States

Thursday December 11, 2025 MOGADISHU — The Somalia Football Federation will restart the Federal Member States and Benadir Regional football tournament in January 2026 after a two-year break, reinstating one of the country’s most visible platforms for regional competition and talent identification. SFF President Ali Abdi Mohamed Shiinno said the draw is set for Dec. 22, with matches beginning Jan. 24 under a revised national calendar. The federation will run the event directly, while the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports…

KYIV — Ukraine and its European partners will soon present the United States with “refined documents” for a potential peace plan to end Russia’s war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as diplomatic pressure builds for a deal and leaders claim the talks are inching closer to a breakthrough. Zelensky said new components of a proposal hammered out with British, French and German leaders in London are ready for U.S. review. Kyiv is also seeking robust, long-term security guarantees to deter any future Russian attack as part of…

U.S. and Greenland pledge ‘mutual respect’ as ambassador visits Nuuk amid Trump’s interest in buying island The United States and Greenland pledged to rebuild ties on the basis of “mutual respect” as Washington’s new ambassador to Denmark made his first visit to the Arctic island, a diplomatic outreach that follows President Donald Trump’s public interest in acquiring the semi-autonomous territory. Ambassador Kenneth Howery, a co-founder of PayPal who recently took up his post in Copenhagen, met in Nuuk with Greenlandic…

Somalia: Puntland State troops surround last ISIS stronghold Puntland State’s counter-terrorism push, known as Operation Hilaac, is moving into its final phase as forces close in on what they believe is the last major ISIS hideout in northeastern Somalia. Sources say militants have been pushed from several strategic areas and are now boxed into the Baallade Valley in the Cal-Miskaad mountains. Troops have encircled an area assessed as ISIS’s final main stronghold in Baallade Valley. Operation Hilaac has steadily…

Puntland State’s Quiet Experiment: Local Power, Measured Reform and What It Means for Somalia In a country where headlines often focus on violence, famine and the limits of central governance, Puntland State offers an alternative story — not a miracle, but a pragmatic experiment in balancing security, institutional reform and political negotiation. The autonomous region on Somalia’s northeastern coast has, in recent years, shown that local leadership and slow, deliberate reform can yield tangible results: a shrinking…

Puntland State’s quiet experiment: What a restive Somali state can teach a nation At daybreak in Bosaso, the trucks rumbling down from the Cal Miskaad mountains carry fish, frankincense and the unvarnished news of the day. In this corner of northeastern Somalia, where the mountains meet the sea, Puntland State has spent years testing an idea that feels almost radical in a country long defined by outside interventions: that security, politics and dialogue work best when they are owned, designed and led by communities…

Netanyahu’s UN rebuke exposes a deeper diplomatic rupture over Gaza When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium at the United Nations General Assembly this week, it was not just another speech. It was a coda to a seismic shift in Western policy — and a defensive, at times embittered, attempt to push back. "Over time, many world leaders buckled," Mr. Netanyahu told delegates, accusing governments of caving "under the pressure of a biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs." Scores…

Power Struggles: Nigeria's Energy Crisis Deepens Amid Grid Failures As dawn broke over Nigeria, the promise of a bright new day dissipated with the abrupt darkening of homes, businesses, and schools across the nation. This week, the fragile electricity grid experienced yet another unsettling partial collapse, affecting around 30 states and plunging millions into darkness. The incident, which unfolded between 11 am and 12 pm on an otherwise ordinary day, serves as a stark reminder of the persistent challenges that the…

Puntland State’s Resilience: A New Dawn in the Fight Against ISIS MOGADISHU, Somalia — As the sun rises over the rugged landscapes of Puntland State, the echoes of a different kind of warfare resonate across the Al-Miskad Mountains. In recent weeks, the region has emerged as a frontline in the battle against ISIS, drawing both local and international attention. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson has lauded Puntland State’s impressive strides in counterterrorism efforts, a move that could be a…

Las Anod (AX) — The SSC-Khaatumo leadership has leveled allegations against Northeastern State for meddling in its self-governance, heightening tensions between these two neighboring regions. In a recent media briefing, SSC-Khaatumo's Minister of Planning, Ahmed Diiriye, claimed that his counterpart from Northeastern State, Da'ud Bisinle, has been diligently sowing discord between their communities. Diiriye expressed concerns over teams sent from Garowe, the capital of Northeastern State, asserting they were implementing…