Significance

ANTALYA, Turkey – Amid the vibrant atmosphere of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud skillfully navigated a contentious issue that has gripped the nation. How often, one might wonder, do symbolic actions take on lives of their own, prompting varied and deeply rooted reactions? Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre's landmark visit to Las Anod has certainly become a focal point for such reflections. The trip was intended as a mere gesture—a diplomatic effort to kindle peace dialogues…

Donald Trump is unique among U.S. presidents, being the only one since John F. Kennedy not to claim Irish ancestry, despite Bill Clinton’s connections being somewhat tenuous. Last week, however, President Trump embraced the longstanding custom of previous administrations, including his own, by designating March as "Irish-American Heritage Month." "They’re great people," he noted as he signed the proclamation in the Oval Office, adding with a hint of humor, "and they voted for me in heavy numbers, so I like ‘em even more."…

On October 5, 2024, armored UNIFIL vehicles left a base in Marjayoun, Lebanon to keep vigil at the volatile Lebanon-Israel boundary. Remarkably, the Israeli military has targeted the UN’s peacekeepers in Lebanon twice in just two days, the United Nations reports. On Thursday, Israeli forces fired multiple rounds at a UNIFIL guard tower, wounding two peacekeepers. Again on Friday, another assault on a surveillance tower injured two additional personnel. That a UN nation would shoot at peacekeeping forces is nearly…