officials

Ukraine negotiators and U.S. officials are holding fresh talks in Miami on a Washington-backed plan to end Russia’s invasion, a Kyiv adviser said, as behind-the-scenes diplomacy intensifies over proposals that would require territorial concessions and stop short of NATO membership. The meeting was scheduled to begin in Florida this week with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, listed as participants, though U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed whether an…

Somalis among those arrested in Minneapolis immigration operation, DHS says MINNEAPOLIS — People of Somali origin are among those arrested in a Minneapolis immigration crackdown, federal officials said Thursday, days after President Donald Trump used derogatory language about Somali immigrants and said he wanted them sent “back to where they came from.” The Department of Homeland Security said the Minneapolis arrests began Monday, offering its first statement on the operation. Officials did not provide a total number of…

Windhoek — Namibian health authorities have confirmed a case of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) after a patient admitted to a Windhoek health facility tested positive, officials said Friday. The viral disease, also known as Congo Fever, can be severe and is tracked closely because of its high fatality risk and potential for human-to-human transmission. Health Minister Esperance Luvindao said the single confirmed case required "urgent intervention" given the disease’s severity and capacity to spread. Officials did not…

Russia strikes Ternopil; 25 dead, including three children, after overnight missile and drone barrage TERNOPIL, Ukraine — A Russian missile and drone strike on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil killed 25 people, including three children, and wounded another 73, the interior ministry said, in one of the deadliest attacks on the country’s west since the 2022 invasion. "Twenty-five people, including three children, were killed as a result of Russian shelling of the city. Another 73 people, including 15 children, were…

Russian spy ship Yantar is being tracked north of Scotland after what British officials described as a recent incident in which lasers were directed at Royal Air Force pilots, the UK government said Thursday, prompting heightened naval surveillance and changes to rules of engagement. A government spokesperson said Defence Forces "are aware of how a known Russian ship is currently tracking" and that Minister for Defence Helen McEntee has been briefed. For operational and security reasons McEntee declined to comment…

Puntland State officials visit newly liberated Dhaadaar to assess security and morale A senior Puntland State delegation traveled to the newly secured town of Dhaadaar on Monday to meet frontline commanders and gauge the security picture after recent operations. The visit aimed to lift troop morale and align the next steps on stabilization, humanitarian access and the return of services for residents. The delegation was led by Interior Minister Abdi Farah Juxa and included State Minister of the Presidency Abdifatah Abdinur…

North Western State of Somalia, Somalia and the politics of the skies: Why a digital visa is touching a raw nerve Airspace rarely makes front-page news until it does. In the Horn of Africa, where borders are contested and history weighs heavy, the latest salvo isn’t happening on the ground but in the air—and online. North Western State of Somalia’s Minister of the Presidency, Khadar Hussein Abdi, has accused Somalia’s federal government of waging a “war” over air travel and airspace, claiming the aim is to pressure North…

Somalia airstrike controversy tests U.S. credibility — and a community’s trust On a baked stretch of road outside Ceel Buh, in Somalia’s Sanaag region, a car carrying a well-known clan elder was torn apart by an airstrike on a September afternoon. The U.S. military later said it had targeted an al-Shabab arms dealer in northern Somalia. Local authorities have a starkly different account: the man killed was a peacemaker, a bridge-builder, and their friend. In a place where the title “Caaqil” carries the weight of lineage…

The U.S. Takes a Stand Against Corruption in Nigeria In a bold move signaling its commitment to tackling global corruption, the U.S. mission in Nigeria recently announced that government officials found guilty of corruption will face a significant consequence: denial of U.S. visas. With a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the mission made clear that "fighting corruption knows no borders." This statement resonates deeply in a country where the scars of corruption run deep, casting a long shadow over…

Russia’s overnight drone and missile onslaught leaves civilians dead as war intensifies Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine using hundreds of drones and scores of missiles, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday, killing at least three people, wounding dozens and damaging homes and infrastructure across the country as both sides step up long-range strikes. What officials say happened President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as “massive,” saying roughly 580 drones and about 40 missiles were…