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The last of the afternoon heat clings to the metal walls as Asho Mohamud Jama stoops to set down a yellow jerrycan outside a ramshackle shelter on the edge of Lasanod. She has walked about 7 kilometers to and from a privately owned borehole to collect the only water her family of 14 will drink today. Inside, her 10-month-old dozes fitfully. Tin sheets rattle in the wind. There is no door to keep out the cold at night, and nowhere to escape the sun by day. Across Somalia’s Sool region, prolonged drought has pushed hundreds of…

Clintons ask House committee to make Epstein testimony public Bill and Hillary Clinton are urging the House Oversight Committee to take their testimony in public rather than behind closed doors, arguing that transparency is the best guard against politicization of the panel’s inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein’s connections and how authorities handled information about his crimes. The Republican-led committee had ordered the former president and former secretary of state to sit for closed-door depositions as part of its Epstein…

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…

President Donald Trump said he plans to speak with Iran even as the United States dispatches another warship to the Middle East, signaling a dual track of pressure and potential diplomacy amid a volatile regional standoff. “I am planning on it, yeah,” Trump told reporters when asked about possible discussions with Tehran. “We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.” He did not elaborate on timing, scope or who might lead any U.S. outreach. The…

MOGADISHU — North Western State of Somalia-born politicians based in Mogadishu urged Somalia’s federal authorities on Thursday to avoid punitive steps that could damage the economy, restrict movement or undermine security for people living in North Western State of Somalia, warning that coercion would deepen, not heal, divisions. In a joint statement, the group — which includes current lawmakers and ministers — said forceful measures “will never bring unity” and called for a return to dialogue to resolve disputes between…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A group of North Western State of Somalia-born politicians based in Mogadishu urged the Federal Government of Somalia on Thursday to avoid punitive steps that could harm the economy, restrict movement, or undermine the security of people living in North Western State of Somalia, calling instead for de-escalation and renewed dialogue as tensions rise over Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia. The politicians warned that coercive or punitive measures would not advance Somali unity. They…

Somalia, AU and UN issue urgent donor appeal to sustain Somali Security Forces support MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) on Tuesday launched an urgent appeal for new donor contributions to keep critical support flowing to Somali Security Forces. The call came during a Somali Security Forces (SSF) Trust Fund event in Mogadishu attended by Somalia’s National Security Advisor, the U.N.…

France and Italy are pushing to delay a final European Union vote on the Mercosur trade agreement, a last-minute intervention that threatens to derail a pact 25 years in the making and billed as the EU’s largest deal by tariff relief. The move comes days before European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due in Brazil to sign the agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and amid heightened pressure on the bloc to show unity. Supporters say the EU-Mercosur deal would diversify European trade away from…

Hope and Frustration: Youth Perspectives in Côte d'Ivoire's Presidential Elections As Côte d'Ivoire prepares to head to the polls on October 25 for a pivotal presidential election, a palpable wave of anticipation mingles with frustration among its most vital demographic: its youth. With around 75% of the country’s 38 million citizens under the age of 35, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Many of these young people find themselves grappling with limited job opportunities and a sense of disillusionment stemming from the current…

Today, an intriguing diplomatic exchange unfolded as Ethiopia's State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mesganu Arga, sat down for a chat with Vincent D. Spera, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Africa, Sudan, and South Sudan. From the onset, Ambassador Mesganu didn't mince words. He drove home the point that Ethiopia and the U.S. need to crank up their relationship, especially where peace and security are concerned. For Mesganu, the magic word is "economic." He passionately delved into Ethiopia’s…