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Somalia’s Olympic Committee accuses sports minister of interference, escalating power struggle in Mogadishu MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Olympic Committee on Wednesday accused the country’s sports minister of attempting to disrupt its work and interfere in the administration of national sports, deepening a public rift between two institutions at the heart of Somali athletics. In a statement, the Olympic body alleged the minister orchestrated “fake contacts” to undermine its operations and tried to take control of its…

WASHINGTON — A U.S. congressional committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has released videos of closed-door depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton, who were questioned last week about their interactions with the late financier. In the recordings, taken in Chappaqua, New York, the former president and former secretary of state addressed their ties to Epstein and rejected any suggestion of misconduct. Hillary Clinton told members of the House Oversight Committee that she did not know Epstein. Bill…

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. — Former President Bill Clinton on Friday denied any wrongdoing in a closed-door deposition before a Republican-led House committee investigating links to Jeffrey Epstein, as Democrats pressed to turn the spotlight onto former President Donald Trump’s connections to the late sex offender. “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” Clinton said in an opening statement shared on social media. He said he severed ties with Epstein well before the financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses. House Oversight…

Bill and Hillary Clinton will testify before a Republican-led House investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a staffer said, a move that could head off planned contempt votes against the former president and former secretary of state. The House Oversight Committee last week recommended holding the Clintons in contempt for initially refusing to appear in person about their interactions with Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The House Rules Committee had…

Nobel Committee says Peace Prize ‘inseparable’ from laureate after Machado gives medal to Trump The Nobel Peace Prize remains tied to the person who won it, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, a day after this year’s laureate, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, presented her medal to U.S. President Donald Trump. “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” the committee said. It added that there are no restrictions on…

Hamas backs technocratic committee for post-war Gaza as ceasefire advances to second stage A senior Hamas official has welcomed the creation of a technocratic committee to administer post-war Gaza, framing the step as vital to consolidating the fragile ceasefire and preventing a slide back into fighting. Egypt, a mediator in indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee. The body would operate under the overall supervision of a so-called “Board of…

WASHINGTON — The United States said it is launching the second phase of its plan to end the Gaza war, moving ahead even as key elements of the first phase — including a complete cease-fire between Israel and Hamas — remain unfulfilled. The faltering start has been marked by ongoing Israeli airstrikes that have killed hundreds in Gaza, delays in reopening the Gaza-Egypt border crossing and the failure to return the remains of one last Israeli hostage. Announcing the shift in a social media post, President Donald Trump’s…

Jubaland forms drought response committee as water crisis deepens; 1.5 million need aid, OCHA says KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam “Madobe” has appointed a seven-member committee to steer the region’s response to a worsening drought, as aid agencies warn of escalating food insecurity and water shortages across southern Somalia. The decree, released Sunday, empowers an interministerial body to organize relief operations, accelerate aid delivery and coordinate with humanitarian partners. The committee…

Towards Peace: A Fragile Ceasefire Agreement in the Congo In a development that offers a glimmer of hope amidst ongoing turbulence, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group have reached an agreement to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring body. The announcement, made through social media statements from both entities, marks a crucial step forward, emerging from protracted negotiations in the opulent surroundings of Doha, Qatar. This agreement, however, arrives…

Mogadishu (AX) — In the heart of Mogadishu, Mayor Yusuf Hussein Jimale Madaale held an important gathering with the interim parliamentary committee focused on electoral laws. Their agenda? To bolster the electoral proceedings and ensure transparency in upcoming elections for Somalia’s capital. Central to their conversations was the idea of implementing elections based directly on citizens' voting rights. This idea received backing and insightful suggestions from the Banadir regional administration. These talks are a…