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U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday denied having a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as calls for his resignation intensified and newly released Justice Department files appeared to undercut his earlier account of severing contact more than two decades ago. “Over a 14 year period, I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person,” Lutnick told a Senate committee, adding that while in New York he met Epstein and later had lunch with him during a family vacation around 2012.…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a cabinet meeting after weathering fresh calls from within Labour to resign, as his top ministers moved quickly to close ranks and project stability at the heart of government. The routine session follows a day of turbulence set off when Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urged Starmer to step down over the fallout from the Peter Mandelson controversy. Sarwar is the most senior Labour figure to demand the prime minister’s resignation, warning the “distraction” from Downing…

Human Rights Watch Urges Investigation into Deadly Drone Attack in Niger Human Rights Watch (HRW) is pressing Nigerien authorities to undertake an independent investigation into a drone strike conducted by the army in January, which the organization claims resulted in the deaths of approximately 17 civilians, including four children. In a recent statement, HRW emphasized that, while the attack may have also claimed the lives of several militants, it breaches international law. The incident occurred on January 6, when…

Ethiopia demands immediate withdrawal of Eritrean troops as border tensions spike ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia has formally ordered Eritrea to “immediately withdraw its troops” from Ethiopian territory, issuing a sharp diplomatic rebuke that underscores the most perilous turn in relations between the Horn of Africa neighbors since their 2018 peace deal. In a letter dated Feb. 7, 2026, addressed to Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos accused Asmara of “outright aggression,” detailing…

London — Prince Harry told the High Court it was “disturbing to feel that my every move, thought or feeling was being tracked” so the publisher of the Daily Mail could “make money out of it,” as a high-profile privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited opened in London. The Duke of Sussex is one of seven claimants — alongside Elton John, his husband David Furnish, campaigner Doreen Lawrence, politician Simon Hughes, and actors Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley — alleging what they describe as a “clear systematic and…

Editorial | Somalia-UAE Rupture Demands Restraint, Responsibility, and Regional Solidarity Somalia’s decision to sever ties with the United Arab Emirates lands at a perilous moment for a nation still recovering from more than three and a half decades of conflict, displacement, and institutional fragility. Millions of Somalis depend—directly and indirectly—on regional economic and humanitarian links for their livelihoods and survival. That is the central fact that must guide every actor’s next move. This diplomatic…

Ireland’s minister for AI has condemned X’s decision to put parts of its Grok AI image tool behind a paywall, calling the move “window dressing” that fails to address the spread of abusive and illegal deepfakes. X said this week it has limited Grok’s image generation and editing features to paying subscribers. Users asking Grok to alter photos now receive a prompt stating those functions are “currently limited to paying subscribers,” with links to subscribe. The platform’s AI also told one user the change was “effective…

Somalia’s unity and constitutional legitimacy are entering a perilous phase. With the mandates of the federal parliament and president set to expire in April and May 2026, respectively, the country has no agreed electoral framework—and no margin for political brinkmanship. In a forceful public statement, opposition leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame warns that the stakes now transcend routine power struggles: the survival of the Somali state as a cohesive, credible entity is on the line. Warsame argues that a cocktail of…

Somali president rejects Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, urges dialogue to protect unity MOGADISHU — Somalia’s president on Thursday night forcefully rejected Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the move a threat to Somalia’s unity and regional stability while renewing a call for direct talks with North Western State of Somalia’s leaders to resolve decades-old grievances. In a nationally broadcast address, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somalia would not accept any…

Egypt warns Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia threatens regional peace, urges AU condemnation Egypt warned Tuesday that Israel’s decision to recognize the breakaway North Western State of Somalia region poses “a serious threat” to regional and international peace and security, pressing the African Union to take a unified stand against the move. Egypt called Israel’s recognition a “flagrant violation” of Somalia’s sovereignty and a “dangerous precedent.” Cairo rejected any attempt to link the move to…