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Machado says Venezuela entering ‘true transition to democracy’ as U.S. backs Rodriguez; Nobel medal gesture to Trump draws scrutiny Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said the country is beginning a “true transition to democracy” and called for free and fair elections “as soon as possible,” using a Washington appearance to press her case for broad participation at the polls. “We are definitely now into the first steps of a true transition to democracy,” Machado said, adding that the shift would have “an…

UAE airlifts equipment from Mogadishu after Somalia cancels security, defense pacts MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United Arab Emirates has begun flying out equipment and supplies from Somalia, with three cargo planes carrying UAE government materials departing Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport on Thursday, according to people familiar with the operation. Government and aviation sources said the departures marked the opening phase of a broader withdrawal following Somalia’s decision this week to annul security and…

Ethiopian Airlines breaks ground on $12.5 billion Bishoftu International Airport, billed as Africa’s largest by 2030 Ethiopian Airlines has launched construction on a $12.5 billion greenfield hub in Bishoftu, a town about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa, in a project officials say will become Africa’s biggest airport when completed in 2030. The state-owned carrier has been awarded the contract to design a four-runway complex at the site, where earthworks have begun. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, announcing…

Somalia begins counting votes after Mogadishu’s landmark one-person, one-vote poll Mogadishu — Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Thursday night said ballot counting is underway after polls closed across the capital for the Banadir Regional Council elections, the city’s first one-person, one-vote ballot in more than five decades. Commission Chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan told national media that voting ran from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time and proceeded calmly and in an orderly manner…

Mogadishu launches first one-person, one-vote municipal polls in more than 50 years Thursday December 25, 2025 MOGADISHU — Voting began Thursday morning across all 16 districts of Mogadishu in the Banadir Regional Local Council elections, marking the capital’s first one-person, one-vote balloting in more than half a century. Thousands of residents formed early lines at neighborhood polling stations, underscoring the historic nature of the vote in Somalia’s largest city. Election officials said turnout was steady as polls…

U.S. surveillance flights over Nigeria have ramped up since late November, signaling a sharp uptick in security cooperation as Washington presses Abuja to curb mounting violence, including attacks on Christian communities. Flight-tracking data and current and former U.S. officials confirm contractor-operated missions flying near daily from Accra, Ghana, across Nigerian airspace and back. It was not immediately clear what specific intelligence the aircraft are collecting. A current U.S. official confirmed the flights but…

Tunisian authorities have charged six staff members of the Tunisian branch of the France Terre d'Asile aid group and 17 municipal workers from the eastern city of Sousse with sheltering migrants and facilitating “illegal entry and residence,” prosecutors said. If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison. The case centers on humanitarian assistance provided to migrants in Tunisia, a key transit point for tens of thousands of people each year trying to reach Europe. Authorities gave no immediate public timeline…

Somalia launches nationwide census of Quranic schools amid concern over conditions MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has begun a nationwide census of Quranic schools, responding to rising complaints that many centers operate in places and conditions considered unsuitable for children’s learning. Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali said the assessment is designed to establish a clear picture of Quranic schools across the country so the government can plan,…

Somalia’s Digital Pivot: A Two-Day Workshop With Long-Term Stakes On a quiet Sunday in Mogadishu, in a hotel meeting room that could be anywhere in the world, Somalia’s tech regulators and telecom bosses sat down with United Nations experts to sketch out how the country will go digital—properly, and for good. The agenda was modest on paper: a two-day national consultation to validate Somalia’s Digital Transformation Strategy for 2025–2030. The stakes are anything but. Somalia’s new digital strategy is not just another…

U.S. Embassy in Somalia Scales Back Services as Washington Shutdown Ripples Overseas Mogadishu — The U.S. Embassy in Somalia said Wednesday it is curtailing some regular operations following a federal government shutdown in Washington, underscoring how a budget stalemate in Congress can reverberate far beyond the Beltway and into one of the world’s most complex diplomatic environments. “Due to the lapse in appropriations, this X account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of…