Susie Wiles diagnosed with breast cancer but to remain in White House role

Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with breast cancer but will continue working while undergoing treatment, the White House said on Monday.

Wiles, 68, said the disease was detected early and that doctors had given her a strong prognosis. In a statement, she noted that nearly one in eight women in the United States will face the same diagnosis during their lifetime, adding that she now joins millions of women balancing treatment with professional and family responsibilities.

Donald Trump praised his chief of staff as “an amazing fighter”, saying she would continue working “virtually full time” while undergoing treatment. The chief of staff role is considered one of the most powerful positions in the White House, responsible for managing the president’s agenda and coordinating the administration’s policy priorities.

Wiles later appeared publicly alongside Trump at an event discussing changes to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, signalling that she intends to remain active in her duties despite the diagnosis.

Iran launches fresh strikes on UAE oil hub and Dubai airport

Iran has intensified its regional attacks by striking key infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, targeting the strategic port of Fujairah and areas near Dubai International Airport.

Authorities said flights were temporarily suspended after a fire broke out near the airport following what officials described as a drone-related incident. Another blaze erupted at the Fujairah port and industrial zone, one of the region’s largest oil storage hubs and a crucial shipping point outside the Strait of Hormuz.

A separate rocket strike killed a Palestinian national in the Al Bahia area near Abu Dhabi, according to local officials. The UAE defence ministry said its air-defence systems intercepted six ballistic missiles and 21 drones during the latest wave of attacks.

Since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran escalated, Tehran is believed to have launched more than 1,900 missiles and drones toward the UAE, highlighting the growing regional spillover from the wider Middle East conflict.

Trump pushes for naval coalition in Strait of Hormuz as allies hesitate

Donald Trump has said several countries are preparing to support a proposed naval coalition aimed at securing the vital Strait of Hormuz, though no government has yet publicly confirmed participation.

The strait, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes, has become a focal point of the US-Israel war with Iran after Tehran effectively disrupted shipping in the narrow waterway.

Trump said “numerous countries” had indicated they were “on the way” to participate in the escort mission for commercial vessels. He suggested that some naval deployments could take time as ships would need to travel long distances to reach the Gulf.

The White House has identified several potential partners — including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom — though officials say a formal announcement will be made later by Marco Rubio.

Amnesty accuses US of deadly missile strike on Iranian school

Amnesty International has accused the United States of responsibility for a missile strike that killed at least 170 people — many of them children — at a primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab.

The rights group said its investigation indicates the building was struck by a US-manufactured Tomahawk cruise missile on February 28. The weapon system is used exclusively by US forces in the current conflict, according to the report.

Using satellite imagery, video analysis and expert testimony, Amnesty said the school was directly hit along with several nearby structures located within a compound previously used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The organisation argued that the attack raises serious concerns about whether US forces took sufficient precautions to prevent civilian casualties, warning that failure to verify the military nature of the target could constitute a breach of international humanitarian law.

European leaders reject military role in Hormuz security mission

European governments have signalled they will not participate in military operations in the Strait of Hormuz despite calls from Washington for a broader international coalition.

Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul said Berlin needed clearer information from the United States and Israel about the objectives of their campaign against Iran before considering further steps.

Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius added that the country would not take part in combat operations but remained open to diplomatic efforts aimed at ensuring safe passage for commercial vessels.

Britain struck a similar tone. Keir Starmer said any effort to secure shipping in the strait would not be conducted under NATO command and stressed that London would not be drawn into the broader war.

AFRICA

Kenya and Russia agree to halt recruitment of Kenyan fighters for Ukraine war

Kenya and Russia have agreed that Kenyan citizens will no longer be recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine.

Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s foreign minister announced the decision after talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Ukraine has previously estimated that more than 1,700 fighters from dozens of African countries have joined Russian forces since the start of the war. Mudavadi said the new agreement would prevent further enlistment of Kenyan citizens through Russia’s defence ministry while also addressing welfare concerns for those already in the country.

Former elite officer charged with murder of South African whistleblower

South African authorities have charged a former member of an elite police unit with the killing of a whistleblower who testified about police corruption.

The suspect, Matipandile Sotheni, appeared in court accused of murdering Marius van der Merwe, a witness who had given evidence at the high-profile Madlanga commission.

Van der Merwe, identified during the inquiry as “Witness D”, had implicated several officers in the torture and killing of a robbery suspect. His testimony was widely viewed as exposing deep corruption within local law-enforcement structures.

The commission was established by Cyril Ramaphosa after allegations that organised crime groups had infiltrated parts of the state. Several officials named in the hearings have since been suspended.

South Africa rejects US pressure to distance itself from Iran

South Africa has rejected pressure from Washington to cut diplomatic ties with Iran amid the escalating Middle East conflict.

Zane Dangor, director-general of the country’s department of international relations, said Pretoria would not allow its foreign policy to be dictated by major powers. He argued that South Africa’s engagement with Tehran was consistent with its broader diplomatic approach.

The dispute comes as relations between Pretoria and Washington deteriorate during the second presidency of Donald Trump. The US recently imposed a 30 percent tariff on South African imports and has criticised the country’s genocide case against Israel.

Dangor said South Africa was capable of criticising Iran’s actions when necessary but would not abandon diplomatic ties simply because of pressure from Washington.

Kenya prosecutes man accused of supplying ants to international trafficking network

Kenyan prosecutors have charged a local man accused of supplying live ants to international smugglers, highlighting a growing form of wildlife trafficking focused on insects.

Charles Mwangi was arraigned at a court near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after police searched his home and recovered more than 1,000 live garden ants along with hundreds of syringes used to transport them.

Investigators believe Mwangi supplied insects to Chinese national Zhang Kequn, who was arrested at Nairobi’s airport last week with more than 2,000 live ants in his luggage.

Authorities say the case reflects a shift in wildlife trafficking away from traditional commodities such as ivory toward rare or exotic species sought by collectors.

Enthusiasts can pay large sums to maintain colonies in specialised glass habitats known as formicariums, where observers study the insects’ complex social behaviour.