persist

LISBON — Portugal braced for another bout of heavy rain and gale-force winds as nearly 200,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity days after Storm Kristin swept the country, killing five people, officials said. The national weather agency, IPMA, placed all of mainland Portugal on alert through Monday for persistent downpours accompanied by gusts up to 100 km/h. With rivers already swollen and soils saturated, authorities warned that the new system could bring flash flooding in urban areas, as well as…

Somalia deploys former Puntland State forces to Sool front lines as president plans landmark Las Anod visit Units from Danab Brigade and Puntland State Security Force bolster positions near Gumays as Mogadishu consolidates authority in newly recognized Northeastern Regional State. LAS ANOD, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government has deployed former Puntland State regional forces — including units of the elite Danab Brigade and the Puntland State Security Force — to front-line positions in the Sool region, regional officials…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A major opposition meeting opened Tuesday night in the capital as political tensions over Somalia’s electoral process intensified, with participants warning that the country is not ready to hold one-person, one-vote polls within the current government’s term. Leaders of the Madasha Samatabixinta Soomaaliyeed, an opposition coalition, convened the forum at the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu to air grievances about the federal government’s handling of the electoral framework and to gather public input ahead of…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed the United Nations that military operations against Hezbollah will persist, effectively squashing any hopes for the 21-day ceasefire advocated by France and the United States earlier this week. “Hezbollah has made a choice, and that choice is war. Therefore, Israel must act, and we possess every right to safeguard our citizens and ensure their safe return home,” Netanyahu stated during his address to the UN General Assembly. He emphasized that offensive actions against…

Recently, tragedy struck in KwaZulu-Natal when two individuals succumbed to the perilous effects of hypothermia after being ensnared by a relentless snowstorm on the N3 highway. This heartbreaking incident unfolded over the weekend, showcasing the unforgiving nature of winter weather. As snow blanketed the roads, rendering them treacherous, many motorists found themselves caught in an unexpected deluge of white. The sudden onset of severe weather can often catch drivers off guard, emphasizing the critical need for caution…

As Hezbollah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, stood before the camera for a televised address on Thursday, the unmistakable sound of Israeli jets roaring overhead delivered a stark warning. This sonic disruption served not only to interrupt his speech but also to instill fear in many viewers across Lebanon, a message underscored by the previous week’s bombings targeting Hezbollah's communications systems. The blasts resulted in numerous fatalities, left countless individuals injured, and reverberated across the nation,…

Libya's ceasefire has been held since it was reached in October, and rival parties continue talks at the negotiating table, but the road to a permanent political solution that will end the nearly decade-long civil war and bring peace to the country still hangs in the balance due to deep divisions over a transition leader. The UN has "succeeded in accelerating the pace of inter-Libyan negotiations by exerting pressure on all parties, as much at the military level as the political level," Miloud el-Hajj,…