Kenya’s border town Kiunga welcomes Somali refugees like family

KIUNGA, Kenya — On a sliver of Kenya’s northern coast, just 15 kilometers from the Somalia border and within sight of the turquoise shallows of the Kiunga Marine National Reserve, a different kind of refugee story has been unfolding for more than three decades. It’s a story without tents or barbed wire, without aid convoys or registration queues. In Kiunga, families opened their doors to Somali neighbors fleeing conflict and drought — and kept them open. A new media release by the Office of the Director Public Service…

Harrison Ford calls lifetime acting achievement award a profound honor

Harrison Ford will receive the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award at the rebranded Actor Awards in March, honoring a career that has delivered some of cinema’s most enduring characters from Han Solo to Indiana Jones. The 32nd annual ceremony, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, will stream live on Netflix on March 1. The union’s highest honor is presented annually to a performer who embodies the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” SAG-AFTRA said in announcing the lifetime achievement award for Ford.…

Trump Signs Order Reclassifying Marijuana, Easing Federal Research Limits

Trump signs order to fast-track marijuana to Schedule III, says move is not legalization Friday December 19, 2025 US President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order easing restrictions on marijuana in the Oval Office on December 18 WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to expedite the federal reclassification of marijuana, setting in motion a shift from the most restrictive category of controlled substances to a less stringent tier. The…

Zelensky arrives in Warsaw for talks with Poland’s president

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Warsaw on Friday for talks with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, his first official visit to Poland since Nawrocki took office in August. The agenda centers on European security, efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, and sensitive historical issues that have strained relations between the neighbors. The trip follows Zelensky’s address to an EU Council summit in Brussels, where he urged European leaders to tap frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s budget and defense…

Somalia’s Puntland State President Deni urges inclusive dialogue to prevent political turmoil

Puntland State’s Deni urges inclusive national dialogue, warns of political instability in Somalia KISMAYO, Somalia — Puntland State State of Somalia President Said Abdullahi Deni on Thursday urged Somalia’s federal leadership and political actors to heed warnings from Somali intellectuals and reopen inclusive talks on the country’s future, saying failure to do so risks renewed political chaos and threatens national unity. Speaking at the opening of the Somali Future Council conference in Kismayo, Deni said repeated alerts…

Bondi hero receives €1.4 million from community crowdfunding campaign

Man who disarmed gunman in Bondi Beach mass shooting receives more than A$2.5 million in donations A man credited with saving lives by wrestling a gun from one of the alleged attackers in the Bondi Beach mass shooting has received a cheque for more than A$2.5 million (€1.4 million) after tens of thousands of people contributed to an online fundraising campaign. Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, was presented with an oversized cheque at his bed in St. George Hospital by social media influencer Zachery Dereniowski, a co-organiser of the…

Nigeria Resumes Classes in 47 Schools Post-Mass Kidnapping Shutdowns

Unity Schools Reopen Amid Enhanced Security Measures The government has announced the reopening of 47 unity schools that were closed in November following a surge in school abductions. With the implementation of strengthened security measures around affected campuses, academic activities have fully resumed. In a recent statement, the Ministry of Education explained that the closures had been prompted by mass abductions in Kebbi and Niger states. Notably, at least 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a school in Kebbi, while…

North Western State of Somalia Reports 19 Deaths, 200-Plus Injuries During Protests in Borama

BORAMA, North Western State of Somalia — Nineteen people were killed and 214 injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators during protests earlier this month in Borama, the capital of the Awdal region, North Western State of Somalia authorities said Friday. Abdirashid Hassan Mataan, the newly appointed governor of Awdal, said the dead included one woman. He detailed the toll after formally assuming office Thursday, adding that most of the wounded have been treated and released while those still hospitalized…

EU weighs Ukraine loan as Zelensky warns of drone shortages

BRUSSELS — President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Thursday that Ukraine will have to significantly cut drone production next year — and halt long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure — if European Union leaders fail to unlock a first loan backed by frozen Russian assets at a summit in Brussels. Ukraine faces a foreign aid shortfall of €45–50 billion in 2025 and is due to run out of money early next year, Zelensky said. “Without it, there will be a big problem for Ukraine,” he told reporters, adding he would press EU…

EU approves €90 billion Ukraine loan without tapping frozen Russian assets

EU leaders agreed to provide Ukraine a €90 billion loan to cover looming budget shortfalls after more than a day of talks in Brussels, but they failed to unite behind a plan to tap frozen Russian assets to finance the support. The deal offers Kyiv a financial lifeline as the government braces for a cash crunch expected to hit by April and as U.S. President Donald Trump urges a quick settlement to end Russia’s war. EU chief Antonio Costa announced the outcome on X, saying, “We have a deal. Decision to provide 90 billion euros…