Keir Starmer Seeks Expanded Powers to Regulate Online Access Across UK

Starmer seeks broader powers to police internet access and child safety as U.K. weighs under-16 social media ban British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will move to secure broader powers to regulate internet access, arguing the U.K. must accelerate protections for children as digital risks evolve rapidly and platform rules shift faster than legislation can keep up. The push, announced as the government advances its review of online child safety, follows a plan unveiled last month to consult on an Australian-style ban on social…

Myanmar expels East Timor ambassador amid war crimes case dispute

Myanmar’s military government has ordered East Timor’s top representative to leave the country within a week, escalating a diplomatic rift after a rights group said Dili had opened a war-crimes case against the junta under universal jurisdiction. In a statement, the junta said East Timor’s reported appointment of a prosecutor to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity was a “great disappointment.” It said the charge d’affaires — currently East Timor’s most senior official posted in Myanmar — was summoned…

Children being weaponized in gender debate, warns UK report author

Dr. Hilary Cass, the pediatrician who led the landmark review of gender healthcare for children in the U.K., said young people have been “weaponised” and misled by social media about the realities of transitioning — comments that arrive as the government publishes draft guidance for schools on supporting gender-questioning pupils. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Cass welcomed the Department for Education’s draft issued earlier this week, while acknowledging “it is impossible for it to be completely…

Marco Rubio Critiques European Climate and Migration Policies, Calls for Unity

Rubio seeks reset with Europe in Munich, vows renewed friendship but offers few specifics MUNICH — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to “revitalise” Washington’s friendship with Europe in a keynote at the Munich Security Conference, drawing a standing ovation after a year of turbulence in transatlantic relations. The speech, however, offered scant concrete commitments, made no mention of Russia and faulted Europe’s approach to migration and climate policy. “In a time of headlines heralding the end of the…

Somalia Launches Initiative for Streamlined Digital Government Services, Officials Report

Somalia's Leap Into Digital Governance This section explores Somalia's progress in digital governance, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize public service access for citizens. Announcement of a unified digital system for essential documents. Key insights from government officials at the DPI 2026 Conference. Implications for economic growth and public service efficiency. Significant Developments Announced At the recent Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) 2026 Conference held in Mogadishu, Deputy Prime…

Israeli PM Netanyahu demands all enriched uranium leave Iran

Netanyahu sets red lines for U.S.-Iran nuclear deal as talks shift to Switzerland; exiled shah’s son rallies supporters in Munich Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement must require the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran and address Tehran’s ability to enrich more, setting out hard-line conditions as a new round of talks moves to Switzerland this week. Speaking in Jerusalem to leaders of major American Jewish organizations, Netanyahu said a viable deal must also tackle Iran’s…

Somalia’s Military Supreme Court Issues Final Verdict in 2025 Balad Hawo Terror Case

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Supreme Court of the Armed Forces on Sunday issued its final ruling in a high-profile terrorism case, upholding 15-year prison terms for two men convicted in connection with murders and bombings that struck the border town of Balad Hawo in the Gedo region in 2025. The court affirmed a 15-year sentence for Mohamed Aden Abuukar Heydar Mukhtaar and reduced the punishment for co-defendant Mohamed Qadar Ali Aden from 20 years to 15 years after reviewing an appeal filed by the Office of the Attorney…

Somali Ports Minister Calls Direct Türkiye Sea Link a Strategic Necessity

Somalia calls for direct sea route with Türkiye as trade outgrows current logistics, minister says ISTANBUL — Somalia’s ports minister said Thursday that establishing direct maritime shipping routes with Türkiye has become a strategic necessity as trade between the two countries expands beyond the limits of existing logistics. “The current level of trade between Somalia and Türkiye has moved beyond the present logistics structure,” Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, minister of Ports and Maritime Transport, told Anadolu on the…

RSF Claims 6,000 Lives in Sudan Over Three-Day Rampage

Sudan's Crisis: Mass Atrocities in Darfur The recent violence in Darfur, Sudan, has resulted in over 6,000 deaths in late October, as reported by the U.N. Human Rights Office. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group, have been implicated in severe human rights violations, raising concerns of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The RSF's offensive targeted the city of el-Fasher. The U.N. report highlights systematic violence and atrocities. Humanitarian crises are exacerbating due to…

Neither Direct Nor Indirect Elections Can Legitimize Somalia Amid Structural Manipulation

Somalia’s elections show the model isn’t the problem — integrity is For a decade, Somalia’s reform debate has framed elections as a technical puzzle: if indirect voting disappoints, move to direct elections; if elites pick delegates, expand to one-person, one-vote. The country’s recent experience — from the 2016/17 and 2021/22 indirect contests to Mogadishu’s December 2025 local elections — points to a harder truth. When rules are bent, institutions are captured and state resources are weaponized, neither indirect nor…