approves

Somalia’s Parliament approves $1.39 billion 2026 national budget in joint session MOGADISHU — Somalia’s bicameral Federal Parliament on Tuesday approved the National Budget for the 2026 fiscal year, endorsing a $1,386,807,242 spending plan during a joint session held in Mogadishu. The budget’s passage, by an overwhelming majority, sets the federal government’s financial framework for the coming year. According to parliamentary results, 174 lawmakers voted in favor, four opposed, and one abstained, signaling broad…

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…

Brazil’s Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that could dramatically reduce the prison term of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, convicted of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, setting up an expected presidential veto and a fresh clash with Congress. The measure, which changes how sentences are calculated for certain crimes, passed the upper chamber 48-25 after clearing the lower house last week. It now goes to President Lula, who has vowed to reject it, saying Bolsonaro “must…

AfDB approves $76.37 million in additional financing to boost Somalia’s road corridors, cross-border trade Sunday December 14, 2025 The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved $76.37 million in additional financing for Somalia’s Road Infrastructure Program, strengthening a key segment of the Horn of Africa corridor linking Somalia with Ethiopia and Djibouti and aimed at accelerating regional trade and integration. In a statement issued Thursday, the bank said the program is designed to “stimulate cross-border…

EU finance ministers have agreed to impose a €3 duty on every small parcel imported into the 27-nation bloc starting 1 July next year, a measure aimed at stemming a flood of ultra-cheap e-commerce shipments from platforms such as Shein and Temu. The flat levy follows the bloc’s move last month to scrap a duty exemption for direct-to-consumer packages valued at less than €150. An EU spokesperson said the €3 charge will be temporary and will remain in place until member states settle on a permanent approach to taxing the…

IMF approves additional $40 million for Somalia, releases $30 million in immediate budget support MOGADISHU — The International Monetary Fund has approved an additional $40 million for Somalia after completing the fourth review of the country’s Extended Credit Facility, authorizing an immediate $30 million disbursement for budget support. The decision lifts Somalia’s total access under the program to about $140 million and brings cumulative disbursements to roughly $100 million under the arrangement approved in December…

Trump signs bill ordering Justice Department to release Jeffrey Epstein documents President Donald Trump on Thursday signed bipartisan legislation directing the Justice Department to make public files from its long-running probe of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move comes after weeks of political pressure and signals a reversal from earlier opposition by the White House. Trump had previously urged Republicans to block the measure, fearing a precedent for exposing internal investigative records, according to two…

UN Security Council backs U.S.-led Gaza peace plan The United Nations Security Council voted 13-0, with Russia and China abstaining, to endorse a U.S.-authored Gaza peace plan that creates a transitional authority for the territory and calls for an international stabilisation presence. The resolution marks a rare Council alignment behind a U.S. blueprint after intensive diplomacy and textual changes that reference a "credible path" to Palestinian statehood. The vote authorises a Board of Peace and an International…

Somalia’s Upper House approves national human rights commissioners Somalia’s Upper House has approved the appointment of nine commissioners to the National Independent Human Rights Commission, a key step in formalizing the country’s human rights oversight architecture. The commissioners were sworn in immediately after the vote, completing the parliamentary endorsement process. Twenty-eight senators voted in favor during Wednesday’s session; one abstained. The House of the People approved the creation of the Commission on…

Djibouti Clears Way for President Guelleh to Run Again — What It Means for a Tiny but Pivotal State Djibouti’s parliament has removed a constitutional age limit that would have barred the 77‑year‑old president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, from seeking another term, clearing the path for him to run in the April 2026 election. The decision, short and decisive in the capital, underscores a growing pattern across parts of Africa in which long‑serving leaders reshape rules to extend their time in office — with consequences that ripple…