leader

John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance since 2019, has stepped aside from the party’s leadership race and will devote his attention to managing a severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreak that has drawn heavy criticism of his handling of the crisis, the party and his office said Friday. Steenhuisen — who, according to party sources, also served as agriculture minister — had been expected to run unopposed for another term but withdrew amid internal disputes and lingering controversies that party…

Somalia arrests alleged son of ex–al-Shabab leader after street-robbery video in Mogadishu MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency has arrested a man identified as the son of former al-Shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, accusing him of involvement in street crime and insecurity in the capital, officials said Tuesday. The suspect, named by authorities as Abdifitaah Ahmed Godane, was detained after security cameras captured him and another man robbing a mobile phone from a young girl in a…

JIGJIGA, Ethiopia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held talks Saturday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh in Jigjiga, a meeting officials said was aimed at sharpening regional security coordination and expanding economic cooperation across the Horn of Africa. Mohamud was received at Garaad Wiil-Waal Airport before convening discussions centered on political and security challenges facing the region. Somali officials said the president emphasized diplomacy as the…

Somalia court lifts arrest warrant for Jubbaland leader Ahmed Madobe, clearing path to Mogadishu talks MOGADISHU — A court in Mogadishu has annulled an arrest warrant for Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe, removing a key legal barrier ahead of a national political dialogue that the federal government plans to open on Feb. 1. In a decision finalized Jan. 29 and communicated in an official letter released Thursday, the Banadir Regional Court revoked all arrest and production orders tied to a criminal case…

Somalia’s NISA kills Al-Shabaab finance chief in targeted operation MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency, working with international partners, killed Abdullahi Hassan Abdi Cosoble — widely known as Abdullahi Wadaad — in a planned operation on Jan. 23 in the Kuunyo Barrow area of the Lower Shabelle region, the agency said. NISA identified Wadaad as the militant group’s chief financial commander, overseeing the collection and management of money illegally extracted from Somali citizens.…

Starmer says Trump should apologize for ‘insulting’ claim NATO allies stayed off Afghanistan front lines LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday said President Donald Trump should apologize for claiming European allies stayed “a little off the front lines” in the war in Afghanistan, a rare public rebuke that underscored fresh strain across the Atlantic. Calling the remarks “insulting and frankly appalling,” Starmer said that if he had “misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise.” He…

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, will soon visit the United States, a senior U.S. official said, signaling President Donald Trump’s willingness to engage with the oil-rich country’s new leader despite years of hostility. Excluding United Nations gatherings, it would be the first bilateral visit by a sitting Venezuelan president in more than a quarter-century. The White House official, who was not authorized to discuss details publicly, said no date has been set. Caracas has not confirmed the trip. Rodriguez…

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…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he held a “long call” with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, the first known direct contact between the two since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, signaling a new phase in U.S.-Venezuela relations that blends cautious engagement with continuing pressure over human rights. “We just had a great conversation today, and she’s a terrific person,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. In posts on social media, he said the pair discussed “many topics,” including oil, minerals,…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he held a “long call” with Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, the first known direct contact between the two since the ouster of Nicolas Maduro, as Caracas continued a cautious release of prisoners detained during years of political repression. “We just had a great conversation today, and she’s a terrific person,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He later said on social media the pair discussed “many topics,” including oil, minerals, trade and national security, and…