowds gathering at the Shwedagon Pagoda. The Yangon Region Chief Minister, U Soe Thein, and regional ministers joined religious observances at the site. The Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees arranged alms...

On the Thadingyut Full Moon Day, Buddhist followers gathered at pagodas and stupas across Myanmar to take part in religious rituals. Worshippers made offerings of flowers, oil lamps, alms, and water while observing precepts and meditating in devotion. In Nay Pyi Taw, large crowds visited sites...

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer questions from Democrats about the Justice Department’s conduct, instead launching repeated attacks on her critics. Her approach, marked by defiance and political counterattacks, aligned with broader...

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Republican lawmakers sharply criticized former Special Counsel Jack Smith and the Biden administration over the collection of phone records belonging to several Republican senators. The records, obtained as part of the Jan. 6 investigation...