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Challenges Facing Journalism in Somalia This section highlights the recent developments affecting journalists in Somalia, focusing on government actions that threaten media freedom and independence. Parliament's ban on journalists covering chaotic sessions. NISA's intimidation tactics towards local media outlets. Underlying issues of low pay and threats faced by journalists. Parliament's Restrictive Measures On Wednesday, journalists tasked with covering a tumultuous session of the Federal Parliament found…

Second Jeffrey Epstein accuser alleges 2010 encounter with Andrew at Windsor; Starmer urges testimony to U.S. Congress A second woman has alleged she was sent by Jeffrey Epstein to Britain for a sexual encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at his residence on the Windsor estate in 2010, when she was in her 20s, the BBC reported. The claim surfaces days after the U.S. Justice Department released a vast trove of Epstein-related documents, intensifying scrutiny on the disgraced royal. The woman’s U.S. attorney, Brad…

Snapchat says it has blocked or disabled 415,000 accounts in Australia tied to users under 16 since the country’s world-first social media crackdown took effect, while warning that some minors may still be slipping past age checks. The platform urged Australian authorities to require app stores to verify ages before downloads as an “additional safeguard” for the law, which compels major platforms to stop underage users from holding accounts. The measures took effect on Dec. 10 and apply to Snapchat, Meta, TikTok and YouTube,…

Trump says Kennedy Center to close for two years for ‘complete rebuilding’ starting July 4 President Donald Trump said he will temporarily close Washington’s Kennedy Center for roughly two years beginning July 4 — the nation’s 250th anniversary — to undertake what he called a “complete rebuilding” of the landmark performing arts complex. The plan, announced on his Truth Social platform, is subject to approval by the center’s board, which Trump now chairs and has handpicked. “I have determined that the fastest way to bring…

Israel reopened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on foot only, allowing Palestinians to leave the enclave and enabling some to return after fleeing the war, authorities said. The movement will be limited and subject to Israeli security checks for those entering and exiting, with Israel and Egypt expected to cap the number of travelers. An Israeli security official said European monitoring teams have arrived at Rafah, which “has now opened to the movement of residents, for both entry and exit.” Israel seized…

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — The death toll from the New Year’s Day bar fire at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana rose to 41 after an 18-year-old victim died from injuries in a Zurich hospital, regional prosecutors said Saturday. “An 18-year-old Swiss national died at a hospital in Zurich on January 31,” Wallis canton’s public prosecutor, Beatrice Pilloud, said in a brief statement. “The death toll from the fire at Le Constellation bar on January 1, 2026 has now risen to 41.” The inferno, which tore through the basement…

QUETTA, Pakistan — Pakistani forces are hunting separatist fighters across Balochistan after a wave of coordinated attacks left more than 190 people dead over two days, officials said, as the government vowed to strike back and the Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility. Authorities said around a dozen sites remained sealed off Sunday as troops combed banks, jails, police stations and military installations struck by militants a day earlier. At least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed in the assaults,…

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any U.S. attack on Iran would trigger a regional war, state media reported, as Washington moves additional naval assets into the Middle East and both sides signal that indirect talks are underway. Khamenei dismissed President Donald Trump’s repeated threats and the U.S. carrier-led deployment as psychological pressure. “The Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things,” he said. “We are not the initiators and do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian…

Somalia Blocks Armed Personnel Ahead of National Dialogue This article examines the recent actions taken by the Somali government to block armed personnel and weapons from entering Mogadishu in preparation for a crucial national dialogue. The decision emphasizes public safety and adherence to security protocols. Somali government cites public safety as a key reason for the blockade. Involved parties include leaders from Puntland State and Jubbaland states. The government reaffirms commitment to stability in…

Trump says India will buy Venezuelan oil as U.S. eases curbs, aiming to replace Russian supplies President Donald Trump said India will begin purchasing Venezuelan oil, a move he cast as helping the world’s third-largest oil importer pivot away from Russian crude as Washington loosens restrictions on Caracas. “We’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to his Florida residence from Washington. The comments followed a Reuters report that the United States…