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ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone call Tuesday with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, to discuss bilateral relations and the latest security developments in Sudan, according to Ankara’s communications directorate. In a statement posted on X, Turkey’s Directorate of Communications said the two leaders exchanged views on the situation in Sudan as well as broader issues shaping ties between the countries. The readout did not specify the duration of the…

New York — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday appointed U.S. diplomat James Swan as his new Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUSCO, placing an experienced Africa hand at the helm of one of the U.N.’s most challenging peace operations. Swan succeeds Bintou Keita of Guinea, whom Guterres thanked for her leadership and service during a difficult period for the mission. The appointment lands at a pivotal moment for MONUSCO,…

Tunji Disu Sworn in as Nigeria's New Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu has officially taken office as the new Inspector-General of Police, succeeding his predecessor who stepped down in February under circumstances widely believed to have been influenced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Although an official statement attributed the resignation to "pressing family considerations," political analysts speculate that it was part of a broader reshuffle requested by the president. The presidency has expressed optimism…

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday stood by her characterization of two U.S. citizens shot dead by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis as “domestic terrorism,” refusing to retract the remarks during a combative Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that underscored the political and operational stakes of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Sen. Dick Durbin, the committee’s top Democrat, repeatedly pressed Noem to walk back her statements about Renee Good and Alex Pretti — as well as a…

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan police have arrested the country’s former intelligence chief, retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay, in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people, including 45 foreigners, authorities said. Police said Sallay, the former head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), was taken into custody at dawn in a suburb of Colombo in the most high-profile arrest to date in the long-running probe. “He was arrested for conspiracy and aiding and abetting the Easter Sunday attacks,” an…

Friday February 20, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s new army chief met senior African Union leadership in Mogadishu to tighten battlefield coordination and accelerate the country’s Security Transition Plan as Somali forces prepare a renewed push against al-Shabab following Ramadan. Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), hosted a closed-door session at army headquarters with Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the Special Representative of the African Union and head of the…

GENEVA — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said talks between Iran and the United States in Geneva made “a step forward,” but warned that time is running out to lock in an agreement as military threats hover over the diplomacy. “We made progress, but there is still work to be done, and the problem is that we don’t have much time,” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi told France’s LCI television in an interview. “There is the possibility of a dialogue that is really beginning, for the first time, to…

Addis Ababa (AX) — The African Union Commission chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, reaffirmed the AU’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty and stability during talks Sunday with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on the sidelines of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa. The meeting came amid heightened diplomacy after Somalia won election to the African Union Peace and Security Council for the 2026–2028 term, a development Youssouf hailed as a well-earned achievement that underscores Mogadishu’s…

DUBAI — DP World said Friday that longtime chairman and chief executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem has resigned, a move that follows mounting pressure over his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein and days after key investors froze new commitments to the Dubai-based ports and logistics group. The company named Essa Kazim as chairman of the board and elevated Yuvraj Narayan to group chief executive officer, Dubai Media Office said. Dubai’s ruler also issued a decree appointing a new chairman to the emirate’s Ports, Customs and Free…

Gail Slater resigns as head of DOJ antitrust division, injecting uncertainty into Trump-era enforcement WASHINGTON — Gail Slater, the Trump administration’s head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, said she is stepping down less than a year after being appointed by President Donald Trump, leaving a major enforcement arm with few senior leaders as it pursues cases against some of the world’s largest companies. Slater, who was confirmed in March to lead the division that polices illegal monopolies and…