National

Greenlandic siblings Sondre and Ukaleq Slettemark are competing in biathlon at the Winter Olympics under the Danish flag, a high-profile reminder of Greenland’s complicated status in international sport and the pride its athletes carry onto the world stage. Although they hail from Greenland, the autonomous Arctic territory within the Kingdom of Denmark has not been recognized by the International Olympic Committee. As a result, Greenlandic athletes must represent Denmark at the Games. That arrangement puts the…

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 MOGADISHU, Somalia — The presidents of Puntland State and Jubbaland are expected to arrive in Mogadishu within hours to join a national consultative conference on Somalia’s electoral process and constitutional reforms, signaling a tentative easing of tensions between the federal government and regional states. Officials said advance teams from the Puntland State and Jubbaland presidencies — largely composed of security personnel — landed Tuesday afternoon at Aden Adde International Airport and are…

Irish man detained by ICE in Texas pleads for help, says he fears for his life An Irish man who has lived in the United States for nearly 20 years says he fears for his life after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and transferred to a facility in El Paso, Texas, almost 4,000 kilometers from his home in Boston. Seamus Culleton, originally from Glenmore, Co Kilkenny, was arrested by ICE agents last September and taken into immigration detention, as first reported by the Irish Times. Speaking from the…

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling camp swept to a historic election win, securing 316 of 465 seats for her Liberal Democratic Party and, with coalition partner Japan Innovation Party (Ishin), a commanding 352-seat supermajority in the lower house. The result paves the way for her promised tax cuts and a defense buildup aimed at countering China, even as those plans unsettle financial markets and strain regional ties. “This election involved major policy shifts — particularly a major shift in economic and fiscal…

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is on course for a sweeping victory in snap elections, with her ruling bloc securing a two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house, according to media estimates Sunday, a result likely to buoy her agenda while unnerving Beijing and financial markets. Early projections show the Liberal Democratic Party winning about 300 of the 465 seats contested — up from 198 in the last vote — positioning Takaichi’s party to regain a stand-alone majority and possibly a supermajority without…

Somalia warns against foreign pressure on North Western State of Somalia talks, alleges interference MOGADISHU — Somalia will pursue dialogue to resolve differences with North Western State of Somalia but will reject any pressure or foreign interference that threatens its unity and territorial integrity, the country’s minister of state for foreign affairs said. In an interview aired Saturday on Al Jazeera’s Al-Masaaiya program, Ali Mohamed Omar Balcad said Mogadishu’s policy toward North Western State of Somalia is anchored…

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jim Risch warned this week that continued instability in Somalia poses a direct threat to U.S. national security, pressing for tighter oversight to ensure American counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance advances U.S. interests and is shielded from corruption. “The United States faces real security threats from the instability in Somalia,” said Risch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It is essential that our counterterrorism and humanitarian efforts primarily serve…

Red Sea Dreams: Can Ethiopia Swap National Icons for a Maritime Future? ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday renewed his push to secure Ethiopia’s long-sought access to the Red Sea, calling it a “matter of survival” essential to the country’s long-term development and security and insisting any path forward would be negotiated, commercial and peaceful. Speaking during a question-and-answer session with the House of People’s Representatives, Abiy framed the issue as central to regional stability and…

South Africa has today officially acceded to the Establishment Agreement of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), marking the formal entry of one of the continent’s largest economies into the bank’s membership and signaling a potential shift in the region’s financial architecture. The move brings South Africa into the fold of Africa’s leading multilateral financial institution, which was created to finance and promote intra-African and extra-African trade. Membership gives Johannesburg formal access to a…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali National University has accused authorities of illegally demolishing parts of its land in Mogadishu’s Hodan district and says it is taking legal action to stop any further seizures and reclassification of its property. In a statement issued Thursday, the state university said demolitions in the Banadir region have affected facilities used for student services as well as the residence of the university’s chairperson. The administration said no competent authority had granted permission for the…