Telecom giant Hormuud alleges Kenyan forces destroyed networks in southern Somalia

Somalia’s largest telecommunications provider, Hormuud Telecom, on Monday accused Kenyan government forces of deliberately destroying its equipment and facilities in the Dhuyac-garoon area of the Lower Juba region, saying the incident has severed communications and mobile money access for tens of thousands of civilians in southern Somalia. In a statement, the company said the damage targeted infrastructure serving communities in Dhuyac-garoon and has left an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 residents without essential…

India, UAE ink $3B LNG deal, expand trade and defence cooperation

NEW DELHI/DUBAI — India signed a $3 billion liquefied natural gas supply deal with the United Arab Emirates on Monday, elevating India to the UAE’s top customer and deepening ties as the two countries pledged to expand trade and pursue a strategic defense partnership. Under the agreement, Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Gas will supply 0.5 million metric tons of LNG annually to Hindustan Petroleum Corp. for 10 years. ADNOC Gas said the contract lifts the total value of its agreements with Indian buyers to more than $20 billion,…

Tariff threats could blow up EU-US trade deal, McEntee warns

Ireland warns Trump tariff threat would ‘rip up’ EU-US trade deal, vows strong response Ireland’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on European allies would “rip up” an EU-US trade deal struck last year and force Brussels to put billions in countermeasures back on the table, as leaders head to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Donald Trump has said he will impose 10% tariffs on eight European allies from 1 February unless they agree to his purchase of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish…

South African Taxi Crash Kills More Than a Dozen Children

South African officials say the school taxi driver involved in the Vanderbijlpark crash did not have a valid operating licence, authorities announced Wednesday. The disclosure, made by provincial transport officials, raises immediate questions about the legal status of the vehicle and the oversight of school transport in the area. Officials did not provide further details about the driver’s identity, the nature or severity of casualties, or exactly when the licence lapsed. Vanderbijlpark, an industrial city in Gauteng…

Darood Elders Support Somalia’s UAE Deal Cancellation, Warn of Foreign Meddling

LAS ANOD, Somalia — Senior traditional elders from the Darood community on Tuesday endorsed the Somali federal government’s decision to cancel security and port agreements with the United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of undermining the country’s unity, sovereignty and national independence. The position, announced after a large gathering of clan leaders in Las Anod, came as the elders convened to witness the inauguration of Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, as president of Somalia’s Northeastern Regional…

Watch: Recap of Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House

One year into President Donald Trump’s second term, the White House marks an inflection point defined by a more assertive use of presidential authority and a recalibration of U.S. relationships abroad. The anniversary arrives after a year of forceful decision-making that supporters see as decisive leadership and critics describe as a test of constitutional limits and diplomatic norms. RTÉ News reporter Jackie Fox looks back at the defining turns of “Trump 2.0” in a new video retrospective, tracing how the administration’s…

Australia moves to tighten gun control laws after Bondi shooting

Australia advances national gun buy-back, tighter checks after Bondi mass shooting Australia is poised to pass sweeping new gun-control measures, including a national firearm buy-back and tougher background checks, following last month’s mass shooting at a Jewish festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the country’s deadliest in decades. The legislation cleared the House of Representatives by a vote of 96-45 despite opposition from conservative lawmakers. It now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to pass with support from…

Somalia’s government seeks talks with opposition alliance on elections, national policy

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has invited the Somali Future Council, a leading opposition alliance, to a multi-day national conference in Mogadishu beginning Feb. 1, aiming to speed up talks on the country’s political direction with a particular focus on the electoral roadmap. The invitation, issued late Monday by the Office of Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, signals a tentative step toward dialogue amid rising tensions over electoral rules and the broader governance framework. The move follows President…

Firefighters retrieve human remains from Karachi shopping mall in Pakistan

Karachi mall inferno leaves at least 21 dead, dozens missing as firefighters comb ruins of Gul Plaza KARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistani firefighters on Monday pulled bodies from the smoldering remains of Gul Plaza, a sprawling shopping complex in Karachi, as anguished families waited for word of more than 60 people still missing after the city’s deadliest blaze in more than a decade. The fire erupted late Saturday, racing through the multi‑story mall that housed some 1,200 shops across a footprint larger than a football field.…

Iran warns protesters involved in ‘riots’ to turn themselves in

TEHRAN — Iran’s top police commander issued a three-day ultimatum to demonstrators on Monday, warning those who joined what authorities call “riots” to surrender or face the full force of the law, as the government simultaneously pledged to tackle the economic pain that helped spark the unrest. National police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan urged young people “deceived” into joining the turmoil to turn themselves in and receive lighter punishment. Officials maintain protests were initially peaceful but descended into chaos stoked by…