passes

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Monday overwhelmingly approved a national tobacco control framework, a landmark move aimed at curbing tobacco use and tackling what lawmakers and health officials describe as a growing public health threat. The House of the People backed the measure with 139 votes in favor, three abstentions and none against, signaling rare cross-party consensus on the need to rein in tobacco consumption and marketing across the country. Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, widely known…

Somalia’s Upper House passes National Payment System Bill, clearing path for payments oversight law MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Upper House of Parliament on Monday overwhelmingly approved the National Payment System Bill, a keystone measure designed to regulate the country’s fast-growing digital payments industry and strengthen consumer protection in a mobile-money-driven economy. Parliamentary officials said the bill passed during the 14th session of the Upper House’s seventh sitting with 28 senators voting in favor and none…

Somalia’s Parliament Passes Medicine Bill to Tackle Counterfeit Drugs; Lawmakers Weigh Tobacco Control Pact MOGADISHU — Somalia’s lower house of parliament on Saturday approved the Medicine Bill, a landmark piece of health legislation aimed at tightening oversight of pharmaceuticals after years of weak regulation and widespread concerns over counterfeit and substandard drugs. The House of the People passed the bill during the 25th meeting of its seventh session, with 141 lawmakers voting in favor, one abstention and no…

Nicholas Zakaria, a pioneering figure in Zimbabwe’s sungura music and a founding member of the Khiama Boys, has died. He was 66. Zakaria — widely known by his stage name "Madzibaba" — was celebrated for his deft guitar work and a voice that helped shape the rhythmic, guitar-driven sound that defines sungura. His family said he was a "talented musician and beloved member of our community" who left an indelible mark on Zimbabwean music. As one of the early members of the Khiama Boys, Zakaria performed with and influenced a…

Frank Gehry, the visionary architect whose sculptural, often metallic buildings reshaped skylines and public imagination, has died at 96, Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP, said. Gehry died at his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness. Gehry, whose work fused modern pop art sensibilities with engineering daring, won virtually every prize in his field, including the Pritzker Prize, the Royal Institute of British Architects gold medal, the Americans for the Arts lifetime achievement award…

Opposition Leader Anicet Ekane Dies in Custody, Escalating Tensions in Cameroon Anicet Ekane, the prominent opposition leader and head of the Manidem party, has died at the age of 74 after being held for several weeks at a military garrison in Yaoundé. His family and legal representatives claim he was denied essential medical care during his detention, where he struggled to breathe while facing serious charges, including hostility against the state, incitement to revolt, and calls for insurrection. Ekane's arrest on…

Senate ends longest US government shutdown with 60-40 vote, but many questions remain The US Senate on Monday approved a compromise measure to reopen the federal government, ending what lawmakers called the longest shutdown in American history but stopping short of resolving a host of lingering political and practical problems. The 60-40 vote — carried by nearly every Senate Republican and eight Democrats — restored funding for agencies whose budgets expired on Oct. 1 and pushed a final decision on health insurance…

A Nation in Mourning: Reflecting on the Legacy of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings In a somber announcement that has reverberated across Ghana and beyond, President John Mahama has declared three days of national mourning following the death of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. The flag will fly at half-mast on public buildings, diplomatic missions, and government facilities, marking a period of reflection for a beloved figure who significantly impacted Ghanaian society. A Legacy of Empowerment Known for her…

Tragedy Strikes Ethiopian Marathon Community with the Loss of Shewarge Alene The sun was just beginning to rise over Addis Ababa, casting a warm golden hue across the training fields, when the news spread like wildfire through the running community. Shewarge Alene, a celebrated Ethiopian marathon runner, tragically passed away after falling ill during a training session. She was only 30 years old. Alene had built a reputation as a formidable competitor, participating in 27 marathons since her debut in 2011. Her most recent…

Qalanjo, the Star Who Gave Somalia Its Soundtrack, Dies in Hargeisa She walked onto the stage with a dancer’s grace and a singer’s certainty, a silk scarf sweeping like a banner. In the 1970s and ’80s—when Somali theaters were full and radios hummed in every teashop—Khadijo Mohamud Yusuf, known to her country simply as Qalanjo, helped give Somalia its soundtrack. The Ministry of Information confirmed she died on August 29 in Hargeisa, calling her passing a profound loss to Somali culture. She was among the first women to…