Burkina Faso, Gaza, Nigeria
Today's three stories you should know.
[In case you haven’t seen yet, more on the Proximities relaunch here.]
Burkina Faso
About 50 soldiers were killed when fighters from a rebel group stormed a military base in northern Burkina Faso, local residents told the Associated Press news agency. They said about 100 fighters were involved in the attack and that the base was burned down afterward. The government of Burkina Faso is locked in a war with several armed groups that control vast areas of the country outside the capital. Anger over the conflict has led to back-to-back coups. President Ibrahim Traore has struggled to stem the violence since coming to power in 2022.
More from Africa News here.
Gaza
As children continue to starve to death in Gaza under an Israeli blockade, Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told Reuters news agency that the use of air drops to distribute aid is “a joke.” Jordan and the UAE have begun parachuting supplies into the Strip with Israeli permission. But, Egeland said, the drops cannot avert “a man-made famine.” The UN says it has 6,000 truckloads of food aid ready to enter Gaza but that it is prevented from doing so by Israel. One air drop carries the equivalent of about two trucks, Egeland said.
More from Reuters here.
Nigeria
Slightly late to this, as it broke just before Proximities relaunched, but it’s important and has received little coverage. At least 625 children died of malnutrition in northern Nigeria in the first six months of 2025, according to MSF. The French charity pointed the finger at countries that have cut back on aid funding, including the U.S., the UK and European Union nations. Northern Nigeria has been beset by insecurity for years as the government battles rebel groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province. The region is also terrorized by bandit gangs kidnapping people for ransom.
More from Al Jazeera here.