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Somali president meets Ethiopia’s Abiy in Addis Ababa to bolster security, trade ties ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Ethiopia on Friday for a one-day working visit and held talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed focused on strengthening bilateral relations and regional security, according to the Somali Presidency. In a statement, Mogadishu said the leaders discussed deepening cooperation across four priority areas: security coordination, political engagement, trade, and wider regional…

Rome to charge €2 for close access to Trevi Fountain starting Feb. 1 ROME — Tourists hoping to step down to the edge of Rome’s Trevi Fountain will have to pay €2 from Feb. 1 under a new policy to manage crowds and raise funds from one of Italy’s most visited landmarks, the city’s mayor said. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri announced the change and said the payment system is projected to bring in about €6.5 million a year. He argued the small fee will help tame congestion around the monument without shutting off views or penalizing…

Opinion | A Looming Disaster: Villa Somalia’s One-Sided Election Risks Unraveling Somalia’s Fragile State-Building Somalia’s promised “one person, one vote” has become the centerpiece of a contentious election push out of Mogadishu. But the model advancing under Villa Somalia’s direction, far from cementing democratic progress, is being carried out in ways that are constitutionally shaky, institutionally partisan and geographically exclusionary. If pursued as is, the process could deepen mistrust between the federal center…

Somalia’s politics is trapped in a loop. A generation of leaders has cycled through the same tactics, the same alliances and the same evasions, leaving the public unconvinced that there is any meaningful difference between those in office and those seeking it. That exhaustion is no longer just a mood; it is a structural risk to the state. When voters see no program, no transparency and no red lines on sovereignty, trust collapses. And when trust collapses, predatory actors — foreign and domestic — move in. Across the last…

The Excitement Builds as AFCON 2023 Kicks Off in Morocco As teams begin to arrive in Morocco for the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. The tournament, which kicks off this weekend, will see the hosts take on Comoros in a highly anticipated opening match that promises to set the tone for a month filled with thrilling football. A Month of Football Rivalries This year’s AFCON features 24 nations, divided into six gripping groups, each showcasing intense rivalries that…

Ukraine says it struck a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker with aerial drones in the Mediterranean, its first attack in those waters since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) described the operation as “new, unprecedented,” saying it took place in neutral waters roughly 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine’s borders. The source said the targeted vessel, identified as the QENDIL, was empty at the time, sustained “critical damage” and “cannot be used for its intended…

Somali Political Leaders Hold Closed-Door Talks in Kismayo KISMAYO, Somalia — Senior Somali political figures held closed-door meetings Friday at the Jubaland presidential palace in the southern city of Kismayo, in what participants described as a pivotal bid to shape the country’s political path and the 2026 elections. Officials briefed on the discussions said the talks centered on finalizing the structure and mandate of a proposed body called the Future Council of Somalia, which backers say is intended to guide the…

North Western State of Somalia says 19 killed, 214 injured as Borama protests over Xeer Ciise turn deadly BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Nineteen people were killed and 214 others injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators earlier this month in Borama, the capital of North Western State of Somalia’s Awdal region, authorities said. The newly appointed governor of Awdal, Abdirashid Hassan Mataan, said the fatalities included one woman. Of the injured, 194 sustained minor wounds. He said 20 people…

Ghana Seeks Extradition of Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta The Ghanaian government has formally transmitted an extradition request to the United States Department of Justice for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. This development marks a significant chapter in the country's ongoing anti-corruption efforts, reflecting a renewed focus on accountability in public office. Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Ghana's Attorney General and Minister for Justice, announced that the request follows an intensive investigation…

The Trump administration announced an immediate pause to the U.S. diversity visa green card lottery on Thursday, citing the case of a Portuguese national suspected in a mass shooting at Brown University and the killing of an MIT professor who, officials say, entered the country through the DV1 program in 2017. Homeland security chief Kristi Noem said in a social media post that Claudio Neves Valente, 48, “entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program (DV1) in 2017 and was granted a green…