government

U.K. to release first tranche of Mandelson appointment files amid Epstein-linked probe The U.K. government will publish the first batch of documents today relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States, as police continue investigating allegations he passed sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary. Mandelson was arrested on Feb. 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was bailed and later released from his bail conditions, but remains under…

Flight carrying Puntland State lawmakers ordered back to Mogadishu; Puntland State suspends Daallo Airlines MOGADISHU, Somalia — More than 30 members of Somalia’s federal parliament from Puntland State were forced to return to the capital on Monday after their flight to Garowe was ordered back, intensifying a political standoff ahead of a planned consultative meeting in the regional capital. The lawmakers were en route to a meeting convened by Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni on Somalia’s political situation.…

U.S., Israel launch major strikes on Iran as Trump urges uprising; Tehran fires missiles at Israel, U.S. bases The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes across Iran on Saturday, opening a new chapter of military confrontation as President Donald Trump urged Iranians to “seize control of your destiny” and rise up against the Islamic Republic’s leadership. Within hours, Iran said it fired a “first wave” of missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted U.S. military sites across the Gulf. Strikes reported near…

Trump orders U.S. to halt use of Anthropic tech as Pentagon clash over AI ‘red lines’ escalates President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to “immediately” stop using Anthropic’s technology after the San Francisco-based AI start-up rejected a Pentagon demand for unconditional military use of its Claude models, igniting a high-stakes confrontation over mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Anthropic accused the Pentagon of “intimidation” and vowed to sue, saying it would not allow its systems to be used for “mass…

France’s minority government survived twin no-confidence votes after pushing a new energy law through by decree, but the more consequential shift may be outside the chamber: a new poll indicates voters are now more inclined to block the hard left than the far right in runoffs, signaling a potential realignment of the country’s political guardrails. The motions were filed by the far-right National Rally (RN) and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), underscoring how both fringes sought to capitalize on the government’s reliance…

HARARE — A group of public health physicians urged Harare and Washington on Thursday to resume negotiations after the collapse of a proposed $367 million bilateral health agreement that health experts say would have strengthened Zimbabwe's fragile health system. The proposed package, officials and health specialists said, was aimed at bolstering priority programs including HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, tuberculosis control, malaria response, maternal and child health services and disease outbreak preparedness. Its…

Mogadishu — Somalia’s federal government accused opposition figures on Tuesday of derailing high-stakes political talks in the capital by abandoning an agreed agenda, intensifying a standoff over elections and constitutional reforms as the United Nations urged both sides back to the table. In a statement, the government said the consultation process—launched in March 2025 to collect views from former leaders, politicians, academics and civil society—remains the vehicle to resolve what it called the country’s “fateful…

Somalia says 17 al-Shabab commanders killed in six months as financial squeeze intensifies MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali security forces have killed 17 al-Shabab commanders over the past six months amid escalating military and financial pressure on the extremist group, the government said Sunday. Information Minister Daud Aweis said in a statement on X that the operations reflect sustained counterterrorism efforts focused on the group’s leadership network. He reaffirmed the government’s objective of dismantling al-Shabab’s…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government says al-Shabab is facing mounting financial strain after a string of operations that killed senior operatives overseeing the group’s revenue networks and a sustained push to dismantle its funding channels. State news agency SONNA reported Saturday, citing intelligence sources, that the al-Qaida-linked group is struggling to reconstitute income streams amid a coordinated financial offensive aimed at its economic backbone. Independent verification of the internal figures was…

Sunday, February 22, 2026 MOGADISHU — High-level talks between Somalia’s federal government and the opposition-aligned Somali Future Council resumed Sunday at Villa Somalia, with both sides still divided over the country’s electoral direction as current mandates near expiration. The meeting is part of an ongoing consultative conference launched last week to resolve disputes over elections and constitutional reform. The stakes are rising as political actors face pressure to agree on a roadmap that averts a constitutional…